"The great Argentinian writer Julio Cortazar (1914-84) was immersed in one of the most vibrant and revolutionary intellectual scenes of the last century, the Paris of the 1950s and 60s. Yet his often highly cerebral work has never received the close philosophical attention it deserves. Moran's book fills this critical lacuna. Rather than indiscriminately applying 'theory' to Cortazar, it aims to show that his work both engages with and often foreshadows many of the problems which were to become central to so-called poststructuralist philosophy and poetics. This study demonstrates that Cortazar remains enduringly, problematically modern."

The Latin American short story has often been viewed in terms of its relation to orality, tradition and myth. But this desire to celebrate the difference of Latin American culture unwittingly contributes to its exoticization, failing to do justice to its richness, complexity and contemporaneity. By re-reading and re-viewing the short stories of Juan Rulfo, Julio Cortazar and Augusto Monterroso, Bell reveals the hybridity of this genre. It is at once rooted in traditional narrative and fragmented by modern experience; its residual qualities are revived through emergent forms. Crucially, its oral and mythical characteristics are compounded with the formal traits of modern, emerging media: photography, cinema, telephony, journalism, and cartoon art.

Provocative reappraisal of the portrayal of women in Julio Cortázar's short stories.

One of the core authors of the '60s boom in Latin American fiction, Julio Cortázar made a contribution of international importance to the development of the short story as a literary form. This collection spans his writing career and includes La Noche Boca Arriba and Final del Juego (1956), Las Babas del Diablo (1959), La Isla a Mediodia (1966), Recortes de Prensa and Queremos Tanto a Glenda (1981) and Botella al Mar (1982). Of the seven stories, some are famous examples of his contribution to the genre of 'fantastic' literature, while others demonstrate his social and political concerns. Cortázar can be a challenging and demanding writer. Peter Beardsell's edition, with its comprehensive introduction and notes to the text, selected vocabulary and discussion section suggests that he is also enjoyable and accessible to readers at all levels.