hay_jude's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I set myself the challenge of reading this novel in Spanish during the pandemic lockdown so it has taken a long time to finish as I read each chapter in English afterwards to make sure I hadn't missed too much. It proved a big challenge but had the advantage of really making me think about and get involved with the characters as the story unfolded. The fact that the story was told in flashbacks and leapt about in different time periods which were not clearly delineated by the writer, especially in the first part of the novel, made this an even more complex read, particularly at the beginning. The conversation between Santiago and Ambrosio takes them back in time over their lives in 1950's Peru, a time of political instability and corruption and social upheaval. Whereas Santiago is a member of a wealthy family, whose father is an influential politician, Ambrosio is a servant, sometime driver to Santiago's father but later in the pay of Cayo Bermudez, a corrupt aparachnik and security chief to the dictator, General Ordria. The book examines how the corrupt politics affects the lives and relationships of the two men having the conversation.In doing so it covers Santiago's early idealism gradually being worn down into cynicism and the distance that arises between him and his family as his disillusionment sets in. Meanwhile Ambrosio, as a poor black man, has his life much more directly affected, experiencing poverty, prejudice and personal tragedy in a life where he has very little power to affect events. For Santiago it is more a question of personal choice to reject his life of privilege as his working life as a journalist reveals the darkness and corruption at the heart of government. The figure of Santiago's father, Don Fermín is revered by Ambrosio but ultimately rejected by Santiago as his involvement in political dirty dealings gradually become clear to him. This is a big sprawling novel which tells you a lot about Peruvian society at a certain time in history. I very much enjoyed it.It was worth the effort!
papa_egg's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I found this book incredibly hard to tune into, especially the first section which makes most use of the interlocking dialogue format.
I wasn't always completely on board, but did find the middle section, and the rise and fall of Cayo Bermudez, gripping. In particular the final chapter of his story, where his enemies enact there revenge was deeply cinematic and thrilling. Unfortunately, once he lost the novel I felt it ran out of steam, and the last hundred pages were tough going...
I wasn't always completely on board, but did find the middle section, and the rise and fall of Cayo Bermudez, gripping. In particular the final chapter of his story, where his enemies enact there revenge was deeply cinematic and thrilling. Unfortunately, once he lost the novel I felt it ran out of steam, and the last hundred pages were tough going...
genzzzis's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
petrekupry's review against another edition
5.0
ლიოსას ყველა ნაწარმოები კარგია, ეს კი მართლაც საუკეთესო
mseoanech's review against another edition
3.0
Odie leer este libro porque me obligaron en el cole ojalá me hubiese gustado pero no puedo negar que está increíblemente escrito
binstonbirchill's review against another edition
5.0
I came across this work when searching for books similar to A Brief History of Seven Killings. Conversation in the Cathedral is also a lengthy book dealing with weighty issues set in a historical context and written by a brilliant author.
Coming in with no familiarity with 1950s Peru wasn’t really a problem. There’s a lot of characters, endless government officials of varying importance, friends and family of our two interlocutors from the Cathedral (a bar) but even with all of that I never felt lost as to who characters were and where they stood (except when you’re supposed to unsure within the context of the story). Llosa does a great job of controlling the chaos, and he does create a lot of chaos with his stylistic choices.
Which brings me to why I loved this book and what sets it above a normal historical fiction novel. Throughout the book, most heavily in section one, we have multiple narratives and conversations taking place, often three or four, at the same time and with no delineation better them. Line by line and paragraph by paragraph we are constantly being swung back and forth between multiple scenes from the past taking place at different times while sometimes including the same characters, all the while our eponymous Conversation in the Cathedral is dripped in bit by bit. It’s brilliant and one of the most enjoyable and rewarding reading experiences I’ve had. Trying to hold three separate rapid fire conversations in your head is challenging but worth the effort.
The later 2/3 of the novel cuts back on the chaos of form but that’s when the historical events take over. There are great characters and through their eyes we get a very compelling picture of power and corruption in 1950s Peru. Highly recommend this if you’re up for a challenging informative read.
Coming in with no familiarity with 1950s Peru wasn’t really a problem. There’s a lot of characters, endless government officials of varying importance, friends and family of our two interlocutors from the Cathedral (a bar) but even with all of that I never felt lost as to who characters were and where they stood (except when you’re supposed to unsure within the context of the story). Llosa does a great job of controlling the chaos, and he does create a lot of chaos with his stylistic choices.
Which brings me to why I loved this book and what sets it above a normal historical fiction novel. Throughout the book, most heavily in section one, we have multiple narratives and conversations taking place, often three or four, at the same time and with no delineation better them. Line by line and paragraph by paragraph we are constantly being swung back and forth between multiple scenes from the past taking place at different times while sometimes including the same characters, all the while our eponymous Conversation in the Cathedral is dripped in bit by bit. It’s brilliant and one of the most enjoyable and rewarding reading experiences I’ve had. Trying to hold three separate rapid fire conversations in your head is challenging but worth the effort.
The later 2/3 of the novel cuts back on the chaos of form but that’s when the historical events take over. There are great characters and through their eyes we get a very compelling picture of power and corruption in 1950s Peru. Highly recommend this if you’re up for a challenging informative read.
ngominh's review against another edition
5.0
Cuốn sách với thời lượng khủng và cũng đòi hỏi người đọc một sự tập trung gần như cao độ với đám mây vô số nhân vật và khoảng dài thời gian trong này. Với Trò chuyện trong quán La Catedral, Llosa đã viết nên bi kịch rất thường thấy của Mỹ Latin, về một thời đoạn đảo điên với những mưu toan chước quyền của chế độ độc tài, của những thân phận nhỏ nhoi, của những mảnh đời trong tầng lớp xã hội Peru phóng dụ. Với cách xây dựng hội thoại đan xen thuộc nhiều khoảng thời gian tách nhau, của 2 hay đôi khi 3 tuyến câu truyện lồng ghép; 4 phần là 4 kết cấu khác nhau, từ đam xen không cách đoạn đến phân đoạn chi tiết... Một cuốn sách dữ dội, táo tợn và lạnh tanh.
schnauzermum's review against another edition
4.0
A challenging, but rewarding read. The conversation of the title takes place one night in the bar La Catedral between a young journalist and his father’s former chauffeur. The politics of Peru in the 1950s is compellingly described in the fragmented narrative. I felt it was over-long, and I probably need to read it again some time.
sebastianoblass's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5