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Reviews tagging 'Torture'
La Fiesta del Chivo / The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa
13 reviews
emily_madcharo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Graphic: Sexual violence, Torture, Murder, Racism, Violence, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Police brutality, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Infidelity, Suicide attempt, and Genocide
eleni14's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Torture, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, and Death
amvs1111's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Torture, Rape, Violence, Gore, and Sexual assault
absolomb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual assault, Torture, Pedophilia, and Sexual violence
fabioca's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Torture
m_m_tucker's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Rape and Torture
luise96's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Torture, Death, and Adult/minor relationship
zgriptsuroica's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
mgerboc's review against another edition
- 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
Vargas Llosa (himself a somewhat controversial figure) does an incredible job of stripping away the veneer of the cult of personality surrounding Rafael Trujillo, exposing him for the power-seeking pig that he was, and demonstrating the spineless sycophancy of the supposed greatest minds of the nation surrounding him during his reign of terror. After time, the consolidation of power, backed by the threat of horrendous and violent reprisals, casts the focus of that power into an ever-devolving state of self-righteousness and easy justification for all actions because there are no consequences.
I think what was done superbly well was the telling of the small, individual stories of the victims of this system, and the long-lasting effects it had (and still has) on people. This sort of corruption is not only political and economic, but emotional and spiritual.
About halfway through you figure out how it's going to end, and it's no less heartbreaking for that. The narrative structure allows for a taught, dread-inducing story that makes the reader (or at least me) think - what kind of system do I live in and how does it shape who I am?
Anyway, if you're a fan of historical fiction, Cold War politics, Latin American history, drama, reflections on family/power/sex, etc., definitely give this a read.
Graphic: Racism, Rape, and Torture
lwarburton's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.25
Graphic: Torture and Sexual violence