Death in the Andes: A Novel

By most accounts, this is not Vargas Llosa's best work, and by others, "Death in the Andes" is a meandering "mystery" that doesn't quite live up to any mystery standards. I agree wholeheartedly with both appraisals: the first, because I am not trudging through "The War of the End of the World," an epic fictionalized account of the Brazilian fanatical/rebel settlement Canudos (during the latter part of the 19th century), and, although I am not even halfway through, I consider this to be the most brilliant work of fiction I have ever read, and the competition has been fierce (previously I was enamored with Sartre's "Age of Reason" trilogy, all of Camus & most of Atwood, Vonnegut, Irving, Heller, and the like: we're not talking of a comparison between Vargas Llosa and Agatha Christie or Baldacci (whom I LOVE but do not consider poetic writers), but of one with serious literary heavyweights).Regarding the second point, "Death in the Andes" is not a mystery; it's full of mystery, but is not in any way, shape, or form, a detective or mystery novel in which the three disappearances which center the novel are systematically solved. Rather, it is a lyrical, incredibly written drama which offers profound insights into the nature of human experience, a beautiful description of native life in the Andes of Peru, a surreal atmosphere in which the horrific is rendered mundane while the prosaic is transposed into the realm of mystery, and a tragic illustration of the mechanics of terror, superstition, and power--an incredible induction into Latin American "magical realism".On the surface, "Death in the Andes" is a story about two guards/officers sent to a remote outpost in the Andes to protect the workers in a small mining town in an extremely dangerous region which the Shining Path (communist guerrillas of Peru) rules through massacres, rapes, plunder, and other terrorist acts. The story begins after the third disappearance of a miner, as the guards are seeking answers to the possible fates of the missing men (Were they killed by the Shining Path? Did they run off to join this group? Were acts of nature involved? Or were the men "sacrificed"--willingly or not--to the spirits of the mountains, to appease them for the tumultuous changes ravaging local communities?).As much as the disappearances play a role in the broader illustrations of how individuals make meaning within a chaotic, senseless world in which they are manipulated by forces which they are more or less helpless to shape (such as terrorism and natural disasters), the mystery, and the "solving" of possible crimes, is besides the point. Instead, Vargas Llosa paints a complex world in which even when known as fact, the "solution" of the disappearances remains ambiguous, unintelligible, mysterious, in which any clear lines between "good" and its opposite have been effectively blurred beyond recognition, and in which we are left to question how we can possibly identify and empathize with those who practice acts which, if written as catchy bylines, would terrify us (such as "Human Sacrifice in the Andes").If it's not already clear why I absolutely loved this book so much that the next day I bought five more Vargas Llosa books and almost immediately started reading "The War of the End of the World," suffice to say that there is only one reason, and it's more than one hundred others together: Vargas Llosa's brilliant aesthetic and incredible ability to poignantly depict the ambiguous and complex nature of humanity. I haven't been this glued to every word, nuance, and detail in a book for many, many years. Usually I read fast, trying to devour as many books as possible in the limited time I have to read in a week, but with "Death in the Andes," I was savoring every word, looking up references online, visualizing the setting and characters, in general just taking my time to enjoy the beautiful writing and surreal (to a Westerner) story... I can only imagine how beautiful this novel is in Spanish: Vargas Llosa has inspired me to get going on my Spanish learning (I've been meaning to for a while) so I can read this powerful novel in its original language.The only aspect of this novel that was surprising/not as satisfying was the ending... for such a tragic work (about the emotional terror of living in a setting in which one may be prayed on at any time by nationalist terrorist group The Shining Path, and about the superstitious religious beliefs of local communities, including human sacrifice), the ending was surprisingly happy. Everything worked out too perfectly for both protagonists, they both got what they wanted: one got the girl, the other won relocation to a safer community... This was quite uplifting, considering the rest of the novel, but I also felt like the ending detracted from the roller coaster emotional ride and tragic nature that constituted 99% of the work. I kept waiting for the same fate to befall the two Guards as the other "missing" characters...Still, brilliant atmospheric writing, and a 5+++ in my book. I am looking forward to a Vargas Llosa binge for the next few months, or however long it takes me to get through the rest of his novels :) I am in love!!!!

Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa continues to speak out politically in yet another realistic and uncompromising novel set in his home country of Peru. In this novel, he brings the reader face to face with the horrors of the Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso), a Maoist terror group operating in the mountains of Peru from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s, with seemingly few direct challenges from the government. The novel’s sense of immediacy, enhanced by vivid descriptions of real events affecting real people, provides a close-up look at the tactics used by the Shining Path in the central and southern mountains of Peru, where they attacked indigenous Indian peasants, all foreigners, all educated Peruvians working to improve the lives of the peasants, and anyone representing the government or police.The novel opens with an old woman, arriving at a rural Garda station to say that her husband, a foreman on a road-building crew, has disappeared. His is the third unsolved disappearance from their small mountain village in the past three weeks. Local peasants, farmers, laborers, and Indians have provided no information to the two Garda officers, Cpl. Lituma and Tomasito, his assistant, and both men worry that they are surrounded by the terrorists they are there to monitor. Tomasito himself has escaped to the mountains to avoid death at the hands of a mob leader for whom he had recently been a bodyguard – until he fell in love with his boss’s girlfriend.Without transition, the narrative suddenly shifts to a pair of adventuresome but naïve French tourists traveling through the Andes by bus. Even after masked men stop their bus, they believe that nothing can happen to them because “We are French tourists, senor.” Other story lines also evolve and broaden the scope. The attack on a town named Andromarca shows how the Shining Path operates, with local leaders captured and killed, young children sent off to join the Shining Path militia, public executions, stonings, and the attempt to establish a support base there from which the terrorists will spread their “proletarian revolution” in other directions. The attack on intellectuals and educated volunteers who work with indigenous people in the mountains becomes yet another subplot, while in still another, involving ancient cultural practices, the belief in human sacrifice to assuage the spirits becomes real.Vargas Llosa, through his many subplots, shifting time frames, and different points of view vividly presents many aspects of life – and especially death – in the Andes in the 1980s and early 1990s. The author’s insights and ability to depict people from all walks of life as they try to deal with the hit-and-run tactics of terrorists bring this period alive again, even after almost twenty years. The “pastiche approach” to this subject, which Vargas Llosa uses to great effect, allows him to create a broad panorama of life during this fraught period, but this approach lacks the strong characterizations which most other novels use to create empathy with the main characters. In its focus on the Shining Path, however, this novel provides a rare view of a terror group and its political goals and tactics, offering an important reminder of the need for vigilance.

The story centres around two policemen posted to a remote region of the Peruvian Andes near Naccos. They are investigating a series of disappearances in a road construction camp and amongst the comuneros, (Indians from the traditional community), where there is a discouraging lack of evidence or supposition. Does the fact that the missing are a mute, an albino and the foreman of the construction site have any significance?The backdrop to the investigation is a collision of political unrest, local distrust, supernatural myths and fear of the Shining Path guerrilla group. Despair and gloom seem to resonate throughout the story. At a specific level, with the lack of leads and motive behind the disappearances, the police investigation continues to remain elusive. At a wider level, there are the oppressing forces of the Senderistas and their conflict with the government and foreigners, the social culture, and the mythical legends of the creatures and forces that inhabit the jungles and mountains.It was a wonderful insight into the culture and superstition of Peru especially during the terrorist campaigns of the Shining Path militia. It was always a place I’d like to have visited but not so sure now. The writing created an atmosphere that was menacing and palpable, and the imagery of the region was abundant. The characterisation was great and there were many different aspects of human experiences and aspirations to create a story with depth, curiosity and intrigue. My only criticism was that I found the story moved quite slowly and I found my mind drifting off on a number of occasions.

I was really going for the 'War at the end of the World', which I heard some years ago in a stunning radio adaptation', but it wasn't available. However, this book, after only a few chapters, has really got inside my head. I have never read a book about Peru which treats the population from the inside. Others have been travel books. We have two basically decent policemen Lituma from the coast, middle aged and a bit cynical, and his junior sidekick Tomasito from Cuzco, who is 23 but seems a bit like a teenager. They are up in the badlands of the Andes to find out what happened to three men who have mysteriously disappeared. They have a ricketty 'command post' on the edge of a road construction camp and meet and question the local, mostly Indian, labourers. Everyone other than the cantina owner and his wife seems to be dirt poor, and also terrified of the brutal Maoist terrorists of the Sendero Luminoso said to infest the surrounding hills. Have they captured and killed or imprisoned the missing men? The threat of being overrun by the Shining Path is ever present. Some of the locals blame the disappearances on 'pishtacos' said to suck the fat and blood out of their victims vampire-style. Perhaps I should warn that there are horrific accounts of torture and brutality from the start. It is strong meat... and a sense of menace hangs over everything... Episodic and grippingly written.

Not finished this yet but it is a very readable, fictional account of shocking brutality in the Andes and the kind of pressures ordinary people could find themselves in when caught between merciless dogma from both sides in a civil war. Might make some touristas think twice before visiting Peru/The Andes, though these troubles were at their peak some decades ago.

Picked this book because I wanted to read something different about a different country and culture. I was not disappointed! This story is dark, gripping, mysterious and written beautifully. The language is colourful and exciting, the characters refreshing and moving, the plot expertly woven with twists and flashbacks seamlessly joined together. Highly recommended.

I love Vargas Llosa's stuff, and this is one of my favourites. Powerful, evocative, sometimes violent, and always thought-provoking. His characters are always rich and unforgettable. If his works don't make you want to see Peru...nothing will.