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Line 1: {{~~trope~~work}} {{Infobox book {{quote\| ''There exist some fictions through which the author tries to free himself from an obsession that is unclear even to himself. For good or for bad, these are the only ones I can write."" ---'''Ernesto Sábato''', note on the first edition.}}▼ \| title = On Heroes and Tombs \| original title = ''Sobre Héroes y Tumbas'' \| image = \| caption = \| author = Ernesto Sabato \| central theme = \| elevator pitch = "Nineteen-year-old Martín Castillo is a boy from Buenos Aires trying to find his path in life. He meets and falls in love with Alejandra Vidal Olmos, who with her father Fernando represents the "old", post-colonial and autochthonous Argentina, which is seen mutating amid a strange and unsettling "new" world. The novel gives an evocative portrait of the city of Buenos Aires and its people." ''(Wikipedia)'' \| genre = \| publication date = 1961 \| source page exists = \| wiki URL = \| wiki name = }} ▲{{quote\| ''There exist some fictions through which the author tries to free himself from an obsession that is unclear even to himself. For good or for bad, these are the only ones I can write.~~"" ---~~''\|'''Ernesto Sábato''', note on the first edition.}} ''[[On Heroes and Tombs]]'' is a 1961 novel, a chaotic and surreal book written by [[Ernesto Sabato\|Ernesto Sábato]] set in Buenos Aires, it begins with a note from a local newspaper, telling of the suspicious circumstances in which a girl murdered her father and then set herself on fire. The story has at its center the ill-fated romance between Alejandra Vidal, a young, beautiful yet emotionally unstable woman, last heir of a decadent Argentinian family, and of Martín del Castillo, the shy, homeless teenager that sees her as the only reason to keep on living. This tale, told as a conversation between Martín and his friend Bruno years after Alejandra's suicide, serves as the background for a dark examination of the nature of hope and the futility of human contact, complete with Freudian undertones, mythological allegories and some serious analysis on the nationality of Argentina. Line 12 ⟶ 26: This is the second book of Sábato's trilogy, preceded by existentialist novella [[The Tunnel]] and followed by [[Mind Screw]] extraordinaire "Abbadon the Despoiler". "Writing on the Blind" has been adapted both to movie format and comic book format. [[Your Mileage May Vary]] as to how successful this was. {{tropelist}} ~~----~~ ~~=== Contains example of the following tropes: ===~~ * [[Ancient Conspiracy]]: Fernando thinks blind people are part of one. * [[Ascend to Aa Higher Plane of Existence]]: Lavalle, after dying unimpressively and having his body desacrated by those he loves appears near the ending, in the imagination of a poor indian, as a larger than life figure gloriously riding the road to Jujuy, drapped in the blue of the skies and the argentinian flag. * [[Author Filibuster]]: see [[Jorge Luis Borges]] below. * [[Battle Amongst the Flames]]: A short chapter shows a woman trying to save an effigy of the Virgin Mary from a burning church. * {{spoiler\|[[Bittersweet Ending]]: although one that requieres almost exclusively on [[Fridge Brilliance]] for the ''sweet'' part. Lavalle [[Ascend to Aa Higher Plane of Existence\|becomes a true hero in the imagination of his people for all the pain he went through]]. It is suggested Martín has turned into a hero of normal life himself, and he at least never commits suicide-or lets Alejandra die from his memory-thus proving what Bruno says in that "human beings aren't rational beings and as such they will always rebuild their lives".}} * [[Continuity Nod]]: Fernando mentions the events in ''The Tunnel'', Sábato's previous novel, and links the story with his theory of blind people being evil. * [[Emo Teen]]: Martin maybe, but he has more than enough reasons to be one. This reason vary from the ordinary (his father was distant and disappointing, he is rather shy), to the downright traumatic: his mother directly tells him he is a disgrace to her and that she tried repeatedly to give herself an abortion. Having Alejandra as a sort-of girlfriend and having no job or home probably does not help either. Line 31 ⟶ 44: * [[Jorge Luis Borges]]: appears walking on the streets and is greeted by Martin and Bruno, giving an opportunity for Sábato to make one character voice his criticism on his writings. ** [[Conspiracy Theorist\|In his old age, Borges was blind]]. * [[Kill It ~~With~~with Fire]]: Alejandra believes fire purifies. She wants to purify herself. * [[Last Stand]]: subverted in the story of the Legion. They have no hope left, all that they want is their leader's body not to be dishonoured. * [[Magnificent Bastard]]: Fernando Vidal. He married a young, rich woman, flirted with his mother, befriended her husband, set him against his wife and ''made the mother and daughter fight over him while doing it.'' * [[True Art Is Angsty]]: Where do we start? * [[Tsundere]]: Alejandra works as a very dark spin of this. Martin describes their relationship as if the prince came to battle the dragon and save the princess, only to realize the dragon and the princess were one and the same creature. * [[Writer Onon Board]]: no matter how traumatic things get, Sábato likes to take time to explore the nature of the Nation of Argentina, hope and other philosophical tracts. * [[What Do You Mean ~~Its~~It's Not Awesome?]]: at some point in his Writing, Fernando proposes a solution for the staggering amount of assholes in the world, including himself: at the shout of "''Imbeciles'' MARCH" they should all walk towards a gigantic machine that makes them eat their own physical feces, and that collects the new supplies made due to the eating for them to eat them again, ''ad infinitum''. This and other comically witty parts in the ''Writing on the Blind'' become a [[Funny Aneurysm Moment]] when you remember just [[Complete Monster\|who]] are you laughing with. {{reflist}} [[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]] [[Category:Lit Fic]] [[Category:The Sixties]] [[Category:OnLatin ~~Heroes~~American ~~And Tombs~~Literature]] [[Category:~~Trope~~Literature of the 1960s]]