Discover the best stories by Juan Rulfo, master of magical realism and Mexican literature. Explore unforgettable tales such as They Have Given Us the Land and Luvina, where loneliness, death and destiny come to life. Read his complete stories and immerse yourself in his literary universe.
In “Luvina,” a story by Juan Rulfo, a man recounts his experience in a desolate village where nature and abandonment seem to have condemned its inhabitants to resignation and poverty. Through his memories, he describes an arid place lashed by a constant wind, where life seems to stand still and dreams fade away. Luvina is more than a physical space; it symbolizes helplessness and resistance to adversity. As he warns his interlocutor about what awaits him in that place, the narrator reveals how his time in Luvina transformed his illusions into disenchantment, offering a powerful portrait of the human struggle against destiny.
In “Luvina,” a story published in El llano en llamas (1953), Juan Rulfo describes an inhospitable village lashed by the constant wind and the aridity of its surroundings. Through the memories of a man who narrates his experience in it, a place is presented where nature and time seem to have stopped, leaving only the echo of loneliness and sadness. The inhabitants, marked by resignation, live a hard and monotonous life tied to the barren land and the weight of their dead. In the middle of this desolate landscape, the narrator shares his melancholy reflection on the futile struggle against an implacable destiny.
Juan Rulfo’s “You Don’t Hear Dogs Barking” (No oyes ladrar los perros) is a moving story about a father who carries his badly wounded son, Ignacio, on a grueling nighttime journey to the town of Tonaya to seek medical help. Through the father’s internal monologues, the problematic relationship between the two is revealed, marked by disappointment and resentment towards the son for his life of crime. However, driven by the memory of his late wife, the older man perseveres in his sacrifice, only to discover in the end that Ignacio has died along the way.
Juan Rulfo’s “Remember” is an introspective tale set in a rural Mexican town. The story revolves around the figure of Urbano Gómez, a character whose life is remembered and recounted by a narrator who seems to know Urbano and his surroundings well. Through a series of memories and anecdotes, the narrator traces the trajectory of … Read more
Summary of “The Houseguest.” “The Houseguest” (El Huésped) by Amparo Davila, included in her 1959 collection “Tiempo destrozado,” is set in a remote village. The plot revolves around a married woman and mother trapped in an unhappy and routine life, reduced to a mere object for her husband. The story begins with the arrival of … Read more