The Real Life of Alejandro Mayta: A Novel | 
pickAny Vargas Llosa fans out there? This was my first and I can't wait to try more. Not a horror story as the cover suggests, but horrors of poverty and war abound in this singular novel of a journalist who wants to write about his childhood friend's failed attempt at revolution. Though it will be fiction, he conducts interviews of acquaintances to "know what I'm lying about." Truth and fiction end up blurring together in a weird and wonderful mess.
Billypar #LitWorld2018GB (Peru) @GatheringBooks 6y
jveezer Haven‘t read this one but loved The War at the End of the World, The Bad Girl, and The Green House. 6y
BarbaraBB I‘m not such a fan of his work. I read The Green House and The Feast of the Goat and disliked both. Unfortunately he has 3 more books on the list of #1001books to read before you die so I hope I‘ll like those better 😀! 6y
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Cathythoughts Yes , I have one on the shelf here TBR The Discreet Hero , must try & get to it. I havnt read any of his books ( I don‘t think 🤔..... I‘m interested to try him 👍🏻 6y
Billypar @jveezer Great- I will keep those in mind: thanks for the reccs! 6y
Billypar @BarbaraBB Disliking one book isn't always fatal but two doesn't bode well. If you need motivation to get through the remaining ones though, I'm down for a buddy read of this author in the future! 6y
Billypar @Cathythoughts Nice- I'll be interested to hear your take when you read it! 6y
Liz_M @BarbaraBB MVL is one of those authors that can write radically different books. I loved Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter and I also enjoyed The Storyteller. Didn't much like War End of the End of the World. The Hero is difficult (similar in style to GGMarquez) but very good. 6y
Liz_M @Billypar And MVL is prolific, I hadn't heard of this one! 6y
Billypar @Liz_M Good to know- thanks! The narrative to this one is pretty unconventional- I could see it even being labeled 'experimental'. One of those authors where I later wondered how he hadn't been on my radar until now. 6y
BarbaraBB @Billypar I have The War of the End of the World on my shelves and The Time of the Hero. I‘d definitely like a buddy read of one of these if you are interested! 6y
Billypar @BarbaraBB Yeah, definitely! Looks like @Liz_M preferred Hero so maybe that one? I feel like I'm constantly trying new authors so I need reminders to go back and read more from the ones I like. 6y
BarbaraBB I‘d like that! @Liz_M can be trusted in choosing good books. When would be a good month for you? 6y
Billypar @BarbaraBB How's February? 6y
Liz_M It's a tough read, but I thought worth it: https://www.librarything.com/topic/153319#5027285 6y
BarbaraBB Would you mind to read it a bit later in the year, for example in April? In March is the Tournament of Book and I‘d love to read the shortlisted books the coming months. 6y
Billypar @BarbaraBB Of course- let's plan for April- we can check in as it gets closer. Looking forward to it! 6y
Billypar @Liz_M Great review! The shared narration sounds interesting, even if challenging to decipher. Mayta is similar in that as the main character is interviewing people who knew him, it suddenly shifts to Mayta's perspective without any transition or warning. Disorienting at first, but I ended up liking it when I got used to it. 6y
BarbaraBB Me too, let‘s do this 🙌 6y
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