Felisberto Hernández facts for kids
Felisberto Hernández (born October 20, 1902 – died January 13, 1964) was a talented writer, composer, and pianist from Uruguay. He is known for his unique stories that often made everyday objects seem magical.
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Early Life and Music
Felisberto was born in the Atahualpa neighborhood of Montevideo, Uruguay. He was the oldest of four children.
He started playing the piano when he was just nine years old. Later, he learned how to compose music and understand harmony from a teacher named Clemente Colling. Because his family faced money problems, Felisberto began teaching piano and playing music for silent films when he was 16.
By the time he was 20, Felisberto started performing in public concerts. He even included some of his own musical creations in these shows. At 23, he continued his piano studies with another teacher, Guillermo Kolischer.
Felisberto Hernández passed away due to complications from leukemia. Some of his important papers are kept in the archives at American University in Washington, D.C.
Amazing Short Stories
Felisberto Hernández is often seen as a pioneer of a writing style called magic realism. This is a way of writing where magical or impossible things happen in a very realistic world. He wrote in this style even before famous authors like Gabriel García Márquez, Italo Calvino, and Julio Cortázar became well-known for it. These writers actually said that Felisberto was a big influence on their own work. For example, Julio Cortázar wrote a letter praising Felisberto for being a trailblazer in literature.
Felisberto's stories often explored the secret life and feelings that he imagined were hidden inside everyday objects. He made readers think about the world in a new, magical way.
Some of his most famous stories include "The Balcony," "My First Concert," and "Daisy Dolls."
Books Published During His Life
Here are some of the books Felisberto Hernández published while he was alive:
- Fulano de tal (1925)
- Libro sin tapas (1928)
- La cara de Ana (1930)
- La envenenada (1931)
- Por los tiempos de Clemente Colling (1942)
- El caballo perdido (1943)
- Nadie encendía las lámparas (1947)
- Las Hortensias (1949)
- La casa inundada (1960)
Works Translated into English
Many of Felisberto Hernández's stories have been translated so English speakers can enjoy them too:
- "The Daisy Dolls", found in Masterworks of Latin American Short Fiction: Eight Novellas, 1996.
- Piano Stories, translated by Luis Harss, 1993. This book was reissued in 2014.
- "Crocodile", found in Two Crocodiles, translated by Esther Allen, 2013.
- Lands of Memory, translated by Esther Allen, 2002.
Film Adaptations
Felisberto Hernández's life and writings inspired a short film called Unmistaken Hands: Ex Voto F.H. This animated film was made by the Quay Brothers. The film was especially inspired by his short stories "The Balcony" and "The Flooded House." You can find this short film as part of the British Film Institute's Blu-ray collection of the Quays films.
See also
In Spanish: Felisberto Hernández para niños
- List of Uruguayan writers
