Roncagliolo’s other books seem to fit a similar interest in crime, violence, terrorism. He keeps her room exactly the same, lays her clothes out as if she were still alive, talks to her pictures and even goes as far as behaving as if she were still alive by keeping appointments with her. Chalcatana moves back into this childhood home where he lives alone except for the overwhelming eerie presence of his deceased mother. Chalcatana is not necessarily unreliable, but for a reader, it’s difficult to overlook his peculiarities. But what makes this novel a little messier, a little more uncertain, is the narrator. There are many disturbing things about this novel-the violence, the corruption and the religious overtones-which can all easily be filed under ‘amoral’ in the literary tricks rolodex of the thriller genre. Nevertheless, it’s a solid portrait of a place steeped almost hopelessly in the completely corrupted, with little sense of hope for change or a better future.Ī somewhat uneasy mix of political and crime thriller, Roncagliolo does paint some very vivid and powerful scenes-but it is of a dark and desolate world.įellow BTBA judge, Monica Carter, also reviewed Red April and had this to say: Chacaltana is, for the most part, an appealingly clueless figure in this world gone bad, though his own transformation seems a bit much by the end his relationship with Edith also strains some credulity.

Red April is an intriguing if somewhat messy thriller, with no easy answers and culpability (of different sorts) all around. It’s a very intriguing novel, one that Michael Orthofer of Complete Review gave a solid B, having this to say:

This “chilling political thriller set at the end of Peru’s grim war between Shining Path terrorists and a morally bankrupt government counterinsurgency,” which was translated by Edith Grossman, centers around Associate District Prosecutor Felix Chacaltana Saldivar and his investigation of a gruesome, bizarre murder.

Last year, in the run-up to announcing the longlist for the Best Translation Book Award for Fiction, there was a bit of chatter about Santiago Roncagliolo’s Red April. Up today: Peruvian author Santiago Roncagliolo, whose new short story “Stars and Stripes” is included in this issue. All past and future posts related to this issue can be found by clicking here. As we mentioned last Friday, we’re going to spend the next 21 days highlighting all of the authors selected for Granta’s _“Best of Young Spanish-Language Novelists” special issue.

Red april by santiago roncagliolo