Hopscotch (Cortázar novel)
| Company type | Novel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Literature |
| Founded | 1963 |
| Founder | Julio Cortázar |
| Headquarters | Paris , France |
| Products | Novel |
Hopscotch () is a novel authored by the Argentine writer Julio Cortázar. Composed in Paris, it was first published in Spanish in 1963 and later translated into English in 1966. The U.S. edition’s translator, Gregory Rabassa, received the first-ever National Book Award for translation.
Acknowledged as one of the most groundbreaking and impactful novels in Latin American literature, Hopscotch utilizes a stream-of-consciousness narrative style and encourages readers to navigate through chapters in various sequences. Cortázar himself referred to it as a counter-novel, highlighting its experimental format featuring multiple conclusions and a non-linear framework.
"Table of Instructions" and narrative design
In his author’s note, Cortázar proposes two principal ways to read the book: either sequentially from chapters 1 to 56 or by "hopscotching" through all 155 chapters according to a "Table of Instructions," intentionally omitting chapter 55. This latter approach generates a recursive cycle between chapters 58 and 131, fostering an interactive reading experience. The novel interweaves first-person, third-person, and stream-of-consciousness perspectives, frequently bending conventional grammar and orthographic norms.
The initial 36 chapters, entitled "From the Other Side," portray Horacio Oliveira’s existence in 1950s Paris with La Maga and the Serpent Club, a circle of bohemian intellectuals. The subsequent segment, chapters 37 to 56, called "From this Side," shifts the narrative setting to Argentina.
The concluding section, "From Diverse Sides," is optional for understanding the main plot but enriches the reader’s knowledge of characters such as Morelli and discloses background information including La Maga’s connection with Emmanuele. Morelli’s texts also reveal Cortázar’s ambition to craft a work where readers become active collaborators in shaping the story.
Impact and cultural significance
Hopscotch holds a distinguished place as a key existentialist and postmodern work, frequently likened to writings by Sartre and Camus. It foreshadowed deconstructionist literary criticism by offering a text inherently open to diverse interpretations.
Often seen as Latin America’s counterpart to James Joyce's Ulysses, it has influenced major Latin American literary figures such as Mario Vargas Llosa, Carlos Fuentes, and Manuel Puig. It is widely regarded among the most important Latin American novels of the twentieth century.
In 2015, Hopscotch served as inspiration for Yuval Sharon’s avant-garde opera production in Los Angeles, which incorporated six composers and librettists across multiple venues. Furthermore, the Gotan Project's 2010 album Tango 3.0 features the track "Rayuela," paying tribute to Julio Cortázar.
Further reading
- — Contains a chapter dedicated to translating Hopscotch.
External links
- Julio Cortázar discussing Charlie Parker, Art, and Dylan Thomas (circa 1958–63)
- Interview with Julio Cortázar about Paris (circa 1963–67) (French / Spanish)
- Lost in Paris featuring Julio and Carole (circa 1977–82)
- "Un tal Morelli: Theory and practice of reading in Rayuela" by Santiago Juan-Navarro
- "Read Yesterday, Read Today" — Critical analysis by Lisa Block de Behar, Jorge Ruffinelli, and Carlos María Domínguez
- "Who Will Pay This Call?"