Bernieres owes a lot to Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and people who enjoy Marquez should get a kick out of this series. Bernieres is like Marquez on crack. I find Marquez a little more poetic and smooth, while Bernieres weilds magical realism like a scythe, cutting down reality without flinching and turning his crop into a hilarious and profound conglomeration of characters and stories about the people of South America. If you only know Bernieres through Corelli's Mandolin, you're in for a completely different ride. ( )

Bernieres owes a lot to Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and people who enjoy Marquez should get a kick out of this series. Bernieres is like Marquez on crack. I find Marquez a little more poetic and smooth, while Bernieres weilds magical realism like a scythe, cutting down reality without flinching and turning his crop into a hilarious and profound conglomeration of characters and stories about the people of South America. If you only know Bernieres through Corelli's Mandolin, you're in for a completely different ride. ( )

I love this trilogy set in a fictional South American country. It's funny, brutal, interesting, sad and beautiful all at the same time. The 3 books each stand alone, but have some characters and settings in common. The first book is primarily about the military, the second about the drugs trade, and the third about organised religion, but all are also overflowing with vivid characters, magical cats, crazy situations and black humour. ( )