Louis de Bernieres has almost a formulaic approach to writing his novels, which seems a counter-intuitive conclusion since each of them are unique, and bizarre, such a jumble of strange pieces crammed together into one humming buzzing whole . . .

Well. That is what is to happen when it works. This novel, for me, did not quite gel.

This was honestly higher than a 4-star for me...not quiet a 5-star, but I am having trouble putting my finger on why. Perhaps I worry that what I liked about it was a little too personal and might not gel with others (although why that should influence my rating is yet another unresolved mystery).

The first aspect of this book that struck me was the setting. I spent a decent amount of time in Ecuador and Chile, and considerable amounts of time studying the region. de Bernieres does a great job of creating a synthesized meta-history of the individual countries in the region of the late-20th Century. The political in-fighting that seems ridiculous as it is based more on the names of movements than any actual ideology, let alone specific platforms...the terrors that humans were willing and able to mete out on each other in furtherance of those nebulous titles...and yet, the magic that is undeniable if you spend any amount of time in the Andes. For me, this was very nostalgic and comfortable and a nice reminder of an earlier part of my life.

The next aspect I would highlight is the language. de Bernieres clearly has a masterful vocabulary and isn't afraid to show it. I didn't find the use of words that I didn't know to be off-putting, but rather, once I learned what the word meant I nearly always came to realize how deadly accurate it was in the description of the item or event...and necessarily so. Other words would not have been as good to do the jobs. Included with this I found his descriptions very evocative, both for the better and the worst (see above re: human atrocities and magic at the same time!).

I will almost certainly return for the other two books in the trilogy; however, I do believe that the writing could also easily lead to series fatigue. So I am planning on waiting to be moved to return and not to rush back in for the sake of it.

Its a masterpiece. A hullabaloo (which somehow succeeds to make sense) of all the highlights of Latin America, its forests, its magic, its corruption, its revolution, its heat, its way of life, its passionate people and all of its energy - all merged into this fictitious country which Bernieres creates.

This is the first of Louis de Bernières’ Latin American threesome (I once read Señor Vivo and the Coco Lord without realising that it was the second book in the trilogy ¡Ay, caramba! -not that it really matters).

In homage to Gabriel García Márquez, the godfather of magical realism, de Bernières serves up a rhapsodic, riotous, rollicking (and any number of adjectives beginning with ’r’) snortfest of salacious surrealism (it seems I’m bedevilled by alliteration today).
It would take me all day to explain a storyline that encompasses a depraved army, an offbeat band of guerrillas and a fiesta of frivolity (I’m bloody at it again with the alliteration; it’s getting on my nerves).
Perhaps I shouldn’t have read the second book first because I felt that this one paled in comparison.
It is, nevertheless, a hugely enjoyable read.

This is the first instalment of de Bernières’ fabulous Latin American Trilogy. Magical writing in more than one sense. Tragic and comic at the same time. Obviously influenced heavily by García-Márquez’s writing but totally original and compelling!

a perfect novel - the writing, the characters - perfect.

Dense, radiant, and all too politically familiar. A great part of the trilogy. I can only read a few pages at a time. It takes a while to figure out this book.

So this was a very odd little novel but exactly my sort of odd and it left me with high expectations for the second and third volumes in the trilogy. It's very much a love-song to a very specific Latin American storytelling tradition, sprawling and broad in scope with a large and fleshed-out ensemble of some of the lovable and some of the more loathable characters I've ever encountered in print. Flashes of wicked quicksilver humour dart and glitter through the narrative like fish through a river when the light catches and silvers them, but it serves to highlight rather than undercut the constant seething themes of corruption and violence. The nameless South American country where our story unfolds (seemingly a facsimile of Columbia with aspects of Argentina and Chile) is a world where life is cheap and pain is a punchline. Throw in jungle spirits, magic cats, and all those magical realism hallmarks and you have a wonderfully exciting proposition of a book.

Great start, whacky whacky finish.

de Berniere is amazing at creating a world. You can tell he's done immense research on Latin American culture, language and history and it transcribes beautifully through his novel.

Every single character, no matter how insignificant, has depth and a complex backstory - as is the author's style. While this makes for an enjoyable read, the overwhelming number of characters can make this a cause for confusion.

The novel is a great read for those who loved Captain Corelli - especially as there are many similar elements - but the ending let me down. De Berniere has a whacky style, but defrosting long dead colonialists was a touch too far for me.

Nevertheless, read is you love history and a good laugh.

This is the novel that hooked me on de Bernieres. This is the first of a trilogy of magic realist novels set in an unnamed country in South America. The second and third have equally intriguing titles; they are, respectively, Senor Vivo and the Coca Lords, and The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman.

The characters feature the somewhat boorish don of the title, rebels, spoiled and subsequently unspoiled indolent female landowners who become (by virtue of the power of love) something significantly different, a cast of large and relatively docile panthers, various corrupt and not-so-corrupt army men, a native South American man very much in touch with the spirit world and a resurrected conquistador. The tone is musing, humorous and yet tinged with grim horror and sadness; there are laugh out loud moments and episodes you wish had not happened. The themes are universal.

Heartily recommended, as are the equally enjoyable second and third books.

I guess it would be an insult to call it a more realistic version of what Gabriel Garcia Marquez would write, but since de Berniere himself has said that Gabo was his inspiration while writing this book, it should be a good description.

Berniere's dry, ironic narrative style is one of my personal favorites. Here, though, he has tried to blend some magical realism a la Marquez and his original style lets it down slightly. The sum of all the parts of this book doesn't quite add up, either rationally like in Corelli's Mandolin, or mystically, like in One Hundred Years of Solitude. It rather remains in-the-middle, but it's still a gem on its own.

There are far too many characters and events to offer a sensical summary, but I'll give it a shot. We're in an imaginary South American country where an endless battle is going on between the government, the military, and guerilleros (many are communist) with civilians more or less suffering the consequences. This book is hilarious and fun to read and doesn't feel even remotely tragic, despite the fact that it's extremely violent and gory - there is rape, murder, torture, kidnapping, gun and machete battles, coups, etc. But there is also discussion of dingleberries, goofy turns of events that are based on lack of communication or several evil characters all trying to kill each other. There are magical bits like the plague of cats, the ancient soldiers coming to life, the magical healing of Francoise's cancer, and the President's focus on alchemy. There are little nuggets of tongue-in-cheek philosophy.

A few pages in, I let go of ensuring I kept perfect track of the characters and just let the story carry me along for the ride. For the most part I kept everyone straight, and honestly this book is an enjoyable romp no matter what. It's hilarious, it's absurd in a telling way, it's disgusting, it's violent and horrific but somehow avoids being tragic, and it's absolutely brilliant.

I loved a discussion of patriotism towards the beginning of the book and how there are two types of patriots. The first type believes that all other countries are inferior to their own and that their country is never ever wrong so the best thing to do is dominate. The second type sees faults but loves his country anyway and therefore labors to correct these faults. The first kind of patriot really glories in his own irrationality, while the second kind glories in his homeland.

My favorite bits were the sprinklings of semi-universal wisdom that are sprinkled throughout. This is where the author's playful voice really shines. Some examples:

"They are a people who have learned by their own blood the wondrous disadvantages of an eventful history."

"Life is nothing if not a random motion of coincidences and quirks of chance; it never goes as planned or as foretold; frequently one gains happiness from being obliged to follow an unchosen path or misery from following a chosen one."

"A general rule that applies to all humankind... people always think that if they are very expert at something, that thing must therefore be extremely important."

"Old friends shook hands and people who had never talked in the past exchanged confidences. Such things are caused not by fear but by the revelation that there is nothing stable in the whole universe and that everything is finally a matter of chance, which can so suddenly throw the lives of people into chaos."

"The truth is that the mountains are a place where you can find whatever you want just by looking, as long as you remember that they do not suffer fools gladly and particularly dislike those with preconceived ideas."

"There is nothing at all wrong with our laws and institutions and our constitution, which are all democratic and enlightened. What is wrong is that they are enforced by people who do not consider themselves bound by them."

Themes: South America, politics, humor, magical realism, many characters, war, race