The Continuity of Parks by Julio Cortázar. Short summary

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A man is sitting in his office in his favorite chair. He is engrossed in reading an interesting novel. But the hero has no idea how closely the plot of the book is connected to his own life.

1 minute

A man sits in his office, in a green velvet armchair with a high back, and reads the novel with passion. He had begun reading the book a few days earlier, but he had been distracted by business matters and a trip into town. Now the man is back at the estate and has a chance to finish the last chapter.

In his novel, two lovers meet secretly in a cabin in the woods to carry out a treacherous plan. The man rejects his lover’s caresses because he is worried before the murder. The lovers once more discuss the plan of action and check their alibis.

Night approaches. The lovers part. The woman walks north, and the man heads for the house on the estate. He is armed with a dagger. The man enters the house, looking into one room, into another. Finally, he enters a study and sees his victim, a man sitting in a green velvet chair reading a book.

At that moment, the two stories connect-the man reading the novel feels the touch of the dagger on his hand.