Cortázar Sin Barba

Cortázar Without a Beard: A Partial Biography

A Review of the Book by Eduardo Montes-Bradley

Originally by Joaquin Marco, Barcelona, October 23, 2014.

“Written with intelligent humor, a fine style, a clear structure, brisk narration, and full of details, it breaks some molds of the genre—not only in what it reveals about the young Cortázar and his family, but also through Eduardo Montes-Bradley’s informal, demystifying, and warm tone.”

The tone is clear from the very first lines: Eduardo Montes-Bradley introduces himself, situates the book, and makes his position as biographer explicit. It’s an unexpected opening, even disarming—almost conversational in nature. Yet this tone not only persists throughout but becomes a virtue.

This incomplete biography achieves what it sets out to do: it presents a portrait of Cortázar during the early part of his life, up until his first return to Europe. It also explores the lives of his ancestors. Montes-Bradley brings Cortázar down from his pedestal—not to diminish him, but to humanize him. He does so with respectful irreverence, something that, judging by his letters and interviews, Cortázar himself might have appreciated.

“Biographies like this are rarely written anymore… Biographers like Richard Ellmann are gone, and no foundations empty their piggy banks to finance studies like this one.”

Instead of offering a quick, digestible, and superficial overview like so many mini-biographies do, Cortázar sin barbaexplores nuances. Montes-Bradley goes beyond the myth to uncover the man behind the literary figure. He highlights his physical appearance, his obsessions, his reading preferences, and his character traits. He examines Cortázar’s upbringing, focusing in particular on the absence of the father figure and the overwhelming presence of his mother—an influence that persisted well into adulthood. All of this is done with a tone that borders on the psychological, though never clinical.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of the book is its refusal to conform to the conventional form of literary biography. This is not a dense academic tome nor a sensationalist retelling. Instead, it blends meticulous research with a personal voice and a touch of humor—elements that make the work both enjoyable and enlightening.