On Heroes and Tombs

Plot summary

Nineteen-year-old Martín Castillo is a boy from Buenos Aires trying to find his path in life. He meets and falls in love with Alejandra Vidal Olmos, who with her father Fernando represents the "old", post-colonial and autochthonous Argentina, which is seen mutating amid a strange and unsettling "new" world. The novel gives an evocative portrait of the city of Buenos Aires and its people.

Characters

Primary characters in the novel include:

• Martín del Castillo: the novel's protagonist

• Alejandra Vidal Olmos: Martín's love interest

• Fernando Vidal Olmos: Alejandra's father

• Bruno Bassan: a writer who provides Martín insights

• Uncle Bebe: Alejandra's uncle

• Grandfather Pancho: Alejandra's grandfather

• Aunt Escolatica: Alejandra's aunt

Literary significance and criticism

On Heroes and Tombs, filled with dark and emotional imagery, is considered by many to be Sabato's magnum opus, and the section Informe sobre ciegos ("Report on the Blind"), about Fernando's distorted obsession with, and fear of, the blind, is a haunting, nightmarish contribution to Latin American literature.

References to actual history, geography and current science

Interspersed with the text of On Heroes and Tombs, as an almost surrealistic running commentary on it, is the italicised narrative of the flight, killing and ensuing odyssey of Juan Lavalle, a classic Argentine subject.

Adaptions

John Malkovich has optioned the film rights for On Heroes and Tombs.

Swedish melodic death metal band At the Gates' album At War with Reality has lyrics based on the novel. Its intro is a quote from this book.

References

References

1. Barbour, Douglas. (1981-10-17). "South America spawns another literary giant".
2. Gottlieb, Freema. (1983). "Review of On Heroes and Tombs". Latin American Literary Review.
3. Griffith, Jonathan. (1981-08-30). "'Heroes' a surrealistic study set in the sewers".
4. Bunke, Joan. (1981-09-27). "The dragons of Argentina".
5. Kennedy, William. (1981-01-01). "Sábato's Tombs and Heroes". Review: Literature and Arts of the Americas.
6. Pemberton, William E.. (2015). "Cyclopedia of Literary Characters". Salem Press.