During what time period is the novel, Hades, Argentina, set?

The story begins with a frame narrative, which takes place in the year 1986. In this frame narrative, Tomás returns to Argentina for the first time in ten years. He then begins a tour of places significant to his past, accompanied by the ghost of the Colonel. However, the majority of the book is comprised of the narrative that takes place in the mid-1970s. This storyline follows Tomás’ personal tribulations amidst the increasing political turmoil in Argentina at that time. While the novel sometimes moves between these storylines, the 1970s storyline is ultimately the main focus, while the 1980s storyline focuses more on Tomás’ mental and emotional struggles with his lingering traumas.

Although the novel in nonlinear in its alternation between the 1980s and 1970s storylines, each of these two storylines proceeds in a mostly linear fashion. The 1980s storyline begins with Tomás’ arrival in Argentina and ends with his departure. The 1970s storyline first gives some exposition about the history of Tomás and Isabel’s rapport, and it ends with Isabel’s death and Tomás fleeing the country. Notably, these storylines partially overlap towards the end by way of the novel’s metaphysical aspects, as Tomás appears to not only be remembering some of these events, but spiritually reliving them.