The winners – Julio Cortázar’s first novel

 

While I was developing my knowledge about literature, I’ve heard about Cortázar many times. Usually I wasn’t convinced to read his books because of its complexity. And I always believed that good stories have to be easy to get though. In a way I know I’m right.Not everybody has to have gift to read between the lines. Nonetheless, this is what Cortázar requires from his readers.

Julio Cortázar is an Argentinian writes who lived many years in Brussels, French and Spain. His experience of communing with European intelligence helped him to create own, unique style. A very characteristic feature of his art is numerous references to European history, culture and literature. If you want to get to know about the ambiance of his prose, you should study world’s history, philosophy and arts. It should be a big challenge.

After all, I gave it a try and a read Cortázar’s first novel which he called “The winners”. As the name shows in the story somebody has to win something. Nothing more wrong – the protagonists have won a trip on a ship. However, here comes the main problem – nobody know the destiny of the journey and what capitan's name is. For a reader it shouldn’t be a problem, although, from the beginning the Cortázar’s narrative is filled with mystery and terror. We have an impression that something is wrong.

On the ship there are people who believe sailor’s explanation and there are some who don’t. The main topic concerns typhus epidemic. Those who don’t want to recognize the movement’s limitations, decide to go to the forbidden zone.

Cortázar doesn’t let us know if the epidemic was a real occurrence. Instead, he shows the diversity of Argentinian society and makes us believe that the difference of opinion can lead to a tragedy.

At the end I would like to express my contentment. In spite of the fact that the writer has a very tough style, I must admit that I enjoyed that he wove lunfardo’s vocabulary. Lunfardo is an Argentinian slang which I had studied in high school.