La vaca

the long version

"Monterroso assembles a few of the 'essays' and articles he published after Tríptico (see item #bi2001002185#). His commitment to progressive ideas is unquestioned, and here he shows how a master imparts lessons. Equally unquestionable is his commitment to Western literature and its undeniable importance to Latin America. We read about Mayakovski, Virginia Woolf, Julian Barnes, Erasmus, Thomas Moore, and John Aubrey. Yet he always returns to Latin American masters (actually his peers): Borges, Rulfo, Onetti, Neruda. This book is proof that Monterroso does not repeat himself. There are wonderful essays on the advantages of underdevelopment and the theory of the short story. This collection ought to be translated immediately"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 58.