A review by jasonfurman
The Secret History of Costaguana by Juan Gabriel Vásquez
3.0
I was disappointed by this book and was tempted to quit reading it at almost every point. In retrospect, I guess I'm slightly glad I read it, but only slightly.
The first chapter promises a brilliant novel that intersperses the personal history of the fictional narrator, with the "true" history of end of nineteenth century Colombia and Panama and the "secret" history of Joseph Conrad and how he came to write Nostromo.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work. Too much of the style seems like trite pastiche, the history is far too detailed with long sections that just list the generals and colonels who are fighting, and the "secret" history and Conrad portions never really come together in a satisfying matter and almost seem peripheral.
That said, some of the writing is very good, some of the characters are interesting, and the general tableau of Latin American political strife, American interference, and the early days of the canal are all interesting.
The first chapter promises a brilliant novel that intersperses the personal history of the fictional narrator, with the "true" history of end of nineteenth century Colombia and Panama and the "secret" history of Joseph Conrad and how he came to write Nostromo.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work. Too much of the style seems like trite pastiche, the history is far too detailed with long sections that just list the generals and colonels who are fighting, and the "secret" history and Conrad portions never really come together in a satisfying matter and almost seem peripheral.
That said, some of the writing is very good, some of the characters are interesting, and the general tableau of Latin American political strife, American interference, and the early days of the canal are all interesting.