culture
I Give You My Silence by Mario Vargas Llosa review
This fascinating, eccentric book becomes a quirky primer on Peruvian music and culture
TL;DR
- "I Give You My Silence" is Mario Vargas Llosa's final novel, published posthumously.
- The novel centers on Toño Azpilcueta, a music journalist obsessed with the Peruvian vals.
- Toño embarks on writing a biography of deceased guitarist Lalo Molfino, seeing the vals as a unifying force for Peru.
- The book is structured with alternating third-person narrative chapters and excerpts from Toño's biography, serving as a primer on Peruvian music and culture.
- Key concepts explored include the vals, the cajon, Spanish as a lingua franca, and huachafería (pretension or flamboyant style).
- Vargas Llosa's perspective is nuanced, showing tenderness towards his idealistic protagonist while acknowledging the impracticality of his grand ambitions.
- The novel reflects Vargas Llosa's own past idealism, including his unsuccessful presidential run in Peru.