Senor Vivo and the Coca Lords (Senor Vivo and the Coca Lords - Louis de Bernieres)

Member Name: Clic Clac

Product:	Senor Vivo and the Coca Lords - Louis de Bernieres
Date:	19/07/00 (83 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great characters, nice style, good story

Disadvantages: Some people see him as a poor man's gabriel garcia marquez

Senor Vivo and the Coca Lords was the first Louis De bernieres that i read, and from there on I was hooked. The story revolves around Senor Vivo, a journalist who wages a paper war against the Coca lords who are corrupting the country with their cocaine trade. The narrative is displayed from a number of points of view and medium...letters, newspaper articles and third person description. The story charts Senor Vivo's rise from a simple journalist to a national hero and brujo (a south American type of wizard/witch doctor)through his articles criticising the cocaine trade. Many attempts are made on Senor Vivo's life but whether by magic or wilyness he manages to survive adding to his remarkable reputation.
The style is very lyrical but is unflinching in its sudden change of tack, a major incident occuring in just a few lines leaving the reader shocked by the suddeness. Magic is interweaved with reality which allows a more fantastical view of life.
The book is very well researched and the South American flavour really comes through in both the language and the description of the environment. The characters are all carefully constructed with their own quirks and flaws, de Bernieres makes you care what happens to each one.
Overall although I sense that De Bernieres was heavily influenced by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, (which in itself is no bad thing as I love Garcia Marquez) this doesn't detract from De Bernieres own skill as a fluid story-teller. If you like books which don't travel down the traditional road, which can fuse magic with reality, happiness with sadness and history with fiction, then this is a book you'll love!

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