The Captain Pantoja movie is really good: true to the book and with excellent actors.
Mario Vargas Llosa
- Thread starter Stewart
- Start date
The Captain Pantoja movie is really good: true to the book and with excellent actors.
Hamlet
Reader
Llosa's comments have appeared recently as a quote on the TLS, (Times Litt Supp). TLS ran a quote by Tom Stoppard on its cover for a very long time.
The best publication he reads in each of the five languages he's fluent in ... or words to that effect.
I'd quite like to subscribe to the TLS, I flicked through a few editions in my local library, however being on the hop, it's often awkward to sit and just read.
I keep hearing about The London Review of Books, not quite so well known, another worthwhile publication that appears to be growing in popularity.
Anyway, back to Llosa...
The best publication he reads in each of the five languages he's fluent in ... or words to that effect.
I'd quite like to subscribe to the TLS, I flicked through a few editions in my local library, however being on the hop, it's often awkward to sit and just read.
I keep hearing about The London Review of Books, not quite so well known, another worthwhile publication that appears to be growing in popularity.
Anyway, back to Llosa...
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OverTheMountains
Reader
I recently saw that, too, Hamlet. I was quite surprised. My faculty department subscribes to the TLS, so I occasionally get a chance to read an article or two when I am taking a quick break from work. I've read good articles - even well written ones - but I've never read anything that really caught me by surprise. I don't know if I have really learned much from them, which I do feel I acquire when I read the London Review of Books or the New York Review of Books.
I started reading "In Praise of the Stepmother" last night. I need to get a bit deeper into it, but I quite like his writing. Certainly almost lacking in "style", but there is always an allusion to wisdom that is difficult to communicate. Certainly I am excited but what I have read so far - and this is one of his minor works, too!
I started reading "In Praise of the Stepmother" last night. I need to get a bit deeper into it, but I quite like his writing. Certainly almost lacking in "style", but there is always an allusion to wisdom that is difficult to communicate. Certainly I am excited but what I have read so far - and this is one of his minor works, too!
Stevie B
Current Member
Stiffelio, what do you know about The City and the Dogs, the movie that was based on The Time of the Hero? I'm unable to rent the film, but I don't want to buy it if it isn't very good.
I haven't seen that one but it has good reviews. You probably don't need to buy it. Have you tried searching for a download link on the web, or viewing it online?
I've seen The City and the Dogs at least twice, but not in the past twenty years. It's pretty good, probably worth having. Not too long ago, I saw the documentary Metaal en melancholie by the extraordinary Peruvian/Dutch/Polish-Jewish documentary-maker Heddy Honigmann. I won't tell you why, but if you are going to buy The City and the Dogs you must also do your damnedest to find and watch "Metal and Melancholy."
Stevie B
Current Member
Thanks for sharing your feedback on the Vargas Llosa film, Bubba, and for the documentary recommendation. I had a quick look for copies of "Metal and Melancholy," but couldn't find any region one DVDs. Stiffelio, you wrote about downloading movies, but I have no experience doing that. Any suggestions as to how I could learn more? It would be nice not to be limited to films carried by Netflix.
Hamlet
Reader
Yes, understood, I tend to rely on the Culture section of The Sunday Times, for an overview of literature, and history and much else.
I have to ambush the TLS, at a library, which is difficult because I don't have much time and the chairs are very hard, I'm sure that's deliberate!
My main impression was that a few of the articles are not unlike small books, it seems to be an opportunity for contributors to expand upon the general review.
I always get the impression I'm out of the loop on these things, so thinking... I'm missing something here, for example, Jonathan Bate, a Shakesperian had written an article on art in one edition, and I just thought, okay, what's this about, is it academics taking up related issues to their main area of interest, it's a chance to write across a broader area of cultural issues, and in related fileds.
Whereas I'd assumed that it's purpose was to primarily flag and highlight trends in literature?
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Hamlet
Reader
Which translation btw, or was it in the original language?
OverTheMountains
Reader
The translation I am reading is by Helen Lane. I don't know of any of her work, but I am pleased with it thus far. Not as good as Edith Grossman, I suspect - though her work is stellar - but the difference may be in the source material rather than in the translator.
Hamlet
Reader
OverTheMountains
Reader
I finished it last week. It did not disappoint at all, though I wouldn't rank it with The Feast of the Goat - which is the only other book by him that I have read. Below I've quoted my GoodReads review/impression of the book. I try to write them in such a way that doesn't provide any spoilers and I'm not sure I succeeded on this one:
"A minor work from a major author is still an exciting read. A fantastic read, even. And, though it is tempting to give this book three stars, that would only be because as the work compares to Llosa's other work it is not uniquely strong. Compared to most other literature, though, it is nothing short of astounding.
In this work Llosa considers sexual pleasure, perfection, happiness, joy, and family, childhood, innocense and corruption. He tackles the magical and pagan and the influence of desire and manipulation. And he does this in language that is beautiful, sentences that sweep the reader into a state of rapture. Reading this book is just as pleasant as, I am sure, being one of the characters experiencing the fullness of sexual connection.
The ending is, perhaps, judged as weak by some. But I don't think it is. The epilogue is haunting in a way that reminded me of Dorris Lessing's "The Fifth Child," but Llosa is using the child in a very different way. Rather than something that seems monstrous, Foncho is too beautiful and loving and easily trusted. Too perfect. And he uses this perfection - this purity - in such a way that the world doesn't know what to do around him. They are delirious in his presence, intoxicated.
The exciting thing is that this revelation (spoiler, perhaps) turns the agency built up in the first half of the book around. Dona Lucrecia, Foncho's stepmother, is the woman we are all led to believe is the supernaturally perfect creation. The one whose lineage is connected to the ancient world, whose sexual power is a product of some kind of unknowable but entirely believable history. She is intoxicating to all who meet her. She is passionate. She is sensual. She is, nearly, a goddess given the divine power to incite desire.
This is an impressive exploration. I went in expecting to enjoy myself and come away impressed and intrigued. Not horrified - as often happens with Llosa's more political works - but certainly seeing the world in a slightly different way. Recommended."
"A minor work from a major author is still an exciting read. A fantastic read, even. And, though it is tempting to give this book three stars, that would only be because as the work compares to Llosa's other work it is not uniquely strong. Compared to most other literature, though, it is nothing short of astounding.
In this work Llosa considers sexual pleasure, perfection, happiness, joy, and family, childhood, innocense and corruption. He tackles the magical and pagan and the influence of desire and manipulation. And he does this in language that is beautiful, sentences that sweep the reader into a state of rapture. Reading this book is just as pleasant as, I am sure, being one of the characters experiencing the fullness of sexual connection.
The ending is, perhaps, judged as weak by some. But I don't think it is. The epilogue is haunting in a way that reminded me of Dorris Lessing's "The Fifth Child," but Llosa is using the child in a very different way. Rather than something that seems monstrous, Foncho is too beautiful and loving and easily trusted. Too perfect. And he uses this perfection - this purity - in such a way that the world doesn't know what to do around him. They are delirious in his presence, intoxicated.
The exciting thing is that this revelation (spoiler, perhaps) turns the agency built up in the first half of the book around. Dona Lucrecia, Foncho's stepmother, is the woman we are all led to believe is the supernaturally perfect creation. The one whose lineage is connected to the ancient world, whose sexual power is a product of some kind of unknowable but entirely believable history. She is intoxicating to all who meet her. She is passionate. She is sensual. She is, nearly, a goddess given the divine power to incite desire.
This is an impressive exploration. I went in expecting to enjoy myself and come away impressed and intrigued. Not horrified - as often happens with Llosa's more political works - but certainly seeing the world in a slightly different way. Recommended."
Hamlet
Reader
I realised that I hadn't actually looked at Llosa within Amazon, so with this link at hand, it's good to see that so many of his works have been translated.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/mario-varga...losa &page=1&rh=n:266239,k:Mario Vargas Llosa
http://www.amazon.co.uk/mario-varga...losa &page=1&rh=n:266239,k:Mario Vargas Llosa
Damian Kelleher
Reader
In lieu of other inspiration, I bought my sweetheart's father The Feast of the Goat, and also my boss (not the same person (!)). With both, I try to buy them a good book for christmas that is also within their realm of experience and understanding (so, nothing too long, nothing too grand, nothing too experimental, nothing too old, nothing too difficult, nothing too taxing, nothing too esoteric). I have had success with: Sabbath's Theatre, The Plague, Humboldt's Gift, Distant Star.
I suspect both will enjoy The Feast of the Goat. It has the "real life" touch to it that people without a strong reading background seem to need, and on top of that the writing, characterisation and plotting is very strong. And the last quarter, when the dictator's killers are captures, is exceptionally strong, and I think it might - might - might! - increase their willingness to explore "foreign" literature (read: everything that isn't explicitly American). We shall see.
I suspect both will enjoy The Feast of the Goat. It has the "real life" touch to it that people without a strong reading background seem to need, and on top of that the writing, characterisation and plotting is very strong. And the last quarter, when the dictator's killers are captures, is exceptionally strong, and I think it might - might - might! - increase their willingness to explore "foreign" literature (read: everything that isn't explicitly American). We shall see.
Daniel del Real
Moderator
Quite funny the movie has the original title of the book and the English translated novel does not.
pesahson
Reader
Read my two first books by Llosa recently.
I attempted to read Conversation in the Cathedral a couple of years ago, but I kind of lost momentum with it one third through and abandoned it. I like to read books without any pauses so once I start skipping days when reading it, I know it’s time to move on.
This time I decided to go with The Time of the Hero and Death in the Andes. The Time of the Hero, in Polish the title is a literal translation of the original La ciudad et los perros, is a remarkable debut I think. Llosa started writing it when he was 22, it was published when he was 27. I wasn’t floored by it, but I think it’s a really good solid novel.
Death in the Andes was less impressive. I still enjoyed it and the depiction of the beliefs of the people of Andes was very interesting from a sociological point of view, nevertheless it left me wanting something more dark and sinister. I certainly won’t stop reading Llosa. When I read his works again, I will tackle some of his major works like Conversation of Feast.
I attempted to read Conversation in the Cathedral a couple of years ago, but I kind of lost momentum with it one third through and abandoned it. I like to read books without any pauses so once I start skipping days when reading it, I know it’s time to move on.
This time I decided to go with The Time of the Hero and Death in the Andes. The Time of the Hero, in Polish the title is a literal translation of the original La ciudad et los perros, is a remarkable debut I think. Llosa started writing it when he was 22, it was published when he was 27. I wasn’t floored by it, but I think it’s a really good solid novel.
Death in the Andes was less impressive. I still enjoyed it and the depiction of the beliefs of the people of Andes was very interesting from a sociological point of view, nevertheless it left me wanting something more dark and sinister. I certainly won’t stop reading Llosa. When I read his works again, I will tackle some of his major works like Conversation of Feast.
Daniel del Real
Moderator
Bought it a couple of weeks ago so I might read it later in August. Will let you know what I think about it.
I don't think of El Sueño del Celta as a heavy book; that's an adjective I'd put to his earlier books like The Green House or Conversations in the Cathedral. It is a very good novel but you read it easily in comparison to the before mentioned.
I wrote this elsewhere on the forum, but I just noticed that his latest book, The Discreet Hero, is available for pre-order on Amazon in english. It is set to be released in march. Anybody know how to get an advanced copy (in english)?
http://www.amazon.com/The-Discreet-Hero-A-Novel/dp/0374146748
http://www.amazon.com/The-Discreet-Hero-A-Novel/dp/0374146748
D
Deleted member 83959
Guest
I've only read The Bad Girl and I thought it was very mediocre. Maybe it's considered one of his minor works. The plot really didn't do much, the main character was spineless and annoying, it just seemed completely aimless. 3/5 to me.
I have The War at the End of the World but I haven't read it yet.
I have The War at the End of the World but I haven't read it yet.
Daniel del Real
Moderator
You read his worst novel by far! Try The War...