Como premio a una loteria los ganadores han sido invitados a participar en un crucero. Ya en el primer encuentro, en un cafe en Buenos Aires, los personajes, pertenecientes a diferentes clases socials y con pocas cosas en comun, se dan cuenta de que el crucero es un tanto misterioso. Al embarcar, los premiados son informados de que solo pueden ocupar una parte reducida del barco lo cual producira bastantes tensiones y se dan cuenta de que no saben a donde se dirigen. Aunque Cortazar logra mantener el interes del lector debido a las circunstacias poco usuales del viaje, los personajes son un poco aburridos y los dialogos interminables. El desenlace de la historia es previsible. ( )

I've always felt that the first sentence of a book was the key to the rest of the book. We don't necessarily know how to decipher that sentence at first, but at the end, turning back, we can see... And with the help of the author, it can be even easier.

Here we start with "" (My translation: The marquise left at 5 -- thought Carlos López. -- Where the devil did I read that?)

What the devil could that mean? At first we don't know, and neither do we know later. The answer to the character's question is of course unimportant. The author himself tells us in a note at the end of the book that he wrote the book to escape from the (excess of intimacy from the) other passengers on a cruise ship. And that a book can be seen as a form of escape (into another world).

And so from the start we have a character thinking of something that he read somewhere; book, literature, reading... escape, just as the 'where did I read that' escapes him...

And just as the writing of this book was a way for the author to escape into another world, it is also for us, and we are following the author on his adventure, of which even he admittedly is not sure... the outcome that is... and it has that feeling of improv, or perhaps of finding one's way, in this new world... what's going on? what's going to happen? what has happened?

Throughout, there's talk of reading and literature. Paula reads a french novel by the pool and calls López 'Jamaica John', from a pirate novel. Raul says he feels like he's in an existential novel (he is!)...

But it's not all form and literary tricks: it's an absurd adventure on a mysterious cruise ship; it's a comedy of manners on a mysterious cruise ship; it's political theater on a mysterious cruise ship; it's a mystery on a mysterious cruise ship; it's an escape on a mysterious cruise ship............. ( )

I read this for the Reading Globally Argentina theme read. Nominally the story of a group of disparate Argentinians who win a cruise as the prize in a lottery, it is really an exploration of deception, self-deception, the meaningfulness or meaninglessness of life, and probably a lot of other ideas that went right by me. I found it a little hard to get into, but then found it mostly absorbing with some memorable characters. The most compelling part for me was Cortázar's style, which is beautiful and occasionally remarkable. Not an easy read and, as I said, I'm sure I missed a lot of what the author was trying to accomplish.

Cortazar is another of the small group of writers belonging to the so-called Latin American Literary Boom (I like the Spanish Version "el boom latinoamericano.") Vargas Llosa and Garcia Marquez are other well-known representatives..
Unlike Rayuela (english version Hopscotch), the writing is pretty straightforward- not the full post-modern style here (perhaps some minor mental discussions but interespersed as full chapters, so they are easier to follow).
I won't mention the plot since I feel that part of the joy of reading, this book particularly, is gradually discovering by oneself what is developing. I like to develop my own mental images and to figure out the plot myself. That's why I rarely read a book after watching a movie based on the book- siince the movie invariably creates some images in my mind that can't be displaced by my own when i read the book.
To me, a notable aspect of the story is the growth of its characters and how they reveal and behave themselves when confronted with unexpected situations. I found extremely enjoyable the manner in which Cortazar narrates the relationships and conversations among its characters. ( )

Two dozen citizens of Buenos Aires, representing all facets of Argentinian society, are declared the winners of a state lottery. Their prize is a luxury oceanic cruise...but to where? And for how long? They are told to meet at a café on the day of departure, where they will be given more details about the voyage. A bureaucrat comes to the cafe, demands that everyone not going on the trip must leave immediately, and orders a policeman to lower the iron shutters of the café. Despite these mysterious precautions, the bureaucrat is unable or unwilling to tell them where they will be going, what ports they will visit, or even the name of the ship they will be traveling on. They are taken on a bus at night to the dimly lit ship, and told to board quickly and quietly.

The secrecy continues once the passengers board the vessel, as they are told that they cannot venture past the small section of the ship to which they are confined. Multiple disparate explanations are given for their sequestration and the delay in going out to sea. Some of the passengers accept these excuses without question, but several others are deeply troubled by the stories they are being told by the staff, who relay second-hand information from the captain. They decide to conduct their own investigation, but are unable to learn any more information or meet the captain. The tension builds between the passengers, which leads to an unexpected and unbelievable set of actions and conclusion to the story.

This is a captivating story of human nature, and how the actions and opinions of others can influence our own decisions and actions. All of the characters are unremarkable citizens prior to the journey, but several take extraordinary positions and actions, which in retrospect are unnecessary and absurd. I highly recommend this book! ( )