At the Tomb of the Inflatable Pig : Travels Through Paraguay

by John Gimlette

Release Date: 06 January, 2004

Edition: Hardcover

Price:

More Info

At the Tomb of the Inflatable Pig : Travels Through Paraguay

How can one describe Paraguay? How many people actually know where Paraguay is? Whatever the answer to the second question, Gimlette, a regular contributor to Conde Nast Traveller and other journals and newspapers, does a masterly job with the first. Here we find the exploits of dictators, opportunists, and just general folk on the lam that would make Central American strongmen blush. Gimlette travels from one end of Paraguay to the other in search of Mennonites, Japanese, indigenous tribes, and the stray Nazi. A good part of the book covers the rise and fall of Francisco Lopez (1826-70) and his Irish mistress, Eliza Lynch. Lopez almost single-handedly razed his country by waging war with Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. In Gimlette's own words, "Francisco Solano Lopez's promise to die with his country came not a moment too soon. Had he left it any longer, there might have been no country left to die with." A fantastically written book about a neglected part of the world, this is recommended for all libraries

A good book that misses

Perhaps it was the author's choice not to try to master Guarani (though he may be surprised to learn that moat Paraguayans can handle Castellano), but 99% of his conversations were with expatriots and the upper crust of Asuncion. Without spending time sipping terere with campesinos he never had a chance to find out what the Paraguayan character was all about. He just misses the whole point of the country. His blow-by-blow accounts of the Chaco and Triple Alliance Wars were fascinating, but why did he completely ignore the devestating Civil War of the late 1940's and the rise of the Febristas. He also takes little note of the amazing explosion of media and personal freedoms, the obvious defanging of the military, and the advance of women's rights that have taken place since Rodriguez siezed power. His painting of all of Paraguay's leadership and citizenry is wholly cynical. It makes for good reading but is singularly unfair to a country that is trying its best.