Vargas Llosa, Otra Historia de Un Deicidio (Vargas Llosa: Another Story of Deicide)

A professor and longtime critic of Latin American literature, Williams offers a thorough study of Vargas Llosa's career, from his first work, Los jefes (The Bosses, Alfaguara, 2001) to the acclaimed novel La fiesta del chivo (The Feast of the Goat, Criticas, Summer 2001). In the first section, an outstanding biography of the Peruvian author, Williams provides an in-depth examination of the cultural, personal, and historical experiences that have shaped Vargas Llosa's literary production and political views. Throughout the text, he skillfully connects these influences to the novels as well as to other literary sources, including Flaubert, Faulkner, and Tolstoy. Then Williams analyzes Vargas Llosa's complete fictional work. His sharp criticism includes an exploration of the techniques, themes, humor, metafictitious elements, and ambiguities present in Vargas Llosa's works. Remarkable is the section entitled ""New Post-modern Directions,"" a theoretical introduction to postmodernism in general and to the history of this movement in Latin American and Peruvian literature. The selected bibliography is clear proof of Williams's superior research. Highly recommended for scholars of Latin American literature and ideal for university libraries with collections of Latin American literature. Liliana Wendorff, Univ. of North Carolina, Pembroke