Konfidenz (Latin American Literature Series)

Rating:
Summary: A literate, attention engaging, and multifaceted novel
Review: A distinguished work of Latin-American literature written by Ariel Dorfman (who was exiled from his native Chile after the 1973 coup), Konfidenz is an absorbing story, told almost entirely through dialogue, of a woman best with telephone calls from a mysterious stranger who appears to know everything about her -- including her reasons for fleeing her homeland and the peril she and those close to her are in. Konfidenz is recommended as a tense, gripping, literate, attention engaging, and multifaceted novel.

Rating:
Summary: Unforunate mix of resistance politics and sexual obsession
Review: Although I very much admire some of Ariel Dorfman's work (especially _Death and the Maiden_ and _Heading South, Looking North_) _Konfidenz_ struck me as not only under-realized but boring even though it is only 177 pages with lots of white on its pages. The "play" is all the author's in withholding information and the novel (consisting mostly of dialogue--though it's hard to believe the dialogue adds up to nine hours of conversation--and taunts of the reader) trivializes resistance to fascism, loyalty, and world historical cataclysm. That Leon's sexual obsession may be incestuous makes it all the creepier.

Rating:
Summary: The Many Voices of Konfidenz
Review: Not only is this book intriguing in its storyline, but it is also intriguing in its composition: Dorfman uses several different narrative voices with great success. He puts the reader in the position of being the voyeur--watching the characters, as well as himself, the author. He also turns a voyeuristic eye on the reader, making you wonder if you, like the characters, are being watched. The novel raises issues of trust in a society where basic human rights are consistently compromised. "Private life is an illusion in our world, Barbara. When you can torture one person, private life ends for everybody else."