Winner of a Boston Globe Literary Press Award for design, Around the Day in Eighty Worlds blends 62 pieces with lively photos and illustrations chosen by the author to complement the rich verbal imagery.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Perhaps the most cosmopolitan of all Latin American writers, Cortazar drew his inspiration from such diverse sources as French surrealism, 19th century science fiction and horror stories, American jazz, true-life crime, 20th century physics anddefinitely not leastthe work of his South American compatriots and himself. This delightfully idiosyncratic collection of short fiction, poetry, autobiographical jottings and essays expresses a humorous, warmhearted persona that will be familiar to readers of Cortazar's novel Hopscotch. Many of the essays deal with the special mission of the writer, "who is irresponsible by definition, an anarchist enamoured of a solar order and never of the new order"an individual who affirms the power of humanity against that of the state. Some readers may find the book, unified only by its author's personality, too disjointed, but Cortazar's admirers will enjoy the chance to renew their acquaintance with his unique sensibility. Illustrations from a wide variety of sources selected by the author. First serial to Omni, Playboy, Harper's and the New York Times Book Review.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Spanish
Original Language: Spanish
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One Julio Speaks of Another,
By
This review is from: Around the Day in Eighty Worlds (Hardcover)
Julio Cortazar was named after Jules Verne who he read as a child and thus the title of the book. The book is full of photographs, drawings, engravings but most importantly Julio's words. Not really a book to read from cover to cover more like a book to sift through now and then. If you are a Cortazar fan then you know of his other books: Bestiario(1951) later published as End of the Game or Blow-up. Rayuela(1963) later published as Hopscotch. Todos los fuegos el fuego(1966) later published as All Fires the Fire. (This collection contains my favorite Cortazar story, "The Southern Thruway".) & many other books. This book will appeal to both longtime fans and also those who want to get to know Cortazar for the first time. I was lucky enough to find a hard cover in a used book shop and that is a nice way to own this because it is a book which will be picked up and put down often. On the cover is a wonderful painting by Paul Delvaux The Nightwatchman. I love Julio's stories and highly recommend them to anyone. His novels I think are for a more select group of readers, those who have a lot of patience for long experiments. I like Cortazars short experiments best and this book has,well, at least eighty. You get some of his fiction but also you get his essays on Poe(he translated the works of Poe into Spanish), Louis Armstrong, Thelonius Monk and Marcel Duchamp, Jose Lezama Lima.... which should give you some idea of what kind of things occupied Julios always curious mind. This more than any other of Julio Cortazars books is a collage-book. This book is perhaps my favorite Cortazar because it is so varied in its subject matter that I never tire of it or feel like I have uncovered all its secrets.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
yes,
By Dr. Eigenvalue (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Around the Day in Eighty Worlds (Hardcover)
The review of this book in the New York Times referred to it as a "great man's doodles." I guess that's about right. It's a hodge-podge of photos, short fiction, commentary on art and music, and a story about a cat named Theodor W. Adorno. Cortazar's other books are referenced frequently, so it helps to be a fan.
For me the short story "No, no, no" alone is worth the purchase price (whatever it is). It's like a David Lynch movie compressed into one paragraph that features a showdown between two people who are obsessed with ants. Trust me, it's better than it sounds. Cortazar's writing will also make you curious to try yerba mate, which is worse than it sounds. I've been reading this book for about 10 years, and when I'm finished I'll probably start again from the beginning.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Total Freedom,
By
This review is from: Around the Day in Eighty Worlds (Paperback)
Julio Cortazar at his most relaxed and free. Combiningessays and fiction and poetry plus excellent visual imagery (without ever labeling anything), this book is one I keep on hand for thumbing through, any time. Cortazar's jazz writing is some of the best ever, preceding by years Lester Bangs' justly celebrated impressionistic music writing. Cortazar reveals himself to be a "jazz writer" on a more profound level than any of the Americans who wrote the way they thought jazz sounded. His metaphysical approach puts him in the company of Robert Musil, Clarice Lispector, and Emily Dickinson, not to mention Charlie Parker, too. Cortazar's whole approach to writing comes through in this volume, and it's a great antidote to any outbreak of aesthetic fussiness you might be experiencing.
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