The Redemption of the Cannibal Woman

John Walker is a professor of Spanish studies at Queen’s University.

Since his arrival in this country, Alberto Manguel has done more than
anyone to make Latin American literature known to Canadians. The
Redemption of the Cannibal Woman introduces the work of his Argentine
compatriot Marco Denevi, who has long been overshadowed by the
international reputation of contemporaries like Borges and Cortбzar.
Despite having written many novels, plays, and collections of short
stories, Denevi, if he is known at all, is probably remembered only for
his prize-winning story “Secret Ceremony,” which was made into an
unsatisfactory film.

This book is made up of four long short stories, three of which were
published in book collections in the 1970s. “Eine Kleine
Nachtmusik,” not previously published in book form, tells the story of
two spinster sisters of German origin, their Hungarian servant, and a
young man whose presence and music disturbs their apartment building and
their lives. The title piece (another unsettling tale about sexual
ambivalence and an old man’s lust) is typical of Denevi’s harrowing
stories about human relationships. “Michel” is no less disturbing in
its portrayal of homosexual love, parental strife, and murder. Equally
disquieting, for literary reasons, is “Letter to Gianfranco,” which
deals with the creative process, the role of the writer, and his or her
relations with the reader.

Underlying these well-crafted and thought-provoking stories is the
author’s demonstrable concern for plot and stylistic expression. This
underrated writer deserves to be better known.