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bobbo49's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A challenging book to read and to review. Peru in the 1950s and 1960s, under the dictatorship of Odría Amoretti, as experienced from the perspective of a wide variety of characters telling their overlapping stories. Sometimes very confusing, as different people are talking in alternating paragraphs and given names are mixed with nicknames, but overall a very compelling and highly personalized description of the lives and struggles - political, social, personal - of a wide swath of Peruvian society.
steelydan's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
alisonjfields's review against another edition
4.0
An intermittently brilliant slog through Peruvian culture and politics in the late 40s and 50s. The back three quarters struggled to support the formal experimentalism of the first. I found myself so distracted trying to figure out why Vargas Llosa switched the style that I lost occasionally lost track of the thug and bureacrat plotline (one of the three or four interconnected narratives running throughout).
helen_secondbook's review against another edition
5.0
Vargas Llosa is a master of the craft as he seamlessly binds together a variety of storylines and combination of characters, presenting readers with a truly captivating narrative. He brings to life a world so real and intricate that makes the reader truly feel as if they are right there, walking the streets of Lima, observing first hand the political turmoils of Peru throughout the years but mostly through its people and their conversations.
angeladobre's review against another edition
4.0
https://booknation.ro/recenzie-conversatie-la-catedrala-de-mario-vargas-llosa-2/
tarencil's review against another edition
5.0
A harrowing book, and a challenge to read (especially in the first third or so), but nobody does it better.
msgtdameron's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The first part, 150 odd pages, is real hard stylistically. There are two conversations going on with four people involved between the two. each paragraph and sometimes sentences have a different speaker. This makes pages 40 through 190 a tough read. But around 190 the style becomes easier. Sections of dialogue are now done as sections. Complete thoughts or scenes done in each section. After page 200 the work is a fairly normal work. The subject is 1950 - 57'ish Peru. The revolution that happened and various characters who helped the dictatorship, communists, social democrats, agriculture party and those just trying to stay out of trouble. The cast includes strong men and their henchmen, prostitutes, communists, labor leaders, security chiefs, and our hero Santiago who doesn't know what he is or who he is. By the end he does know what he is not. But by then we have murder, gay sex both male and female, abortions, rape, and enough fights to keep any one happy with the violence level. Remember Llosa does write about South America in the 50's and 60's so with any world history knowledge you should know the times were violent. Great read overall.
daoa's review against another edition
5.0
En este libro tenemos uno de los mejores inicios de una novela en la literatura peruana... La realidad que retrata, para nuestro infortunio, todavía es muy vigente.
Por más que el MVLL de hoy con sus opiniones políticas y sociales tan lamentables se haya distanciado mucho del maestro que escribió este y muchos de sus libros, ellos quedarán como sello inmortal de una impronta increíble y por la que todavía vale la pena regresar a esa primera época del autor.
CONVERSACIÓN EN LA CATEDRAL es una de las obras clave de la literatura latinoamericana, una radiografía poderosa del Perú de su tiempo, y nunca es tarde para leerla o releerla. Hoy más que nunca uno no puede dejar de preguntarse aquella cuestión esencial que origina todas las otras: "¿en qué momento se jodió el Perú?".
Por más que el MVLL de hoy con sus opiniones políticas y sociales tan lamentables se haya distanciado mucho del maestro que escribió este y muchos de sus libros, ellos quedarán como sello inmortal de una impronta increíble y por la que todavía vale la pena regresar a esa primera época del autor.
CONVERSACIÓN EN LA CATEDRAL es una de las obras clave de la literatura latinoamericana, una radiografía poderosa del Perú de su tiempo, y nunca es tarde para leerla o releerla. Hoy más que nunca uno no puede dejar de preguntarse aquella cuestión esencial que origina todas las otras: "¿en qué momento se jodió el Perú?".
biasanchez's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5