The Bad Girl by Mario Vargas Llosa

It took me quite a long time finishing this because I have other things to do. Lol.

Seldom do I talk about love stories because I am not very fond of it. You see, I am not the sweetest girl who will do everything for the man she loves, because I am more of the independent and a solitary girl. Some young men whom I think were condescending have called me "cold hearted bitch", but I do not think I am heartless. I am easily enamored actually, but by fictional characters. Lol.

Kidding aside, so after reading this it made me realize that "Love in the Time of Cholera" by Gabriel Marquez was no longer my favorite love story (Only in terms of plot, okay?) but "The Bad Girl" by Mario Vargas Llosa. I will no longer then seek for my Florentino Ariza who could wait for me half a century, but for someone who will chase for me forever even though I will left him on and on for another man. Lol. But for the writing style of this book, I do think it is a so-so compare to Marquez's. Llosa, after winning the Nobel, could now be regarded as a high caliber writer. But reading this book, I felt bewildered. I am not bashing or anything, perhaps, I should read more some of his novels and poems to give a better opinion about him.

I will not go into details because I do not want to be an utter spoiler if you happen to read this post, but this are the few things I want to always remember about this book.

- The Bad Girl is the bitchiest fictional character you will ever meet and more liberated than Scarlet O'Hara. She, in my modest opinion, is the ultimate femme fatale.

- The plot is both predictable and unpredictable.

- I am scared of Japanese Yakuza now. Lol. I am studying Japanese culture for my thesis and from time to time, I read about their pornography and all that. But little did I know about the practice discussed by Llosa in this novel. It is really disturbing compare to the kind of brutal sex I have seen from German, Swedish and French films.

- I became acquainted more on the Hippie culture, making me realize how many hippie posers were dispersed on the internet. Lol.

- Mario Vargas Llosa is a very knowledgeable man although, he is stereotypical too.

- I am inferring after reading this book that Mario Vargas Llosa has a good knack not only in Literature but also into politics, history, culture, fashion and. . .make up. Lol, we can be friends.

- I can sense tinges of influences of Gustave Flaubert from this novel. I might research soon if Llosa seem to be inspired by Flaubert


So there, not really an impressive book but I enjoyed reading this. Lol, please do not judge me for enjoying it.