The death of Antonio Skármeta At the age of 83, he not only shook the Latin American cultural scene, but also brought to the fore again the vast catalog of books and works of the famous Antofagasta author.
World famous for “Il Postino”, the film adaptation of the best-seller “Burning Patience”his most popular novel, Skármeta not only left traces in narrative, but also in theater, TV and, of course, cinema.
Below, a review of some of his essential literary works.
“Burning Patience” (novel and movies)
First conceived as a script, the story was made into a film by Skármeta himself in 1983 and then, 11 years later, by the English director Michael Radford, who adapted it under the name ‘The Postman‘ (or ‘Neruda’s Postman’, as it was known in Latin America). The film received five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. In 2022, Netflix published its own version, directed by Rodrigo Sepúlveda and starring Andrew Bargsted and Vivianne Dietz.
“The Victory Dance” (novel)
The president of Chile decrees a general amnesty for all prisoners who have not committed blood crimes. Of the contingent, two inmates benefit from the ruling: Ángel Santiago and Vergara Grey, although with very different plans. While the first wants to be reunited with his family, the second plans to take revenge on the prison warden. The story was also adapted to film, this time with Fernando Trueba as director and Abel Ayala and Ricardo Darín as protagonists.
“The enthusiasm” (stories)
Published in 1967, it is Antonio Skármeta’s official literary debut, which earned him his first recognition abroad. “The Enthusiasm” was followed by “Naked on the Roof” (1969) and “Free Shot” (1973), also collections of short stories.
“I dreamed that the snow was burning” (novel)
With “I dreamed that the snow was burning”, in 1975, Skármeta broke into the universe of novels, and with one that was written “in the vertigo of the socialist government of Salvador Allende”, as detailed in the Carmen Balcells literary agency. “A novel breathed full of lungs in the streets of Santiago de Chile, full of passion, humor, anguish and overwhelming language that celebrates the enthusiasm of people frustrated with Pinochet’s coup.” The book was translated into fifteen languages.
Assigned
“The Poet’s Wedding” (novel)
For this novel, the author received the Altazor Prize in 2000 and the Foreign Medici Prize in 2001. The story, in a key of intrigue and humor, proposes a satirical look at pre-war Europe, focusing on a line of emigrants who will come to Chile at the beginning of the 20th century.
“Naked on the roof” (stories)
Winner of the Casa de las Américas Award for best short story book in 1968, this volume houses some of the author’s most emblematic texts. Like for example, “The cyclist of San Cristóbal”which was made into a film directed by Peter Lilienthal and starring René Baeza, Luz Jiménez and Roberto Navarrete. Or “A las arenas”, “A turn in the air”, “Final del tango”, “Pajarraco”, “Basketball” and the story that gives its name to the book, among others.
“Neruda By Skármeta” (non-fiction)
Within the framework of the 100 years of Pablo Neruda’s birth, in 2004 the Chilean author published under the Six Barral label “Neruda Por Skármeta”, a chronicle that covers the life and work of the poet, who in turn was one of the obsessions of the antofagastino. “Rich in anecdotes, affection and sense of humor, these pages want to pay personal tribute,” reads its description.
“Free throw” (stories)
Published the year of the coup d’état, “Tiro libre” is his third collection of short stories, which was received with Skármeta already as an international literary star. Here you can read texts such as “Fish”, “The Last Train”, “One by One”, “Ballad for a Fat Man”, “The Cigarette” and “Paris”, among others.
The Trombone Girl (novel)
Before its publication in Spanish, and as proof of its international reach, this 2001 novel had already closed contracts to be translated into German, Portuguese, English, Italian, French and Greek. The story shows Chile prior to the triumph of Salvador Allende in 1970.
“The plebiscite” (theater)
Conceived in 2006 as a play, “El plebiscito” gave shape to one of Pablo Larraín’s most successful films abroad: “No” (2012), whose script is based on the Chilean’s famous text. “The No campaign was a wonderful juncture between art and politics,” he told La Tercera in 2006.
