Señor Vivo and the Coca Lords
Louis de Bernières
Gavin started by recommending the book as an introduction to the author's other works. It begins realistically with a professor campaigning against the drugs trade, writing letters to the press and so forth, in a country that might be Colombia. As the story progresses a parallel magic reality takes shape and gradually and eventually the strands combine as Señor Vivo becomes a magical shaman, finally ending up in an impossible, magical city. There is a constant shifting of style of reality and style of writing, revolting events depicted with stomach-turning realism giving way to charming scenes and vice-versa - "an amazing combination of brutality and charm" which "doesn't seek to shock." Gavin felt that reading this book, by a British author, helped him understand the writing of South American authors, with de Bernières using similar techniques in English but without a translator in the way. An unqualified recommendation for this book, then, with the caveat that there is some pretty revolting violence graphically depicted.
Gavin 15/3/98
Received by email from Susan:
Having read Gavin's report on Senior Vivo I would suggest that The War of
Don Emanuel's Nether Regions is the first book of the trilogy & I would give
this or Captain Correlli's Mandolin as the best introductory novels of
DeBernier's work, or short articles such as ecstasy & eating oysters in
Paris.
Susan
By the same author
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