Abstract
This article suggests that one of the recurrent procedures that can be traced throughout César Aira’s oeuvre is the use of adversative constructions, the so-called ‘yes, but no’. These phrases, which are used as sheer opposition and are one of the generating principles of Aira’s works, offer a key insight into the unique position that Aira occupies in the literary world. This atypical position replicates his ambivalence in various dimensions: the figure of the writer, his publishing trajectory, and his peculiar relationship with critical reception. These tensions, which the article explores, are found in a successful career such as Aira’s and, instead of breaking literary boundaries, they reaffirm the belief in the value of literature.
Keywords:
argentine literature; procedures; figure of the writer; publishing trajectory; critical reception