Antonio Skármeta

In Los nombres de las cosas que allí había, Juan Villoro has selected and written a prologue for the best stories by Antonio Skármeta, originally published in five books that influenced an entire generation of writers and brought about a renewal of Latin American prose.

Each of the stories in this book is an extraordinary piece of literature. Love, youth, desire, and freedom, along with versatile prose, sensitivity, and a subtle irony that sometimes morphs into dark humour, confirm Antonio Skármeta’s position as one of the greatest storytellers in contemporary literature.

“Skármeta’s stories take on the worldview of the young who breathe and play the leading roles in a period marked by as much enthusiasm and openness as historical uncertainty.” Alejandra Costamagna

“Since he left Chile, all Skármeta's work tests the nation and tests the popular culture of the common man, which is the last rampart of resistance.” Ariel Dorfman

“In Skármeta’s style, one can feel the freedom of Jack Kerouac’s writing.” Le Monde Diplomatique 

“Stories as if written by an angel, but an angel full of earthiness and sex.” Ariel Dorfman, author of The Suicide Museum

“Antonio Skármeta is a fierce, tender, graceful genius. His stories enrapture, seize the soul, and shake it awake. Full of surprises and perfectly placed revelations that feel like ‘an angel’s introduction,’ his stories unravel exquisitely. Skármeta is a master of narrative, and his work is essential to any reader.” Jennifer Maritza McCauley, author of When Trying to Return Home

“A pulsating collection. With his sharp prose and vivid characterization, Skármeta captures an electricity and longing that captivates the reader from the very first page.” Melissa Rivero, author of The Affairs of the Falcóns