The Time of the Hero

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic - in a Vargas Llosa kind of way
Review: I rate this book 10, because it embodies in one text a story so powerful from a personal and political point of view. The story deals with a group of army cadets in Lima, their pasts and their presents, and what will potentially be a future shaped for them by the serious injury of one of their troop while on army manouvers.The story that unfolds from this, interwoven with the power struggle that goes on between the forces of good and humanity and evil faceless silence of the army leaves you breathless. Not everyone will appreciate this book, but there are those out there that owe it to themselves to read this book and learn. Not just about peruvians themselves, but the deep forces of power, ruthlessness and betrayal that power the human race itself

Rating:
Summary: A+ book, C- translation
Review: The Time of the Hero is one of the best books of our time, and ideal for The American Scholar. Llosa's writing style incorporates insights about life, war, love, fraternity, and humanity in a characteristically intelligent way. The subject matter is both informative and universal, and the presentation is unique and intellectually appealing. The book is multi-faceted, layered, and intriguing. Unfortunately, the translation takes so much away from the story. It is necessary to either read the book in the original Spanish, entitled La Ciudad y los perros, or read it with a grain of salt, always trying to read the language not as it appears on the page, but as Llosa wrote it.

Rating:
Summary: A+ book, C- translation
Review: This is not the best of Vargas' books. Death in the Andes is definitely better. However, this is not to say that Time of the Hero is not interesting. The first 50 pages are so are a little boring, but after that, the plots really starts moving. Read carefully. Some plots go nowhere, some are everything. By the end, you really care about the central characters, which is the sign of a good book.

Rating:
Summary: Not his best effort, but good none the less.
Review: This is not the best of Vargas' books. Death in the Andes is definitely better. However, this is not to say that Time of the Hero is not interesting. The first 50 pages are so are a little boring, but after that, the plots really starts moving. Read carefully. Some plots go nowhere, some are everything. By the end, you really care about the central characters, which is the sign of a good book.