Death in the Andes

£7.99 BUY

In Stock

  • Author: Mario Vargas Llosa
  • Publisher: Faber and Faber
  • Catalogue: 119938
  • Size: 13x20cm
Set in an isolated, run down community in the Peruvian Andes, Vargas Llosa's riveting novel tells the story of a series of mysterious disappearances involving the Shining Path guerrillas and a local couple performing cannibalistic sacrifices with strange similarities to the Dionysian rituals of ancient Greece.

Part-detective novel and part-political allegory, it offers a panoramic view of Peruvian society; not only of the current political violence and social upheaval, but also of the country's past, and its connection to Indian culture and to pre-Hispanic mysticism.

As in his other novels, Vargas Llosa breathes into this work a magical assemblage of narrators, time frames and subplots. We meet Senderista guerrillas, disenfranchised Indians, jaded army officers, eccentric townspeople and cult worshippers, among many unforgettable characters. The result is a work of broad sweep, powerful narrative drive, and keen insight into one of Latin America's most fascinating and complex countries.

No other book conveys so much about Peru so vividly - the magic, the desolation of the Altiplano, the Sendero Luminoso, the mentality. Fabulous and essential for anybody who is planning a visit to the country.