Pilar Quintana is one of Colombia’s most prominent contemporary voices. Prior to Los abismos , she gained international acclaim for La perra (The Bitch), which was a finalist for the National Book Award. Her work often examines the intersection of human psychology and the raw power of nature. Los abismos by Pilar Quintana | World Literature Today
: Claudia is not just a narrator but a silent observer of her parents' failing marriage and her mother's secret affair. Her doll, Paulina, often serves as her only confidante in a world where adults are emotionally unreachable.
: The novel suggests that the "abyss"—depression, boredom, and social expectations—is a legacy passed down through women, from Claudia’s grandmother to her mother, and potentially to Claudia herself. A Masterclass in Perspective
The novel’s atmosphere is thick with botanical and psychological tension. Claudia’s home is described as a jungle of indoor plants, a physical manifestation of her mother’s stifled desires and depression. This greenery serves as a backdrop to a household teetering on the edge of a metaphorical abyss—a recurrent theme that mirrors the literal cliffs of the Colombian Andes where the family travels. Themes of Inherited Traps
Pilar Quintana is one of Colombia’s most prominent contemporary voices. Prior to Los abismos , she gained international acclaim for La perra (The Bitch), which was a finalist for the National Book Award. Her work often examines the intersection of human psychology and the raw power of nature. Los abismos by Pilar Quintana | World Literature Today
: Claudia is not just a narrator but a silent observer of her parents' failing marriage and her mother's secret affair. Her doll, Paulina, often serves as her only confidante in a world where adults are emotionally unreachable.
: The novel suggests that the "abyss"—depression, boredom, and social expectations—is a legacy passed down through women, from Claudia’s grandmother to her mother, and potentially to Claudia herself. A Masterclass in Perspective
The novel’s atmosphere is thick with botanical and psychological tension. Claudia’s home is described as a jungle of indoor plants, a physical manifestation of her mother’s stifled desires and depression. This greenery serves as a backdrop to a household teetering on the edge of a metaphorical abyss—a recurrent theme that mirrors the literal cliffs of the Colombian Andes where the family travels. Themes of Inherited Traps
Ligeti and mathematics
The renowned mathematician Heinz-Otto Peitgen talks about his friendship with György Ligeti, the composer's interest in mathematics and the discoveries of chaos theory.
First page of the autograph fair score of L’escalier du diable (Paul Sacher Foundation, Basel).
Copy of the autograph fair score of L'escalier du diable, with annotations by the composer, page 1 (detail), Paul Sacher Foundation, Basel. The inscription in the right-hand margin reads 'revised MS, this is authoritative'.
Copy of the autograph fair score of L'escalier du diable, with annotations by the composer, page 1 (detail), Paul Sacher Foundation, Basel. The inscription in the right-hand margin reads 'revised MS, this is authoritative'. Los abismos - Pilar Quintana.pdf
Bar 7-2: György Ligeti: Étude 13, bar 7/2, left hand, 9th – 11th quaver (eighth note)
Bar 36-3: György Ligeti: Étude 13, bar 36/3, right hand, 9th – 12th quaver (eighth note) Pilar Quintana is one of Colombia’s most prominent
Bar 41: György Ligeti: Étude 13, bar 41/1, left hand, 8th – 12th quaver (eighth note)
Copy of the autograph fair score of L’escalier du diable, with annotations by the composer, page 6 (detail), Paul Sacher Foundation, Basel. Los abismos by Pilar Quintana | World Literature
Bar 45-3: György Ligeti: Étude 13, bar 45/3, right hand, 11th – 12th quaver (eighth note)
Bar 46-1a: György Ligeti: Étude 13, bar 46/1, right hand, 3th – 4th quaver (eighth note)
Bar 46-1b: György Ligeti: Étude 13, bar 46/1, right hand, 5th – 7th quaver (eighth note)
