Uruguayan prose writer Juan Carlos Onetti (1908–1994) is one of the greatest writers of the 20th century; he is often called the “singer of loneliness.” H.-K. Onetti created his own unique world, part of which is the city of Santa Maria, which does not exist in reality, and populated it with characters who often move from book to book. The collection of the recognized master of Latin American prose includes stories and short stories, most of which have not been translated into Russian.