Quote Originally Posted by Heteronym View Post
Well, it's not the best MVL I've read, that's for sure. The elliptical style has a lot to be admired for, but I question the complicated non-linear narrative. I have the suspicion Vargas Llosa was just trying to hide the dullness of the story. I loved the Anselmo subplot, the construction, destruction and restoration of The Green House. But the rest didn't seem to fit together seamlessly.

I think it's curious that the novel exists on two planes, the jungle and the city, and shows the gradual modernization of Peru and how progress also leads to the breakdown of community bonds. In a way it reminds me of The Storyteller, also because of the compassion he shows for the indians' plight and the destruction of their culture.

I don't think it was an improvement on his first novel, The Time of the Hero, and I think a novel like The War of the End of the World gives the reader more to chew on about the social, political and historical conditions of South America, and the story was more enthralling.
This books is one of the first Llosa's works, then I do believe he was discovering his writing process on this and of course he made several attempts to achieve something thar could be identified as from HIMSELF.
You told about the elliptical style, my friend. I'm think that it was really important in Llosa's way of writing