BOOKS FROM PERUDeath in the Andes
Tags:
Set in Peru
Male author
Description:
Set in an isolated, rundown community in the Peruvian Andes, Vargas Llosa's novel tells the story of a series of mysterious disappearances involving the Shining Path guerrillas and a local couple performing cannibalistic sacrifices with strange similiarities 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 pre-Hispanic mysticism.
Reviews:
(4 days ago) |
09 Oct, 2025
Book #1 of my Read the World Challenge.
I wasn’t sure how much I’d enjoy this before I went into it. I’m in Peru rn, so decided it would be the best country to start with, and this was the closest thing to horror I could find when I searched. But, it was very readable and I actually quite enjoyed it!
It could definitely use fewer instances of the f-slur, of course, but I like the way Vargas Llosa weaved together the story of Naccos with what was happening elsewhere in the Andes at the time - at first it might seem like the two things aren’t really related, but of course they are, with deadly consequences if not in the way I was expecting.
I also really like the way he had Tomasito tell his story - weaved in with Lituma’s commentary - and then, later, the Doña’s short interludes to explain why the things in Naccos played out as they did. I did do a quick skim of the Wikipedia article on Peru to get some historical context, and the broad strokes were helpful enough to not be completely blindsided by what was going on.
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