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melanie_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
This is one of the most unique books I've ever read - and does a fantastic job of managing the tension between modernization/westernization and indigenous cultures.
Mario Vargas Llosa offers up a host of questions for the reader to deal with that left me with some deep soul-searching about the role of indigenous tribes in a modern world.
From a writing perspective, the chapters about the Machiguenga origins and folklore were difficult to follow but ripe with detail and fascinating ideas worth exploring. These chapters also dramatically impacted the pacing. Whereas the chapters on the modern mystery of Saul Zuratas were fast moving, they were in sharp contrast to the slow world-building of the rest of the book.
Mario Vargas Llosa offers up a host of questions for the reader to deal with that left me with some deep soul-searching about the role of indigenous tribes in a modern world.
From a writing perspective, the chapters about the Machiguenga origins and folklore were difficult to follow but ripe with detail and fascinating ideas worth exploring. These chapters also dramatically impacted the pacing. Whereas the chapters on the modern mystery of Saul Zuratas were fast moving, they were in sharp contrast to the slow world-building of the rest of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Colonisation, and Cultural appropriation
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