Mario Vargas Llosa wins Nobel Prize for literature

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Maxinquaye

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http://www.thelocal.se/29482/20101007/
74-year-old Vargas Llosa is one of Latin America's most significant novelists and essayists after having risen to fame in the 1960s with novels such as The Time of the Hero (La ciudad y los perros) and Conversation in the Cathedral (Conversación en la catedral), and several of his books have been adapted as movies.

I like this choice since I like his books. But then again, I have a thing for latin american writers. :)
 

RobJ

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I like Latin American writers too, but haven't read of any of his yet. Will look out for some.
 

maxmordon

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There has been a bit of controversy about Vargas Llosa winning the Nobel and his political standing (Center-Right, after a fallout with Leftism, which caused him to be a bit of a pariah among other Latin American writers), but as he said, he expects to have got it because of his writing and not his political views. Truly a gentleman, in my opinion.

Funny thing, for a while I thought his break with García Márquez was because he became anti-Castro, while el Gabo remains pro-Castro and a very good friend of Fidel, the truth seems to be that their break actually happened because Vargas Llosa punched him in the face after García Márquez said some saucy remarks about Vargas' wife after some drinks. Funny things!
 

Maxinquaye

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His writing is very, very good. García Márquez has his very elaborate style. I love 100 years of solitude, for instance. Vargas Llosa has a totally different style that can either be very accessible, or very inaccessible. Coversation in the Cathedral can a very difficult read for that reason.
 

maxmordon

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To much of my shame, I haven't read that one, what do you think about it? I know he talks there about the government of Odría in Peru in the 50's, which was not different from Venezuela's Pérez Jiménez. I read The Feast of the Goat and Aunt Julia And the Scriptwriter which I deeply enjoyed.

I never could pass from the first pages of his first novel, The City And The Dogs, though. So I see what you mean...

Have you ever thought of translation, Other Max? I find it scary... sometimes I wished Esperanto worked.
 

SaraP

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I like this choice since I like his books. But then again, I have a thing for latin american writers. :)

Same here, though I've only read two of his novels: Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter and The War of the End of the World (which I thought was simply amazing).

But yeah, there is something about these latin american writers, isn't there?
 

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If you had to recommend just one of his books for someone that's never read him, which would it be?
 

SaraP

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I've only read those two and I honestly can't decide which one I liked best. Aunt Julia does have a special something though, so I might go with that one.
 

RobJ

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Just to update, Sara, I recently bought The War of the End of the World. Haven't started reading it yet, got a couple of other books lined up first, but I'm looking forward to it. If that turns out well, Aunt Julia is sure to follow.

Thanks again.
 

SaraP

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Just to update, Sara, I recently bought The War of the End of the World. Haven't started reading it yet, got a couple of other books lined up first, but I'm looking forward to it. If that turns out well, Aunt Julia is sure to follow.

Thanks again.

Cool beans. Let me know what you think of it. :)
 

Eumenides

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I started reading him a few months before he received the Nobel Prize, and by the time he did I was already a fan. Since I've been reading him regularly. I've finished six novels and only disappointed me.

The War of the End of the World, The Feast of the Goat and The Time of the Hero are simply brilliant!
 
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