Published in 1963 by Argentine author Julio Cortázar, Hopscotch is a landmark masterpiece of the 1960s Latin American literary "Boom." Often described as a "counter-novel" (contranovela), it supposedly revolutionised narrative structure by breaking the traditional linear reading process and forcing the reader into an active co-creator of the text. I have to say, I thought that this was actually an interesting idea, and given my propensity for ergodic literature, this was also my motivation why I wanted to read this book in the first place. What I didn't realise is that it would just annoy me immensely.
The defining feature of Hopscotch is its unique construction. Cortázar includes a Table of Instructions at the beginning, offering the reader multiple ways to navigate the book. There is the Linear Path, where the reader can read consecutively from Chapter 1 through Chapter 56. At the end of Chapter 56, the reader hits three deliberate asterisks indicating the end of the narrative, ignoring the remaining 99 chapters entirely. There is also the Hopscotch Path, which is what I decided to do. The reader starts at Chapter 73 and follows a specific jump sequence mapped out by Cortázar (e.g., 73 → 1 → 2 → 116 → 3 → 84...). This route incorporates all 155 chapters, weaving together the primary narrative with fragmentations, newspaper clippings, philosophical notes, and literary theory. Notably, the hopscotch path ends in an infinite loop: Chapter 58 directs the reader to Chapter 131, which directs back to Chapter 58. Finally, there is the Reader's Own Path, where one is invited to choose their own sequence, creating a personal reading experience each time.
Sounds interesting, right?
No. It was confusing as hell. Yes, I sort of knew that there was a main character, Horacio Oliveira. He has a relationship with a woman, La Maga. They are surrounded by a bunch of other Bohemian people. Half of the action happens in Paris, and the other half happens in Buenos Aires. And at some point, La Maga disappears. That's about it. I recall a few very interesting and even amusing episodes, such as the episode concerning Oliveira and a certain eclectic pianist. There's also the episode about the old man upstairs who keeps on banging the floor. But otherwise, I was lost. I was super lost. And as a result, I was annoyed.
So yeah, this book was not for me. After reading diligently halfway, I started speed-reading, jumping back and forth trying to follow the Hopscotch path. Until I realised that I was stuck in that loop between Chapter 58 and 131. Apparently, this is a stellar example of a novel that is part of the Latin American Boom, and while I have read several other novels from this tradition (and liked them), this one just made my head go Ka-Boom. I give it 1 out of 5 stars.
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