The Dream of the Celt

Denerick

Started reading 'The Dream of the Celt' by Mario Vargas Llosa. Its a novelised biography of Roger Casement, probably the single most interesting individual to have emerged from the island of Ireland in the 20th century. Around 200 pages into it, and I'm really enjoying the style and the way the novel weaves in an out of time. Anywho, just thought I'd post and enquire what others have thought/are thinking of it. If you've already read it, post spoiler at the top of your post. Unless Llosa ignores history altogether I doubt the ending will involve Casement fighting his way out of his English jail with an AK-47 with Rambo by his side, so I do know how it ends!

As a sidenote, the biography by Brian Inglis is a must read for anyone interested in Casement. Read it some years ago and its useful to be aware of the background to Casement's humanitarian work etc.

This could also become a broader discussion on Casement in general, such as alleged homosexuality (No doubt whatsoever about the way he swung BTW) or his god damn awful poetry. He was probably the first 'humanitarian' of history, a forerunner to the United Nations human rights bodies.

fisgon

I read this a few years ago when it came out in Spanish, and was a little disappointed. I love nearly everything Vargas Llosa writes, but the parts set in England and Ireland to me read like a history for children, with a very simplified style. I don't really like historical fiction, so this may have coloured my view.

The parts of the book set in the Congo and in Peru, though, were strong. This is where I thought it worked better, with the view of the brutality of how the natives were treated in both places, and Casement's attempts to improve their conditions. But overall I thought this was a very mixed novel.

Denerick

My own personal quibble is that I was expecting something a little more literary from a nobel laureate. Its good and all, but not mind blowing. The author tells me too much about the things that Roger does, it could be less formal and give us more of an insight into his personality. There is a lot of 'one damn thing after another' with this book.

I have to admit though, this book would be great source material for a film biopic (I can see Jeremy Irons playing Casement, Leonardo di Caprio as Henry Stanley, Martin Sheen as Herbert Ward, Judi Dench as Alice Green and Joaquin Phoenix as Julio Arana...)

The Blue Lagoon

Fascinating and rewarding read that lingers in the mind longafter one puts it down.

All I knew of RogerCasement prior to reading this book was that he landed guns in Banna strandonce. I always hated Irish history as taught in school because it seemed to meto be merely a depressing catalogue of failed attempts by a hopelesslydowntrodden people to overthrow oppression. Llosa’s illuminating and absorbing book has changed my mind and made thistime in Irish history interesting for me in a way other historians have not.

About two thirds of the book deals with Casement’s humanitarian work in defending the rights ofthe indigenous people of the Congo and Peruvian Amazonia and in exposing their systematic exploitation and enslavement, in both placesto extract the rubber then known as ’Black Gold'.
Casement rightly and deservedly was honoured with aknighthood from the British government for his services.

Llosa’streatment of ‘the Love that dare notspeak its name’ is masterful and empathic, and since the authenticity ofthe Black Diaries has never been proved nor disproved he adroitly leaves it upto the reader to decide for himself.

If I have anycriticism it is due to a personal pet hate of mine re the lack of chronology inwriting which, in my view, serves no purpose other than to confuse the reader.

I think thisbook is a fitting homage to a great man by a great writer.

wilkie2006

I enjoyed the novel but I thought that Edith Grossman's English translation was woeful. I refuse to believe that the original Spanish prose - written by a Nobel Prize winner - was so jarring and disjointed. "The Bad Girl", translated by the same woman, is equally bad for this.

Disappointed that Llosa's English language publishers didn't seek a new translator to accompany their new print-run.

dohouch

wilkie2006 wrote: »

I refuse to believe that the original Spanish prose - written by a Nobel Prize winner - was so jarring and disjointed.

Not sure if it can be put down to poor translation. Actually tried to read this in Spanish and found it a poor write. Have read many books from Vargas LLosa, all in English, and found quite a variation in quality of his writing.