Cuentos Completos brings together all of Isidoro Blaisten’s short stories from La felicidad (1969) to Al acecho (1995). Readers will find, or perhaps rediscover, iconic books in the history of contemporary Argentine literature such as Dublín al sur (1980) and Cerrado por melancolía (1981). Since the publication of El matadero (The Slaughterhouse) by Esteban Echeverría, Argentina has always been a country of formidable short story writers. The author of these pages is part of that brilliant tradition, which includes names such as Jorge Luis Borges, Silvina Ocampo, and Julio Cortázar. “I believe that if I could write five perfect short stories, my life would be justified. What is a perfect story? A story that remains. It surpasses understanding and lucidity; it touches people’s hearts.” There are many more than five of Blaisten’s stories that fit his own happy definition. This volume, whose publication is also a tribute, amply demonstrates this.