Abril rojo

"And pray for the man who died today, too. I will. That way the fear goes...I think the terrorists are coming back, Mamacita. It isn't certain, I don't want you to worry, but this is very strange."

He stood and passed his hand along the clothing he had laid on the sheets. He smelled. It had the scent of his mother, a scent kept for many years. He opened the window to air out the room. The afternoon sun shone directly on his mother's bed.

"I have to go now. I only...I only needed to come here for a while. I hope that doesn't annoy you...It doesn't annoy you, does it"

Yet, to flesh out his eccentricity even more, he is incredibly naive. He's at least forty years old, and having worked in the urban environment of Lima for twenty years, he is appallingly gullible and wide-eyed when it comes to the workings of the local authorities. He pushes on not necessarily because he thinks something is askew, but more because he is motivated by a fastidiousness that borders on obsessive-compulsive. This is not a crime either. Enter Edith, a twenty year old waitress working at a restaurant in the town square. She's pretty and accessible (if twenty years his junior...ahem) and prepares him dishes that always seem to involve a culinary version of an animal carcass that he never ends up eating. He is drawn to her (enough to reveal his bizarre fascination with his mother), which in turn makes her uncomfortable. Towards the end of the novel, as Chalcatana grows increasingly more fearful for his life, he runs to her home seeking solace. He ends up raping her when she refuses to have sex with him. Criminal? Yes. In a moment of weakness and loss of control, he surrenders to the violence that surrounds him. This turn is dramatic and seems to only function as a plot point, and not in line with the character development that Roncagliolo is trying to lay out. While reading the novel, the reader has a sense of uneasiness with the narrator that is difficult to justify or overcome.

One caveat that is small but worthy of mentioning is that late in the novel, Roncagliolo chooses to use the phrase "shining path" to describe the area between Edith's breasts and her pubic area. Considering that this is also the name of the terrorist group, The Shining Path, its odd that this descriptive choice is employed especially when it is not used as foreshadowing.

The off-kilter narrator is mostly redeemed by the pacing and plotting of the novel. Roncagliolo makes sure that the narrative doesn't lag, and also doesn't leave the reading wishing for a moment to gasp for air. Methodical and linear, the plot unfurls masterfully. The violence of the murders by The Shining Path is contrasted nicely with the religious atmosphere of upcoming Holy Week. And since there is such a strong connection between the way the murders are performed and the religious symbolism mired in the festival and its rituals, the tension increases as the novel progresses. Various characters are introduced throughout the novel that add to the list of possible murderers which also ups the tension. Some may appear stereotypical to the genre at first, but because Roncagliolio is blurring the lines of good versus evil, they become textured by motivations and circumstances.
The terrifying effect that all the warring has had on the people is summed up well by this speech to Chalcatana by Commander Carrion:

"Have you ever felt surrounded by fire and known that you life at that moment is worth less than a piece of shit? Or have you found yourself in a town full of people and not known if they wanted to help you or kill you? Have you seen your friends falling in battle? Have you had lunch with people knowing it may be the last time, and the next time you see them they'll probably be in a box? Have you? When that happens you stop having friends because you know you'll lose them. You get used to the pain of losing them and simply try to avoid being one of the empty chairs that keep multiplying in the dining rooms. Do you know what that's like? No. You don't have the slightest idea. You were in Lima, after all, while your people were dying. You were reading nice poems by Chocano, I suppose. Literature, right? Literature says too many pretty things, Senor Prosecutor. Too many. You intellectuals have contempt for military men because we don't read. Yes, don't make that face, I've heard your jokes, I've seen the faces of old politicians when we speak. And I understand. Our problem is that for us, reality is a pain in the balls, we've never seen the pretty things your books talk about."

What becomes abundantly clear in this novel is if the choice is between the lesser of two evils, which one will do the least damage to society and to the individual? Red April is an in-depth exploration of moral responsibility. With its historical, political and religious themes weaving their way throughout the story, the abuse committed by those in power and its repercussions is effectively shown in this novel. And yes, it is gruesome. Despite its uneven narrator, the novel is above average and that in itself is admirable.