Review of the book “The Seven Fools” by Roberto Arlt.
“The Crazy Seven” is an emblematic novel of Argentine literature, written by Roberto Arlt and published for the first time in 1929. It is the first work of the so-called “Suburbio Trilogy”, followed by “Los Lanzallamas” and “El Juguete Rabioso”. ». The novel tells the story of a group of marginal and desperate characters who desperately search for a way to escape their situation of misery and marginalization.
The Seven Crazy Men is a novel by the Argentine writer Roberto Arlt, published in 1929. It is considered one of the masterpieces of 20th century Latin American literature and one of the most influential in contemporary narrative. It tells the story of a group of marginal characters who plan a social and political revolution in Buenos Aires, guided by a mysterious leader called The Astrologer.
The novel is characterized by its agile, direct and colloquial style, which reflects the popular speech of the time and the influence of journalism and cinema. Arlt portrays with rawness and realism the life of the most disadvantaged sectors of Argentine society, as well as their existential, moral and psychological conflicts. The Seven Crazy Men is a work that questions the dominant values and ideologies, and that expresses the disenchantment and rebellion of a generation that feels betrayed by the system.
The novel has a sequel titled The Flamethrowers, published in 1931, which completes the narrative cycle started by Arlt. Both works have been adapted to film, theater and television, and have been the subject of numerous critical and academic studies. The Seven Crazy Men is an essential novel to understand Latin American literature of the 20th century and the social and cultural history of Argentina.
The protagonist of the novel is Remo Erdosain, a man who lives in poverty and marginalization in the Balvanera neighborhood in Buenos Aires. Erdosain works as a typographer and is a very complex character, marked by his Catholic upbringing and his experience in the First World War. His life takes a turn when he meets a mysterious character called The Astrologer, who offers him the opportunity to participate in a plan to change the world. This plan involves the creation of a secret society called The Crazy Seven, made up of marginalized and desperate people like him.
Throughout the novel, Erdosain finds himself drawn deeper and deeper into the world of crime and delinquency, as he tries to find a way to escape the misery in which he lives. The narrative is raw and realistic, and portrays in detail the lives of the marginalized of Buenos Aires in the 1920s. The novel addresses themes such as violence, desperation and corruption, and offers a ruthless and uncompromising vision of society. Argentina of the time.
“The Seven Crazy Men” is a work that has been very influential in Argentine and Latin American literature. Arlt’s prose is direct and forceful, and his ability to portray the lives of the marginalized and the desperate is remarkable. The novel has been interpreted in many ways, from a social critique to a surrealist work. In any case, it is a work that leaves no one indifferent and that remains relevant today. If you are a lover of Latin American literature and have not read “The Seven Fools,” it is definitely worth giving it a chance.
Source: https://algunoslibrosbuenos.com/los-siete-locos
