Antonio di Benedetto’s ‘The Suicides’ completes the Trilogy of Expectation

The final novel in Antonio di Benedetto’s Trilogy of Expectation explores existential themes of despair, longing, and fate.

Illustration by Victor Habbick Visions

By Novanka Laras and Sarah Oktaviany

The Suicides, by Antonio Di Benedetto

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Antonio di Benedetto (1922–1986) remained in the provincial city of Mendoza for most of his life, despite Argentina’s cultural scene being centered in Buenos Aires. A journalist and deputy director of a local newspaper, he was far from a recluse, yet his literature often reflected themes of isolation and longing. Though he had admirers, including Jorge Luis Borges, Di Benedetto’s intricate and existential works remained underappreciated in his lifetime.

It was only later that Latin American writers, particularly Chile’s Roberto Bolaño, championed his work, solidifying his place in 20th-century literature. The Argentine writer Juan José Saer identified thematic links among three of Di Benedetto’s novels—Zama (1956), The Silentiary (1964), and The Suicides (1969)—which NYRB Classics has now presented as the Trilogy of Expectation. Esther Allen’s translations of these works have brought renewed attention to Di Benedetto’s distinctive prose, rich with allegory and existential depth.

A trilogy of existential waiting

Di Benedetto’s novels center on protagonists who are perpetually waiting—trapped between hope and resignation. Zama, set in 18th-century colonial South America, follows Don Diego de Zama, a bureaucrat awaiting a transfer back to Buenos Aires. His aspirations remain unfulfilled, and his life unravels into destitution. The novel captures the absurdity of existence, echoing themes found in Kafka and Camus.

The Silentiary, set in the 1950s, shifts to a contemporary urban setting where the narrator seeks an escape from noise. His pursuit of silence becomes a philosophical quest, reflecting deeper existential anxieties. Throughout, Di Benedetto employs restrained yet layered prose, crafting surreal narratives that remain grounded in human despair.

The final installment, The Suicides, takes a starker and more overtly philosophical approach. Its narrator, a journalist investigating a supposed epidemic of suicides, finds himself confronting his own mortality. His detached inquiry into the motivations of the deceased turns into an internal reckoning, culminating in a pact with a photographer, Marcela, that brings an unexpected surge of passion and vitality.

The philosophical underpinnings of The Suicides

The Suicides opens with an epigraph from Camus: “Every sane man has thought about committing suicide at some point.” This sets the tone for a novel steeped in philosophical inquiry. The narrator, approaching the same age at which his father died by suicide, is given a series of police photographs depicting recent suicides. As he delves into their backgrounds, he compiles perspectives from thinkers across history, classifying them into “Rejecters” (Plato, Dante, Spinoza) and “Accepters” (Confucius, Seneca, Nietzsche).

Despite the philosophical depth, the narrator’s preoccupations remain deeply personal. He is as interested in seducing Marcela as he is in his investigation, and his ruminations on death are intertwined with the inertia that defines Di Benedetto’s protagonists. “Do you have to wait for death, such as an elderly retiree, or do you have to do it, the way Papá did?” he wonders. Inaction becomes both his curse and his salvation, preventing him from taking drastic steps.

The novel’s existential musings are punctuated by an emotional climax when he and Marcela agree to a suicide pact. Strangely, this decision liberates them, bringing an unexpected burst of joy. As they inch closer to their intended fate, the novel shifts from cold rationality to raw emotion, culminating in a gripping resolution.

The tragic fate of Antonio di Benedetto

Though The Suicides does not mirror Di Benedetto’s own end, his life was marked by suffering. In 1976, following Argentina’s military coup, he was imprisoned, likely due to his newspaper’s coverage of the regime’s atrocities. He endured 18 months of torture, mock executions, and near-death experiences before international pressure secured his release.

Exiled in Europe, Di Benedetto struggled with declining health, poverty, and obscurity. He published his final work in 1985 and passed away a year later, leaving behind a body of literature that, while overlooked in his time, now stands as a crucial part of Latin America’s literary heritage.

A lasting literary legacy

Di Benedetto’s Trilogy of Expectation is a masterful exploration of human longing, absurdity, and resignation. His protagonists—waiting for promotions, silence, or the right moment to act—mirror the universal struggle between hope and despair. With the English translation of The Suicides, a new audience can now appreciate the depth and brilliance of his work.

Through his compact yet profound narratives, Di Benedetto captured the existential condition with rare precision. His legacy, once overshadowed, now finds its rightful place in world literature.

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