DescriptionJulio Paredes is a contemporary Colombian writer who has published two novels, three collections of short stories, and a biography. His stories are evocative, thought-provoking narratives of difficulties a variety of characters face as they relate to other human beings and search for meaning in this life. Throughout Paredes's work, emphasis is placed on the unknown, thus leaving many of his stories open-ended. His characters struggle with existential questions, and quite often, the text is representative of their inner thoughts and feelings.
The following selection contains eight short stories from three different collections. While the particular situations of each are quite varied, common themes such as relationships, love, passing from one stage of life to the next, and magic emerge among them. Paredes illustrates the fact that the type of angst felt by his characters does not discriminate; people of different ages and backgrounds share similar experiences.
Because these stories focus on the human spirit, which transcends geographic and cultural boundaries, they translate quite nicely from their original Spanish and can certainly be enjoyed and appreciated by an English-speaking audience.