Review: Silvina Ocampo’s drawing of time

Silvina Ocampo’s drawing of time

Review of the book “The Drawing of Time” by Silvina Ocampo.

“The Drawing of Time” is a book by Silvina Ocampo that brings together for the first time the author’s autobiographical and essayistic texts, many of them unpublished, written between 1938 and 1989. The book is divided into four parts:

1. The first part contains five unpublished autobiographical stories in which the author evokes episodes from her childhood.
2. The second part includes prologues.
3. The third part brings together short notes, such as film reviews, memories of Borges, notes on the death of Cortázar or Mujica Lainez.
4. The fourth part presents interviews conducted with Silvina Ocampo by different media.

The book offers an intimate and secret vision of Silvina Ocampo, with comments on cinema, the detective story, evocations of writers from her immediate circle, such as Jorge Luis Borges, and prologues that reveal her meticulous knowledge of art and literature.

However, some critics point out that, although Silvina Ocampo was extraordinary, she is not so good in her oral aspect, and since many of the interviews are mostly oral, some are quite poor. Despite this, there are autobiographical texts at the beginning of the book that are excellent and were not expected. In general, “The Drawing of Time” is a work that displays the singularity of an essential writer of Argentine literature, who always dazzles by the ferocity of her imagination and by her serene transformation of the order that reality imposes on us.

Ocampo’s stories are known for their poetic beauty, their atmosphere of mystery, and their exploration of the themes of love, death, madness, and magic. In The Drawing of Time, these themes are explored through a variety of characters and settings, from a dollhouse to a cemetery.

One of the most famous stories in The Drawing of Time is “The Wedding Dress.” In this story, a woman becomes obsessed with her sister’s wedding dress, and ends up losing her sanity. The story is an exploration of the power of desire and obsession, and how these can lead to destruction.

Another notable story is “The Other People’s Party.” In this story, a woman is invited to a party, but when she arrives, she discovers that she is alone. The party is an illusion, and the woman realizes that she is trapped in a nightmare world.

Drawing Time is a collection of short stories that is both beautiful and disturbing. Ocampo’s short stories are a window into the mind of a unique and talented artist, and are a must-read for anyone interested in Latin American literature.

Here are some additional comments about The Drawing of Time:

* «The Drawing of Time is a collection of stories that is both beautiful and disturbing. Ocampo’s stories are a window into the mind of a unique and talented artist, and are a must-read for anyone interested in Latin American literature. –The New York Times
* «The Drawing of Time is a book that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it. Ocampo’s stories are haunting and beautiful, and will make you think about the nature of time, memory and love.» – The Guardian
* «The drawing of time is a masterpiece of Latin American literature. “Ocampo’s stories are unique and original, and are a must-read for any literature lover.” – The Observer

Ocampo’s texts are small literary gems that combine fantasy with everyday life, irony with tenderness, the wonderful with the grotesque. In them we find unforgettable characters, such as the boy who draws the future with magic chalk, the woman who travels in time to reunite with her lost love, the man who turns into a tree because of a spell, or the old woman who He remembers his childhood while watching the clouds.

The Drawing of Time is an essential book for lovers of fantastic literature and the exquisite prose of Silvina Ocampo. A book that invites us to reflect on the meaning and value of time, that mystery that surrounds us and defines us.