HISPANIC LITERATURE'S EDGAR A. POE: QUIROGA

 

Hispanic Literature’s Edgar Allan Poe

Did you know Hispanic literature has its own Poe? His name is Horacio Quiroga (1878–1937), born in Uruguay and later settled in Argentina. Like Poe, he explored horror, madness, death, the bizarre, and the fatal side of human nature.

Quiroga’s life was marked by tragedy: suicides in his family, the deaths of close relatives, and even the accidental killing of a friend. At 22, he discovered Poe, whose influence he openly acknowledged throughout his life. He became a teacher, photographer, explorer, and lived for years in the jungle — an experience that deeply shaped his dark vision.

His fame began with El almohadón de plumas (1907), and many of his titles reveal his obsessions: El vampiro, El hombre muerto, Anaconda, and the unforgettable collection Cuentos de amor, de locura y de muerte.

One of the most shocking stories in that book is “La gallina degollada.” It tells of a couple burdened with four severely disabled sons whom they neglect after the birth of a healthy baby girl. One day, the boys watch the maid slaughter a chicken. Fascinated by the act, they later imitate it — on their little sister. The horror is not supernatural; it is painfully human.

Few tales by Poe equal the brutality and tragic inevitability of this story. Quiroga’s realism, psychological depth, and stark cruelty place him at the summit of Hispanic horror. If Poe chills, Quiroga wounds.