José Donoso and Carlos Fuentes: another personal history of the ‘boom’ in spanish american literature

Abstract

In his already classic essay The Boom in Spanish American Literature: A Personal History (1977), the Chilean José Donoso considers his Mexican colleague Carlos Fuentes as one of the main node in the Transatlantic network of Spanish American writers, which made possible the internationalization of their literature since the sixties. As an example, Donoso recognizes, as well, how Fuentes helped him, at the beginning of his career, to publish his work beyond the boundaries of the local Chilean public, transcending frontiers, towards a global readership. In the letter exchange between both writers, it is possible to follow thoroughly this process, which reveals the natural knowledge of Fuentes, regarding the internal rules of the book market, and the important role of friendship in the projection and diffusion of an author such as Donoso.