the feast of the goat by mario vargas llosa

Somehow, however, she always makes her way back to Ricardo, whom she professes not to love, despite, or perhaps because of, his unquestioned acceptance of her humiliations of him.įrom Lima to Paris, London, and Madrid, the story of the 'bad girl' and the 'good boy' unfolds, exploring all aspects of love and betrayal within the changing settings and political climates of the various countries in which the two have commitments. Lily is a will-o'-the-wisp throughout much of Ricardo's life, appearing and vanishing, changing names, following the lure of power to revolutionary Cuba, the lure of wealth to Paris and the 'horse country' of England, and eventually the lure of both power and wealth to Japan, where her lover is a high ranking yakuza sadist. His young infatuation eventually develops into a lifelong obsession, and his story of how Lily dominates all aspects of his romantic life for more than forty years shows both the mysterious power of unconditional love and the peril of misplaced devotion. In 1950, when Ricardo Somocurcio first meets Lily, a 'Chilean' exotic who has recently joined the teenage social scene in Lima, Peru, he is fifteen, sure of only one thing-that she is the most bewitching creature he has ever known.

'You're my praying mantis, didn't you know? The female insect devours the male while he's making love to her. Down to read a review of The Feast of the Goat)

The feast of the goat by mario vargas llosa