Introduction


Mario Vargas Llosa
Mario Vargas Llosa was born in Peru and is considered one of Latin America’s greatest writers. His first novel, The Time of the Hero, is based on his harrowing time at Leoncio Prado Military Academy where his father sent him as a teenager. Highly influenced by the philosopher Jean Paul Sartre and the writer William Faulkner, Llosa is known for his way of alternating dialogue to show different realities. The main theme he explored in his work was an individual’s struggle to find freedom in an oppressive society. His third novel, Conversation in the Cathedral, is considered his masterpiece. It was written in a two-volume edition and deconstructs Peru during the 1950s when the country was essentially a dictatorship. 

Essential Facts

  1. Llosa was originally married to his uncle’s sister-in-law, Julia Urquidi. His second wife, Patricia Llosa, is his first cousin.
  2. Llosa wrote a book about celebrated author Gabriel Garcia Marquez, whom he was once a friend with. There was great demand for the book, and it sold out. Llosa has refused to reprint it, and it was never translated into English.
  3. Llosa wrote Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter about his first marriage. His ex-wife wrote What Little Vargas Didn’t Say as a rebuttal.
  4. Llosa has experimented with many genres including comedy, murder mystery, and political thriller.
  5. His cousin Luis Llosa is a director and filmed the adaptation of Vargas Llosa’s The Feast of the Goat.