Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “The Time of the Hero” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

The Time of the Hero

Mario Vargas Llosa

4.14 · Rating details · 18,147 ratings · 883 reviews

Set among a community of cadets in a Lima military school, it is notable for its experimental and complex employment of multiple perspectives. The novel was so accurate in its portraiture of the academy that the academy's authorities burned one thousand copies and condemned the book as a plan by Ecuador to denigrate Peru. ...more

Get A Copy

Paperback, 379 pages

Published 2004 by Faber and Faber (first published 1962)

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The Time of the Hero, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Book Riot's 100 Must-Read Classics by People of Color

101 books — 45 voters

The Last Days of the Incas by Kim MacQuarrie

The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto Che Guevara

Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano

South America - History and Culture

290 books — 123 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 4.14 ·

Rating details

· 18,147 ratings · 883 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of The Time of the Hero

Apr 29, 2018 BlackOxford rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: spanish-american, biography-biographical

Lord of the Flies - With Guns

As a young man I attended a federal service academy in the United States for four years. So I identify with the conditions in the Peruvian equivalent that Vargas Llosa describes in excruciating detail. From the universal use of nicknames - half of them derogatory, the other half salacious - to the continuous, and often very creative, scheming to evade and outwit authority, to the intentional promotion of sadistic and vulgar brutality in the name of camaraderie, I fin ...more

flag 181 likes · Like · see review

Mar 24, 2009 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, novels, peruvian-literature, 20th-century

La Ciudad y los Perros = The City and the Dogs = The Time of the Hero, Mario Vargas Llosa

The Time of the Hero is a 1963 novel by Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, who won the Nobel Prize in 2010.

It was Vargas Llosa's first novel and is set among the cadets at the Leoncio Prado Military Academy in Lima, which he attended as a teenager. The novel portrays the school so scathingly that its leadership burned a large number of copies and condemned the book as Ecuadorian propaganda against Peru.

تار La Ciudad y los Perros = The City and the Dogs = The Time of the Hero, Mario Vargas Llosa

The Time of the Hero is a 1963 novel by Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, who won the Nobel Prize in 2010.

It was Vargas Llosa's first novel and is set among the cadets at the Leoncio Prado Military Academy in Lima, which he attended as a teenager. The novel portrays the school so scathingly that its leadership burned a large number of copies and condemned the book as Ecuadorian propaganda against Peru.

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: ماه جولای سال 2006میلادی

عنوان: سالهای سگی؛ نوشته: ماریو وارگاس(بارگاس) یوسا؛ مترجم: احمد گلشیری؛ مشخصات نشر؛ چاپ نخست تهران، انتشارات کاروان در 1382؛ تهران، نگاه، 1384، در 560ص، فروست شاهکارهای ادبیات جهان، شابک 9643512134؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان پرویی سده 20م

سال‌های سگی، نخستین رمان از نویسنده ی مشهور پرویی، «ماریو بارگاس یوسا» است، این رمان ایشان را برنده ی جایزه نوبل ادبیات کرد؛ «سال‌های سگی»، بر‌خلاف ظاهرِ غلط‌ اندازِ سیاسی‌ اش، اثری به‌ شدت انسانی‌ ست، و با تمام تلخی و آزاردهنده بودنش، بخش مهمی از زندگی نویسنده را، در خود ثبت کرده، و یادمانی جاودان، از سرگذشتِ زندگیِ یک انسان، در آستانه ی بلوغ، با تمام فراز و فرودهایش است؛ این کتاب سرگذشت نوجوانهایی فقیر و درمانده‌ اجتماعی‌ ست، که به‌ تحصیل در دبیرستانی نظامی مشغول‌ هستند، و خواسته و ناخواسته، در معرض خشونت‌ و آسیب‌، قرار دارند

نقل نمونه متن: «بجای عبور از حیاط، آن را دور زد، و برای آنکار، دیوار منحنی آسایشگاه سال پنجمی‌ها را در پیش گرفت؛ به انتهای آنجا که رسید، با نگرانی اطراف را پایید؛ میدان سان، با چراغ‌ برق‌های قرین هم، که گرداگرد آن‌ها را مه ‌گرفته بود، وسیع و اسرارآمیز، به نظر می‌رسید؛ علفزار سراسر تاریک را، در آن‌سوی چراغ‌ها، می‌توانست مجسم کند؛ نگهبان‌ها دوست داشتند در آنجا دراز بکشند، و هنگامی که هوا زیاد سرد نبود، به خواب می‌رفتند یا در گوشی صحبت می‌کردند؛ اما او مطمئن بود، که آن شب همه در یکی از مستراح‌ها، به قمار مشغولند؛ در سایه ی ساختمان‌های طرف چپ، به‌ سرعت شروع به رفتن کرد، در حالیکه سعی داشت خود را، از دایره‌ های نور، دور نگه دارد؛ برخورد خیزاب‌ها به صخره‌ های حاشیه ی یکی از زمین‌های دبیرستان نظام، جیرجیر پوتین‌هایش را محو می‌کرد؛ به آسایشگاه افسران که رسید، لرزید، و حتی تندتر گام برداشت؛ سپس میدان سان را میانبر زد، و خود را در تاریکی علفزار پرتاب کرد؛ حرکتی ناگهانی، در نزدیکی او، چون ضربه ‌ای تکان‌ دهنده، همه ترس‌هایی را که بر آن‌ها غلبه یافته بود؛ بازگرداند.؛ لحظه ‌ای دودل ماند، سپس چشم‌های لامایی را، به درخشندگی کرم شب‌تاب، تشخیص داد، که با نگاهی آرام و عمیق، او را می‌نگریست.؛ خشماگین گفت: «گورتو گم کن!»؛ حیوان بی‌حرکت باقی ماند؛ کابا اندیشید: (این حیوون لعنتی هیچ‌وقت نمی‌خوابه؛ حتی غذا نمی‌خوره، پس با چه چیزی زنده س؟)، به راه ادامه داد؛ دو سال و نیم پیش؛ هنگامی‌که برای ادامه ی تحصیل به لیما آمد، از دیدن آن حیوان کوهستانی، که در میان دیوارهای تیره و بادگیر دبیرستان نظام لِئونسیو پرادو، آرام پرسه می‌زد، شگفت‌زده شد؛ چه کسی این لاما را به دبیرستان نظام آورده بود؟ از کدام قسمت سلسله کوه‌های آند؟ دانش آموزان از او به ‌جای هدف استفاده می‌کردند، اما وقتی سنگ به او می‌خورد، کوچک‌ترین اعتنایی نمی‌کرد؛ همین‌قدر با نگاهی حاکی از بی‌اعتنایی محض، از آن‌ها دور می‌شد؛ کابا اندیشید (حالت سرخپوست‌ها رو داره)، به ‌سوی کلاسها، از پلکان بالا رفت؛ حالا جیرجیر پوتین‌ها نگرانش نمی‌کرد، ساختمان به ‌جز میزهای تحریر، نیمکت‌ها، و باد و تاریکی، خالی بود؛ شلنگ‌انداز راهرو طبقه بالا را پیمود؛ سپس ایستاد؛ نور ضعیف چراغ ‌قوه، راه را، به او نشان داد؛ «جاگوار» گفته بود، شيشه دوم، از دست چپ؛ و آری، درست گفته بود، شيشه لق بود؛ کابا با ته سوهان شروع به کندن کرد؛ خرده ‌ها را در دست دیگر جمع می‌کرد؛ مرطوب و پوک بودند»؛ پایان نقل

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 13/08/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی ...more

flag 162 likes · Like · see review

Mar 10, 2017 Michael Finocchiaro rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: nobel-lit, post-modern, peruvian-20th-c, novels, autobiography, fiction

Mario Vargas Llosa's first book, based on his own experiences in a military academy, is a great read and certainly demonstrates the qualities of writing that he used later and that eventually earned him a deserved Nobel Prize for Literature in 2010. The narration is non-linear and post-modern in that the voice shifts from 3rd person to 1st person and the story is told from several perspectives at once. What looks like a relatively simple story of revenge becomes something much bigger - the condi Mario Vargas Llosa's first book, based on his own experiences in a military academy, is a great read and certainly demonstrates the qualities of writing that he used later and that eventually earned him a deserved Nobel Prize for Literature in 2010. The narration is non-linear and post-modern in that the voice shifts from 3rd person to 1st person and the story is told from several perspectives at once. What looks like a relatively simple story of revenge becomes something much bigger - the conditioning of young men into thoughtless soldiers, the appalling way that men treated women in Peru (I suppose that hasn't changed), the hypocrisy of upper command which always protects reputation above everything else, the desperation of being bullied and the inevitable creation of bullied...The primary character Alberto has incredible depth (and is a rather obvious standin for Vargas Llosa himself). The captain Gamboa is not the person who we think he is and is drawn out perfectly. The one confusing bit to me was the focus on the Boa character and why he had an allegiance to the Jaguar. This is a rather minor point however because the entire narrative is captivating. There are truly moments when the reader feels he is walking in Lima and its suburbs and the descriptions of life at the academy are frankly terrifying. The Leoncio Military Academy exists in real life and was so scandalized by the book that they burned 100 copies of it shen it came out.

Another interesting aspect of The Time of the Hero is racism. Peru was of course created from the wreckage of the Spanish conquering of the Incas by Pizarro and subsequent local wars that carved out the modern states of Columbia, Paraguay, Ecuador, and Chile. When Gamboa comes to see the Jaguar in lockup, he is surprised that the boy is not a "half-breed" like most of the kids in the Academy. There is another narrative earlier in the book, although it was hard for me to understand if it concerned Alberto or the Jaguar or someone else, where the family is a bit surprised to send this apparently white kid into the academy which they perceived as being full of half-breeds and savages. Now, I have unfortunately never visited Peru, but I have had several Peruvian friends over the years, so I know that by "half-breed", they are referring to descendants of the Spanish colonists with the descendants of the various tribes that survived after the fall of the Incas. There is a sense of derision whenever the poorer people from the mountains - the Indians - when references to them are made. I recall that, indeed, there was this sense of superiority in Peruvian "whites" over the people with Indian origins - such as the Cava who is ignominously humiliated and rejected from the school with hardly any sign of sadness or regret from his co-cadets. And added to this was the even worse stigma attached to people of black skin like the Slave and Verano in the academy. Vargas Llosa was describing a four-tiered system of prejudice with whites at the top, half-breeds next down, pure Indians, and then descendants of slaves with black skin at the bottom. There were also references to Chinese immigrants but they were more of a commercial nature and not really referred to in the social hierarchy. Again, having no knowledge of Lima and how the neighbourhoods are populated, numerous references are made to the apparently more affluent Miraflores quarter with its beaches compared to the less attractive suburbs and slums from which characters like the Boa originated. This is another interesting layer to the portrait that Vargas Llosa paints of the Lima of his youth.

This book also reminded me of Cat and Mouse by fellow Nobel laureate Gunter Grass where Grass describes life in a Nazi Youth school. Equally brutal and deadly - another awesome book if you have not read it yet.

I would highly recommend The Time of the Hero to fans of Vargas Llosa although it would be better to read Aunt Julia or The Feast of the Goats to get a better feel for his style before this book, because I enjoyed learning about him after reading his more mature work. This was my 5th book of his, but certainly not my last. He is quickly rising in my favorite authors list, at least tied with Marquez now.
...more

flag 122 likes · Like · see review

Mar 26, 2007 Ali rated it liked it

Shelves: great-ones, novels

When ever I come to names such as “Llosa”, “Borges”, “Cortazar”, “Fuentes”... I wish I knew Spanish language, as I’m sure works by these authors would have a different aroma and melody in their own tongues. Llosa is, for me, one of the greatest story tellers, whose works give me deliciousness in Persian as well, (if it’s translated by Abdollah Kowsari, for example). Mario Vargas Llosa uses a highly sophisticated techniques with a very delicate language in multiple viewpoint, as if I’m listening When ever I come to names such as “Llosa”, “Borges”, “Cortazar”, “Fuentes”... I wish I knew Spanish language, as I’m sure works by these authors would have a different aroma and melody in their own tongues. Llosa is, for me, one of the greatest story tellers, whose works give me deliciousness in Persian as well, (if it’s translated by Abdollah Kowsari, for example). Mario Vargas Llosa uses a highly sophisticated techniques with a very delicate language in multiple viewpoint, as if I’m listening to “Sare”, my childhood story tellers whom supposed to drown me in sleep, but was keeping me awake instead. Llosa takes you to a place, and while you get used to the situation, become a bit relax, he leaves you for another situation, another character in another place, force you to follow him as a sleepwalker, burning of curiosity, apprehension and restlessness, while he continue to make new situations with new chracters out of nothing, absolutely relax with a smile on his lips. He doesn’t explain the characters, but procreates them and leave them on your lap, and disappears…

بسیاری از آثار ماریو بارگاس یوسا به فارسی برگردانده شده. 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) و... برخی از این آثار را ابتدا به فارسی خوانده ام، و دیگر آثار را برای بازخوانی به ترجمه ی آنها به فارسی رجوع کرده ام. تجربه نشان داده که حال و هوای ترجمه ی فارسی، بهررو با ترجمه به زبان های انگلیسی، فرانسه و دانمارکی متفاوت است. در خواندن آثار بارگاس یوسا، بورخس، سروانتس، فوئنتس، کورتازار... حسرت ندانستن زبان اسپانیولی در من بیدار می شود چرا که به خوبی حس می کنم این آثار به زبان اصلی موسیقی متفاوتی دارند. با این وجود، روایت های ماریو بارگاس یوسا بهر زبانی لذت بخش است. روایت های یوسا بوی "قصه گویی" می دهد. او عادت دارد از جایی به جای دیگر برود و همین که به صحنه ای عادت می کنی، یوسا به محل و شخصیتی دیگر می گریزد، در صندلی هنوز جا نیفتاده ای که تو را از جا بلند می کند و به صحنه ی دیگر می کشاند، روی صندلی سرد تازه ای بنشینی تا ادامه ی روایت یوسا دوباره گرمت کند. یوسا قصه گویی ست حرفه ای که گاه از هیچ، همه چیز می سازد. با یوسا بسیار جاهای ندیده را دیده ام؛ برزیل را، پرو را و... بسیار جاها که دیده ام؛ وین، رم، آمستردام را را به گونه ای دیگر تماشا کرده ام... در کوچه ها و خیابان ها و رستوران ها و قهوه خانه های بسیاری نشسته ام، گاه آنقدر نزدیک و آشنا که انگاری در همان خانه ای که یوسا وصف کرده. روایت یوسا زنده می شود و در جان می نشیند. وقتی رمانی از یوسا را شروع می کنی باید وقایع و شخصیت ها را در اولین صفحه ها به خاطر بسپاری و از نام و مشخصات هیچ کدامشان نگذری. شخصیت ها و موقعیت ها در همان فصل اول و دوم مثل رگباری فرو می ریزند، و در فصول بعدی آنها را عین پازلی کنار هم می نشاند و تابلوی بی نظیرش را می سازد. زبان شخصیت ها از یکی به دیگری، همراه با روحیه و کار و بار و زندگی شان، تغییر می کند. یوسا دستت را می گیرد و تو را با خود وارد قصه می کند، همین که درگیر فضا و آدم ها شدی، غیبش می زند، تنهایت می گذارد تا انتهای روایت همپای شخصیت ها به سفر ادامه دهی. از یک موقعیت به دیگری، به دفتری، رستورانی، خانه ای و بستری، با آدم هایی که در نهایت خشم و خشونت، به کودکانی معصوم می مانند. گاه نشسته ام و مدت ها به عکس یوسا نگاه کرده ام؛ این معصومیت لبخند یوساست که همه ی قصه هایش را پر کرده؟
...more

flag 27 likes · Like · see review

Jun 29, 2016 Ana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: law-abiding-citizen, of-life-and-death, absolute, about-murders, borrowed, somehow-societal, fallen-characters, of-self

Llosa's ability to build a world brick by brick is legendary, more so because every brick is dripping in character. He can describe a feeling or a look or a way of talking like no other. His characters are wonderfully complex creations that populate a world so flawed, you are amazed it's still standing. It took a little time to read through this work, because in typical South-American fashion, his literature is complicated to digest. I only recommend it to readers with patience, and who like det ...more

flag 22 likes · Like · see review

Nov 01, 2010 K.D. Absolutely rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to K.D. by: 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (2006-2010)

Shelves: 501, 1001-core, nobel

First published in 1963, The Time of the Hero made the 2010 Nobel Prize for Literature winner, a Peruvian Mario Vargas Llosa as a new promising novelist. It is about the life of graduating cadets at a military school in Lima, Peru. Llosa's narration is so vivid as he uses his words very carefully and takes pain in describing his characters and the scenarios. You will have the feeling of being one of the cadets: walking in the same corridor, performing the same drills or even standing in the dark First published in 1963, The Time of the Hero made the 2010 Nobel Prize for Literature winner, a Peruvian Mario Vargas Llosa as a new promising novelist. It is about the life of graduating cadets at a military school in Lima, Peru. Llosa's narration is so vivid as he uses his words very carefully and takes pain in describing his characters and the scenarios. You will have the feeling of being one of the cadets: walking in the same corridor, performing the same drills or even standing in the dark witnessing a crime or corruption but keeping your mouth shut for fear of retribution from The Circle. Fear for your life. Fear for failing the dreams of your poor parents of not graduating and seeing their son graduate from the prestigious yet so corrupt school.

One lacking star because I did not have any, first or second hand, experience in military school. All I tried to imagine while reading was the 1979 movie of the late Lino Brocka, Kadete. One of the lesser-known movies of the late director, the movie also tackles the the life inside the military school, Philippine Military Academy in Baguio City in the 70's. It also has flashbacks, just like in the book, of the cadets' lives before joining the academy. In the book my favorite was the life of Alberto particularly his humble (poor) family and his first sexual experience with a prostitute. Not that I can relate but it was just funny.

They say that to win Nobel Prize for Literature, the novelist has to write works with political messages or undertones. This is true for Llosa even in his first (this) novel. When published in 1963, the Peruvian generals burned 1,000 copies of the book and asked the government to ban it. The reason? It was very accurate in its depiction of what is going on inside the school. The reason? Llosa was a former cadet in that school so he knew what he was writing about.

Overall, not a mind-blowing read but it gives you a glimpse of the future Nobel laureate.

Looking forward to read more of Llosa in the many months or years to come. Don't die yet, Mr. Llosa! ...more

flag 14 likes · Like · see review

Nov 02, 2013 Jim rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, peru

The Time of the Hero (in Spanish, The City and the Dogs) is Mario Vargas Llosa's first novel, published in 1963. It is the tale of several cadets at a military academy called the Collegio Militar Leoncio Prado (CMLP). Halfway into the book, I was surprised to see that the CMLP actually exists. When Vargas Llosa's book was published, the Academy bought and destroyed a thousand copies, because they thought only their enemies the Ecuadorians could have played such a dirty trick on them. (Now, fifty ...more

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Oct 06, 2014 Shaimaa Ali rated it really liked it

Llosa has deceived me in this novel!
It has a very slow start, lots of characters (similar to the Feast Of the Goat), going back & forth. I was asking myself: Why am I reading all this?! I hate chit-chatting and excessive details till I've finished half the book and I was raging of dissatisfaction!

Then the second part of the novel has started and it was a drastic change! I got to understand the depths of the main characters, how they became mature through the years and even after finishing thei ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Apr 04, 2012 Jan-Maat added it

Shelves: read-in-translation, novel, latin-america, 20th-century

Novel set in a military academy, I guess in Peru, and utilising multiple points of view to tell a the story of a class of cadets and the events that include the death of one of the cadets. The technique is deliberately disorienting, so much so that when I read it I couldn't succeed in distinguishing the characters - the names by which they are known in school are nom de Guerre, when on leave or in a different PoV section other names, possibly those given to them by parents, are used - the points ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Sep 10, 2014 David rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: latin-american-lit, español

Stunningly brilliant. One of the best books I have read this year (and I have had a great year).

I heard many things about this book including the brutality and the sordid lives of cadets in a military school so I can't say I was eager to read. But then it is Mario Vargas Llosa and this was his first book (and my twentieth book of his). So I began and could not put it down (even when I was sick for a week). For anyone who hasn't read Vargas Llosa, I would recommend this book.

The characters are ve ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Dec 23, 2018 Diana rated it really liked it

Shelves: miguel-de-cervantes-prize, philosophical-fiction, nobel-prize-winners, latin-american-lit

The Time of the Hero [1963] – ★★★★

The Time of the Hero is a controversial novel written by the Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa. The fictional story takes place in Lima, Peru at the Leoncio Prado Military Academy, a military educational establishment once attended by the author. In the story, a group of cadets is trying to steal the questions to the forthcoming chemistry exam, while being involved in a number of other similar “illicit” activities, such as fighting among themselves, bullying The Time of the Hero [1963] – ★★★★

The Time of the Hero is a controversial novel written by the Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa. The fictional story takes place in Lima, Peru at the Leoncio Prado Military Academy, a military educational establishment once attended by the author. In the story, a group of cadets is trying to steal the questions to the forthcoming chemistry exam, while being involved in a number of other similar “illicit” activities, such as fighting among themselves, bullying younger year groups and drinking. Little everyone knows that one careless action while trying to copy the exam leads to one irreparable tragedy and the shocking cover-up. It is without any doubt that The Time of the Hero is a literary work of great importance. The novel may not be easy or enjoyable to read, but its message is powerful, its themes – timeless, and its simple story is all the more significant for portraying what it means to be human and good in a society where cunningness, forcefulness and competitiveness are encouraged and lauded.

The centre of the story is the Leoncio Prado Military Academy, a place where boys are meant to be “made into men”, and where “the true military spirit consist[s] of three simple things – obedience, courage and hard work” [Mario Vargas Llosa, 1963: 44]. This is a kind of place where first-year cadets are “dogs”, gruesome “initiation” procedures are a daily occurrence, and weekend passes are the only things to look forward to. One protagonist explains in the novel “what was horrible was this imprisonment, this vast exterior solitude that he had not chosen, that had been imposed on him like a strait-jacket” [Mario Vargas Llosa, 1963: 123]. The main characters include cadets Ricardo, nicknamed the Slave, and Alberto, nicknamed the Poet. They belong to the same section, and the most ruthless and domineering of the cadets is the guy named the Jaguar, who is surrounded by his entourage of Boa, Cava and other boys. It is no accident that Ricardo and Alberto are the main characters. These two find each other and develop a strange friendship, and the love for one girl binds the two cadets together. They are the odd ones out from the group because Ricardo does not know or want to learn “the rules of the jungle” of the Academy in order to survive, and Alberto also shuns from them inwardly, but knows them well to pass as an ordinary mischievous cadet. In that way, Ricardo is evidently “weak”, while Alberto only pretends to be “strong”. It is no wonder, therefore, that when the Jaguar organises the stealing of the questions to the chemistry exam, both Ricardo and Alberto become implicated in the painful affair. What started as an ordinary ploy turns deadly as hatred, envy and savageness triumph over kindness, honour and justice.

The Time of the Hero is also, in some way, a coming-of-age story which focuses on a love-triangle and familial relationships. Alberto and Ricardo pursue the same girl – Teresa, and the story is such that sometimes we glimpse in a flashback the childhood of one of the boys. Here, the author presents no illusions when it comes to the world beyond the confines of the military, which is sometimes depicted as a prison. Outside, the cadets are forced to witness and endure their fathers’ extra-marital affairs, beatings and deception. The women are presented as being wholly dependent on their men, but they are also the ones who express the truest sorrow and feeling for other human beings and circumstances. Mario Vargas Llosa makes it perfectly clear that, although the women’s voice is heard, it also carries no weight and is unimportant. Thus, girls and women hardly feature in the story, apart from being clear love and sex interests, or mothers, of the cadets.

The controversial element of the story is that Mario Vargas Llosa does not make one person or even a few individuals the objects of his criticism and shaming. He makes the whole society bear the responsibility. In the author’s eyes, the Military Academy represents the segment of the society and stands for it. Thus, the novel, through the story, criticises the Academy’s self-interest, corruption and the promotion of male chauvinism. In the story, individual and collective values clash, and the themes of guilt, indifference, denial and cynicism are well-explored.

The Time of the Hero is not an easy read because Vargas Llosa utilises a number of characters and character perspectives to tell the story. His story jumps from a first person narrative to a third-person narrative randomly, and the timeline is also a bit chaotic. All this makes for a perplexing read, and some descriptions are such that it is a bit difficult to grasp what exactly is going on, especially when the story focuses on the Academy. The language used does not help to clarify matters, but, perhaps, this is partly due to the translation. Having said all that, if the novel is not an easy read, it is also fascinating in its innovative or experimental approach to tell the story. No introductions are made to the characters or settings, but we can still feel the powerful message that the author tries to convey. We sense the horrific implications behind the most mundane of sentences uttered by the characters, and the context becomes everything.

It is also hard to enjoy reading The Time of the Hero because some events it depicts are quite distressing. There is plenty of violence and deprivation, and, in its content, it now slightly resembles both A Few Good Men [1992] and Sleepers [1995]. However, if the novel is not a wholly enjoyable read, then it is certainly a very important read, which brings up some unforgettable, vivid images and messages. It becomes an easier read half-way through and the last one hundred or so pages are quick to read because the story’s drama is at its highest.

The Time of the Hero is an example of that kind of literature whose power is great and undeniable. The writing may be “loose” (there are some unnecessary subplots) and the reading may be a bit difficult both literally and emotionally, but the message it conveys is clear and brave. The heart-breaking account may not be a read one will pick up to relax, but it will be a read one would be glad to have finished because of the significance of what is being conveyed. In The Time of the Hero, Mario Vargas Llosa strips away all the idealism and makes his readers think deeply about the uncomfortable issues, such as how far removed the concepts of bravery and honour really are from the implicitly accepted societal definition of manhood. ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Jun 23, 2019 Daniel Villines rated it liked it · review of another edition

At times, Mario’s Llosa’s narrative is a bit rambling. It has a bad habit of changing timeframes and perspectives on a whim while placing key events in the current timeframe on hold. It seems like he was attempting to create a mood in which the story could take place but the end result is a book that reads like a Picasso painting.

Llosa’s numerous characters are somewhat homogeneous. While unique nicknames are used as marks of distinction, only a few of them grow into distinct characters. And aga At times, Mario’s Llosa’s narrative is a bit rambling. It has a bad habit of changing timeframes and perspectives on a whim while placing key events in the current timeframe on hold. It seems like he was attempting to create a mood in which the story could take place but the end result is a book that reads like a Picasso painting.

Llosa’s numerous characters are somewhat homogeneous. While unique nicknames are used as marks of distinction, only a few of them grow into distinct characters. And again, the rotating perspective does not help to differentiate them.

The subject of the book covers a classic example of institutional behavior of pre-adault boys that are supervised by military caretakers that rule through harsh acts of corporal punishment, intemidation, and abusive power. The Peruvian military academy where the story takes place is virtually a storage yard for these kids, who are bound together as a matter of mental, physical, and social survival as peers. There is no room for any sort of true friendship.

The book brings to life the primitive and tribal state of existence that can develop under conditions where an individual's sense of self is so far stripped down that one’s dignity and honor are compromised as a matter of survival. From a personal perspective, I spent eight weeks in Navy bootcamp, and while uniform behavior was the goal of my Navy instructors, they also valued the individual person, keeping guard of one’s sense of dignity and honor. This makes The Time of the Hero a study in social constructs and keeps the book interesting.

Beyond the insights into tribal behavior, the book also brings the reader into Peruvian society and their culture. In my reading adventures, it’s not often that I have an opportunity to step outside my own norms of American/European society. The Time of the Hero sets the reader down in the heart of Peruvian neighborhoods and invites us into their homes. And during these explorations, I was becalmed to see that families are families regardless of where they reside.

While this is probably not Llosa’s best work, I enjoyed the strength of his writing. He took on difficult subjects without shying away, which is the mark of a good writer. In fact, this may be his worst piece of writing (it is his first novel), and I feel compelled to give Llosa a second try at some point in the future.
...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Feb 07, 2015 Joel Palma rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: nobel-prize-in-literature, latin-america

Reading this masterpiece by Mario Vargas Llosa, my favorite novelist from Latin America, I felt the hate (like, seriously felt it! Goosebumps!)... the pages fly pulsating so vividly I can't believe I'm reading a work of fiction... The most electrifying reading experience for me, and yes, more stirring than "The Feast of the Goat" in my opinion.

The scenes at the military academy and the cadets' misdemeanor and how they dealt about the crime and the outcome, the bullying, the military officials t ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Jul 20, 2011 Ivana rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I started reading it a while ago, and I left it because I got lost. Then, I read his other novels. I started with "la tia Julia y el escribidor", then "fiesta del chivo", and slowly, I learned his narrative style. I then progressed to the "conversación en la catedral", "La casa verde" and "Historia de Mayta".
When I came back to "la ciudad y los perros", I realized what I was missing.
So, one has to understand Llosa's narrative style before immersing himself/herself into this kind of a literature. ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Jul 26, 2018 Jeremy rated it liked it

Shelves: latin-american-fiction

If you've ever wondered what the expression 'toxic masculinity' means, consider this book a crash course.

Mario Vargas Llosa's depiction of life for a group of teenage boys at a Peruvian military academy is rife with cruelty, hazing, selfishness, violence and pettiness. And its not simply the cadets who exhibit this behavior, but their officers, administrators, parents, friends, etc. It's kind of an anti-bildungsroman: everyone is punished, no one seems to learn any real lessons. It all adds up t ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

May 30, 2013 Cristina rated it liked it

I was curious to read something written by the Nobel awarded writer Mario Vargas Llosa
and, at a friend's recommendation, I picked the author's first novel - "La ciudad y los perros".
The plot is about life in a military school from Lima, in the second half of the past century. It describes the evolution from adolescence to manhood, transformation that unfortunately happens in an environment where you are forced to make a choice: either being the author either being the victim of violent behavior ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Jul 08, 2013 Aldo Ramírez rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Lord of the Flies in an experimental and Peruvian version, however, better constructed with deeper characters, all complex, intrincated, good, evil, mixed, completely humans. One truly superb novel...of a 26 years-old-novelist...a prelude of a genius.
It was almost 40 years ago when my father told me..."So you want to go to a military school?...read this first"...got it...I decided to study as hard as I could... ;) ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Apr 09, 2010 Doug rated it liked it

A difficult book to follow because of shifting narrators and points of view, but worth the effort. This is a book I'd use some criticism on if I really wanted to understand it. The awkward part of this book is that it's genre is a coming-of-age novel but it's far too complex for a high school student to understand. ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Feb 16, 2021 Hugo Smith rated it really liked it

I was lazy about this book, largely because it took me 130 pages to figure out what was going on. The nonlinear perspective was often confusing, and made it slow going at times.

However, having stuck with it to the end, it is indeed well done. The narrative doesn’t quite make sense until the last page, and then it does. As others have pointed out, a very masculine novel, and not exactly the vacation reading I was hoping for, but I enjoyed it all the same.

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Apr 05, 2014 Bogdan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mundus-novus

A very complex novel, with multiple shifting perspectives, sometimes difficult to follow. But it also treats a very sensitive subject: violence, especially at teenagers. Set in a military school from Lima, it reminded me of the reasons I strongly opposed my father's idea when I finished high school, to join the Romanian Army. I also successfully escaped the mandatory military service, as it was abolished in 2007, although I was eligible couple of years before that moment.

The premise, as I explai A very complex novel, with multiple shifting perspectives, sometimes difficult to follow. But it also treats a very sensitive subject: violence, especially at teenagers. Set in a military school from Lima, it reminded me of the reasons I strongly opposed my father's idea when I finished high school, to join the Romanian Army. I also successfully escaped the mandatory military service, as it was abolished in 2007, although I was eligible couple of years before that moment.

The premise, as I explained in my introduction, is about surviving in a violent world. Only the toughest are able to survive and adapt into such a world, while the ones that cannot turn into a brute able to apply physical correction to anyone are destined to dissapear. I believe this premise is admirably delivered and this is why I will give it a 5.

Regarding the form, Vargas Llosa employed many shifting perspectives. At times, I was confused and I felt the need to note down what is the character from which perspective each part is written, then re-read the novel again. I did not do it, but still it was pretty close. This technique adds up a lot of depth to the narration and this is why I will give it a 4 for form.

In terms of originality, I did not read before a similar book. The topic of violence appears in many other novels, but rarely is just this. Most of the time it just comes along with other important premise. I will give it a 5 at originality, as also the narrative technique employed was pretty new.

The characters are all having unique voices and very well constructed. I believe it shows they may have been inspired by the people Mario has met in his experience in the same military school that is the setting of the novel. In such a situation, I will rate it with a 5.

Regarding the complexity and difficulty, I admire the ability of the author to use so many distinctive narrative voices. On the other hand, the complexity generated by the numerous shifts, sometimes without a clear demarcation, makes it pretty hard to follow. So I will rate it with a 4 for complexity and difficulty.

In terms of credibility, as this is inspired by the biographical events from the author's life, I hardly can debate it in terms of credibility. If there were fictionalized events, and I bet there were some, I cannot distinguish them from the others. This is why I will rate it with a 5.

The last criteria is edition. I enjoyed this quality edition with good quality paper and cover. I hardly can find an issue with it. Due to this, I will rate it with a 5.

To summarize, I liked it very much and it helped me recall some interesting things from my teenager years and youth. I strongly believe that there are places and times when the world can be like the one described in this novel, but thank God it is not at all like this for me. The physical violence shifted into other types of violence in most adult societies. All in all, my final rating for this collection is 4.71, which I will round to a 5 on Goodreads system.


+--------------------------+-----------------+
| Criteria | Rating |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Premise | 5 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Form | 4 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Originality | 5 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Characters | 5 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Difficulty/Complexity | 4 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Credibility | 5 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Edition | 5 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Total | 4.71 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+

For more details on how I rated and reviewed this novel, please read these guidelines. ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Feb 19, 2018 Judy rated it really liked it

Shelves: 20th-century-fiction, books-from-1963, nobel-prize-author, literature-in-translation

I read my first book by this author in 2002. The Green House, his second novel, was one of the challenging literary novels I was starting to read in those years, having somewhat satisfied my desire for trashy, escape reading. I was rekindling my aspirations as a writer and wanting to read Literature. It was around that time that I invented My Big Fat Reading Project. Vargas Llosa was one of the celebrated authors of the Latin American boom and went on to win the Nobel Prize in 2010.

The Time of I read my first book by this author in 2002. The Green House, his second novel, was one of the challenging literary novels I was starting to read in those years, having somewhat satisfied my desire for trashy, escape reading. I was rekindling my aspirations as a writer and wanting to read Literature. It was around that time that I invented My Big Fat Reading Project. Vargas Llosa was one of the celebrated authors of the Latin American boom and went on to win the Nobel Prize in 2010.

The Time of the Hero is his first novel and also a challenge to read: multiple characters, a disjointed time sequence, switches from third to first person and back again. Often I was not sure who was who, especially since many characters had real names and nicknames. OK. Enough whining. I did catch on and was spellbound by the end.

Most of the book takes place behind the walls of the Leoncio Prado Military Academy on the edge of Lima, Peru. It follows a group of cadets through their four years there, the equivalent of high school. The boys come from different socioeconomic backgrounds and were sent there for various reasons but the underlying intention is to produce soldiers. Peru has a long history of war and unrest.

The titular "hero" was placed in the Academy by his mostly absent, philandering father for the purpose of "making a man of him" and steering him away from the suspected unmanliness of his poetry writing. (Vargas Llosa himself was sent to a military academy by his father for similar reasons. Just goes to show you.)

About eight of these boys stay together as a sort of gang for the duration. They give each other nicknames like The Jaguar, The Boa, Curly, The Slave, and The Poet. The Jaguar is their leader, a tough sociopath who is the best at never getting caught and never giving a fuck about anyone. They drink and smoke, they joke constantly about sex, they have sex with each other (consensual and predatory), all without their teachers and officers catching on.

One night this rowdy group of pubescent male creatures draw straws and send the loser to steal a chemistry exam from the school building. Good grades are one of the conditions of getting leave. Another cadet informs on the guy and is ultimately murdered by one of the boys.

What a gnarly tale! Along the way the back stories and family lives of several characters are revealed including their romantic/lustful encounters with young girls in Lima. The authorities conduct an investigation after the murder and all comes to light but they decide on a cover up to protect the reputation of the Academy, the officers, and the military in general. This includes throwing the most principled and honest officer under the bus.

The novel is a morality tale, a mystery, and a treatise on what constitutes heroism. In the end, the murderer is revealed to the reader as is the fate of The Poet. It is only then that it becomes clear which back story goes with which cadet. I had not seen the denouement coming, the sign of a good novel.

I was left somewhat in awe of how Vargas Llosa constructed such a novel for his first time out. It is perhaps a bit overdone, a bit pretentiously obfuscating, but it shows deep thinking about Peru, life, and big ideas like good, evil, honor, truth, and love.

This quote from Jean Paul Sartre, the epigraph before Part One, sums it up well:
"We play the part of heroes because we're cowards, the part of saints because we're wicked: we play the killer's role because we're dying to murder our fellow man: we play at being because we're liars from the moment we're born." ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Oct 16, 2007 Tara rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Catch-22 Lovers

The Time of the Hero is very reminiscent of Catch-22. It, too, revolves around a restless military group and inserts you into the minds of multiple characters through first person narration (very As I Lay Dying) except we also have a mystery narrator this time.
I recommend this book to those who want a more high-brow version of Catch-22.

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Sep 11, 2018 j rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: assigned-reading, thanks-i-hate-it

i never want to read about a group of straight, mostly white boys again

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jul 04, 2019 Fritz Villanueva rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A very compelling read, to say the least. But with a bit of a confusing narrative style. Many people have compared this to lord of the flies, but I have yet to read that book. Safe to say, this is how I imagine it would be.

The descriptions are vivid, and as a teen who once studied far away from home, I can tell that more than half of what's described in the book might have, in one capacity or another, actually happened. And I'm pretty sure of it, despite the school I attended not being a Militar ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Aug 24, 2013 John Gurney rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This coming-of-age tale was so realistic - and its portrayal of the Leoncio Prado Military Academy so unflattering - the Peruvian Army bought up every available copy to burn the books.

Vargas-Llosa's main character, Alberto, the jaded "Poet" cadet, is relatable and multi-faceted. Other characters, especially the slippery cadet nicknamed the Jaguar, are realistic and intriguing. The Nobel Prize-winning author's descriptions are vivid, the setting of Lima is unique, and his plot is multi-dimension ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jul 12, 2013 Jeremy Allan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: modern-and-contemporary-fiction

Mario Vargas Llosa's first book is dark, often times deliberately elusive, and surprising. It revolves around a group of teenage cadets, struggling to survive a hellish military education, and grappling with each other as a means of coping with many misdirected emotions. They negotiate uneasy alliances and wade through institutionalized violence. Through shifts in perspective, a range of narrative techniques, and sensible but wild changes of emotion in the characters, Vargas Llosa provides us wi ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Aug 13, 2013 Vasi Maier rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

"His room was in darkness, and as he lay on the bed, he dreamed with his eyes open. It had only taken a few seconds for the world he had abandoned to open its doors and receive him again without question, as if the place he once occupied among them had been jealously guarded for him during those three years. He had regained his future." ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Aug 01, 2017 Alessandro Speciale rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

An extraordinary book of dizzying violence and humanity, written with an amazing technical prowess (Vargas Llosa was only 26!) and an even deeper knowledge and respect for human beings and their fallacies and redemption

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 03, 2018 Sam rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book was very hard to put down. It’s a Lord of the Flies-style novel about how cruel young men can be to one another. The military school Leoncio Prado is a microcosm of Lima, or Peru, itself. There is serious prejudice, and self-preservation is the name of the game.

After reading a couple of other, later novels from Vargas Llosa (Tía Julia and La casa verde), I thought I was done with him. But this is way better than those other two. I think the main thing is that those other novels had fe ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jun 19, 2018 Ken rated it really liked it

Set in a military camp in Lima, Peru. This story details the lives of the young cadets as they weave through the confinement, discipline and boredom at the camp.
A series of pranks that soon spiral out of control that leads to a death on the camp, this event could lead to jeopardising the entire military hierarchy.

You can tell Llosa is writing from he’s own personal experiences as the day to day life is perfectly described.
My only criticism would be that the story switches between first and third ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
El libro más difícil leer (emocionalmente)	3	36	Oct 22, 2018 04:47PM
Reading 1001: The Time of the Hero by Mario Vargas Llosa	1	10	Apr 29, 2018 07:31AM
Club de escritore...: CON CUARENTA AÑOS DE RETRASO	1	16	Oct 18, 2016 09:28AM
Club de escritore...: Una lectura necesaria	1	26	Oct 12, 2016 01:35AM
Lectura necesaria	1	11	Oct 12, 2016 01:27AM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Fiction

192 users

European Literature > Spanish Literature

91 users

Cultural > Latin American

54 users

Literature

49 users

Literature > Latin American Literature

47 users

Classics

47 users

Novels

45 users

Nobel Prize

41 users

Literature > 20th Century

29 users

Contemporary

18 users

See top shelves…

About Mario Vargas Llosa

Mario Vargas Llosa

6,517 followers

Mario Vargas Llosa, born in Peru in 1936, is the author of some of the most significant writing to come out of South America in the past fifty years. His novels include The Green House, about a brothel in a Peruvian town that brings together the innocent and the corrupt; The Feast of the Goat, a vivid re-creation of the Dominican Republic during the final days of General Rafael Trujillo’s insidiou ...more

Books by Mario Vargas Llosa

More…

News & Interviews

Debut YA Is a Witchy, Jamaican-Inspired Fantasy

Ciannon Smart has been holed up in her England home since the pandemic began a year ago, but by no means has she been idle. She’s been on...

Trivia About La ciudad y los p...

2 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from The Time of the Hero

“O comes o te comen, no hay más remedio.” — 10 likes

“Los zorros del desierto de Sechura aúllan como demonios cuando llega la noche; ¿sabes por qué?: para quebrar el silencio que los aterroriza.” — 8 likes

More quotes…

See a Problem?

Preview — The Time of the Hero by Mario Vargas Llosa

The Time of the Hero

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Genres

About Mario Vargas Llosa

Books by Mario Vargas Llosa

News & Interviews

Trivia About La ciudad y los p...

Quotes from The Time of the Hero

See a Problem?

Preview — The Time of the Hero by Mario Vargas Llosa

The Time of the Hero

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Genres

About Mario Vargas Llosa

Books by Mario Vargas Llosa

News & Interviews

Trivia About La ciudad y los p...

Quotes from The Time of the Hero

new topic
Discuss This Book