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Ernesto Sabato

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Ernesto Sabato was a multifaceted figure in Argentine culture.

Sabatovargasllosa
Sabatovargasllosa

He was a novelist, an essayist, a painter, and a physicist. Born on June 24, 1911, in Rojas, he became a highly influential voice in Latin American literature. Some scholars even called him the "last classic writer" in Argentine literature. His life was defined by a transition from the rigid laws of science to the complex questions of human existence. He was known for his distinctive appearance, often wearing tinted spectacles and open-necked shirts.

Sabato's early life was shaped by his large family and immigrant roots. His parents, Francesco Sabato and Giovanna Maria Ferrari, were immigrants from Italy. His father was from Fuscaldo, while his mother was from the Arbëreshë community, an Albanian minority in Italy. Sabato was the tenth of eleven children. He was named Ernesto after his ninth sibling had passed away. In 1924, he moved to La Plata for secondary school at the Colegio Nacional de La Plata. It was there that he met Professor Pedro Henríquez Ureña, who became an early inspiration for his writing.

Before he was a famous author, Sabato was a dedicated scientist. He studied physics and mathematics at the Universidad Nacional de La Plata. In 1938, he earned his PhD in physics. His scientific career took him to the Curie Institute in Paris for a research fellowship in atomic radiation. He also spent time at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. However, his path was not always linear. In 1934, he began to doubt his involvement with Communism. This led him to the International Lenin School in Moscow for two years. He later escaped to Paris, where he wrote his first, unpublished novel, *La Fuente Muda*.

In 1943, Sabato experienced an "existential crisis" that changed his life forever.

Ernesto Sabato - Graham greene
Ernesto Sabato - Graham greene

He decided to leave the field of science to become a full-time writer and painter. His literary career began in earnest with his first novel, *El Túnel*, published in 1948. This psychological novel was told from the first-person perspective. It received immense critical acclaim from famous writers like Albert Camus and Thomas Mann. The book was eventually translated into more than 10 different languages.

Sabato's body of work includes several other significant novels and many essays. His second novel, *Sobre héroes y tumbas*, was published in 1961 and is considered his masterpiece. Interestingly, he nearly burned this book, along with many of his other works. His third major novel, *Abaddón el exterminador*, was released in 1974. Beyond fiction, his essays explored diverse subjects like metaphysics, politics, and the music of tango. He even wrote about the relationship between science and the human soul in his 1945 book, *Uno y el Universo*.

His contributions to society extended into the realm of human rights and justice. During the 1970s, Argentina experienced a period known as the Dirty War. At the request of President Raúl Alfonsín, Sabato presided over the CONADEP Commission. This commission was tasked with investigating the fate of those who suffered forced disappearance. In 1984, the commission published its findings in a report titled *Nunca Más*, which means "Never Again." This work was a vital step in addressing the country's history of political violence.

Throughout his long life, Sabato received many prestigious international honors. He was awarded the Miguel de Cervantes Prize in Spain and the Legion of Honour in France. He also received the Jerusalem Prize from Israel and the Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger in France. These awards recognized his profound impact on global literature. Sabato passed away on April 30, 2011, from bronchitis. He died just two months before he would have reached his 100th birthday, leaving behind a massive legacy in both science and art.

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