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A review by fleurette
Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord by Louis de Bernières
3.0
I could say that this book is on the very edge of my comfort zone, but the truth is that it is far away from my comfort zone and everything I usually read.
I rarely read typical modern literature and usually avoid magical realism and books with plenty of symbolism. I also avoid humorous books, because usually they do not make me laugh instead irritate me. Though, this is not a big problem since this is more of a tragicomic story rather than a comedy.
Under the guise of a trivial, cheerful and funny story about the love adventures of Dionisio and his epistolary war with drug cartels, there is a much more serious sense. Especially that the situation can easily be related to the one in countries plagued by organized crime and wars of drug gangs, such as Colombia or Mexico. Despite the playful language, the plot of the book abounds in brutal deaths and images of the difficult life of ordinary people in areas under the control of drug cartels.
As a political scientist, I am also observing the country governance aspects of the plot. Here we have a caricature of a poorly administrated country struggling with corruption, nepotism and incompetence. Again, although the picture is clearly exaggerated, it is easy to refer it to the situation in many real countries. I consider these caricatures extremely successful.
I’m really glad this book unlike any other that I read before.
I rarely read typical modern literature and usually avoid magical realism and books with plenty of symbolism. I also avoid humorous books, because usually they do not make me laugh instead irritate me. Though, this is not a big problem since this is more of a tragicomic story rather than a comedy.
Under the guise of a trivial, cheerful and funny story about the love adventures of Dionisio and his epistolary war with drug cartels, there is a much more serious sense. Especially that the situation can easily be related to the one in countries plagued by organized crime and wars of drug gangs, such as Colombia or Mexico. Despite the playful language, the plot of the book abounds in brutal deaths and images of the difficult life of ordinary people in areas under the control of drug cartels.
As a political scientist, I am also observing the country governance aspects of the plot. Here we have a caricature of a poorly administrated country struggling with corruption, nepotism and incompetence. Again, although the picture is clearly exaggerated, it is easy to refer it to the situation in many real countries. I consider these caricatures extremely successful.
I’m really glad this book unlike any other that I read before.