07 October 2010

Congratulations to Mario Vargas Llosa


It's good to see that one of my favourite authors has been awarded this year's Nobel prize for literature.

I would rate The War at the End of the World and Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter among my favourite novels.I am very fond of many other of his works too.

It was a delight for me in 1988 o 89 when working the passport controls at Heathrow's Terminal 3 to have him come to my desk.... One of those "I'm not worthy" moments!

As for politics? A polite agreement to differ is order....

7 comments:

Unknown said...

I have never read his work and I know very little about his politics, except that I heard he supported Castro in Cuba at one time? Is that right? I suspect that is the politics you object to? Just sincerely wondering...

jams o donnell said...

Ah Sphinx, I'm not a fan of Castro but his politics moved to the right over the years.... basically to the position of a moderate conservative,hence the polite agreement to differ/// Had he been an ultra rightists he could have kissed my arse!

Liz Hinds said...

Aunt Julia etc - I've heard of that; is it good?

Silly question really as you've just said he's one of your favourite writers!

JD said...

"the "famous incident in Mexico City in 1976, [when] Vargas Llosa punched out [Gabriel] Garcia Marquez, whom he would later ridicule as 'Castro's courtesan.'" One wonders if these are the only two Nobel laureates to have engaged in a fistfight."

http://orientem.blogspot.com/2010/10/2010-nobel-prize-for-literature.html

jams o donnell said...

Definitely worth reading Liz. An excellent author
That would have been worth seeing JD, perhaps we can have proper matched between laureates!

Sean Jeating said...

Ha, Jams, that you'd mention Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter ...
Did you read 'The Green House' (1966/68 and 'Conversation in a Cathedral' (1969/75)?
'The Bad Girl' (2006/7) is a fine read, too.

...

A pity, I did not do with Vargas Llosa what I did with Liu Xiabo: Preparing a post so that I could press the button a second after the winner was published. I could praise myself for foreknowing two of this year's winners.

[word verification: bless]

jams o donnell said...

I have indeed read the earlier books but I haven't read the Bad Girl.

That would have ben a good one Sean. I had no idea he had been nominated!