Los adioses

In a small town in the Sierras de Córdoba, a mountain hospital cares for a group of tuberculosis patients. They are a diverse bunch, yet most share a hope for recovery as they await their fate or stroll at dusk against the backdrop of the violet mountain heights. The protagonist of this novella, however, is different—not because his illness is particularly aggressive or severe, but because, as we learn from the very first lines, he lacks hope: "he knew of nothing from which to draw the will to get well." In *Los adioses* (1954), displaying impressive literary mastery, Juan Carlos Onetti steps away from the mythical city of Santa María to unfold the story of this nameless man in a nameless town—a narrative filled with vague strokes and imprecise elements that nonetheless create a vibrant, evocative tale.