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jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
(review written in 2001)
Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter had been on my "to read" list for awhile. This entertaining and humorous book is about 18 year old Mario who lives with his grandparents in Lima, Peru. He has a large family with lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins. Mario's dream is to be a writer and he works as a news writer for a local radio station, while trying his hand at writing short stories in his spare moments. His Aunt Julia, moves to Lima from Bolivia after her divorce. She is 32 years old and not a blood relation (she is the sister of his uncle's wife). Mario and Julia start spending time together and Mario begins to fall in love with her, which is not something that the rest of their family would appreciate! At the same time, the radio station where Mario works hires a new scriptwriter from Bolivia named Pedro. Pedro writes the scripts and acts in the many radio serials that the station airs. Mario becomes friends with the odd scriptwriter.
The book is written so that alternating chapters tell the story of Mario and his friends and family and the stories in the serials. It is an interesting writing style and reminds me of a few other books that I have read including Blind Assassin by M. Atwood and If on a winter's night... by I. Calvino. I enjoyed this writing style very much and founf the book extermely enjoyable and recommend to anyone who may be looking for a different and light read.
Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter had been on my "to read" list for awhile. This entertaining and humorous book is about 18 year old Mario who lives with his grandparents in Lima, Peru. He has a large family with lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins. Mario's dream is to be a writer and he works as a news writer for a local radio station, while trying his hand at writing short stories in his spare moments. His Aunt Julia, moves to Lima from Bolivia after her divorce. She is 32 years old and not a blood relation (she is the sister of his uncle's wife). Mario and Julia start spending time together and Mario begins to fall in love with her, which is not something that the rest of their family would appreciate! At the same time, the radio station where Mario works hires a new scriptwriter from Bolivia named Pedro. Pedro writes the scripts and acts in the many radio serials that the station airs. Mario becomes friends with the odd scriptwriter.
The book is written so that alternating chapters tell the story of Mario and his friends and family and the stories in the serials. It is an interesting writing style and reminds me of a few other books that I have read including Blind Assassin by M. Atwood and If on a winter's night... by I. Calvino. I enjoyed this writing style very much and founf the book extermely enjoyable and recommend to anyone who may be looking for a different and light read.
28yoyo's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
3.0
delaguila19's review against another edition
4.0
Gran historia, la maestria con la que Mario desarrolla su trama es de aplaudir. Las radionovelas de Pedro Camacho son entretenidas, tienen de todo drama, comedia, suspenso y cada vez q terinan con las preguntas de lo que pasará en el siguiente capítulo lo dejan a uno con las ganas inmediatas de seguir la historia de los coloridos personajes. El romance con la Tia Julia es melodramatico en toda la definicion de la palabra , esta narrado de forma agil y amena. Es un libro super recomendado. Siempre me voy a quedar con la interrogante si Pedro Camacho fue inspirado en alguien real o es producto de su entera imaginacion.
book_concierge's review against another edition
4.0
Take a love-torn teenager, a sexy older woman, an eccentric writer, and a supporting cast of misfit radio artists, romantic friends and enraged relatives and you get this semi-fictional, semi-autobiographical comic novel of life, love and literature.
In 1950ish Lima, Peru, 18-year-old Marito Varguitas studies law and works writing news bulletins for a local radio station’s top-of-the-hour broadcast. There he befriends the station’s new scriptwriter – Pedro Camacho – who can turn out 10 novelas (soap operas) daily. When Marito’s aunt by marriage (no blood relation) arrives from Boliva following an acrimonious divorce, he is quickly smitten. The young man’s aspirations quickly take a back seat to winning the love of Aunt Julia, and the resulting scandal alternately horrifies some family members, while it captures the romantic imagination of others. Meanwhile, Pedro’s intricate plots become more incoherent, and the scriptwriter slowly falls apart.
I really liked this romp of a novel, though I’ll admit to some confusion with the interspersed soap opera plots (which alternate with the main Aunt Julia story). Pedro is portrayed as a pseudointellectual, wanna-be-Bohemian, whose outlandish and intricate plots capture the attention and avid following of the populace. I wish he had played more of a part in the story itself, instead of just serving as a counterpoint to reality. What I’d really like to do now, however, is get my hands on the book that “Aunt” Julia Urquidi wrote in response to her ex-husband’s novel (titled What Little Vargas Didn’t Say. THAT should be an interesting story …
In 1950ish Lima, Peru, 18-year-old Marito Varguitas studies law and works writing news bulletins for a local radio station’s top-of-the-hour broadcast. There he befriends the station’s new scriptwriter – Pedro Camacho – who can turn out 10 novelas (soap operas) daily. When Marito’s aunt by marriage (no blood relation) arrives from Boliva following an acrimonious divorce, he is quickly smitten. The young man’s aspirations quickly take a back seat to winning the love of Aunt Julia, and the resulting scandal alternately horrifies some family members, while it captures the romantic imagination of others. Meanwhile, Pedro’s intricate plots become more incoherent, and the scriptwriter slowly falls apart.
I really liked this romp of a novel, though I’ll admit to some confusion with the interspersed soap opera plots (which alternate with the main Aunt Julia story). Pedro is portrayed as a pseudointellectual, wanna-be-Bohemian, whose outlandish and intricate plots capture the attention and avid following of the populace. I wish he had played more of a part in the story itself, instead of just serving as a counterpoint to reality. What I’d really like to do now, however, is get my hands on the book that “Aunt” Julia Urquidi wrote in response to her ex-husband’s novel (titled What Little Vargas Didn’t Say. THAT should be an interesting story …
helenaim's review against another edition
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
agnik239's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
_cro's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
velvetreads_'s review against another edition
challenging
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
giovannigf's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
dariuskay's review against another edition
4.0
What a fun book. Interspersed dramas are always a welcome change of pace from the main plot.