A review by maritzasoto
Notes on the Death of Culture: Essays on Spectacle and Society by Mario Vargas Llosa

3.0

Sometimes it’s a profound exploration of the degradation of culture and how tied to that is the demise of democracy. Sometimes it’s the grumpy musings of a writer and social critic who is getting older and feeling out of his element or not quite with the times. And sometimes it’s a little bit Islamophobic. Like, I get that he feels strongly about the separation of church and state. I agree with him on that, in fact. But to say a public school displaying crucifixes (imposing religion) is the same as a Muslim girl wearing a hijab (expressing freedom of religion) is a stretch. He is not as harsh, as scathing, in his condemnation of fundamentalist Christians as he is on Muslims. Though, to be fair, he is hard on both groups.
Also, there are dozens of contradictions in these essays, but that could be a result of his shifting positions with time or that he holds both positions to be true simultaneously. His writing is smart, urgent, and despite not agreeing with him here and there, it makes me consider my positions on whatever he discusses and ask myself why I hold such a position/beliefs. Food for thought and all that.

Edited to add: I had to look up and see if he signed “The Letter,” and of course he did. Of course!