What To Read

Peruvian author and Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa, one of the most influential writers in Latin American literature, has died at the age of 89. Vargas Llosa’s writing, which explored themes of power, politics, history, and individual freedom, played a key role in the Latin American Boom literary movement of the 1960s and ’70s.

In addition to being a towering figure in global literature and a Nobel laureate, Vargas Llosa led a remarkably eventful life, marked by his polarizing shifts in politics later in life and a failed bid for the Peruvian presidency.

Whether you’re revisiting a favorite or encountering his voice for the first time, these books offer a powerful glimpse into Vargas Llosa’s range—from political drama and historical fiction to philosophical inquiry and biting satire—all organized in the order we recommend for reading through Vargas Llosa’s substantial body of work.

The Feast of the Goat (2000)

A gripping account of the final days of Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo, this novel mixes fiction with real history. A great entry point into Vargas Llosa’s later work and one of his most widely-read books.

The Time of the Hero (1963)

Set in a military academy in Lima, Nobel Prize-winning author Mario Vargas Llosa's first novel exposed corruption within the institution and sparked controversy in Peru. It introduced many of the political and psychological themes Vargas Llosa would revisit throughout his career.

Conversation in the Cathedral (1969)

A dense and complex novel that examines life under authoritarian rule in 1950s Peru. It is structured around a long conversation between two characters, through which a portrait of a society shaped by fear and control slowly emerges.

Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter (1977)

A delightful semi-autobiographical comedy that contrasts a young writer’s romantic misadventures with the outrageous soap opera plots of an eccentric scriptwriter. Funny, self-aware, and a great place to start if you’re new to his work.

The War of the End of the World (1981)

Based on a 19th-century rebellion in Brazil, this historical novel looks at the clash between a millenarian religious movement and the Brazilian army. It is one of his most ambitious and researched works.

The Bad Girl (2006)

A novel that follows a man’s decades-long obsession with a mysterious, ever-changing woman who drifts in and out of his life. Through their relationship, Vargas Llosa explores themes of desire, identity, and emotional dependency, drawing subtle parallels to classic literary heroines.

Death in the Andes (1993)

Set in a remote Andean village, this novel follows a police investigation into a series of disappearances linked to guerrilla violence and ancient rituals. Blending political thriller and myth, it explores Peru’s internal conflict, Indigenous culture, and the country’s fractured identity.

The Green House (1966)

An early novel that weaves together multiple storylines across the Peruvian jungle and desert coast, including the lives of soldiers, nuns, and sex workers. Its fragmented structure and shifting timelines challenged traditional narrative form and helped establish Vargas Llosa as a major voice in Latin American fiction.

The Storyteller (1987)

This novel about an anthropologist and a mysterious man who may have abandoned modern life to become a tribal storyteller in the Amazon explores preservation, myth, and the conflict between progress and tradition.

Harsh Times (2019)

Set in 1950s Guatemala, this novel examines the U.S.-backed coup that overthrew President Jacobo Árbenz. Vargas Llosa explores the impact of Cold War politics in Latin America, the use of propaganda, and how history is rewritten through fiction and power.