Hopscotch
Hopscotch
Book Brief
Beta564
Novel • Fiction
Paris • 1950s
1987
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
Julio Cortázar’s Hopscotch, translated by Gregory Rabassa, is an innovative novel that allows readers to choose their own path through the chapters. It explores themes of intellectual pursuit, existentialism, and the complexity of human relationships, centered around the lives of Horacio Oliveira and his circle in Paris and Buenos Aires.
Reviews & Readership
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Review Roundup
Julio Cortázar's Hopscotch, translated by Gregory Rabassa, is lauded for its innovative narrative structure and profound philosophical insights, appealing to fans of experimental fiction. However, its complexity and nonlinear storytelling may challenge readers seeking a traditional plot. Rabassa's translation is praised for maintaining the essence of Cortázar's original prose.
Who Should Read Hopscotch?
A reader who would enjoy Hopscotch by Julio Cortázar and Gregory Rabassa is likely an adventurous literary enthusiast who appreciates non-linear narratives and innovative storytelling. Fans of James Joyce's Ulysses or Italo Calvino's If on a winter's night a traveler will find similar intellectual and experimental delights.
46,352 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Hopscotch is often regarded as one of the first major hypertext novels, offering readers multiple ways to navigate the story, something that was quite innovative at the time of its publication in 1963.
The novel was originally published in Spanish under the title Rayuela, and it includes more than 150 chapters, some of which are considered "expendable" and can be skipped or read in various sequences.
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Gregory Rabassa, who translated Hopscotch into English, was praised for his work by Cortázar himself, who famously remarked that Rabassa's translation was even better than the original Spanish version.
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564
Novel • Fiction
Paris • 1950s
1987
Adult
18+ years
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