Death in the Andes

Rating:
Summary: Vargas Llosa really captures the spirit of modern Peru
Review: Mario Vargas Llosa does an excellent job in capturing many of the dilemnas and controversies which face modern Peru in "Death in the Andes". He does an masterful job in presenting the military, insurgents, (Sendero Luminoso), and also the native peasants and farmers of the country. The reader really feels the emotions and experiences of the characters in the story. The violence, brutality and pain of life of many in Peru comes across clearly in this tale. Vargas Llosa weaves the narratives of three characters and also experiments with shifting between different periods of time during the course of the novel. His writing style in this work is very straightforward and clear. The book reads quite quickly and easily. If one enjoys the work of Gabriel García Márquez or a great story in general, they will enjoy "Death in the Andes".

Rating:
Summary: Vargas Llosa really captures the spirit of modern Peru
Review: Mario Vargas Llosa does an excellent job in capturing many of the dilemnas and controversies which face modern Peru in "Death in the Andes". He does an masterful job in presenting the military, insurgents, (Sendero Luminoso), and also the native peasants and farmers of the country. The reader really feels the emotions and experiences of the characters in the story. The violence, brutality and pain of life of many in Peru comes across clearly in this tale. Vargas Llosa weaves the narratives of three characters and also experiments with shifting between different periods of time during the course of the novel. His writing style in this work is very straightforward and clear. The book reads quite quickly and easily. If one enjoys the work of Gabriel García Márquez or a great story in general, they will enjoy "Death in the Andes".

Rating:
Summary: An oblique look at a horrible situation.
Review: The protagonists are two civil guards alone in a small mining town threatened by guerrillas, and the loss of work. The town is the home of a couple with a Dionysian bent, and an apparent belief in rituals over a 1000 years old. Plot lines include the disappearance of 3 people, the past infatuation of one of the guards, and the guerrilla movement. What the book is really about is the poverty and degradation of the people, and the apparent hopelessness. Vargas writes about this obliquely, so as not to overwhelm the reader, while getting the point across. While I liked the book, I didn't fully appreciate the Dinonysian aspect, I guess, which was a major drawback for me. Vargas uses an interesting technique of seamlessly switching between voice and time, and back, without confusing the reader.

Rating:
Summary: An oblique look at a horrible situation.
Review: The protagonists are two civil guards alone in a small mining town threatened by guerrillas, and the loss of work. The town is the home of a couple with a Dionysian bent, and an apparent belief in rituals over a 1000 years old. Plot lines include the disappearance of 3 people, the past infatuation of one of the guards, and the guerrilla movement. What the book is really about is the poverty and degradation of the people, and the apparent hopelessness. Vargas writes about this obliquely, so as not to overwhelm the reader, while getting the point across. While I liked the book, I didn't fully appreciate the Dinonysian aspect, I guess, which was a major drawback for me. Vargas uses an interesting technique of seamlessly switching between voice and time, and back, without confusing the reader.

Rating:
Summary: This book is about violence
Review: This book is a portrait of violence, of it's culturule roots and the circumstances that can bring it out of normal human beings. The story is located in the surreal atmosphere of the Peruen Andes. A Simple good hearted police man Litome (whom we've met in Aunt Hulia ) is investigatin a series of mysterious disappearences, and finds himself in a quest after the origins of human evil. His finding are horrific. This book is not easy to read, but it is a very good one and deeply recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Magnificent storytelling and insights
Review: This is a stunning novel. It provides a great picture of the fear brought to the highlands by Shining Path, and it reveals a very foreign superstitious psyche that some cling to. It's a great read, though beware. It gets quite violent and vulgar.

To get the most out of the book, read some background on Peru from a travel guide like the one from Lonely Planet. I read this novel five years ago and missed much of what I got this time as I read it along with various other texts in preparation for a trip to Peru.

Rating:
Summary: Not your tourguide Peru!
Review: This is a very unsettling book. The way it is written contributes to this. At times, conversations are layered into story telling so the reader is kept uncertain of who's speaking. This echoes the uncertainty of the times the people in the book are experiencing. The harsh conditions of the Andes, with its thin air, dried vegetation, freezing nights and burning sun serve as a backdrop for the gripping story of cruelty, death, politics and sorcery. Colonel Lituma is driven to find the fate of three people who have disappeared from the camp. He knows he probably doesn't really want to know what happened, but he has to investegate to satisfy his curiosity. I was completely under the spell of this book and will be looking to read more of this author.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant but disturbing
Review: This is an excellent novel filled with magical realism, brutal violence, interesting characters and a distinct sense of humor. Llosa has a powerful sense of the absurd.

Rating:
Summary: A bold description of human violence
Review: This is the first book I have read by the author in particular, and of Peru in General. While the book is full of amazing insights into Peruvian culture, I could not help seeing that the almost unlimited potential for violence described here is universal, and applies where ever human beings are assembled.
The peasants of the Andes are in constant fear for their lives, either by starvation, in the hands of the rebels, the government or the evil spirits.
Their ancient traditions, which kept their lives tolerable in past times, are disintigrated, leaving them drunk and desperate.
Just like peasants and poor people almost everywhere, they are helpless and have no control what so ever about their destiny. From this condition, emerges violence that is at first shocking, and then, as the book progresses, looses some of its initial horror and becomes almost acceptable.
This book is highly recommended, although it may be noted that people with weak stomachs may not be able to handle it.

Rating:
Summary: Great book ! Very deep into andean culture.
Review: This is the first book I have read that really approaches the magic world of Latin America in a realist manner. It has make me understand the culture of one part of my country, it reveals it and makes it easy to analyze it. The book is horrific but we have to remember that the plot is set on the worst days of terrorism in Peru. Excellent !