“Exam” ( Spanish: El examen ) - the second novel of the Argentinean writer Julio Cortazar , written in the mid 40-ies .
Content
- 1 History
- 2 Style of the novel
- 3 Story
- 4 notes
- 5 Links
History
The novel was written in the mid-40s in Buenos Aires , although, in some sources, it dates from the 1950s . Since the novel was written during the reign of General Peron , it was impossible to publish the book due to strict censorship, and only a few friends of the writer read it. In 1958, Cortazar submitted the novel to an international competition organized by Losada Publishing House, but the novel did not go through, so Cortazar decided not to show it to anyone. Later, Cortazar wrote: [1] . The novel was published only in 1986 after the death of the writer.
Novel Style
The style of the novel, as defined by the author himself, is fragmentary, in the spirit of Becket , Kafka , Arlt . The author gives explicit preference to dialogue as a narrative device over the description.
Story
The plot focuses on four friends: Clara, Juan, Andres and Stella, who roam the city on the eve of an important, decisive exam for them. All four, and along with them a certain "reporter", pass, like on a map, almost the entire city, which is gradually clouded by a strange, menacing fog and where unknown mushrooms grow everywhere.
Notes
- ↑ Collected with. in 4 volumes: Volume IV / Per. from Spanish; Compiled Sun Bugno. - St. Petersburg: North-West, 1994 .-- 506 p.
Links
- Wikiquote Exam (Cortazar)
- Examination on the site "Fantasy Laboratory"