The Continuity of Parks

Summary

The Continuity of Parks by Julio Cortázar is a short story that explores the concept of reality and fiction blending together. It follows a man who becomes engrossed in a novel, unaware that the story he is reading is blurring the lines between his own reality.    

As the man reads deeper into the novel, he becomes increasingly absorbed in the narrative, losing himself in the plot and characters. The story he is reading involves a clandestine meeting between two lovers who are plotting to kill a man. The lovers' plan unfolds in the novel, and the man reading becomes a witness to their actions.    

Unbeknownst to the man reading, the story he is immersed in is about to intersect with his own life in a shocking way. As the lovers in the novel carry out their plan, the setting and details begin to align with the man's own surroundings. The climax of the story occurs when the lovers' plot to commit murder reaches its target, who is revealed to be none other than the man reading the novel.    

The ending of The Continuity of Parks is abrupt and chilling, leaving the reader to ponder the implications of the intertwined realities. The story highlights the power of fiction to transport the reader into another world, blurring the lines between what is real and what is imagined. 

Discussion questions

1. What is the significance of the title, The Continuity of Parks?    

2. How does the author use language and imagery to blur the lines between reality and fiction?    

3. What is the overall message or theme of the story?