Mario Vargas Llosa’s final novel, published in Spanish in 2023, stands as a reflective homage to his native Peru and its rich musical heritage. The acclaimed Peruvian Nobel laureate, who passed away last year at the age of 89, crafted this work with an awareness of his own mortality, yet the novel is far from somber. Instead, it offers a detailed and affectionate exploration of Peruvian culture through the lens of music.
The narrative centers on Toño Azpilcueta, a struggling music journalist and aspiring academic who dreams of becoming a professor specializing in Peruvian music. At the outset, Toño supports himself modestly by teaching at a girls’ school and writing for niche publications, while relying financially on his wife, Matilde. His character embodies the archetype of a passionate cultural enthusiast—if he were British, his obsession might lie in obscure genres like free jazz or Delta blues, but Toño is dedicated to the vals, a uniquely Peruvian fusion of the European waltz with African and indigenous influences.
Toño’s life changes when he attends a performance by an exceptionally talented but little-known guitarist named Lalo Molfino, only to learn shortly afterward of the musician’s sudden death. Motivated by the desire to honor Molfino’s legacy, Toño embarks on writing a biography of the artist, using a modest financial gift from a friend to fund his project. This endeavor becomes more than a tribute; it serves as a framework for Toño’s broader thesis that the vals holds the potential to heal Peru’s historical wounds, including colonialism, racism, dictatorship, and terrorism.
The novel’s structure alternates between third-person chapters chronicling Toño’s research journey along Peru’s Pacific coast and excerpts from the biography he is composing. This dual narrative offers both a personal story and an informative primer on Peruvian music and culture. It delves into the history of the vals, profiles influential musicians, examines the cajon percussion instrument, and discusses the Spanish language’s regional role. Central to the exploration is the concept of huachafería, a term that, while often translated as pretension, is given broader significance by Toño and the author. It encompasses a style that is intuitive, verbose, solemn, melodic, imaginative, and notably sentimental.
Throughout the novel, Toño’s grand claim—that his book will spark a cultural revolution rescuing Peru from poverty and division—is met with both earnestness and skepticism. Characters in the story challenge his idealism, including a music-loving couple whose interracial relationship complicates Toño’s simplified narrative of music’s unifying power, and a psychiatrist who dismisses the manuscript as incoherent. These interactions underscore the novel’s nuanced treatment of idealism and the complexities of social change.
Vargas Llosa’s portrayal of Toño reflects a tender appreciation for dreamers whose improbable efforts nonetheless contribute meaningfully to society. The novel is set in the early 1990s, a period when Vargas Llosa himself sought to redefine Peru’s future through a presidential campaign. Through Toño’s quest, Vargas Llosa contemplates the subtle ways passion and cultural devotion can influence a nation’s identity.
By the conclusion, the novel encourages readers to engage more deeply with Peru’s culture—whether by exploring its geography, culinary traditions, or music—and presents a compelling, multifaceted portrait of a country and its art form through the eyes of an unlikely hero.