Breaking Lorca

by Giles Blunt

Book Overview

A master crime writer trains every weapon in his arsenal on a crime against humanity.

In 1980s El Salvador, a young woman is detained in a government torture squad's head-quarters, suspected of supporting guerilla forces. There, a bookish new recruit, Victor Pe a, is assigned to assist in her interrogation. Before they learn so much as her name--Lorca--the squad relentlessly break her, body and soul. It is a terrifying journey into...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0307357015
• ISBN13: 9780307357014
• Release Date: February 2010
• Publisher: Vintage Books Canada
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.2" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Horrific yet wonderful book

After having recently read Blunt's less than impressive, "No Such Creature", I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. I was curious if he could bring back some of the magic from his Cardinal series. In a word, the answer is "yes". This is probably one of the most difficult books I've ever read, and I must give Blunt credit as an author for making the torture scenes so believable and gut-wrenching. Overall a wonderful book, that you won't easily forget if you can get through the first half. If I was in charge of El Salvadoran tourism I wouldn't like this book nearly as much :)

Growth without change? I don't think so... Donna Carrick

There comes a time in every writer's life when he or she must ask: has my work become stagnant? Am I churning out more of the same, or are my ideas still fresh? It's a tough question -- especially for successful writers. After all, who wants to mess with a good thing? When all the feedback is positive, and the fan base is loyal, like it was for Canadian author Giles Blunt with his "Cardinal" mystery series, why would anyone want to strike out on a new path? Readers resent change in the same way that families do. Every mother has, at some time in her life, wanted to change some personal habit, only to find that her mate or children were very uncomfortable with any tilt to the status quo. So it is with writers. However, there are many ways to measure "success". It is not merely a factor of readership, or of accolades. Success can also describe the artist's ambition to stretch, to reach new territory, to become more than the sum of his "known" parts. With his latest novel, "Breaking Lorca", Giles Blunt has become an inspiration to many writers. He may have ruffled a few loyal Cardinal fans, (in fact, I'm quite sure he did) but by blazing for himself this new trail he has proven himself to be worthy of a standing in the halls of Canadian Liturature. By the way, I should point out that, like many Canuks, I shudder at the stuffy, over-touted phrase "CANLIT". It carries with it a pretentious air of exclusivity that hinders rather than fosters our true National Artistic Identity. Having said that, there is an undeniable standard that we Canadians strive for, and Blunt has entered into the realm of greatness with his latest two works: "Breaking Lorca", and before that the wickedly humourous "No Such Creature". I am proud to have met Blunt, albeit briefly, on several occasions, and to have heard him read. Without a doubt, his recent artistic "mutations" have been the result of much effort, and they have earned him an undeniable place in those haughty yet sacred annals. [...]

Different direction for Blunt

Giles Blunt is one of my favourite Canadian authors. I'm a big fan of the John Cardinal mysteries and loved his last stand alone novel No Such Creature. Breaking Lorca is a complete departure from earlier works. Victor, a bookish, reluctant soldier in El Salvador is 'rescued' from death by firing squad by his uncle. His uncle, Captain Pena, is a specialist in the army - an interrogation expert. He means to school Victor in his trade. He is an expert in torture. When a suspected female rebel, Lorca, is imprisoned, Pena decides that she should be Victor's learning ground. Victor is not by nature a violent, evil man. In fact he describes himself as a coward. What will someone do to keep themself alive? This is not an easy read. Descriptions and dialogue are absolutely horrific and brutal. I did have to read it in small doses. What kept me going? My faith in Giles Blunt as an author. The second part of the novel moves to America, where Victor seeks redemption from his past. But can the past ever be escaped? What possessed Blunt to write such a novel? He was inspired by Canadian author and activist Margaret Atwood's poem "Footnote to the Amnesty Report on Torture", which imagines "a fearful man paid to clean up the torture chamber." A compelling, thought provoking narrative of what is most likely happening somewhere in the world at this moment. I was glad I chose to read til the last page.