Juan carlos onetti biography

Juan Carlos Onetti (July 1, 1909 – May 30, 1994) was a renowned Uruguayan novelist and short-story writer[1†][2†]. Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Onetti’s existential works chronicled the decay of modern urban life[1†].

His protagonists often led unhappy, isolated lives in an absurd and sordid world, from which they could escape only through memories, fantasies, or death[1†].

Onetti’s first published work, the novella “El pozo” (1939; “The Pit”), is considered one of the first distinctively modern Spanish American novels[1†].

His best-known novel, “La vida breve” (1950; “A Brief Life”), introduced the mythical city of Santa María, which became the setting for several of his subsequent novels[1†].

Onetti’s significant contributions to Latin American literature earned him the Uruguay National Literature Prize in 1962[1†][2†].

Despite facing imprisonment by the military dictatorship in 1974, Onetti’s influence as a writer remained undiminishe