El Mandato

Feinmann published his first novel, Ultimos dias de la victima (The Victim's Last Days, Seix Barral) in 1979 and since then has written five other novels, some which have been adapted to film. Moreover, he has developed and written well-known scripts such as the classic Argentine film on the life of Eva Peron. In this novel, he demonstrates that tragedy can come at any time. It can stem from the complex fabric of love and hate between father and son, the paradox between complete loyalty and the furious competition among friends, or the strange feeling of betrayal, as when we discover an unfamiliar face in those we love. Pedro Graeff commands the Argentine town of Ciervo de Oro as well as his son Leandro. He pressures Leandro to provide him with heirs, in spite of Leandro's sterility. Leandro's urgency to obtain his father's approval is symbolic of the feelings of national impotence that have troubled Argentina throughout its history. Leandro's internal conflicts reflect the most controversial political issues that his country has experienced in its search for identity. Feinmann's latest has a double quality; it entertains in the tradition of the best psychological novels and succeeds in telling the story of Argentina's struggle for independence. Recommended for academic libraries. Adriana Herrera, Miami, FL