#525 Just Before Falling Asleep- Felisberto Hernandez

#525 Just Before Falling Asleep- Felisberto Hernandez

In the introduction to Piano Stories, Italo Calvino says this about Uruguayan author Hernandez:

“Felisberto Hernandez is a writer like no other: like no European, nor any Latin American. He is an ‘irregular’ who eludes all classification and labling, yet is unmistakable on any page to which one might randomly open one of his books.”

And the first piece in this collection is called How Not To Explain My Stories. Where beautifully describes the creative process:

“At any given moment I think a plant is about to be born in some corner of me. Aware of something strange going on, I begin to watch for it, sensing that it may have artistic promise.”

So, I will read this collection with enthusiasm and will try not to think too hard about what they mean. We start with a small vignette, or a dreamlike Just Before Falling Asleep. The man has a recurring vision as he sets off to bed. He sees his family sitting around a table, and he fears that they have forgotten him. But he finds more comforting thoughts and his mind is calmed.

This is more poetry than short story, but it is easy to underestimate how difficult it is to create a short piece. There is no room for error or explanation. Each word must be perfect, each phrase meaningful. An orchestra may cover the broken string of a single cello, but not during a solo.

Notable Passage: “At times when the memory has followed me and caught up with me at night, the colors of the day were like those of an ordinary postcard, but their smiles were unchanged.”

Rating: 10-7-8-7 Total= 32