Le rouge sur la plume du perroquet

by Daniel Chavarría

Aldo Bianchi, a former Argentine revolutionary now living in Italy, travels to Havana, where he meets the beautiful Bini, a sultry student with great charm and panache working the hotels. Bianchi soon discovers via his liaison with Bini that his nemesis, the Uruguayan military torturer Alberto Ríos, is living under a false identity in Cuba. Putting his tropical holiday on hold, Bianchi goes on the hunt for his sadistic enemy.

Daniel Chavarría authentically portrays the sensuousness and skullduggery of contemporary Havana, a city that offers erotic thrills to pleasure-seeking tourists, even as it hides villains in its humid embrace. While Ríos thrives on bribery and corruption, Bianchi is driven by a desire to see justice done. Tango for a Torturer is a sexy and political thriller chock-full of bawdy humor and chilling evocations of the evils wrought by Latin American military dictatorships.

Daniel Chavarría, a former Tupamaros who hijacked a plane to fly himself to Havana in 1969, is a Uruguayan writer with two passions: classical literature and prostitutes. For years he was a professor of Latin, Greek, and classical literature, devoting much of his time and energy to researching the origins and evolution of prostitution. He has won numerous literary awards around the world, including the 1992 Dashiell Hammett Award and the 2002 Edgar Allan Poe Award. His novels Adios Muchachos and The Eye of Cybele are also published by Akashic Books. He lives in Havana.

Genres: Fiction, Literature, Noir, Novels

305 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Daniel Chavarria was an Uruguayan revolutionary and writer, who lived in Cuba since the 1960s.
Together with Justo E. Vasco received the award MININT in 1982 for Completo Camaguey, and in 1983 for Primero muerto.

Reviews

[Mar · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Adult
-Political, Thriller, Satire
-A former Argentine revolutionary ends up in Cuba and gets tangled with a seductive student who’s not as naïve as she seems. As their paths intertwine, past and justice collide, basically.
-It’s like a noir novel, a political essay, and a Caribbean fever dream… all in one. Like man, this made me want to go to Cuba, how?
-The characters are eccentric and morally grey. I’m not sure who the protagonists are in here, but everyone felt chaotic, infuriating, yet completely captivating. Except for Alberto, that guy can go suck it.
-There’s satire, discomfort, sex, ideology, manipulation, revenge and tropical vibes.
-Some scenes feel slow, but others grab you hard. However, i expected more? It was all solved in like, 20 pages what.
-Not a “feel-good” story, but one full of symbolism and social critique.
-The ending doesn’t explode but it kinda sinks in.
-Not for everyone. But if you like politics + “WTF did I just read?”… go for it.

Oh, and I don’t mean the “WTF did I just read” in a necessary good way.

-Plot: 3/5
-Characters: 2.5/5

[Eternauta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Απολαυστική καλοκαιρινή απόδραση, ένα βιβλίο που παρά τις αφηγηματικές "ατασθαλίες" του είναι ποτισμένο σε πρωτοκλασάτο κουβανέζικο ρούμι το οποίο και σε ξεσηκώνει απο την πρώτη γουλιά. Όταν η μέθη ξεθυμαίνει τα πράγματα δεν μοιάζουν τόσο ρόδινα αλλά so what;! έχεις μπόλικες σελίδες για να σε παρασύρουν ξανά σε αυτήν την πολύχρωμη φλυαρία.

Θα έπαιρνε εύκολα 4 αστεράκια αν η πλοκή είχε περισσότερο περιεχόμενο. Σαν σπουδή χαρακτήρων και σαν ανάλαφρη κωμωδία παρά το σκοτεινό υπόβαθρό της η ιστορία είναι πάντως επαρκής και η μετάφραση του Ηλιόπουλου (όπως πάντα) αξιοθαύμαστη.

[dianne b. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very evocative story about some of the residua and fall out from the years of torture and unimaginable inhumanity during the military right-wing dictatorships in Uruguay and Argentina. The worst scum went unpunished, many still living comfortably off their ill-gotten gains.
This is a fictional account of one torturer and one of his victims, years later.

Unfortunately, there is an oft seen and overworked character: the hooker with a heart of gold. The story also suffers some from Mr. Chavarria's (IMO) inaccurate vision of women's desires. He writes women as a man might fantasize, rather than as we really are (so sorry to disappoint, Daniel).

An excellent story though, overall, and engagingly written book.

[Alexander Theofanidis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ένα χαριτωμένο συμπίλημα αστυνομικής λογοτεχνίας, μνήμης του πόνου των δικτατοριών της Λατινικής Αμερικής και της πορνείας της Κούβας. Ο καλός και ο κακός δεν είναι εξαρχής προφανείς και οι πουτάνες δίνουν και παίρνουν (κυριολεκτικά και μεταφορικά).
Δε θα εκστασιαστείτε, αλλά δε θα απογοητευτείτε κιόλας.

[Karlo Mikhail · Rating 4 out of 5]

All very good and entertaining except for the book description on the cover, which wrongly describes the protagonist as a former revolutionary when he was just an ordinary guy victimized by the villain

[Polillaentrelibros · Rating 3 out of 5]

Con muy pocas esperanzas de que me gustara comencé,lo confieso,más que todo ,por la portada que es (re-fea) , pero no estuvo mal ,estuvo entretenido ,se puede leer .Creo que se podía haber contado la historia con muchas menos páginas y hubiese sido más ligero y apasionante.

[Xrysoula Patatoukaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Σε ξεγελάει με το ανάλαφρο ύφος και το χιούμορ του, τι ωραία, σκέφτεσαι... όχι, όχι, πολύ βιαστική σκέψη, είναι βαθιά και απολαυστικά ύ π ο υ λ ο ς !

"Η Μπίνι, ακόμα κι αν δεν χρειαζόταν χρήματα, κάθε φορά που περνούσε από ένα τραπεζικό μηχάνημα σταματούσε και έκανε αναλήψεις.... Τα πλήκτρα στα μαγικά μηχανήματα την έκαναν να νιώθει αποζημιωμένη. Τώρα πια η Μπίνι ζούσε στη δημοκρατία, είχε ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα...
-Τι, τι είπες; Τι είναι πάλι αυτό με τα ανθρώπινα δικαιώμστα; Τι θέλεις να πεις;
Μα φυσικά. Θέλει να πει πως όταν ασκεί τα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματά της ξεχνάει τα βάσανα των παιδικών της χρόνων και τις στερήσεις. Και πώς τα ασκεί; Γράφει το μυστικό αριθμούλη, τσακ, ένα σωρό μπερδεμένα καλώδια μπαίνουν σε λειτουργία σε όλον τον κόσμο και δείχνουν πως εκείνη υπάρχει, η Μπίνι Λόπες υπάρχει. Μάλιστα. Τώρα τη γνωρίζουν στις τράπεζες. Τώρα ζει στη δημοκρατία κι έχει ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα, όπως οι γυναίκες στο σινεμά, όλες με το αμαξάκι τους και την πιστωτική τους καρτούλα..."

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not going to lie to you: I decided to read this book almost entirely based on this author bio: "Daniel Chavarría, a former Tupamaros who hijacked a plane to fly himself to Havana in 1969, is a Uruguayan writer with two passions: classical literature and prostitutes." I figured that anyone with that background was almost bound to be a decent story-teller. Given that the book was exploring the reverberations of the era of military dictators in the Southern Cone (an interest area of mine) I thought it was bound to be entertaining at the very least.

I wasn’t disappointed. The book, a dark political novel about an Argentinean expatriate businessman’s plot for revenge against the man who tortured him and killed his girlfriend on behalf of the military dictatorship set in the late 1990s in Cuba, weaves one hell of a tale.

It’s definitely a yarn with seriousness of purpose rather than high-minded literature. Chavarría may name-check Borges, Homer and Donald Westlake within a few pages, but his story shares much more DNA with the work of the latter than the former two. It’s a gritty novel of weaving conspiracies and people getting in touch with their basic instincts, where the protagonist may be out for revenge for the most understandable reasons possible but is still at least in part trying to cover up his own misdeeds and deal with the evil in his own soul. Though it ends on a surprising hopeful note, the world it exists in is one where morality is cheaply bought and sold, bad men prosper by working with other bad men and justice is assured to almost no one. Compelling and thought-provoking, and comic in a black way, but it’s a novel meant to be enjoyed rather than analyzed too closely.

There may have been something going on with the structure that went over my head (I was not a literature major of any kind), but it struck me as having some rough spots writing-wise. A lot of poorly executed info-dumping, a slow start and wherever Chavarría lost sight of the central plot thread of the battle between the vengeful Aldo Bianchi and the sadistic Orlando Ortega Ortiz it often dragged. If you’re a fan of tightly-conceived plots you’re going to scream – it turns on not one, but two truly incredible coincidences.

That being said, the book legitimately kept me guessing where it was going until the very last pages and offered some insight into life in Cuba in the later Castro years unfamiliar to me as someone who is not really a student of the country and into Afro-Cuban culture and religion in particular.

It also offered an intriguing take on Chavarría’s central broad theme: the psychology of the torturer and the tortured and the nature of cruelty. Triple-O is a thoroughly and unrepentantly repulsive character, with every bad quality one could be assigned and clearly intended to be a sociopath from his teen years – but we still get to spend enough time in his head with him thinking about his work to be chilled. He is not someone motivated by duty or country or anyone of what he would consider imbecile nonsense. He is someone who rejects a great deal of the moral trappings of modern society as essentially false, who believes cruelty is central to human nature and is willing to use whatever tools are at his disposal for his own gain. The fact that he was naturally a torturer and simply found a way to do so professionally was not quite as interesting a choice for me personally as it could have been, but he rings true enough as a character to be profoundly disturbing. The scars he left on Bianchi reveal themselves a little more slowly, but do speak to the devastating impact these horrors leave long after the physical harm is over and to the difficulty of trying to live with one’s self with these things in your past.

Very much worth a read.

[Wu Ming · Rating 5 out of 5]

WM1: Qualche mese fa il nostro editore spagnolo (Grijalbo/Mondadori), sapendoci grandi ammiratori di Daniel, ci ha chiesto di scrivere una frase promozionale per l'edizione iberica di All� Ellos (in italia, Il rimedio universale). Quello che abbiamo scritto vale anche per El Rojo en la pluma del lorro:
"Chavarria danza come una farfalla e punge come un'ape. Ha una tale padronanza della tecnica da renderla invisibile. Per intere riprese passeggia per il ring, apparentemente ozioso e disinteressato a incrociare i guantoni, poi fa un passo in avanti e, nel tempo di un battito di ciglia, ti ritrovi al tappeto, steso da un gancio che non hai nemmeno visto partire. L'arbitro inizia a contarti, riesci ad alzarti... e sei in un altro romanzo. Questo � puro, impeccabile stile. (WM)
La cosa pi� notevole � la leggiadria con cui Daniel tesse questo apologo sulla vendetta. Dopo che l'ho finito, ha continuato ad accompagnarmi per mesi.
http://www.wumingfoundation.com/italiano/Giap/giap42.ht… (WM1)

[Dominique · Rating 3 out of 5]

J’ai aimé le livre mais il est un peu décousu. Au début, on voit les 2 protagonistes sans savoir vraiment qui ils sont. Ensuite, sans avertissement, on voit la vie passée d’un des protagonistes. Toujours sans transition, nous voilà rendu au passé de l’autre protagoniste, et finalement, à la fin du livres, les 2 personnages principaux sont ensembles et l’on revient au moment présent. D’où mon impression de récit décousu.

En même temps on apprend sur un épisode sombre des années 1960-1970 en Amérique du Sud et plus particulièrement sur l’Argentine.

[Jordan Iordanis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Απολαυστικό!

[Πάνος Τουρλής · Rating 4 out of 5]

Προσοχή, SPOILERS:

Πραγματι απο τα πολυ καλα βιβλια που εχω διαβασει. Μου αρεσε απιστευτα το θεμα-στορυ του βιβλιου (βασανιστης και σαδιστης νομιζει οτι γλυτωσε απο τα θυματα του αλλα ενα δευτερολεπτο αρκει για να βρεθει καποιος στα ιχνη του και να στησει ολοκληρη πλεκτανη για να τον κλεισει φυλακη ωστε να ερθει αντιμετωπος με τα αισθηματα του και να μετανιωσει, λεμε τωρα). Μου αρεσε απιστευτα ο τροπος που εκτυλιχθηκε η πλοκη. Μπρος πισω μπρος πισω, που θελει να εισαι λιγο συγκεντρωμενος για να καταλαβεις αλλα σε κερδιζει αμεσως. Θαμπορουσε να γινει δαιδαλωδες και χαωδες με τοσα ονοματα που εστω και δευτεραγωνιστες ερχεται η σειρα τους να παιξουν καταλυτικο ρολο στην υποθεση. Ομως η γλωσσα και ο χειρισμος του συγγραφεα ειναι απαιχτος. Προσπαθω να ερθω στη θεση του καημενου του θυματος που απο καθαρη τυχη βρεθηκε στα ιχνη του βασανιστη του και για να εκδικηθει το θανατο της συντροφου του και τα δικα του βασανιστηρια παγιδευει τον αντιπαλο του, τον φερνει αντιμετωπο με τις ευθυνες του και τον οδηγει στην αυτοκτονια. Πραγματι οι σκηνες των βασανιστηριων ηταν εμετικες αλλα απαραιτητες κι οσο σκεφτομαι οτι υπαρχει αυτο το πραγμα, μεσον εκφοβισμου και σαδιστικης κυριαρχιας ανθρωπου σε ανθρωπο με θλιβει. Η σκηνη της αποδρασης του βασανιστη ηταν απο τις πιο αγωνιωδεις, θα τη γλυτωσει, δε θα τη γλυτωσει, ο χρονος τρεχει. Κουβα, Λατινικη Αμερικη, θρησκεια και ταγκο, σε ενα απιστευτο εναγκαλισμα με σασπενς και βαθια ανθρωπιστικα μηνυματα. Θα ψαξω κι εγω τα αλλα του βιβλια.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I liked this one even better than "Adios Amigos," which is a decent read in itself. "Tango" does wander a bit, but it provides richer environments. It creates a better back story, making the goings-on and the entanglements more provocative. Keeping the characters and their aliases straight might be a bit of a chore, so it would be helpful to read this book quickly instead of stop-n-go chapters over a long period of time. The ending is so-so, and the epilogue is rather fun.

[Samuel76 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dopo aver "partecipato" ad un 3d relativo ai commenti dati ai libri da parte dei lettori qui su anobii, mi verrebbe da commentare questo romanzo con un'unica parola: "bello!" :)

Ma oggi sono in vena di scrivere qualcosa, nulla di profondo dal punto di vista psico-intellettivo, ma di certo spontaneo!

Di questo autore avevo già letto mesi fa un altro libro, ne ero rimasto entusiasta sia della storia che del modo di scrivere: semplice, pulito e scorrevole. Questo mi ha portato a comprare, a scatola chiusa quasi, altri libri.

Oltre alla trama interessante, il racconto mi ha coinvolto anche per il modo di narrare gli eventi, un'avanti ed indietro nel tempo nei primi capitoli, poi una descrizione dettagliata dei vari personaggi protagonisti e non, senza mai essere pesante e "di troppo", per poi procedere nel resto dei capitoli in ordine cronologico in base agli eventi (o quasi).

Avevo visto un 3d in un gruppo in cui sono iscritto, in cui si chiedeva quali posti sono stati visitati o sognati a seguito della lettura di libri, non ho risposto, in quanto non avevo nulla da dire... bhè, ora, dopo il secondo libro ambientato in Sud America, ed in particolare in quel di Cuba, la voglia di visitare quei posti sta salendo, non tanto per vederli, ma per poter essere pure io nell'atmosfera tanto frizzante, calda, sensuale e con un passato burrascoso, tanto decantata da Daniel Chavarrìa (parla anche dell'Uruguay, essendo nato li).

Ma mi sa che prima di Cuba, andrò in Giappone... prima o poi!

[Δήμος Καραχάλιος · Rating 5 out of 5]

Εξαιρετικό βιβλίο με διαβολεμένο χιούμορ, καλοδουλεμένους χαρακτήρες και γρήγορη ροή.

[Giacomo Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.5

[Emilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magistral. Impecablemente construida, la trama empieza con varias líneas argumentales que convergen de manera paulatina y excepcional. Gran balance entre dar información para desenvolver el argumento y esconderla para mantener la tensión. A pesar de haber una clara demarcación entre buenos y malos todos los personajes son complejos y entre anécdotas y pequeños gestos cada uno logró despertarme sentimientos positivos y negativos. La redacción es muy rica, muchos juegos de palabras, neologismos, referencias, simbolismos, y pienso que muchos guiños se me habrán escapado. El final me decepcionó levemente, no dio un cierre hermético como creo merecía, me hubiese gustado saber el destino de algunos personajes secundarios. Y también me dejó esa sensación de derrota, porque la venganza no logra consumarse pero a fin de cuentas la única manera de vengar a ese tipo de gente horrenda (ooorrenda) sería hacerles lo mismo, convirtiéndose uno mismo en gente horrenda. Una novela angustiante, maravillosa, sólida y exigente con el lector. Con gran decepción pero cero sorpresa me topé con varios pasajes extremadamente misóginos.

Resumen: Aldo, ex preso en la dictadura uruguaya (aunque no político) se encuentra por azar con su torturador y asesino de su novia, Orlando o "Tresó", en Cuba. El ex milico había escapado ahí huyendo de la venganza de sus torturados, y había adoptado la identidad de Alberto Ríos. Aldo con la complicidad de Bini, su novia prostituta que tenía a Alberto por cliente, traza un plan para meterlo preso por un delito menor y aprovechar su cautiverio para denunciar su crímenes de lesa humanidad frente a tribunales internacionales con la certeza de que no se escaparía. Finalmente el torturador se suicida en su celda antes de ser juzgado.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating, interesting, and fun; this novel is another good proof of the immaculate writing qualities of Daniel Chavarría, living up to his name as a great story-teller. The plot is simple and mainly evolves around people changing their lives in Cuba, gradually becoming perplexed in a thrilling manner. All the main characters are very interesting and with small pieces of information they become deep, albeit realistic. Through mesmerizing story telling with all the little bits and pieces that enable you to immerse, Daniel Chavarría keeps the reader on edge. He uses an interesting technique enabling the reader’s heart to go on a rollercoaster drive. The novel starts with stories that seem independent, familiarizing the reader with the main characters, which you come to sympathize. Over the course of the story, information of the past lives of the characters cause an immediate shift of feelings. A very nice way to realize that stories told can be seen in a very different way if you know the full picture. Finally, I love that he uses very little stories, as a literature spice that somewhat seem indifferent, but each is a part of the big tapestry that comprises the novel.
Bottom-line: An excellent read that will take you in a nice Cuban journey.

[Oscar Espejo Badiola · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frío, así me he quedado al acabar.
Vale que me ha gustado, me he metido dentro de la trama y la he devorado, pero me he quedado con muchos interrogantes y eso no me gusta, me deja faltado algo.
Vamos, como si el autor quisiera acabarla y ahí la dejó.
Me ha faltado algo más, tanto de la historia de la que viene la trama, como del final.

[!Tæmbuŝu]

KOBOBOOKS

Reviewed by His Futile Preoccupations

[TheAuntie · Rating 4 out of 5]

very well constructed plot, with lots of timeline back-and-forths.
I was expecting more political implications on this book. It's not the case, nevertheless the story catches you and you look forward to see if Captain Horror will have the punishment he deserves! :-)

[Elidanora · Rating 3 out of 5]

En general me gustó y estaré leyendo más de este escritor nacido en Uruguay pero Cubano desde los '60.
Me pareció que el libro estaria excelente si no redundara tanto en detalles acerca de la vida de personajes que no son ni siquiera secundarios.

[Claudia Martinez Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daniel Chavarría knows more about Cuba than me! This book it's addictive. I have always loved his way of describing things. The story is great in my opinion and I think it would make a great movie. I recommend it!

[Alessandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tiene todo lo que busco de un libro. Una historia entre la realidad y la ficción, personajes bien delineados y definidos; atrapante porque no sabés a dónde irá a parar, intenso, divertido, crítico... Me encantó Chavarría

[Douglas · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe I'm too picky but I didn't even make it five pages through this book. I skipped ahead to see if it got better, but it didn't. Not the kind of writing style I enjoy reading.

[Yves Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

La chaleur de Cuba, vivante tout au long du roman, belle écriture. Intrigue correcte sans que ce soit la raison de la lecture.