Discreet Hero

Felícito and Ismael are, each in his own way, quiet, discreet rebels: honourable men who try to take control of their destiny in a social and political climate in which everything can seem to be set in stone, predetermined. They are hardly vigilantes, but each is determined to live according to his own personal ideals and desires – which means forcing himself to rise above the pettiness of his surroundings. The Discreet Hero is also an opportunity to meet some of our favorite characters from earlier Vargas Llosa novels: Sergeant Lituma, Don Rigoberto, Doña Lucrecia and Fonchito are all here in a prosperous Peru. Vargas Llosa paints a vivid picture of Piura and Lima – and the cities become not just physical spaces but also realms of the imagination, populated by his vivid characters.