Ricardo Piglia: Argentine novelist, critic, and essayist (1941

Argentine writer and critic Ricardo Piglia wrote influential fiction and literary essays, including Artificial Respiration and Burnt Money. He was a major voice in late 20th‑century Argentine letters and died in 2017 of ALS.

Overview

Ricardo Piglia (November 24, 1941 – January 6, 2017) was a central figure in contemporary Argentine literature: a novelist, short‑story writer, and critic whose work influenced readers and writers across Latin America. Born in Adrogué and raised in Mar del Plata, he combined narrative experimentation with engaged literary criticism. For an accessible summary of his life and career see biographical resources.

Major works and themes

Piglia is best known for novels and short fiction that blend detective elements, historical reflection and metafictional devices. Notable books include Respiración artificial (Artificial Respiration, 1980), La ciudad ausente (The Absent City, 1992) and Plata quemada (Burnt Money, 1997). His critical essays — including Crítica y ficción (Criticism and Fiction), Formas breves (Brief Forms) and El último lector (The Last Reader) — examine the relation between narrative practice and literary interpretation. For information about his early life and influences see early biography.

Style, approach and significance

Piglia's prose often interweaves multiple voices, archival fragments and commentary by fictional readers or critics; this hybrid approach made his fiction a laboratory for questions about authorship, politics, and memory. As a critic he argued that fiction and criticism are mutually constitutive, advocating for close reading that remains attentive to historical context. His work is frequently studied in university courses on Latin American narrative and literary theory.

Career, teaching and public presence

Throughout his career Piglia combined creative writing with public intellectual work: he published reviews and essays, participated in literary journals, and lectured widely. He mentored younger writers and contributed to debates about Argentine culture and democracy. Several of his stories and novels have been adapted for stage and screen; his novel Plata quemada was adapted into a feature film, bringing his storytelling to broader audiences. Further details on his publications and criticism are available at selected works.

Death and legacy

Ricardo Piglia died in Buenos Aires on January 6, 2017, after a multi‑year struggle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. His passing was widely reported in Argentine and international media coverage, and his books continue to be translated, taught and debated. Piglia's blending of genre and essayistic inquiry remains influential: he is remembered as a writer who stretched the possibilities of both fiction and literary criticism.

Selected bibliography

Respiración artificial (Artificial Respiration), 1980
La ciudad ausente (The Absent City), 1992
Plata quemada (Burnt Money), 1997
Crítica y ficción (Criticism and Fiction), 1986
Formas breves (Brief Forms), 1999
El último lector (The Last Reader), 2005