The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzmán

The third and final installment in this author’s “Latin American Trilogy” returns to the village of Cochadebajo, in the mountains of an unnamed South American country (presumably Columbia). Many of the characters from earlier novels reappear, including Dionisio Vivo, the General, the President, various rebels, and the giant panthers. De Bernières also gives us a demented Cardinal and his horde of fanatical followers, bent on destroying those who refuse to adhere to their version of the faith.

I love these books. I love his clever writing and vivid imagery, the outlandish plot points, and outrageous scenarios. While I am not a great fan of satire, I enjoy this kind of novel which satirizes and skewers political and religious show more fervor run amok. There are passages that had me laughing aloud, and others that completely horrified me.

The reader who can suspend disbelief and tolerate a great deal of magical occurrences will be delighted. However, I definitely recommend you begin with the first book in the trilogy: The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts. show less

The ones we love never leave us, even if they die; the state is a burdensome bureaucracy rumbling somewhere in the distance; being ordained by the church does not a holy man make; there is a case to be made for spiritual sanity; de Bernieres explores these ideas in what I thought was the first of his South American books, but in fact is the second, or third. Senior Vivo and the Coca Lords is the first and I therefore already know the ending. I'm happy to read it, however, because if it's anything like this luminous tale of the good and evil man can't help but impart to others, tinged with unexplained magic accepted as if it were normal, shot through with humor both subtle and hyperbolic, I will be more than happy with it. Shifting gears show more into the denouement, however, the plot hiccups and stalls, but not for too long, and his writing is so captivating that one barely notices it. de Bernieres can really write a novel. show less

The third book in the Latin American trilogy by the author of Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

This book moves into the religious life in the unnamed country. The hypocracies of the church are laid bare, starting with the titular cardinal, who indeed does have a son with his housekeeper. Although there is ambiguityin the narrative, this is not a wholescale condemnatation of the church. There is a defrocked priest who quotes Latin to pardon his flock, though not Church Latin, but the biggest threat is a new wave of inquistors led by the unhinged Monsignor Anquilar. It is the latter which also threatens the peaceful coexistance in Cocha Debajo de los Gatos.

The magical realism style holds up well with the third book, I especially enjoyed the show more comic utterings of the thawed out Conde (usually about his descendents) and the Mexican musician being mercilessly teased by his wives. Dionisio finally seems to come to terms with his loss, something which I had been hoping for.

There is a lot of misery in this book, tempered by the style it is written, but hope comes in the form of the resistance, of which the co-operative town of Coche Debajo de los Gatos is a potent symbol. show less

Durante la lettura è inevitabile il paragone con Marquéz o Isabel Allende. Bernières è diverso; minore, senz'altro. Non nella fantasia, che dimostra di avere tanta ed inesauribile; non nell'ironia, che senz'altro è ben distribuita ed è un basso continuo nella lettura del libro. Non nel realismo: le scene cruente e la perdita di Cristobal sono refoli gelidi per le emozioni. In cosa dunque sarebbe minore? Forse nella magia: nella lettura non ho trovato il fascino di altri grandi scrittori i cui libri hanno formato la mia sensibilità circa la letteratura dell'America Latina - i due citati prima, Amado, Scorza... Sara' forse perche' lui e' inglese? Puo' darsi... Rimane pur sempre un ottimo libro di un ottimo autore. Tant'e' che ne ho show more ordinato subito un altro... :-) show less

Third book in the trilogy, but the first that I read. Love the magic realism, the characters, the plot, the insight, the satire (which, as I believe good satire should, takes a back seat to the compelling story). Beautiful.

A very lively and colourful tale in a remote little South American village; reality ebbs and flows which makes it even more exciting and attractive. Wonderful read!

So much better than Captain Correlli. Forget that book and read this series. Quirky, intelligent, mysterious; well rewritten. Nearest series I can think of is Dr Siri by Colin Cotterill.