Conversation in the Cathedral Book

Mario Vargas Llosa's third book is a marvelously terrorising romp through Peru of the 50s and 60s and yet all told in a bar called La Cathedral in the space of a few hours over a couple of beers and several packets of cigarettes. The narration of the first chapter is particularly confusing with each sentence being associated with a different narrator and timeline with sometimes no contextual help as to where they fit. And yet, the reader is carried along on these rapidly moving words as on a whitewater raft. The second chapter and fourth chapters are slightly more linear whereas the third chapter describes a coup kind of like in chapter one with events and actors changing every other sentence. At the heart of all of this are the aristocrat and friend of the Odria regime Don "Gold Ball" Fermin, his son "Skinnny" "Superbrain" Santiago, Don Fermin's chauffeur (et plus si affinité) Ambroisio - these last two are the ones who are speaking in the present reminiscing the past in the bar. There is also a series of prostitutes - la Quetita and "La Musa" Hortensia, Ambrosio's true love Amelia, Santiago's brother "Sparky", his sister "Teté", his brother-in-law "Popeye" - the names are all quite confusing. And who could forget Don Cayo "Shithead" Bermudez and his nefarious origin. The rise and fall of a regime, lovers quarrels in brothels, theater massacres...I could never work out who Lorenzo or Ludovico or some of the other drivers and henchmen were. And it was not clear to me who really killed Hortensia (don't worry, that's not a spoiler.)

If it sounds too heady, maybe read Feast of the Goat first as the narration is more straightforward.

In the same style, The Green House by Vargas Llosa is equally complex in narrative structure. Gaddis tried this kind of narration in several chapters of The Recognitions, but IMHO, he did not come close to pulling it off as successfully as Vargas Llosa!

In summary, a confusing but extremely well-written book about Peruvian politics seen through the lenses of the aristocracy and its detractors over beer - a fascinating book.

Note that some of the origins of this book were explained in MVL's autobiography, A Fish in the Water. This is really a fascinating read.