Julio Cortazar

Argentine literary critic, poet, and biographer Coust (Neruda, Barcanova, 1981) personally knew Argentine author Cort zar and discussed many of this book's topics with him. Using interviews, formulated declarations, letters, and a great variety of photographs, he explores the ways in which Cort zar's personality""the multiple Cort zares""contributed to his pluralistic writing style. His indecisivenesshe constantly changed his political views, for exampleaccounts for the structure of Rayuela (Hopscotch, Suma de Letras, 2001), a book made up of many stories that readers can approach in different orders. Coust also describes Cort zar's relationships with artists and writers who influenced his work. The sections that follow include an anthology of stories, poems, and unclassified writings that do not fall within the traditional division of genres, and a chronological outline of Cort zar's life that situates his writing within different historical and political contexts. Coust also provides a bibliography of Cort zar's published and unpublished works and of books and articles about him. This reader is part of a series covering famous authors, including Stephen King, Ernest Hemingway, and Franz Kafka. All contain a biography and anthology of the author's works, as well as shaded boxes that highlight important ideas. Recommended for college and public libraries and large bookstores. Bernadette Lopez-Fitzsimmons, Manhattan Coll. Libs., Riverdale, NY