Juan Carlos Onetti

Juan Carlos Onetti: The Cat

“The Cat” is a short story by Juan Carlos Onetti, published in the collection Liminar in 1980. The story follows John, a cynical and distant Englishman, who confesses to a friend the reason behind his decision not to marry. In his account, he recalls a former engagement to Marie, a French woman with whom he was deeply in love. Everything was ready for them to begin their life together, until an unexpected and strange situation changed the course of their plans.

Juan Carlos Onetti: Most Dreaded Hell

“Most Dreaded Hell” (El infierno tan temido) is one of Juan Carlos Onetti’s most acclaimed short stories. Published in 1957 in the magazine Ficción and later collected in the book El infierno tan temido y otros cuentos (1962), it tells the story of the turbulent relationship between Risso, a widowed journalist, and Gracia César, a young actress twenty years his junior. The bond, marked by passion and misunderstanding, soon begins to show cracks. One night, in the newsroom where he works, Risso receives an envelope containing a disturbing photograph. This first discovery marks the beginning of a perverse ritual that will become a relentless mechanism of revenge and humiliation.