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Summary: The last Vargas Llosa's novel
Review: This is one of the best books of Mario Vargas Llosa. It relates the life of the Dominican dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, one of the most cruel and ruthless Latin American tyrants of the last century. Vargas Llosa did a good research job for the novel. In fact, one does not know what is fiction and what is history. That mix is precisely what makes the novel a masterpiece!
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Summary: A Masterpiece of Political History and Memory
Review: This is one of the finest "political" novels ever written. Centered on the assassination of Trujillo and its aftermath, the book accurately and grippingly describes the twentieth century political history of the Dominican Republic, the devastating effects of a dictatorship and cult of personality on a society and culture, and the role of individual personalities in the making of historical events.But even more important is the book's function to preserve the memory of atrocities and monstrous acts, so that we may try to prevent and avoid them in the future. Just as novels about the Holocaust serve to remind and teach us about that terrible time, Vargas Llhosa's novel memorializes the horrors that happened in a smaller, more obscure place, and it examines the causes of those horrors in history, society, culture, and personality. The story shifts among the various plot lines by chapter and sometimes within chapters, and it leaps forwards and backwards in time. Rather than creating confusion in the reader, this technique vivifies the uncertainty and "fog" that arises in any political crisis, and it reminds us that our present always includes our past. It and the objective but often-sympathetic characterizations heighten the involvement of the reader in the story. In sum, this book succeeds as literature, history, political analysis, psychological study, and social commentary. Comments by other reviewers that the plot line involving the fictional Urania is "weak" miss, in my opinion, the role that the her story plays in representing the lingering effects of an oppressed and unjust polity on individuals. Other comments about the number of characters and the multiplicity of names do not perceive the complexity of any significant historical and political event. Further, they disregard the fact that the author's inclusion of all of the characters and their Spanish names has been used at least since Homer's Illiad formally and repeatedly referred to so many of the Greeks and Trojans by their full names, patronyms, and titles: it preserves the names for history and memory.
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Summary: A goat's head soup, but not the main course
Review: This is the best Vargas Llosa book I've read (I've tried two others.) The material is rich and the storytelling intense. Trujillo was a despicable dictator, and Vargas Llosa has done his research well enough to tell a seemingly honest, brutal story. He creates several narratives in different voices, fracturing our perception enough to provide a whole that must be assembled by the observer. Putting it together feels like real life. The betrayals, compromises, lies, and longing are vividly rendered - one finishes reading with a sort of grimy feeling, desiring a cool shower to wipe away the grime and heat of the night's adventures. Urania's narrative, the heart of the book, is compelling, but she is necessarily a cold character. We vicariously experience her rage and helplessness, but we feel awful doing so. I often sighed deeply while reading her story - it was just so frustrating. In the end, the tale is disempowering, because it's so hard to imagine a good way to get rid of an awful situation like this. I was more than a little paranoid about our North American drift toward fascism while reading this novel. Tinhorn dictators like Trujillo are paid for and trained right here in our country, home of the School of the Americas, so it would be crazy to think that it couldn't happen here. There are ways to avoid that, but this book doesn't really explore them because the wheels were already in motion long before we entered the story. I read the novel with baited breath, but ultimately I felt that I was being entertained more than educated or prepared. That's not really the author's fault, but he left me wanting a different book, one with more heroism or at least with a way out. Like the viewer of a good action film, I put the experience behind me with a "phew" and a slightly queasy stomach. I had to go elsewhere to replenish my strength.
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Summary: QUITE A STORY!
Review: This is the only book I have read by Vargas Llosa. It is an amazing tale about the reign of Argentinian dictator Trujillo as seen through the eyes of Urania - the daughter of one of Trujillo's most favored ministers who later lost his position in the dictator's world. Urania who now lives in New York is visiting her homeland for the first time since she left, and it is apparent that even though she has made it as a successful lawyer in NY, she is still haunted by certain occurences during her childhood. She recalls her anger towards her father for having "sacrificed her," and her anguish and hatred towards Trujillo.
The book is an extremely emotional one, and Llosa seems to have been able to capture these emotions appropriately in his writing. There is never a dull moment in this book, and it is able to capture and maintain the reader's attention through the very end. The language might be a little rough at times, but it only serves to add to the wealth of the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the political environment of other countries, or to even those of you who wish to read for pleasure.
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Summary: Great political novel
Review: This is the third of Llosa's novels that I have read, and his work just seems to get better every time. History, politics, violence, and sex are three themes that seem to figure prominently in Llosa's books (at least the ones that I have read), and this one is no exception. Feast of the Goat is concerned with the last days of Rafael Trujillo, long-time Dominican dictator and one-time ally of the United States. The book is told in three threads: one looks at Trujillo himself, one is concerned with a woman, Urania, returning to the Dominican Republic for the first time since she left decades ago, right before Trujillo's assassination, and the third storyline deals with Trujillo's assassins. Different readers will probably find one of these stories to be more interesting and convincing than the others, but I found merits in all three, and besides, they converge towards the end of the book. Llosa's portrait of Trujillo is wonderful. He captures the leader's immense arrogance, his rigorous military discipline, his blatant misogyny, and his ability to induce the most self-abasing acts of sycophancy among his followers. Urania's story is compelling melodrama, as she is unable to forgive her father, a former Trujillo aide, who went to hideous lengths to regain Trujillo's favor. The reason for her departure is gradually made clear, although many will guess the reason early on. Finally, in telling the story of the assassins, Llosa is able to document the personal effects of Trujillo's abuses by explaining how these former loyalists became disaffected with the regime. Trujillo's inevitable death occurs about two-thirds of the way through the book, and some of the most intriguing episodes of political maneuvering occur afterwards. Particularly interesting is Llosa's account of Joaquin Balaguer, the quiet, unassuming puppet president under Trujillo, who manages to gain control of the civilian government through compromises and outright conflicts with Trujillo's remaining family members. He contrasts the way in which Balaguer seized the moment with the case of Pupo Roman, commander of the air forces under Trujillo. He was the man who was supposed to seize control under the original plan. Instead, he makes miscalculations at every point, and his complicity in the assassination is eventually uncovered by Trujillo's sadistic son, whom Balaguer lets run the police and security apparatus in exchange for his remaining in charge of civilian affairs. Another theme that Llosa covers very well is the role of the Catholic Church. Originally a patriarchical institution that provided support for some of Latin America's most disreputable dictators, the church courageously changed directions and criticized these regimes. They are depicted as a major thorn in Trujillo's side. Overall, this is a must read for any fan of political novels or Latin American history, and is a worthy contribution to that genre exploring life under totalitarianism. One word of caution- Llosa does not shy away from graphic descriptions of the brutalities committed by Trujillo's sons in their "search" for the assassins.
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Summary: First Rule of a Dictator - Make them live in Fear!
Review: What type of fear could lead mothers and fathers to destroy their own families; to prostitute their daughters and disown their sons in order to secure their own survival? Before reading this book it would have been hard from me to understand this kind of fear but in this riveting page turner you see how Trujillo used brutality and malice to instill a level of fear so terrifying that it drove men and women to do the unthinkable and serve him at all costs. Trujillo, an American trained Dictator, transformed the Dominican Republic economically, socially, and politically through rule that suffered not a single voice of dissent. He ruled with an iron fist and brutality and fear until his assasination in 1961. Had I read a academic or historical book about the Trujillo regime, I would have probably been most interested in the role the United States played in developing and supporting him inspite of the overwhelming evidence of his abuses and corruption. I'm glad I read this book first instead because through it I feel I have gained real insight into the methods by which Trujillo debased his people and the human suffering that so many Dominican families endured because of him. Previously I would have asked how such tyranny could have existed for so long. As you learn from reading this book, there was only way Trujillo would give up his power and control and that was through his death. This is an informative and moving read which left me eager to learn more about Trujillo and the Dominican Republic.
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Summary: historical cool
Review: When I was flipping through this book and deciding whether or not to read it, I landed on a page with Uzis a blastin' and Latin revolutionary excitement all over it. After reading it, I can tell you it definitely turned out to be a cool book, at points reminding me of levels of coolness only achieved by something like a Tarentino movie.
I was especially impressed by Llosa's skill as a novelist; he constructed an essentially PERFECT story that tied into itself in so many different ways I was amazed. He was also able to get so in depth into all of his characters that the book felt like it didn't even have a main character. The story of Trujillo's demise became a living, breathing, multi-faceted entity captured from the most intense perspectives. Definitely not your conventional novel.
So yes, the story was amazing, especially for anyone who's interested in politics or revolutions. By the end I felt like I had just had an intense conversation with a survivor of some chaotic era, and as far as knowing a thing or two about the world, this is the side of history you will not find in textbooks!
The only qualm I have with the book is that it didn't reach that cosmic point of deeper meaning that I always find in the best books. The lessons taught by the book are less about life and more about man and what motivates us and what makes us who we are. But hey, just because it's not cosmic doesn't mean this book wasn't a great read... just don't expect it to change your life.
Anyway, awesome book.
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Summary: POWERFUL ACCURATE POST COLD-WAR REVIEW
Review: Who were America's allies in the cold war . Vargas Llosa shows how things were in Central and Latin America during the era of the fascist generals , kept in power by the thumbs-up of Washington's politicians and the machinations of the Pentagon and the CIA. Superior descriptions of real life under the tinpot generals.Must read if you are at all curious about life in the cold war era in U.S. colonies .
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