Picador Book of Latin American Stories

by Carlos Fuentes

This collection of 39 Latin American stories emphasizes urban and cosmopolitan experiences. Established authors such as Borges and Marquez are represented along with lesser-known authors.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories

333 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Carlos Fuentes Macías was a Mexican writer and one of the best-known novelists and essayists of the 20th century in the Spanish-speaking world. Fuentes influenced contemporary Latin American literature, and his works have been widely translated into English and other languages.

Fuentes was born in Panama City, Panama; his parents were Mexican. Due to his father being a diplomat, during his childhood he lived in Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro, Washington, Santiago, and Buenos Aires. In his adolescence, he returned to Mexico, where he lived until 1965. He was married to film star Rita Macedo from 1959 till 1973, although he was an habitual philanderer and allegedly, his affairs - which he claimed include film actresses such as Jeanne Moreau and Jean Seberg - brought her to despair. The couple ended their relationship amid scandal when Fuentes eloped with a very pregnant and then-unknown journalist named Silvia Lemus. They were eventually married.

Following in the footsteps of his parents, he also became a diplomat in 1965 and served in London, Paris (as ambassador), and other capitals. In 1978 he resigned as ambassador to France in protest over the appointment of Gustavo Diaz Ordaz, former president of Mexico, as ambassador to Spain. He also taught courses at Brown, Princeton, Harvard, Penn, George Mason, Columbia and Cambridge.

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کارلوس فوئنتس در ۱۱ نوامبر ۱۹۲۸ در پاناماسیتی به دنیا آمد. مادرش برتا ماسیاس ریواس و پدرش رافائل فوئنتس بوئه‌تیگر است. پدر وی از دیپلمات‌های مشهور مکزیک است. وی سفیر مکزیک در هلند، پاناما، پرتغال و ایتالیا بود.

دوران کودکی‌اش در واشنتگتن دی.سی. و سانتیاگوی شیلی گذشت. فوئنتس در دانشگاه مکزیک و ژنو در رشتهٔ حقوق تحصیل کرد. او به زبان‌های انگلیسی و فرانسه تسلط کامل دارد.

آثار
* مرگ آرتمیوکروز، ۱۹۶۲
* آئورا، ۱۹۶۲
* زمین ما،‌ ۱۹۷۵
* گرینگوی پیر، ۱۹۸۵
* ملکهٔ عروسک‌ها
* آسوده خاصر، ترجمهٔ محمدامین لاهیجی.
* مرگ آرتمیو کروز، ترجمهٔ مهدی سحابی.
* آئورا، ترجمهٔ عبدالله کوثری.
* سرهیدا.
* خودم با دیگران (به تازگی با نام از چشم فوئنتس) ترجمهٔ عبدالله کوثری.


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Carlos Fuentes Macías fue un escritor mexicano y uno de los novelistas y ensayistas más conocidos en el mundo de habla española. Fuentes influyó en la literatura contemporánea de América Latina, y sus obras han sido ampliamente traducidas al inglés y otros idiomas.

Fuentes nació en la ciudad de Panamá, Panamá, sus padres eran mexicanos. Debido a su padre era un diplomático, durante su infancia vivió en Montevideo, Río de Janeiro, Washington, Santiago y Buenos Aires. En su adolescencia regresó a México, donde vivió hasta 1965. Estuvo casado con la estrella de cine Rita Macedo de 1959 hasta 1973, aunque era un mujeriego habitual y, al parecer, sus asuntos - que se ha cobrado incluyen actrices como Jeanne Moreau y Jean Seberg, su llevados a la desesperación. La pareja terminó su relación en medio del escándalo, cuando Fuentes se fugó con un periodista muy embarazada y entonces desconocido de nombre Silvia Lemus. Se casaron finalmente.

Siguiendo los pasos de sus padres, también se convirtió en un diplomático en 1965 y sirvió en Londres, París (como embajador), y otras capitales. En 1978 renunció al cargo de embajador en Francia en protesta por el nombramiento de Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, ex presidente de México, como embajador en España.

Reviews

[Pavan Dharanipragada]

This one was tough. It seems like Latin Americans experiment at a far greater magnitude with the story form than the rest of the literary world, and I was not prepared. Short stories are a lot more challenging to read (and maybe to write well) than novels in general, but the payoff is also outsized when one hits you. It's like how some photographs stay with you a lot longer than whole movies. There are some 35 stories in this book, and I've like probably 5-6. But the rest mostly went over my head. Latin American fiction seems to be a space that I should explore more carefully, treading with guidance, equipping myself with more tools before I can allow myself to be lost like this in an alien wilderness.

P.S.: Latin American literature also seems to be a good place to find oneself if living in these bleak times, with fascist regimes seeming interminable. They have gone through this and worse and have given us their experiences of trauma, that I've found valuable, in some of these stories.

[Moonbook]

Dnf at page 65,
I didn't enjoy

[Grinjo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that is nothing short of surprises in its collection, it provides a glimpse at the fantastic world of Latin American literature. It gave what literature of higher quality gives- hope, satisfaction, and beauty.
Starts with Aleph, ofcourse, and some very beautiful stories that includes: Luvina by Rulfo, Love by Lispector, Ana Maria by Jose Donoso, Marquez's Drowned man, Pitols Bukhara Nocturne, panther eyes by Luisa Valenzuela, Scliars Vangoghs ear, the benefactor by Rodolfo, Senel Paz's Don't tell her you love her (set when Che died), Ampueros Taxi Driver-minus Robert deNero, some of the best.
The diversity of the continent, and the amount of quality literature that's produced, the history they all contain and the intensity of those encounters are unparalleled in literature anywhere in the world.