Famous Latin American writers. Latin American literature

LATIN AMERICAN LITERATURE
The literature of Latin America, existing mainly in Spanish and Portuguese, was formed through the interaction of two different rich cultural traditions - European and Indian. Native American literature in some cases continued to develop after the Spanish conquest. Of the surviving works of pre-Columbian literature, most were written down by missionary monks. Thus, to this day the main source for the study of Aztec literature remains the work of Fray B. de Sahagún (1550-1590) History of Things of New Spain, created between 1570 and 1580. Masterpieces of Mayan literature written down shortly after the conquest have also been preserved: a collection of historical legends and cosmogonic myths of the Popol Vuh and the prophetic books of Chilam-Balam. Thanks to the collecting activities of the monks, examples of pre-Columbian Peruvian poetry that existed in the oral tradition have reached us. Their work was supplemented by two famous chroniclers of Indian origin - Inca Garcilaso de la Vega (1539-1516) and F.G. Poma de Ayala (1532/1533-1615). The primary layer of Latin American literature in Spanish consists of diaries, chronicles and reports of the pioneers and conquistadors themselves. Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) outlined his impressions of the newly discovered lands in the Diary of his first voyage (1492-1493) and three letters of communication addressed to the Spanish royal couple. Columbus often interprets American realities in a fantastic way, reviving numerous geographical myths and legends that filled Western European literature from antiquity to Marco Polo (c. 1254-1324). The discovery and conquest of the Aztec Empire in Mexico is reflected in five letters of communication from E. Cortez (1485-1547), sent to Emperor Charles V between 1519 and 1526. A soldier from Cortez's detachment, B. Diaz del Castillo (between 1492 and 1496-1584), described these events in the True History of the Conquest of New Spain (1563), one of the most remarkable books of the Conquest era. In the process of discovering the lands of the New World, in the minds of the conquistadors, old European myths and legends, fused with Indian legends ("The Fountain of Eternal Youth", "Seven Cities of Sivola", "Eldorado", etc.) were revived and reinterpreted. The persistent search for these mythical places determined the entire course of the conquest and, to some extent, the early colonization of the territories. A number of literary monuments of the Conquest era are represented by detailed testimonies of participants in such expeditions. Among works of this kind, the most interesting is the famous book Shipwreck (1537) by A. Cabeza de Vaqui (1490?-1559?), who in eight years of wandering was the first European to cross the North American continent in a westerly direction, and the Narrative of the new discovery of the glorious great Amazon River (Russian translation 1963) by Fray G. de Carvajal (1504-1584) . Another body of Spanish texts from this period consists of chronicles created by Spanish and sometimes Indian historiographers. The humanist B. de Las Casas (1474-1566) was the first to severely criticize the conquest in his History of the Indies. In 1590, the Jesuit J. de Acosta (1540-1600) published the Natural and Moral History of the Indies. In Brazil, G. Soares de Souza (1540-1591) wrote one of the most informative chronicles of this period - Description of Brazil in 1587, or News of Brazil. At the origins of Brazilian literature is also the Jesuit J. de Anchieta (1534-1597), the author of chronicle texts, sermons, lyric poems and religious plays (auto). The most significant playwrights of the period under review were E. Fernandez de Eslaya (1534-1601), author of religious and secular plays, and J. Ruiz de Alarcon (1581-1639). The highest achievements in the genre of epic poetry were the poem The Greatness of Mexico (1604) by B. de Balbuena, Elegies on the Illustrious Men of the Indies (1589) by J. de Castellanos (1522-1607) and Araucan (1569-1589) by A. de Ercilla y Zúñiga (1533-1594), which describes the conquest of Chile. During the colonial period, Latin American literature was oriented towards the literary fashion of the metropolis. The aesthetics of the Spanish Golden Age, particularly the Baroque, quickly permeated the intellectual circles of Mexico and Peru. One of the best works of Latin American prose of the 17th century. - the chronicle of the Colombian J. Rodriguez Fraile (1556-1638) El Carnero (1635) is more artistic in style than a historiographical work. The artistic attitude was even more clearly manifested in the chronicle of the Mexican C. Siguenza y Gongora (1645-1700) The Misadventures of Alonso Ramirez, supposedly the true story of a shipwrecked sailor. If the prose writers of the 17th century. were unable to reach the level of full-fledged artistic writing, stopping halfway between a chronicle and a novel, then the poetry of this period reached a high degree of development. The Mexican nun Juana Ines de la Cruz (1648-1695), a major literary figure of the colonial era, created unsurpassed examples of Latin American baroque poetry. In Peruvian poetry of the 17th century. philosophical and satirical orientation dominated over the aesthetic, as manifested in the works of P. de Peralta Barnuevo (1663-1743) and J. del Valle y Caviedes (1652/1654-1692/1694). In Brazil, the most significant writers of this period were A. Vieira (1608-1697), who wrote sermons and treatises, and A. Fernandez Brandon, author of the book Dialogue on the Splendors of Brazil (1618). The process of formation of Creole identity by the end of the 17th century. acquired a distinct character. A critical attitude towards colonial society and the need for its reconstruction are expressed in the satirical book of the Peruvian A. Carrio de la Vandera (1716-1778) Guide of the Blind Wanderers (1776). The same educational pathos was asserted by the Ecuadorian F. J. E. de Santa Cruz y Espejo (1747-1795) in the book New Lucian of Quito, or Awakener of Minds, written in the genre of dialogue. The Mexican H.H. Fernandez de Lisardi (1776-1827) began his career in literature as a satirist poet. In 1816, he published the first Latin American novel, Periquillo Sarniento, where he expressed critical social ideas within the picaresque genre. Between 1810-1825, the War of Independence unfolded in Latin America. During this era, poetry achieved the greatest public resonance. A notable example of the use of the classicist tradition is the heroic ode to the Song of Bolivar, or the Victory at Junin by the Ecuadorian J. H. Olmedo (1780-1847). The spiritual and literary leader of the independence movement was A. Bello (1781-1865), who strove in his poetry to reflect Latin American issues in the traditions of neoclassicism. The third of the most significant poets of that period was J.M. Heredia (1803-1839), whose poetry became a transitional stage from neoclassicism to romanticism. In Brazilian poetry of the 18th century. the philosophy of enlightenment was combined with stylistic innovations. Its largest representatives were T.A. Gonzaga (1744-1810), M.I.da Silva Alvarenga (1749-1814) and I.J.da Alvarenga Peixoto (1744-1792). In the first half of the 19th century. Latin American literature was dominated by the influence of European romanticism. The cult of individual freedom, the rejection of Spanish tradition and a renewed interest in American themes were closely associated with the growing self-awareness of developing nations. The conflict between European civilizational values ​​and the reality of the American countries that have recently thrown off the colonial yoke has become entrenched in the opposition “barbarism - civilization.” This conflict was reflected most sharply and deeply in Argentine historical prose in the famous book by D. F. Sarmiento (1811-1888) Civilization and Barbarism. The biography of Juan Facundo Quiroga (1845), in the novel by J. Marmol (1817-1871) Amalia (1851-1855) and in the story by E. Echeverria (1805-1851) The Massacre (c. 1839). In the 19th century Many romantic works were created in Latin American literature. The best examples of this genre are Maria (1867) by the Colombian J. Isaacs (1837-1895), the novel by the Cuban S. Villaverde (1812-1894) Cecilia Valdez (1839), dedicated to the problem of slavery, and the novel by the Ecuadorian J. L. Mera (1832- 1894) Cumanda, or Drama among the Savages (1879), reflecting the interest of Latin American writers in Indian themes. A romantic fascination with local color gave rise to an original movement in Argentina and Uruguay - Gauchista literature. An unsurpassed example of Gauchist poetry was the lyric-epic poem by the Argentinean J. Hernandez (1834-1886) Gaucho Martin Fierro (1872). The founder and largest representative of realism in Latin American literature was the Chilean A. Blest Gana (1830-1920), and naturalism found its best embodiment in the novels of the Argentine E. Cambaceres (1843-1888) Whistle of a Rogue (1881-1884) and Without a Purpose (1885) . The largest figure in Latin American literature of the 19th century. became the Cuban H. Marti (1853-1895), an outstanding poet, thinker, and politician. He spent most of his life in exile and died while participating in the Cuban War of Independence. In his works, he affirmed the concept of art as a social act and denied any forms of aesthetics and elitism. Martí published three collections of poetry—Free Poems (1891), Ismaelillo (1882), and Simple Poems (1882). His poetry is characterized by intensity of lyrical feeling and depth of thought with external simplicity and clarity of form. In the last decades of the 19th century. In Latin America, an innovative literary movement emerged - modernism. Formed under the influence of the French Parnassians and Symbolists, Spanish-American modernism gravitated towards exotic imagery and proclaimed the cult of beauty. The beginning of this movement is associated with the publication of the collection of poems Azure (1888) by the Nicaraguan poet R. Dario (1867-1916). Among his many followers, the Argentinean L. Lugones (1874-1938), author of the collection Golden Mountains (1897), the Colombian J.A. Silva (1865-1896), the Bolivian R. Jaimes Freire (1868-1933), who created a landmark for of the entire movement, the book Barbaric Castalia (1897), the Uruguayans Delmira Agustini (1886-1914) and J. Herrera y Reissig (1875-1910), the Mexicans M. Gutierrez Najera (1859-1895), A. Nervo (1870-1919) and S. Diaz Miron (1853-1934), Peruvians M. Gonzalez Prada (1848-1919) and J. Santos Chocano (1875-1934), Cuban J. del Casal (1863-1893). The best example of modernist prose was the novel The Glory of Don Ramiro (1908) by the Argentinean E. Laretta (1875-1961). In Brazilian literature, the new romantic consciousness found its highest expression in the poetry of A. Gonçalves Diaz (1823-1864). The largest representative of the realistic novel of the second half of the 19th century. became J. Maschado de Assis (1839-1908). The deep influence of the Parnassian school in Brazil was reflected in the work of the poets A. de Oliveira (1859-1927) and R. Correia (1859-1911), and the influence of French symbolism marked the poetry of J. da Cruz y Souza (1861-1898). At the same time, the Brazilian version of modernism is radically different from the Spanish American one. Brazilian modernism arose in the early 1920s at the intersection of national sociocultural concepts with avant-garde theories. The founders and spiritual leaders of this movement were M. di Andradi (1893-1945) and O. di Andradi (1890-1954). The deep spiritual crisis of European culture at the turn of the century forced many artists to turn to the countries of the “third world” in search of new values. Latin American writers who lived in Europe absorbed and widely disseminated these trends, which largely determined the nature of their work after returning to their homeland and the development of new literary trends in Latin America. Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957) was the first Latin American writer to receive the Nobel Prize (1945). However, against the background of Latin American poetry of the first half of the 20th century. her lyrics, simple thematically and in form, are perceived rather as an exception. Since 1909, when L. Lugones published the collection Sentimental Lunarium, the development of Latin American poetry has taken a completely different path. In accordance with the fundamental principle of avant-gardeism, art was considered as a creation of a new reality and was opposed to a mimetic (i.e., imitative) reflection of reality. This idea formed the core of creationism - a movement created by the Chilean V. Huidobro (1893-1948) after his return from Paris. The most famous Chilean poet was P. Neruda (1904-1973), Nobel Prize laureate (1971). In Mexico, poets close to avant-gardeism - J. Torres Bodet (b. 1902), J. Gorostisa (1901-1973), S. Novo (b. 1904) and others - grouped around the magazine "Contemporaneos" (1928-1973). 1931). In the mid-1930s, the greatest Mexican poet of the 20th century declared himself. O. Paz (b. 1914), Nobel Prize laureate (1990). The philosophical lyrics, built on free associations, synthesize the poetics of T. S. Eliot and surrealism, Indian mythology and Eastern religions. In Argentina, avant-garde theories were embodied in the ultraist movement, which saw poetry as a collection of catchy metaphors. One of the founders and the largest representative of this movement was H.L. Borges (1899-1986). In the Antilles, the Puerto Rican L. Pales Matos (1899-1959) and the Cuban N. Guillen (1902-1989) stood at the head of Negrism, a continent-wide literary movement designed to identify and establish the African-American layer of Latin American culture. The work of one of the most original Latin American poets of the 20th century was formed on an avant-garde basis. - Peruvian S. Vallejo (1892-1938). From his first books - Black Heralds (1918) and Trilse (1922) - to the collection Human Poems (1938), published posthumously, his lyrics, marked by purity of form and depth of content, expressed a painful sense of man's loss in the modern world, a mournful feeling of loneliness, finding comfort only in brotherly love, focus on the themes of time and death. The most significant representatives of Brazilian postmodernism are the poets C.D.di Andrady, M.Mendes, Cecilia Meireles, J.di Lima, A.Fr.Schmidt and V.di Moraes. In the second half of the 20th century. In Latin America, socially engaged poetry is developing widely. Its leader can be considered the Nicaraguan E. Cardenal. Other famous contemporary poets also worked in the vein of protest poetry: the Chileans N. Parra and E. Lin, the Mexicans H. E. Pacheco and M. A. Montes de Oca, the Cuban R. Retamar, R. Dalton from El Salvador and O. Rene Castillo from Guatemala, the Peruvian J. Herault and the Argentinean Fr. Urondo. With the spread of avant-gardeism in the 1920s, Latin American drama was guided by the main European theatrical trends. The Argentinean R. Arlt (1900-1942) and the Mexican R. Usigli wrote a number of plays in which the influence of European playwrights, in particular L. Pirandelo and J.B. Shaw, was clearly visible. Later, the influence of B. Brecht prevailed in the Latin American theater. Among modern Latin American playwrights, E. Carballido from Mexico, Argentinean Griselda Gambaro, Chilean E. Wolff, Colombian E. Buenaventura and Cuban J. Triana stand out. The regional novel, which developed in the first third of the 20th century, was focused on depicting local specifics - nature, gauchos, latifundists, provincial politics, etc.; or he recreated events in national history (for example, the events of the Mexican Revolution). The largest representatives of this trend were the Uruguayan O. Quiroga (1878-1937) and the Colombian H.E. Rivera (1889-1928), who described the cruel world of the selva; Argentinean R. Guiraldes (1886-1927), continuer of the traditions of Gauchist literature; famous Venezuelan prose writer R. Gallegos (1884-1969) and the founder of the Mexican novel of the revolution, M. Azuela (1873-1952). Along with regionalism in the first half of the 19th century. Indianism developed - a literary movement designed to reflect the current state of Indian cultures and the peculiarities of their interaction with the world of white people. The most representative figures of Spanish-American indigenism were the Ecuadorian J. Icaza (1906-1978), author of the famous novel Huasipungo (1934), the Peruvians S. Alegria (1909-1967), creator of the novel In a Big and Alien World (1941), and J.M. Arguedas (1911-1969), who reflected the mentality of modern Quechuas in the novel Deep Rivers (1958), the Mexican Rosario Castellanos (1925-1973) and the Nobel Prize winner (1967) Guatemalan prose writer and poet M.A. Asturias (1899-1974). Since the 1940s, F. Kafka, J. Joyce, A. Gide and W. Faulkner began to have a significant influence on Latin American writers. However, Latin American literature combined formal experimentation with social issues and sometimes with overt political engagement. If regionalists and Indianists preferred to depict a rural environment, then in the novels of the new wave an urban, cosmopolitan background predominates. The Argentinean R. Arlt showed in his works the inner failure, depression and alienation of the city dweller. The same gloomy atmosphere reigns in the prose of his compatriots - E. Maglie (b. 1903) and E. Sabato (b. 1911), author of the novel About Heroes and Graves (1961). A bleak picture of urban life is painted by the Uruguayan J.C. Onetti (1909-1994) in the novels The Well (1939), A Brief Life (1950), The Skeleton Junta (1965). H. L. Borges, one of the most famous writers of our time, plunged into a self-sufficient metaphysical world created by the play of logic, the interweaving of analogies, and the confrontation between the ideas of order and chaos. In the second half of the 20th century. Latin American literature has presented an incredible wealth and variety of fiction. In his stories and novels, the Argentine J. Cortazar (1924-1984) explored the boundaries of reality and fantasy. Peruvian M. Vargas Llosa (b. 1936) revealed the internal connection of Latin American corruption and violence with the “macho” complex (Spanish: macho - male, “real man”). The Mexican J. Rulfo (1918-1986), one of the greatest writers of this generation, in the collection of stories Plain on Fire (1953) and the story by Pedro Paramo (1955), revealed a deep mythological substrate that determines modern reality. The world famous Mexican novelist K. dedicated his works to the study of national character. Fuentes (b. 1929). In Cuba, J. Lezama Lima (1910-1978) recreated the process of artistic creativity in the novel Paradise (1966), while A. Carpentier (1904-1980), one of the founders of “magical realism,” combined French rationalism with a tropical sensibility. But the most “magical” of Latin American writers is rightfully considered the author of the famous novel One Hundred Years of Solitude (19 67), the Colombian G. Garcia Marquez (b. 1928), Nobel Prize laureate 1982. Latin American novels such as The Betrayal of Rita Hayworth (1968) have become widely known ) by the Argentinean M. Puig (b. 1932), Three Sad Tigers (1967) by the Cuban G. Cabrera Infante, Indecent Bird of the Night (1970) by the Chilean J. Donoso (b. 1925), etc. The most interesting work of Brazilian literature in the genre of documentary prose - Sertana's book (1902), written by journalist E. da Cunha (1866-1909). Contemporary fiction in Brazil is represented by J. Amado (b. 1912), the creator of many regional novels marked by a deep sense of involvement in social problems; E. Verisimu (1905-1975), who reflected city life in the novels Crossroads (1935) and Only Silence Remains (1943); and the greatest Brazilian writer of the 20th century. J. Rosa (1908-1968), who in his famous novel The Trails of the Great Sertan (1956) developed a special artistic language to convey the psychology of the inhabitants of the vast Brazilian semi-deserts. Other Brazilian novelists include Raquel de Queiroz (The Three Marys, 1939), Clarice Lispector (The Hour of the Star, 1977), M. Sousa (Galves, Emperor of the Amazon, 1977) and Nelida Pinón (The Warmth of Things, 1980).
LITERATURE
Legends and tales of the Indians of Latin America. M., 1962 Poetry of the gaucho. M., 1964 History of the Literatures of Latin America, vols. 1-3. M., 1985-1994
Kuteishchikova V.N. Roman of Latin America in the twentieth century. M., 1964 Formation of national literatures in Latin America. M., 1970 Mamontov S. Spanish-language literature of Latin American countries in the twentieth century. M., 1972 Torres-Rioseco A. Great Latin American literature. M., 1972 Poetry of Latin America. M., 1975 Artistic originality of Latin American literature. M., 1976 Flute in the jungle. M., 1977 Constellation of the lyre: Selected pages of Latin American lyrics. M., 1981 Latin America: Literary almanac, vol. 1-6; Literary panorama, vol. 7. M., 1983-1990 Latin American story, vols. 1-2. M., 1989 Book of grains of sand: Fantastic prose of Latin America. L., 1990 Mechanisms of cultural formation in Latin America. M., 1994 Iberica Americans. Type of creative personality in Latin American culture. M., 1997 Kofman A.F. Latin American artistic image of the world. M., 1997

Collier's Encyclopedia. - Open Society. 2000 .

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We present to our readers a book that includes works by the founders of Latin American modernism - the Argentinean Leopoldo Lugones (1874-1938) and the Nicaraguan Ruben Dario (1867-1916). They met in Buenos Aires at the office of a local newspaper, and a friendship began between them that lasted until Dario's death.

The work of both was influenced by the work of Edgar Allan Poe, and as a result a new genre of literary work arose - the fantastic story. The collection you are holding in your hands contains the complete unadapted text of the stories by Lugones and Dario, equipped with detailed comments and a dictionary.

An incredible and sad story about the simple-minded Erendira and her cruel grandmother (collection)

The stories in this collection belong to the “mature” period of the great Latin American writer’s work, when he had already achieved perfection in the style of magical realism that made him famous and became his signature. Magic or the grotesque can be funny or frightening, plots can be fascinating or very conventional.

But the wonderful or monstrous invariably becomes part of reality - these are the rules of the game set by the writer, which the reader follows with pleasure.

Self-instruction manual for the Spanish language, 2nd ed., revised. and additional Training manual for open source software

The textbook is focused on developing communication skills in Spanish within the framework of the main lexical topics in the social and everyday sphere, acquiring grammatical and lexical knowledge necessary for successful communication. Texts selected from the works of Spanish and Latin American writers, dialogues compiled from radio broadcasts, and regional studies texts are accompanied by a dictionary of active vocabulary, lexical and grammatical commentary and reflect the current state of the Spanish language.

They will allow you to master reading techniques, practice grammatical forms, master basic stereotypical cues and develop speech reactions to certain life situations. The clear structure of the textbook and the system of exercises and test tests with keys developed by the authors will help in the development of basic linguistic competencies.

Exiles. Book to read in Spanish

Horacio Quiroga (1878–1937) was a Uruguayan writer who lived in Argentina, one of the most prominent Latin American writers, and a master of the short story. We present to our readers the complete unadapted text of the stories with comments and a dictionary.

Partisan's daughter

Louis de Bernières, author of the bestselling book Captain Corelli's Mandolin, the Latin American magic trilogy and the epic novel The Wingless Birds, tells a poignant love story. He is forty, he is English, a traveling salesman against his will. His life passes under the news on the radio and the snoring of his wife and has imperceptibly turned into a swamp.

She's nineteen, Serbian, and a retired prostitute. Her life is full of events, but she is so tired of them that she wants to fall asleep and never wake up. She tells him stories - who knows how true they are? He saves money, hoping to buy it one day.

Shehryar and his Scheherazade. They seem to be in love with each other. They are for each other a rare chance to start over. But what is love? “I fell in love quite often,” he says, “but now I’m completely exhausted and I no longer understand what it means... Every time you fall in love a little differently.

And then, the word “love” itself became common. But it should be holy and hidden... Just now the thought came that love is something unnatural, which is known through films, novels and songs. How to distinguish love from lust? Well, lust is still understandable. So, maybe love is a savage torture invented by lust? Perhaps the answer lies in the pages of a new book by Louis de Bernières, a writer who has an invaluable property: he is not like anyone else, and all his works are not alike.

The secret of the WH project

Alexey Aleksandrovich Rostovtsev is a retired colonel who served in Soviet intelligence for a quarter of a century, sixteen of which were abroad; writer, author of many books and publications, member of the Russian Writers' Union. In one of the deep canyons of the Latin American country of Aurica, forgotten by God and people, the sworn enemies of humanity have built a top-secret facility where weapons are being developed, designed to provide their owners with dominance over the world.

A few hours before his failure, a Soviet intelligence officer manages to uncover the secret of the Double-U-H facility.

Orchid hunter. Book to read in Spanish

We present to our readers a collection of stories by Roberto Arlt (1900-1942), an Argentine writer of the “second tier”. His name is almost unknown to the Russian reader. Three Latin American titans - Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortazar and Gabriel García Márquez - hid with their powerful shadows more than a dozen names of outstanding, sometimes brilliant, writers of South America.

Arlt in his work demonstratively breaks with the traditions of “good literature” of the middle classes. The genre of his works is grotesque and tragic farce. In the rough language of the proletarian outskirts, he describes the life of the city bottom. The book contains the complete unadapted text of the short stories, equipped with comments and a dictionary.

The book is intended for students of language universities and all lovers of the Spanish language and literature.

Antarctica

"An inspired sermon on inhumanity." "The amazing ability to see what is not there." Latin American critics greeted this book with these words. The Chilean writer Jose Maria Villagra is still quite young and probably deserves not only flattering words, but, one way or another, “Antarctica” is a story that made people talk about him.

"Antarctica" is a classic utopia. And, like any utopia, it is nightmarish. People are dying of happiness! What could be more hopeless? Heaven, in essence, is also the end of the world. In any case, it’s heaven on earth. This is a world where there is no evil, which means there is no good. And where love is indistinguishable from brutality.

However, is all this really so fantastic? Despite the futurological orientation, the main idea of ​​this story continues the theme to which, in fact, the entire world culture is devoted: everything around is not what it seems. Everything around only seems to us. And what has been said applies to the real world to a much greater extent than to the fictional one.

The characters in this book ask themselves a question that has been driving people crazy since the times of Plato and Aristotle. Why does life only seem to us? The escape from the unreality of existence begins with this question.

Spanish language. General course of grammar, vocabulary and conversation practice. Advanced Stage 2nd ed., IS

The book is a continuation of the book “Esp@nol. hoy. Nivel B1. Spanish with elements of business communication for advanced students” by M. V. Larionova, N. I. Tsareva and A. Gonzalez-Fernandez. The textbook will help you understand the intricacies of using Spanish words, teach you how to use them correctly in various communication situations, introduce you to the peculiarities of the grammatical stylistics of the language, and also help you improve the art of speaking.

Diverse and fascinating texts will provide an opportunity to get in touch with modern Spanish and Latin American literature, which has given the world wonderful writers and poets. The textbook is the third of four books united under the title Esp@nol. hoy, and is addressed to students of linguistic and non-linguistic universities, foreign language courses, a wide range of people interested in the culture of Spanish-speaking countries and who have mastered the basics of normative grammar of the Spanish language.

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Next, the history of culture and literature of the “Other World” (Christopher Columbus’s expression) – Latin America from its origins – “Discovery” and “Conquest”, chronicles of the 16th century is recreated. , Creole Baroque of the 17th century. (Juana Ines de la Cruz and others) to Latin American literature of the 19th-21st centuries.

– Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, Jose Hernandez, Jose Marti, Ruben Dario and the famous “new” Latin American novel (Alejo Carpentier, Jorge Luis Borges, etc.). The theoretical chapters explore the specifics of cultural genesis in Latin America, which took place on the basis of intercivilizational interaction, the originality of Latin American cultural creativity, the role in this process of the phenomenon of “holiday”, carnival, and a special type of Latin American creative personality.

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He went towards the sea. The secret of the WH project

We present to your attention an audiobook based on the works of Alexei Rostovtsev (1934–2013), a retired colonel who served in Soviet intelligence for a quarter of a century, sixteen years of which abroad, a writer, author of many books and publications, a member of the Russian Writers' Union.

“GONE TO THE SEA” On the night of August 31 to September 1, 1983, the death of a South Korean Boeing over the Sea of ​​Japan brought the world to the brink of disaster. All Western newspapers shouted about the barbarity of the Russians who shot down a peaceful plane. For many years, French plane crash specialist Michel Brun conducted an independent investigation into the circumstances of the incident.

Alexey Rostovtsev based the sensational conclusions of this investigation and Brun's argumentation as the basis of his story. “THE SECRET OF PROJECT WH” In one of the deep canyons of the Latin American country of Aurica, forgotten by God and people, the sworn enemies of humanity have built a top-secret facility where weapons are being developed, designed to provide their owners with dominance over the world.

Most of the stories could grace any anthology; in the best, the writer reaches Faulknerian heights. Valery Dashevsky is published in the USA and Israel. Time will tell whether he will become a classic, but before us, undoubtedly, is a master of modern prose, writing in Russian.

Dictatorships, coups, revolutions, terrible poverty of some and fantastic wealth of others, and at the same time - exuberant fun and optimism of ordinary people. This is how most Latin American countries in the 20th century can be briefly described. And we shouldn’t forget about the amazing synthesis of different cultures, peoples and beliefs.

The paradoxes of history and the riotous color inspired many writers of this region to create genuine literary masterpieces that enriched world culture. We will talk about the most striking works in our material.

Captains of the sand. Jorge Amado (Brazil)

One of the main novels of Jorge Amado, the most famous Brazilian writer of the 20th century. “Captains of the Sand” is the story of a gang of street children who engaged in theft and robbery in the state of Bahia in the 1930s. It was this book that formed the basis of the film “Generals of the Sand Quarries,” which was extremely popular in the USSR.

Adolfo Bioy Casares (Argentina)

The most famous book by Argentine writer Adolfo Bioy Casares. A novel that deftly balances on the brink of mysticism and science fiction. The main character, fleeing persecution, ends up on a distant island. There he meets strange people who pay absolutely no attention to him. Watching them day after day, he learns that everything that happens on this piece of land is a holographic movie recorded a long time ago, virtual reality. And it is impossible to leave this place... while the invention of a certain Morel is working.

Senor President. Miguel Angel Asturias (Guatemala)

Miguel Angel Asturias - winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature for 1967. In his novel, the author portrays a typical Latin American dictator - Señor President, in which he reflects the whole essence of cruel and senseless authoritarian rule, aimed at enriching himself through oppression and intimidation of ordinary people. This book is about a man for whom ruling a country means robbing and killing its inhabitants. Remembering the dictatorship of the same Pinochet (and other no less bloody dictators), we understand how accurate this artistic prophecy of Asturias turned out to be.

Kingdom of the Earth. Alejo Carpentier (Cuba)

In his historical novel “Earthly Kingdom,” Cuban writer Alejo Carpentier talks about the mysterious world of the Haitians, whose lives are inextricably linked with the mythology and magic of Voodoo. In fact, the author put this poor and mysterious island on the literary map of the world, in which magic and death are intertwined with fun and dancing.

Mirrors. Jorge Luis Borges (Argentina)

A collection of selected stories by the eminent Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges. In his short stories, he addresses the motives of searching for the meaning of life, truth, love, immortality and creative inspiration. Masterfully using symbols of infinity (mirrors, libraries and labyrinths), the author not only gives answers to questions, but makes the reader think about the reality around him. After all, the meaning is not so much in the search results, but in the process itself.

Death of Artemio Cruz. Carlos Fuentes (Mexico)

In his novel, Carlos Fuentes tells the life story of Artemio Cruz, a former revolutionary and ally of Pancho Villa, and now one of the richest tycoons in Mexico. Having come to power as a result of an armed uprising, Cruz begins to frantically enrich himself. To satisfy his greed, he does not hesitate to resort to blackmail, violence and terror against anyone who gets in his way. This book is about how, under the influence of power, even the highest and best ideas die out, and people change beyond recognition. In fact, this is a kind of answer to Asturias’ “Señor President”.

Julio Cortazar (Argentina)

One of the most famous works of postmodern literature. In this novel, the famous Argentine writer Julio Cortazar tells the story of Horacio Oliveira, a man in a difficult relationship with the world around him and pondering the meaning of his own existence. In “The Hopscotch Game,” the reader himself chooses the plot of the novel (in the preface, the author offers two reading options - according to a plan he specially developed or according to the order of the chapters), and the content of the book will depend directly on his choice.

City and dogs. Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru)

"The City and the Dogs" is an autobiographical novel by the famous Peruvian writer, winner of the 2010 Nobel Prize in Literature, Mario Vargas Llosa. The book takes place within the walls of a military school, where they are trying to make “real men” out of teenage children. The methods of education are simple - first, break and humiliate a person, and then turn him into a thoughtless soldier living according to the rules.

After the publication of this anti-war novel, Vargas Llosa was accused of treason and aiding Ecuadorian emigrants. And several copies of his book were solemnly burned on the parade ground of the Leoncio Prado cadet school. However, this scandal only added to the popularity of the novel, which became one of the best literary works of Latin America of the 20th century. It has also been filmed many times.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Colombia)

The legendary novel by Gabriel García Márquez, the Colombian master of magical realism and winner of the 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature. In it, the author tells the 100-year history of the provincial town of Macondo, located in the middle of the jungle of South America. This book is recognized as a masterpiece of Latin American prose of the 20th century. In fact, in one work, Marquez managed to describe an entire continent with all its contradictions and extremes.

When I want to cry, I don’t cry. Miguel Otero Silva (Venezuela)

Miguel Otero Silva is one of the greatest writers in Venezuela. His novel “When I Want to Cry, I Don’t Cry” is dedicated to the lives of three young people - an aristocrat, a terrorist and a bandit. Despite the fact that they have different social backgrounds, they all share the same destiny. Everyone is in search of their place in life, and everyone is destined to die for their beliefs. In this book, the author masterfully paints a picture of Venezuela under military dictatorship, and also shows the poverty and inequality of that era.

BBK 83.3(2 ros=rus)

Anastasia Mikhailovna Krasilnikova,

postgraduate student, St. Petersburg State University of Technology and Design (St. Petersburg, Russia), e-mail: [email protected]

Latin American literature in Russian book publishing

Latin American literature is popular all over the world, the history of its publication in Russia goes back 80 years, during which time a large amount of editorial experience has been accumulated, which needs to be analyzed. The work examines the reasons for the appearance of the first editions of Latin American literature in the USSR, changes in the choice of authors, circulation, preparation of the publishing apparatus in Soviet times and perestroika, as well as the state of publishing Latin American literature in modern Russia. The results of the work can be used in the preparation of new publications by Latin American authors, and can also become the basis for studying reader interest in Latin American literature in Russia. The paper concludes that readers have a strong interest in Latin American literature and suggests several ways in which its publication can develop.

Key words: Latin American literature, book publishing, publishing history, editing.

Anastasia Mikhailovna Krasilnikova,

Postgraduate Student, St. Petersburg State University of Technology and Design (St. Petersburg, Russia), e-mail: [email protected]

Latin American Literature in Russian Book Publishing

Latin American literature is popular all other the world, history of its publishing in Russia numbers 80 years, during this time the great experience of editing was accumulated, which is needed to be analyzed. The paper deals with the reasons for the appearance of the first publications of Latin American literature in the Soviet Union, changes in the selection of authors, number of printed copies and editing the secondary matter of publications in the Soviet period, as well as the state of publishing Latin American literature in modern Russia. The results of the research could be used in preparing new publications of Latin American authors as well as become a basis for research of the reader's interest in Latin American literature in Russia. The paper concludes that reader's interest in Latin American literature is strong and proposes several ways in which publishing of Latin American literature can develop.

Keywords: Latin American literature, book publishing, history of publishing, editing.

Latin American literature made itself known to the whole world in the middle of the 20th century. The reasons for the popularity of the “new” Latin American novel are many; In addition to cultural reasons, there were also economic reasons. Only in the 30s. last century, an extensive system of book publishing and, most importantly, book distribution began to emerge in Latin America. Until this moment, if something interesting could have appeared, no one would have known about it: the books were not published, let alone beyond the continent, beyond the borders of a single country.

However, over time, literary magazines and publishing houses began to appear. Thanks to the largest Argentine publishing house, Sudamericana, many authors have gained fame: for example, from this publishing house

The world fame of García Márquez began. One of the channels through which Latin American literature penetrated into Europe was, of course, Spain: “It is appropriate to emphasize here that at this time, despite the activities of the Sudamericana publishing house, it was Spain, or more precisely, Barcelona, ​​that followed all the processes taking place in literature , and served as a showcase for boom authors, most of whom were published by the Seik-Barral publishing house, which occupied a leading position in this sense. Some of the writers lived in this city for a long time: García Márquez, Vargas Llosa, Donoso, Edwards, Bruce Echenique, Benedetti and, finally, Onetti." The role of the Pre-mio Bibliotheca Brive award, established by this Barcelona publishing house, is also important: since in Spain

© A. M. Krasilnikova, 2012

No significant authors appeared at the institute; they tried to choose winners from Spanish-speaking countries (the winners of this prestigious prize were Vargas Llosa, Cabrera Infante, Haroldo Conti, Carlos Fuentos). Many Latin American writers have traveled widely, some of them have lived in Europe for quite a long time. So Julio Cortazar lived for 30 years in Paris, and the French publishing house Gallimard also contributed to the spread of Latin American literature.

If with Europe everything is more or less clear: once translated, a book became famous and was translated into other European languages, then with the penetration of Latin American literature into the USSR the situation is much more complicated. European recognition of this or that author was not authoritative for the Soviet Union; rather, on the contrary, approval by ideological enemies could hardly have a positive impact on the publishing fate of the writer in the USSR

However, this does not mean that Latinos were banned. The very first book edition appeared back in 1932 - it was Cesar Vallejo’s novel “Tungsten” - a work in the spirit of socialist realism. The October Revolution attracted the attention of Latin American writers to the Soviet Union: “In Latin America, left-wing communist movements formed independently, practically without emissaries of the USSR, and left-wing ideology took a particularly strong position among the creative intelligentsia.” Cesar Vallejo visited the USSR three times - in 1928, 1929 and 1931, and shared his impressions in Parisian newspapers: “Driven by passion, enthusiasm and sincerity, the poet defends the achievements of socialism with propaganda pressure and dogmatism, as if borrowed from the pages of the newspaper Pravda ".

Another supporter of the Soviet Union was Pablo Neruda, about whom translator Ella Braginskaya said: “Neruda is one of those great dramatic figures of the 20th century.<...>, who became ideological friends of the USSR and in some incomprehensible, fatal way were happy to be deceived, like many of their peers in our country, and saw with us what they dreamed of seeing.” Neruda's books were actively published in the USSR from 1939 to 1989.

sideways, as a rule, they could not be identified with exemplary works of socialist realism, however, the political views of their authors made it possible for translators and editors to publish such works. The memoirs of L. Ospovat, who wrote the first book in Russian about Neruda’s work, are very indicative in this regard: “When asked whether he could be called a socialist realist, the Chilean poet grinned and said understandingly: “If you really need it, then you can.”

If in the 30s and 40s only a few publications appeared, then in the 50s more than 10 books by Latin American writers were published, and then this number increased.

Most of the publications that were prepared in Soviet times are distinguished by high-quality preparation. In relation to Latin American literature, this is important in two aspects. Firstly, Latin American realities, unknown and therefore incomprehensible to the Soviet reader, require commentary. And secondly, Latin American culture as a whole is characterized by the concept of “transculturation”, proposed by the Cuban anthropologist Fernando Ortiz, “... which does not mean the assimilation of one culture by another or the introduction of foreign elements of another into one of them, but the emergence as a result of cultural interaction of a new culture". In practice, this means that any Latin American author turns in his work to the world cultural heritage: the work of European writers and philosophers, the world epic, religious dogmas, reinterprets it and creates his own world. These references to a variety of works require intertextual commentary.

If intertextual commentary is important in scientific publications, then real commentary is an urgent need for any mass publication. These do not necessarily have to be notes; an introductory article can also prepare readers for getting to know the work.

Soviet publications can be accused of being too ideological, but they were produced very professionally. Famous translators and literary scholars participated in the preparation of the books, who were passionate about what they did, so most of the translations made in Soviet times, although imperfect, are in many ways superior to later ones. The same applies to

comments. Such famous translators as E. Braginskaya, M. Bylinka, B. Dubin, V. Stolbov, I. Terteryan, V. Kuteyshchikova, L. Sinyanskaya and others worked on the publications of Latin American authors.

The works of more than thirty Latin American writers have been translated into Russian and published in separate editions. Most of the authors are represented by two or three books, for example, Augusto Roa Bastos, the author of the famous anti-dictatorship novel “I, Supreme,” published only two books in the Soviet Union: “Son of Man” (M., 1967) and “ I, the Supreme" (M., 1980). However, there are authors who continue to be published today, for example, Jorge Amado's first book was published in 1951, and the last in 2011. His works have been published for sixty years without any significant interruptions. But there are few such authors: Miguel Angel Asturias was published in the USSR and Russia in 1958-2003, Mario Vargas Llosa in 1965-2011, Alejo Carpentier in 1968-2000, Gabriel García Márquez in 1971-2012, Julio Cortazar in 1971-2011, Carlos Fuentes in 1974-2011, Jorge Luis Borges in 1984-2011, Bioy Casares in 1987-2010.

The principles for selecting authors often remain unclear. First of all, of course, the writers of the “boom” were published, but not all of their works, and even not all of their authors, have yet been translated. Thus, the book by Lewis Harss “On the crest of a wave” (Luis Harss Into the mainstream; conversations with Latin-American writers), which is considered to be the first work that shaped the very concept of the “boom” of Latin American literature, includes ten authors. Nine of them have been translated into Russian and published, but the works of João Guimarães Rosa remain untranslated into Russian.

The “boom” itself took place in the 60s, but publications by Latin American writers in the USSR, as already mentioned, began to appear much earlier. The “new” novel was preceded by a long development. Already in the first half of the 20th century. Such venerable writers as Jorge Luis Borges and Jorge Amado worked, anticipating the “boom.” More writers, of course, are published in the 20th century, but not only. Thus, in 1964, poems by the Brazilian poet of the 18th century were translated and published into Russian. Thomas Antonio Gonzaga.

ny prizes awarded to him. Latin American writers include six Nobel Prize winners: Gabriela Mistral (1945), Miguel Angel Asturias Rosales (1967), Pablo Neruda (1971), Gabriel García Márquez (1982), Octavio Paz (1990), Mario Vargas Llosa (2010). All of them have been translated into Russian. However, the work of Gabriela Mistral is represented by only two books; Octavio Paz published four of them. This can be explained, first of all, by the fact that Spanish-language poetry is generally less popular in Russia than prose.

In the 80s, hitherto banned authors who did not share communist views began to appear. In 1984, the first edition by Jorge Luis Borges appeared.

If until the 90s the number of publications by Latin American writers grew steadily (more than 50 books were published in the 80s), then in the 90s there was a noticeable decline in everything: the number of publications sharply decreased, circulation fell, and the printing performance of books deteriorated. In the first half of the 90s, the usual for the USSR circulations of 50, 100 thousand were still possible, but in the second half the circulations were five, ten thousand and remain so to this day.

In the 90s There is a sharp reassessment of values: there are only a few authors left who continue to be published very actively. Collected works of Marquez, Cortazar, and Borges appear. The first collected works of Borges, published in 1994 (Riga: Polaris), are distinguished by a fairly high level of preparation: it included all the works translated at that time, accompanied by a detailed commentary.

During the period from 1991 to 1998, only 19 books were published, and the same number were published in 1999 alone. 1999 was a harbinger of the 2000s, when there was an unprecedented increase in the number of publications: in the period from 2000 to 2009. Over two hundred books by Latin American authors have been published. However, the total circulation was incomparably less than in the 80s, since the average circulation in the 2000s was five thousand copies.

Marquez and Cortazar are the constant favorites. The work that has been published in Russia more than any other work by a Latin American author is undoubtedly “One Hundred Years of Solitude.” Borges and Vargas Llosa continue to publish quite actively. Popularity by

The latter was facilitated by receiving the Nobel Prize in 2010: in 2011, 5 of his books were immediately published.

Publications of the early 21st century. distinguished by a minimum of preparation: as a rule, there are no introductory articles or comments in books - publishers prefer to publish a “bare” text, devoid of any accompanying apparatus. This is due to the desire to reduce the cost of the publication and reduce the time of its preparation. Another innovation is the publication of the same books in different designs - in different series. As a result, an illusion of choice appears: on the shelf in a bookstore there are several editions of “The Hopscotch Game,” but in reality it turns out that they are the same translation, the same text without an introductory article and without comments. It can be said that large publishing houses (AST, Eksmo) use names and titles known to readers as brands and do not care about wider familiarity of readers with the literature of Latin America.

Another topic that needs to be addressed is the lag of several years in the publication of works. Initially, many writers began to be published in the USSR when they had already become world famous. So “One Hundred Years of Solitude” was published in Argentina in 1967, in the USSR in 1971, and this was Marquez’s first book in Russia. Such a lag is typical for all Latin American publications, but for the USSR this was normal and was explained by the complex organization of book publishing. However, much later, even when the writers were well known in Russia and created new works, the delay in publication remained: Cortazar’s last novel, “Farewell, Robinson,” was written in 1995, but it was published in Russia only in 2001.

At the same time, Marquez’s last novel, “Remembering My Sad Whores,” published in Spanish in 2004, was published in Russia a year later - in 2005. The same thing happened with Vargas Llosa’s novel “Adventures of a Bad Girl,” completed in 2006 . and published in Russia already in 2007. However, the novel by the same author “Paradise on the Other Corner”, written in 2003, was never translated. The interest of publishers in works imbued with eroticism is explained by an attempt to add scandal to the work of writers and to attract the attention of unprepared readers. Often this approach leads to a simplification of problems and incorrect presentation of works.

The fact that interest in Latin American literature continues even without artificial heating on the part of publishers is evidenced by the appearance of books by authors who were not published in the USSR. This is, for example, a writer of the early 20th century. Leopoldo Lugones; two authors who anticipated the emergence of the “new” Latin American novel - Juan José Arreola and Juan Rulfo; poet Octavio Paz and prose writer Ernesto Sabato - authors of the mid-20th century. These books were published both in publishing houses that periodically published Latin American literature (“Amphora”, “ABC”, “Symposium”, “Terra-Book Club”), and in those that had never previously been interested in Latin American writers (“Swallowtail” , “Don Quixote”, “Ivan Limbach Publishing House”).

Today, Latin American literature is represented in Russia by the works of prose writers (Mario Vargas Llosa, Ernesto Sabato, Juan Rulfo), poets (Gabriela Mistral, Octavio Paz, Leopoldo Lugones), playwrights (Emilio Carballido, Julio Cortazar). The vast majority are Spanish-language authors. The only actively published Portuguese-language author is Jorge Amado.

The first publications of Latin American authors in the USSR were caused by ideological reasons - the writers’ loyalty to the communist government, but thanks to this, Soviet readers discovered the world of Latin American literature and fell in love with it, which is confirmed by the fact that Latin Americans continue to be actively published in modern Russia.

During the Soviet years, the best translations and commentaries of Latin American works were created; with perestroika, much less attention was paid to the preparation of publications. Publishing houses were faced with a new problem for them in making money, and therefore the approach to book publishing completely changed, including changes in the publishing of Latin American literature: preference began to be given to mass publications with a minimum of preparation.

Today, print publications compete with the increasingly popular e-books. The text of almost any published work can be downloaded for free from the Internet, so it is unlikely that publishers will be able to exist without changing their strategy in preparing books. One of the ways is to improve printing performance and release expensive exclusive publications. So,

for example, the Vita Nova publishing house released in 2011 a luxurious leather-bound gift edition of “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel Marquez. Another way is to release high-quality publications with detailed, conveniently structured

Dictatorships, coups, revolutions, terrible poverty of some, and fantastic wealth of others, and at the same time the exuberant fun and optimism of ordinary people - this is how you can briefly describe most of the countries of Latin America in the 20th century. And we shouldn’t forget about the amazing synthesis of different cultures, peoples and beliefs.

The paradoxes of history and the riotous color inspired many writers of this region to create genuine literary masterpieces that enriched world culture. We will talk about the most striking works in our material.

"Captains of the Sand" Jorge Amado (Brazil)

One of the main novels of Jorge Amado, the most famous Brazilian writer of the 20th century. “Captains of the Sand” is the story of a gang of street children who engaged in theft and robbery in the state of Bahia in the 1930s. It was this book that formed the basis of the legendary film “Generals of the Sand Quarries,” which acquired cult status in the USSR.

"The Invention of Morel". Adolfo Bioy Casares (Argentina)

The most famous book by the Argentine writer Adolfo Bioy Casares. A novel that deftly balances on the brink of mysticism and science fiction. The main character, fleeing persecution, ends up on a distant island. There he meets strange people who pay absolutely no attention to him. Watching them day after day, he learns that everything that happens on this piece of land is a holographic movie recorded a long time ago, virtual reality. And it is impossible to leave this place... while the invention of a certain Morel is working.

"Señor President." Miguel Angel Asturias (Guatemala)

The most famous novel by Miguel Angel Asturias, winner of the 1967 Nobel Prize in Literature. In it, the author depicts a typical Latin American dictator - Señor President. In this character, the writer reflects the whole essence of cruel and senseless authoritarian rule, aimed at self-enrichment through oppression and intimidation of ordinary people. This book is about a man for whom ruling a country means robbing and killing its inhabitants. Remembering the dictatorship of the same Pinochet (and other no less bloody dictators), we understand how accurate this artistic prophecy of Asturias turned out to be.

"Kingdom of the Earth". Alejo Carpentier (Cuba)

One of the most famous works of the greatest Cuban writer Alejo Carpentier. In the historical novel “Earthly Kingdom,” he talks about the mysterious world of the Haitians, whose lives are inextricably linked with the mythology and magic of Voodoo. In fact, he put this poor and mysterious island on the literary map of the world, in which magic and death are intertwined with fun and dancing.

"Aleph". Jorge Luis Borges (Argentina)

The most famous collection of stories by the outstanding Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges. In "Aleph" he addressed the motives of search - the search for the meaning of life, truth, love, immortality and creative inspiration. Masterfully using symbols of infinity (especially mirrors, libraries (which Borges loved so much!) and labyrinths), the author not only gives answers to questions, but makes the reader think about the reality around him. The point is not so much in the search results, but in the process itself.

"The Death of Artemio Cruz." Carlos Fuentes (Mexico)

The central novel of one of the most famous Mexican prose writers of the last century. It tells the life story of Artemio Cruz, a former revolutionary and ally of Pancho Villa, and now one of the richest tycoons in Mexico. Having come to power as a result of an armed uprising, Cruz begins to frantically enrich himself. To satisfy his greed, he does not hesitate to resort to blackmail, violence and terror against anyone who gets in his way. This book is about how, under the influence of power, even the highest and best ideas die out, and people change beyond recognition. In fact, this is a kind of answer to Asturias’ “Señor President”.

"Game of Hopscotch" Julio Cortazar (Argentina)

One of the most famous works of postmodern literature. In this novel, the famous Argentine writer Julio Cortazar tells the story of Horacio Oliveira, a man in a difficult relationship with the world around him and pondering the meaning of his own existence. In “The Hopscotch Game,” the reader himself chooses the plot of the novel (in the preface, the author offers two reading options - according to a plan he specially developed or according to the order of the chapters), and the content of the book will depend directly on his choice.

"The City and the Dogs" Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru)

“The City and the Dogs” is an autobiographical novel by the famous Peruvian writer, winner of the 2010 Nobel Prize in Literature, Mario Vargas Llosa. The book takes place within the walls of a military school, where they are trying to make “real men” out of teenage children. The methods of education are simple - first, break and humiliate a person, and then turn him into a thoughtless soldier living according to the rules. After the publication of this anti-war novel, Vargas Llosa was accused of treason and aiding Ecuadorian emigrants. And several copies of his book were solemnly burned on the parade ground of the Leoncio Prado cadet school. However, this scandal only added to the popularity of the novel, which became one of the best literary works of Latin America of the 20th century. It has also been filmed many times.

"One Hundred Years of Solitude." Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Colombia)

The legendary novel by Gabriel García Márquez, a Colombian master of magical realism and winner of the 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature. In it, the author tells the 100-year history of the provincial town of Macondo, located in the middle of the jungle of South America. This book is recognized as a masterpiece of Latin American prose of the 20th century. In fact, Marquez managed to describe the entire continent with all its contradictions and extremes.

“When I want to cry, I don’t cry.” Miguel Otero Silva (Venezuela)

Miguel Otero Silva is one of Venezuela's greatest writers. His novel “When I Want to Cry, I Don’t Cry” is dedicated to the lives of three young people - an aristocrat, a terrorist and a bandit. Despite the fact that they have different social backgrounds, they all share the same destiny. Everyone is in search of their place in life, and everyone is destined to die for their beliefs. In this book, the author masterfully paints a picture of Venezuela under military dictatorship, and also shows the poverty and inequality of that era.