Red April

by Santiago Roncagliolo

Book Overview

F?lix Chacaltana Sald?var es un bur?crata que lleva una vida sin sobresaltos como fiscal distrital adjunto en Lima. Pero todo cambia cuando es enviado a su natal Ayacucho, al que regresa despu?s de... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0307388387
• ISBN13: 9780307388384
• Release Date: August 2010
• Publisher: Vintage
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

A stunning and chilling political thriller!

BRAVO!! Another debut author that can clearly write a stunning Latin American fiction, as well as a political thriller. This book gave me some of Peru's history that I've never known before. I cannot wait for his next book to see how he takes his story line to another thrilling ending and places all the characters exactly where they each belong.

Peru's Recent History Written -- In Blood

In his debut novel, //Red April//, Peruvian author Santiago Roncagliolo has created a mesmerizing and complex story that transcends subject and genre--a novel that is both a thrilling work of modern literature and a crime novel. It is a book about politics, murder, and the tumultuous and horrifying recent political and military history of Peru. The book tells the story of associate district prosecutor Félix Chacaltana Saldívar, an unambitious and by-the-books man who has returned to his native of Ayacucho from Lima, only to be put on a case involving a seemingly simple murder that will turn his life upside-down in many ways, forcing him to come to terms with his own demons while searching for a killer who may be even more dangerous than Chacaltana initially thought, and may, indeed, have ties to terrorist groups in Peru's recent past. Throughout the course of this average-sized novel, Roncagliolo weaves in intricate tale about the life of his main character and his native country, complete with historical and religious information that rings true and adds a level of intensity to the story, which isn't about its protagonist, setting, or even its main plot, but, rather, uses all three to create a dense and deep tale of murder, politics, and culture. Reviewed by Ashley McCall

A Great Example of the Latin Crime Novel

Having sat out the guerilla insurgency in Lima, Prosecutor Felix Chacaltana has returned to his hometown of Ayacucho. The Army has crushed the rebellion and the tourists are beginning to return for Ayacucho's famous Holy Week. In the course of a routine murder investigation, the eccentric Prosecutor Chacaltana comes across an incinerated body with a missing arm. The savage mutilation inflicted on the corpse has all the hallmarks of a ritualized Sendero Luminoso killing. The question of whether the guerilla war is re-igniting is at the heart of this prize winning novel. In the Anglo-American tradition of the crime thriller, there may be corruption but in the end the system works. Criminals are caught and justice is done. There are different rules in the Latin crime novel. The system works but there are a different hidden set of rules that only the insiders know. It is a cynical, old world view of justice. The thrill of the Latin crime novel is experiencing another way to see the world. For those interested in this different perspective, check out the works of Paco Ignacio Taibo(Mexico), Leonard Sciascia(Italy), Rubem Fonseca (Brazil) and Michael Dibdin (Anglo Irish-Italy). It is estimated that nearly 70,000 Peruvians were killed or dissapeared from 1980 to 2000. Countless additional thousands were injured or severely traumatized as a result of the guerilla war. Along with all the suffering, one of the consequences of the conflict is that Peru has become one of Latin America's literary hot spots. There is nothing like a cruel civil war to inspire literary introspection. Following in the foot steps of Mario Vargas Llosa, Peru is producing talented, world class writers like Alonso Cueto, Jaime Bayly and the gifted Peruvian-American Daniel Alarcon. Santiago Roncagliolo is a major talent and along with his generation of fellow writers, they are putting Peru on the world literary map.

Muy Bueno!

Muy buen libro! Buena historia, contexto y personajes. El libro te mantiene en suspenso hasta el final el cual también me gustó. Altamente recomendado.

WELL WRITTEN AND ENJOYABLE READING

THIS BOOK IS VERY WELL WRITTEN AND AN ENJOYABLE MYSTERY. HOLDS ONE'S INTEREST AND CHARACTERS ARE GREAT.