Title: A reminder of why Mario Vargas Llosa enjoys such acclaim.
Review: This work is Vargas Llosa at his best! The novel is a frightening view of the moral degradation and sycophancy that the Trujillo dictatorship engendered, and an equally painful critique of human nature. Why are people so willing to accomodate such blatant evil? And why are amoral opportunists so readily overlooked and so frequently rewarded? Since the novel is based on history, these are not abstract philosophical questions. To its credit, the novel makes the reader ponder these issues, even while the reader may wish to bathe in Lysol after finishing the book.
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