The Discreet Hero - Book Review

The Discreet Hero is a 2013 book that was translated to English in 2015. The writer Mario Vargas Llosa won the Nobel Prize for literature in 2010.

An Unconventional Hero

In The Discreet Hero, the protagonist Felício Yanaqué lives his life according to his father's last teaching “Do not let anyone step into you.” as a way to honor his memory. But life is tricky and Felício's principles will be put to the test.

An unconventional hero without the dramatic overtones of the movies but filled with honor, Felício is a real-life hero, one who no one will ever know about. Yet, they can proudly shape their own destiny with honesty. Our protagonist fights against the status quo, which he thinks is wrong, and never gives up, although the world around him keeps saying that this is the rule.

Two Stories, One Fate

But Felício is not the only hero in this book. Along with its pages, we can read two different storylines, unrelated at first, but in the end, they will share a fate.

The main conflicts arise inside the characters, most of them very introspective during the whole story.

A Conflict of Generations

In The Discreet Hero, we see a series of complicated family relationships in which the reader is confronted with the differences between two generations. One is a generation of hard workers who fought all their lives to have what they own now, and the other is their spoiled sons, who never had to fight for anything and who believe it's their right to have anything they want.

One Perspective of Love

The book focuses on loyalty and ethics (which the characters may or may not have), and the romance isn't centered on crazy young love but on the maturity of the years and the calm passion of difference.

If you enjoy Latin American or Spanish-language authors, you might also like Malinche by Laura Esquivel. It’s a powerful story rooted in history, culture, and identity.

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