Hoy, sin miedo que libre escandalice, puede hablar el ingenio, asegurado de que mayor poder le atemorice.
En otros siglos pudo ser pecado severo estudio, y la verdad desnuda, y romper el silencio el bien hablado.
– Francisco de Quevedo y Villegas (1580-1645)
( “These days, without fear that his freedom will offend, an intelligent man may speak, safe from the intimidation of the more powerful.
In other centuries, rigorous criticism,
the naked truth, and the eloquent man’s breaking of silence, could have been crimes.” )
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After an interval of 4 years, I finally finished the Latin American trilogy by Louis de Bernières !
1.The War of Don Emmanuel’s Nether Parts
2 Señor Vivo and the Coca Lord.
3. The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman
Really outstanding. Each in its own right.
This is classical satire lifted up into the modern age.
A critique of corruption, authoritarianism, and the dark entanglements of religion and politics with colorful characters coloured with hopes of resistance, rebellion, and redemption.
Many of the strange events and characters symbolize real-world issues, such as dictatorship, colonialism, and religious corruption.
How important people take themselves so seriously only to go to dust. The inflated sense of self leads to negative emotions such as pride, arrogance, and insecurity.
Self-importance dissolves when we understand our brief role in the universe.
Memento Mori : Remember ,you must die.
Bernières’ prose is lyrical and poetic.