Conversación en la catedral

by Mario Vargas Llosa

book data

374 ratings, 4.29 average rating, 35 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		55%
4		25%
3		13%
2		4%
1		1%

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published

2007 by Punto de Lectura (first published 1384)

details

Hardcover

isbn

8466320377 (isbn13: 9788466320375)

description

Zavalita y el zambo Ambrosio conversan en La Catedral. Se encuentran en Perú, durante el «ochenio» dictatorial del general Manuel A. Odría. Unas c…more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 616)

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Jul 15, 2008

Ali rated it:

(review of isbn 9648578052)

Read in January, 2007

برخی از منتقدان این کتاب را برجسته ترین اثر یوسا میدانند.در این کتاب دو چیز بیش از هر چیز دیگر توجه خواننده را جلب میکند نخست وسعت دامنه ان و در بر گرفتن رویداد ها و شخصیت های متعدد است و دیگری ساختار پیچیده اش.زمینه کار یوسا در این رمان همچون اثار دیگرش بخشی از تاریخ معاصر پرو ا...more

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Aug 31, 2009

Beatnik31 rated it:

(review of isbn 0060732806)

Un agudo retrato sociológico de la compleja sociedad peruana, desde la omnipresente conversación que mantienen el hijo del patrón conformado con la mediocridad y el antiguo chofer de la familia, en la mítica "Catedral". Una cantina de malamuerte de los suburbios limeños. Vargas Llosa despliega lo mejor de su narrativa para mostrar la resignación ante la podredumbre que rodea a sus personajes, seres miserables sobrepasados por la ruina moral y social de un país en ruinas. Una obr...more

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Nov 24, 2009

Roozbeh Estifaee rated it:

(review of other edition)

Read in December, 2009

Fantastic! Fan-tastic! "Conversation in the Cathedral" was definitely a big work of art, a real masterpiece. It was the first book by Llosa that I read (after a suggestion by my friend, Moeen) and I'm now eager to read some more of his. It was none of a magic realism but yet a pure South-American way of story telling, with so many "stories" happening.
The book starts when Santiago Zavala, journalist, meets with his rich father's former chauffeur, Ambrosio, and they go to...more Fantastic! Fan-tastic! "Conversation in the Cathedral" was definitely a big work of art, a real masterpiece. It was the first book by Llosa that I read (after a suggestion by my friend, Moeen) and I'm now eager to read some more of his. It was none of a magic realism but yet a pure South-American way of story telling, with so many "stories" happening.
The book starts when Santiago Zavala, journalist, meets with his rich father's former chauffeur, Ambrosio, and they go to the bar "Cathedral" to have some beer and talk. They talk about their pasts and remember different stories from the very old times till the present. The whole book (about 700 pages) is the stories these two old fellas remember and retell.
Apart from the great tales Llosa has put in his characters' mouths and brains, "Conversation in the Cathedral" is a big achievement in story telling. As the two get drunk, they start mixing things up. The result is that almost everywhere in the book, we have parallel stories, all being narrated at the same time. Specially at the time when the pals are most drunken, there are chapters in which four stories are being told simultaneously, in a way that each sentence belongs to one of them, and these sentences are not put in any specific order. Actually, there are times that you should decide that the sentence you are reading belongs to one story or the other. It seems even that the author gets drunk with his characters too, since from time to time he starts telling tales about places in which none of the fells were present. This parallel story telling is kept throughout the book, though it changes the style, i.e. when the guys regain a part of their consciousness, they continue telling their stories in turns, and in bigger slices: two pages each turn.
Llosa's great style of writing has made this book a brilliant oeuvre of literature, a big "must read" for novel lovers and a real "coursebook" for whoever wants to write anything literal one day. He has made a great source of joy and surprise, which I doubt that will ever get outdated.

P.S: I should thank God for giving us Abdollah Kosari! I read his translation of the book, and I should confess that it was a very great one, letting me devour the novel wholeheartedly and confidently.(less)

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Jun 29, 2009

Ximena rated it:

(review of isbn 8466319158)

Mi novela favorita de Vargas Llosa. Un alarde de investigación histórica sobre la dictadura de Odría en Perú. Maravillosa manera de proyectar la percepción de las clases sociales entre sí, antes y después de la dictadura. Lo mejor de todo, el libro nos recuerda que nunca seremos lo que queremos aparentar, somos lo que somos y, al menos que nos comprometamos a hacer algo con eso, todo lo que "construyamos" sobre andamios de fingida apariencia es débil y derrocable. Aquellos ...more

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Aug 28, 2008

Dave is currently reading it (review of isbn 0060732806)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Read in September, 2008

I started this book in 1988 (when I had more time). I gave up.

I picked it up again in 2008. I'm not sure I'm happy with that decision.

I read a fair amount, and I read some reviews. I don't know if I've ever read a novel where I felt that reviewers were so systematically full of shit. Further, I've plugged people for their ideas about this novel, and found their opinions sorely lacking. I think a lot of them faked it. I didn't. Here's what I think.

Yes, there is...more

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Jan 25, 2008

Maura rated it:

(review of isbn 0060732806)

bookshelves: fiction, latin-american-or-latino

I love Vargas Llosa's writing style, and I especially love that I was able to learn a lot about Peruvian history from this book despite it being a novel. The different characters, stories, and time periods are completely interwoven with each other, so I'd recommend reading it when you can give it your full attention (which you'll want to anyway, because it's a page-turner).

Basically it tells the stories of characters from different classes, races, and political persuasions during the...more

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Oct 01, 2007

Safoura rated it:

(review of isbn 9648578052)

Read in January, 2004

يوسا در اين كتاب از نهايت پيچيدگي ذهني كه يك نويسنده مي‌تواند دارا باشد بهره برده است و بنابراين خواننده نيز عميقا درگير اين پيچيدگي در روايت مي‌شود. علاوه بر آن، شايد ماجراي قهرمان داستان براي همه هم نسل‌هاي آرمانگراي ما ماجراي آشنا و بنابراين جذابي باشد. آنچه زيبايي و جذا�...more

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Mar 26, 2007

علی rated it:

(review of isbn 0060732806)

bookshelves: great-ones, novels

بسیاری از آثار ماریو بارگاس یوسا به فارسی برگردانده شده است. آنها که من دیده ام: "زندگی واقعی آلخاندرو مایتا"/ حسن مرتضوی (ترجمه ی بدی نیست)، "سال های سگی"/ احمد گلشیری(ترجمه ی خوبی ست)، "عصر قهرمان" / هوشنگ اسدی(ترجمه ی خوبی ست)، "مردی که حرف می زند"/ قاسم صنعوی،...more

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Feb 16, 2007

علی rated it:

(review of isbn 8466304568)

bookshelves: great-ones, novels

One of the best narrating I've ever read. Ilusa is a fantastic story teller.
بسیاری از آثار ماریو بارگاس یوسا به فارسی برگردانده شده است. آنها که من دیده ام: "زندگی واقعی آلخاندرو مایتا"/ حسن مرتضوی (ترجمه ی بدی نیست)، "سال های سگی"/ احمد گلشیری(ترجمه ی خوبی ست)، "عصر قهرمان" / هوشنگ اسدی(ترجمه ی خ...more One of the best narrating I've ever read. Ilusa is a fantastic story teller.
بسیاری از آثار ماریو بارگاس یوسا به فارسی برگردانده شده است. آنها که من دیده ام: "زندگی واقعی آلخاندرو مایتا"/ حسن مرتضوی (ترجمه ی بدی نیست)، "سال های سگی"/ احمد گلشیری(ترجمه ی خوبی ست)، "عصر قهرمان" / هوشنگ اسدی(ترجمه ی خوبی ست)، "مردی که حرف می زند"/ قاسم صنعوی، "موج آفرینی"/ مهدی غبرائی(ترجمه ی روانی ست)، "جنگ آخر زمان"/ عبدالله کوثری(ترجمه بسیار خوبی ست)، "گفتگو در کاتدرال"/ عبدالله کوثری(ترجمه ی شاهکاری ست). من از روایت کردن یوسا بی اندازه لذت می برم. او عادت دارد بسرعت از جایی به جای دیگر برود و به محض این که به صحنه ای عادت می کنی، یوسا به محل و شخصیتی دیگر می پردازد. او یک قصه گوی حرفه ای ست، که گاه از هیچ، همه چیز می سازد. هنگام خواندن اثری از یوسا، از اولین صفحه باید وقایع و شخصیت ها را دقیقن به خاطر سپرد و به سادگی از هیچ چیز نگذشت. او دقت و وسواس بسیار در شرح صحنه ها و شخصیت ها دارد و گفتگوهایش اغلب بسیار شیرین اند. زبان شخصیت ها از یکی به دیگری، مطابق روحیه و کار و بار و زندگی شان، تغییر می کند. در ابتدای هر کار دست خواننده را می گیرد و وارد قصه می کند و همین که درگیر شدی، یوسا غیبش می زند و تو تا انتهای روایت همپای شخصیت ها به سفر ادامه می دهی در حالی که پیوسته باید هوشیار بود تا چیزی از دست نرود. (less)

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Apr 22, 2009

Felicia Ghica rated it:

(review of isbn 0060732806)

Read in January, 2007

recommended to Felicia by: Vasii

Why did I like this book?
Because it is divided in 4 different parts, and every part is the same story told by different characters.
It was a very good way to sum up oppinions and point of views, and most of all, to see how different people perceive life.

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Apr 03, 2009

Saharnaz s rated it:

(review of isbn 0060732806)

وقتي ميفهمي داستان رو چه جور بخوني كه تموم شده!اون وقته كه از نو شروع به خوندن ميكني و سر نخ ها رو پيدا ميشند

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Jun 25, 2009

Frank rated it:

(review of isbn 0060732806)

bookshelves: literature

Read in January, 1994

large yet dense literary study of government corruption in peru

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Sep 21, 2009

Renzo Salvador rated it:

(review of isbn 0060732806)

Read in January, 1997

Muy buena novela ambientada en Lima en los años 50.

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Dec 09, 2008

Miles rated it:

(review of isbn 0060145021)

Read in January, 1984

One of the best books ever written.

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Feb 10, 2009

Peter Morales is currently reading it (review of isbn 0060732806)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Amalia dies

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Jul 23, 2008

Angela rated it:

(review of isbn 0060732806)

An absolutely fascinating novel, not easy to read, but captivating...An introspective ”view” in Santiago*s self-becoming...It treats about political and social problems with an enormous sense of justice and objectivism...It deals also with strong feelings (such as love and hate)presented in an unique light - normal, without any exagerations...It speaks honestly about a ”wild” society, haunted by diverse interests...At last, but not at least, it*s a book of SURVIVAL...A MASTERPIECE!

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Aug 27, 2008

Ehsan rated it:

(review of other edition)

این کتاب حال و روز و سرنوشت کشور خودمان است
ای کاش دوباره اجازه چاپ به این کتاب داده میشد تا شاید همه می توانستند بیرون از گود کشورمان را ببینند
ای کاش
می توانستم این خلق بیشمار را
بر دوش خود بنشانم
دور حباب خاک بگردانم
تا با دو چشم خویش ببینند
که خورشیدش�...more

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Aug 09, 2007

Katie rated it:

(review of isbn 0060732806)

Read in August, 2007

recommends it for: writers

Vargas Llosa's command of complex narratives is astounding. As in War of the End of the World, this story of 1950s Peruvian politics and lives within them is told from multiple fully inhabited perspectives. The story moves forward like gravity -- it's hard to keep up, and the movement from different pasts to present is so fluid that it's difficult to grasp how Llosa is able to maintain control, but he does. Anyone who wants to tell stories could learn something here.

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Sep 30, 2007

Leftbanker rated it:

(review of isbn 8466304568)

bookshelves: all-time-favorites, novels

MVL was obviously heavily influenced by the stream-of-consciousness style of Faulkner. I prefer his work over Faulkner's any day and especially this novel. It has much more to say about society than the work of most writers. It's not just some sort of creative writing exercise, it is a portrait of Peruvian politics and culture from the era of Odría. Like some of his other early work, it is also a novel about Lima.

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Sep 30, 2007

Behzad rated it:

(review of isbn 0060732806)

Read in July, 2005

گفتگو در کاتدرال

سخت ترین کتابی که خوانده ام
دشوار
اما دلچسب
فرمی بسیار منحصر
عصاره ی آمریکای لاتین به لحاظ نحوه ی بیان در این کتاب جمع شده است
ستایش من از یوسا با همین کتاب آغاز شده است

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