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Marginal Voices: Selected Stories
Julio Ramón Ribeyro has been widely acclaimed Peru's master storyteller. Until now, however, few of his stories have been translated into English. This volume brings together fifteen stories written during the period 1952-1975, which were collected in the three volumes of La palabra del mudo. Ribeyro's stories treat the social problems brought about by urban expansion, including poverty, racial and sexual discrimination, class struggles, alienation, and violence. At the same time, elements of the fantastic playfully interrupt some of the stories. As Ribeyro's characters become swept up in circumstances beyond their understanding, we see that the only freedom or dignity left them comes from their own imaginations. The fifteen stories included here are "Terra Incognita," "Barbara," "The Featherless Buzzards," "Of Modest Color," "The Substitute Teacher," "The Insignia," "The Banquet," "Alienation (An Instructive Story with a Footnote)," "The Little Laid Cow," "The Jacaranda Trees," "Bottles and Men," "Nothing to Do, Monsieur Baruch," "The Captives," "The Spanish," and "Painted Papers."
- GenresShort Stories
153 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 1993
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79 people want to read
About the author
Julio Ramón Ribeyro
106 books286 followersJulio Ramón Ribeyro Zúñiga was a Peruvian writer best known for his short stories. He was also successful in other genres: novel, essay, theater, diary and aphorism. In the year of his death, he was awarded the Premio Juan Rulfo de literatura latinoamericana y del Caribe. His work has been translated into numerous languages, including English.
The characters in his stories, often autobiographical and usually written in simple but ironic language, tend to end up with their hopes cruelly dashed. But despite its apparent pessimism, Ribeyro's work is often comic, its humor springing from both the author's sense of irony and the accidents that befall his protagonists. The collective work of his short stories is published under the title La palabra del mudo (The Word of the Mute).
Ribeyro studied literature and law in Universidad Católica in Lima. In 1960 he immigrated to Paris where he worked as a journalist in France Presse and then as cultural advisor and ambassador to UNESCO. He was an avid smoker, as described in his short story ¨Sólo para fumadores¨ (Smokers Only) and he died as a result of his addiction.
The characters in his stories, often autobiographical and usually written in simple but ironic language, tend to end up with their hopes cruelly dashed. But despite its apparent pessimism, Ribeyro's work is often comic, its humor springing from both the author's sense of irony and the accidents that befall his protagonists. The collective work of his short stories is published under the title La palabra del mudo (The Word of the Mute).
Ribeyro studied literature and law in Universidad Católica in Lima. In 1960 he immigrated to Paris where he worked as a journalist in France Presse and then as cultural advisor and ambassador to UNESCO. He was an avid smoker, as described in his short story ¨Sólo para fumadores¨ (Smokers Only) and he died as a result of his addiction.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 19, 2012
In this slim collection of short stories, Peruvian author, Julio Ramon Ribeyro, takes on many deep-seeded and complex cultural issues facing those in the Peru of past and today . What struck me as a central theme was the divide in its people --both as a society and as individuals in matters of social / class standing, race and economics. And though we hear stories told from all view points, those that have and don't, it is the latter--the unseen and "faceless community" that are the strength of the collection.
This is best witnessed in the story Alienation. Roberto is a Zambo, a black, of low social standing who in pining for the attention of Queca (the light skin beauty of the neighborhood), attempts to kill off everything in him Peruvian. From lightening his skin, straightening his hair and dressing and speaking American, with "each moment of frantic undoing, his name would lose one syllable." Roberto to Bobby and finally Bob, the reader painfully watches as he systematically sets out to dezambofy himself and claim a better life.
Stories rich in detail and characterization, the Marginal Voices are firmly heard. 4.5
This is best witnessed in the story Alienation. Roberto is a Zambo, a black, of low social standing who in pining for the attention of Queca (the light skin beauty of the neighborhood), attempts to kill off everything in him Peruvian. From lightening his skin, straightening his hair and dressing and speaking American, with "each moment of frantic undoing, his name would lose one syllable." Roberto to Bobby and finally Bob, the reader painfully watches as he systematically sets out to dezambofy himself and claim a better life.
Stories rich in detail and characterization, the Marginal Voices are firmly heard. 4.5
January 1, 2018
simple, rich, powerful stories - his work ranks as the discovery of the year for me
November 10, 2019
This is a collection of 15 short stories translated into English, originally published between 1952 and 1975. To my knowledge, it's the only work of his translated into English. Some of the stories are little-known gems, others not so engaging, so the final rating was set to three stars, probably because some of the less interesting stories occurred near the end and ended up being the last thing I remembered. But with the marination of time, there were enough fascinating and creative stories to warrant four stars.
Ribeyro is at his best when he mixes unflinching social realism with the absurd and a tinge of understated humor and the fantastic. There is almost something Kafkaesque about his style at times. As the title suggests, many of his subjects are 'marginal voices' of society indeed, often poor, or marginalized in other ways.
One of his favorite story arcs seems to be to focus on one of these marginal characters, layout their flighty hopes and aspirations for overcoming whatever predicament they're in, only for the whole thing to end with disappointment or anticlimax in the end. His story "Alienation (An Instructive Story with a Footnote)" is a case in point. Here Ribeyro pierces Peru's social and racial tensions by focusing on the tragically comic or comically tragic life of a youngster in Lima who suffers much extremity in the attempt to deny his Afro-Peruvian heritage and become a white American. The whole thing spirals so far down into tragedy that it's a full-fledged melodrama, so deliberately sad that it also becomes comedy.
Other high points of the collection to me were "Barbara", The Featherless Buzzards", "The Insignia" (about an unknowing who finds a random insignia in the trash, ends up in some meetings for an organization whose workings are a mystery to him, and eventually ends up the leader of the organization, still without really knowing what they do. What.), "Bottles and Men" and "The Spanish".
Ribeyro is at his best when he mixes unflinching social realism with the absurd and a tinge of understated humor and the fantastic. There is almost something Kafkaesque about his style at times. As the title suggests, many of his subjects are 'marginal voices' of society indeed, often poor, or marginalized in other ways.
One of his favorite story arcs seems to be to focus on one of these marginal characters, layout their flighty hopes and aspirations for overcoming whatever predicament they're in, only for the whole thing to end with disappointment or anticlimax in the end. His story "Alienation (An Instructive Story with a Footnote)" is a case in point. Here Ribeyro pierces Peru's social and racial tensions by focusing on the tragically comic or comically tragic life of a youngster in Lima who suffers much extremity in the attempt to deny his Afro-Peruvian heritage and become a white American. The whole thing spirals so far down into tragedy that it's a full-fledged melodrama, so deliberately sad that it also becomes comedy.
Other high points of the collection to me were "Barbara", The Featherless Buzzards", "The Insignia" (about an unknowing who finds a random insignia in the trash, ends up in some meetings for an organization whose workings are a mystery to him, and eventually ends up the leader of the organization, still without really knowing what they do. What.), "Bottles and Men" and "The Spanish".
September 5, 2019
Short stories by one of Peru's most under rated authors. Less than appealing slices of life in thought provoking prose.
June 10, 2020
Most of these are short-short stories, and each captures a single character almost flawlessly. Won’t be forgetting “The Featherless Buzzards” anytime soon.
December 12, 2011
I recommend the stories by Julio Ramón Ribeyro, translated by Dianne Douglas. The stories differ one from another but all depict scenarios of human interest whether the setting is Lima, Madrid, or Paris. In the endings, the main characters reach an enlightenment about a problem that has plagued them and the reader gets a surprise. Ribeyro writes clear, descriptive passages that grab the reader from start to finish.
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September 27, 2012Peruvian author who lived most of adult life in Europe. Many stories about relationships between those living in Lima and indigenous Peruvians.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews