its weak points: this book was all over the map. one minute it was concrete and readable, the next it was in a dream world, vague and almost incomprehensible, and i know it could be argued that this parallels the characters' inner states, but i felt the writer didn't pull off the task. what i felt happened, in effect, was that the book became unreadable, not cohesive, and ended up being sort of artsy-fartsy, lacking the power it might have otherwise had. also, i felt that the translation was iffy... often i had to re-read lines to figure out their meaning due to the poor grammatical style of the translator...missing commas, etc.
also, the author GREATLY overused the tool of switching points of view and time frame to tell the story. if it had been handled well it might have made a good artistic effect...instead it was just annoying and hard to follow.
last gripe, and i suspect few will agree with me here, but so be it: i felt the story had little in it that was redemptive beyond just telling a (true) horror story. aside from "we must fight for our rights," and "life doesn't mean much unless we're willing to die for our rights," i didn't find much of a spiritual message within. that said, the book was chilling nonetheless...disturbing...a good book to provoke nightmares.
And the novel integrates each of these elements as it progresses through the course of a single day. The thoughts and actions of the main characters form the fabric of the novel, a tragic and ultimatley determined portrait of El Salvador as the picturesque nation collapsed.
This novel is a fine translation of a fine author's passionate, bitter vision of his homeland. For those who have never spoken to someone affected by a third-world war, this novel will provide insight into the tortuous process of civil repression from the point of view of those who are trapped beneath police brutality and government ideology.
