Manuel Puig facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Manuel Puig
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Manuel Puig
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| Born | December 28, 1932 General Villegas, Argentina |
| Died | July 22, 1990 (aged 57) Cuernavaca, Mexico |
| Occupation | Novelist, screenwriter |
| Period | 1968-1990 |
| Literary movement | Postboom, Post-modernist |
Juan Manuel Puig Delledonne (born December 28, 1932 – died July 22, 1990) was an important Argentine author. He is usually known as Manuel Puig. He wrote many famous novels.
Some of his best-known books include La traición de Rita Hayworth (1968) and Boquitas pintadas (Heartbreak Tango, 1969). Another very famous book is El beso de la mujer araña (Kiss of the Spider Woman, 1976). This book was made into a popular movie in 1985. It also became a Broadway musical in 1993.
Contents
Manuel Puig's Early Life and Education
Manuel Puig was born in General Villegas, a town in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. When he was 14, in 1946, his parents sent him to Buenos Aires for high school. There was no high school in his hometown.
Discovering Books and Movies
In Buenos Aires, Puig started reading a lot. He began with books by authors who had won the Nobel Prize. A friend also introduced him to ideas from psychoanalysis, which studies the human mind. He read books by famous writers like Hermann Hesse and Thomas Mann.
His friend also showed him European movies. After watching a film called Quai des Orfèvres (1947), Puig decided he wanted to become a film director. To prepare, he learned Italian, French, and German. These were seen as important languages for new movies.
Studying for a Film Career
Puig first tried studying engineering to learn about movie sound. But he soon realized it wasn't for him. In 1950, he joined the University of Buenos Aires to study architecture, but he only stayed for six months. In 1951, he changed to the School of Philosophy. He was a good student, even though some subjects like Latin were hard.
While studying, he started working in film. He worked as an archivist, organizing film records, and as an editor in Buenos Aires. Later, he won a scholarship and worked in Italy. The movie world of Hollywood that he loved as a child sometimes disappointed him. However, he still admired stars like Marilyn Monroe.
In 1953, Puig completed his required military service. He worked as a translator in the Aeronautics area.
Manuel Puig's Writing Journey
In the 1960s, Manuel Puig returned to Buenos Aires. There, he wrote his first important novel, La traición de Rita Hayworth.
Moving to Mexico and Later Works
Because of political changes in Argentina, Puig moved to Mexico in 1973. He wrote many of his later books there. This included El beso de la mujer araña, which became one of his most famous works.
Puig's Unique Writing Style
Manuel Puig's writing often feels like "pop art". Because he worked with film and television, his books often use elements from these media. For example, he used montage, which is like cutting and pasting different scenes together. He also told stories from many different points of view.
Puig often used popular culture in his books. This included things like soap operas, which were very common on TV. In the history of Latin American literature, he is known as a writer who was part of the Postboom and Post-modernist movements. These movements came after a very famous period of Latin American writing.
Manuel Puig's Later Years and Passing
Manuel Puig lived outside his home country for most of his life. In 1989, he moved from Mexico City to Cuernavaca, Mexico. He passed away there in 1990.
Health and Final Days
In the months before his death, Puig had stopped smoking and took daily walks. But he was not feeling well at the high altitude of Mexico City. He wanted to be close to his mother, so he chose a clinic near his home.
On July 21, 1990, he went to a hospital for a serious health issue. Doctors performed an emergency surgery to remove his gallbladder. While recovering, he started having trouble breathing. His lungs filled with fluid, and he became confused. The medical team tried to help him, but he died from a heart attack early on July 22, 1990.
After His Death
News of his death spread quickly. Although he had heart problems, some people first thought he had died from AIDS. However, it was soon confirmed that Manuel Puig did not have HIV.
Only a few people attended his funeral service in Mexico. His mother and close friends were there. His body was later sent back to Argentina. He was buried in the Puig family tomb in the cemetery of La Plata.
A film called Vereda Tropical (film) was made in 2004. It shows the time when Puig lived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Manuel Puig's Works
Critics sometimes divide Puig's books into two groups. His early novels were very popular. They used elements from mass culture, like movies and TV. His later books were less popular. They showed a more serious view of life and used fewer mass-media elements.
Some of his translated works have been republished:
- 2009: Betrayed by Rita Hayworth
- 2010: The Buenos Aires Affair
- 2010: Heartbreak Tango
List of Novels
- 1968: La traición de Rita Hayworth (Betrayed by Rita Hayworth)
- 1969: Boquitas pintadas (Heartbreak Tango)
- 1973: The Buenos Aires Affair (The Buenos Aires Affair)
- 1976: El beso de la mujer araña (Kiss of the Spider Woman)
- 1979: Pubis angelical (Pubis Angelical)
- 1980: Maldición eterna a quien lea estas páginas (Eternal Curse on the Reader of These Pages)
- 1982: Sangre de amor correspondido (Blood of Requited Love)
- 1988: Cae la noche tropical (Tropical Night Falling)
Plays and Screenplays
- Under a Mantle of Stars: A Play in Two Acts (1985)
- 1983: El beso de la mujer araña (Kiss of the Spider Woman)
- 1985: La cara del villano (The Face of the Villain)
- 1985: Recuerdo de Tijuana (Memories of Tijuana)
- 1991: Vivaldi: A Screenplay
- 1997: El misterio del ramo de rosas (Mystery of the Rose Bouquet)
- 1997: La tajada; Gardel, uma lembranca
See also
In Spanish: Manuel Puig para niños
- List of Argentine writers
- Latin American Literature
