Chinthu chokhudza nkhani zabodza (nkhani yomwe tidawona kale buku laposachedwa ili ndi David Alandete) ndi nkhani yomwe imachokera kutali. Ngakhale m'mbuyomu, mabodza odzipangira adapangidwa m'njira zandale zandale zosunthidwa ndi mabungwe anzeru ndi ntchito zina mbali zonse za Iron Curtain.
Mukudziwa bwino a Mario Vargas Llosa zomwe zimapangitsa bukuli kukhala losakanikirana pakati pa mbiri ndi intrahistory kuti pamapeto pake lisangalale ndi madzi abwino kwambiri pazomwe zidachitika.
Tinapita ku Guatemala mu 1954. Dziko lomwe likukhala m'masiku ake omaliza a zisinthidwe zomwe zidakhazikitsidwa kwazaka khumi zomwe, zidabweretsa demokalase kudzikolo.
Koma mzaka zovuta kwambiri pankhondo yozizira, palibe chomwe chitha kukhala ku Central ndi South America komwe United States nthawi zonse imakonza chiwembu chawo.
Popeza a Yankees adatha kuganiza kuti Spain idalakwitsa pomira sitima yankhondo Maine yomwe idayambitsa nkhondo ku Cuba pakati pa mayiko awiriwa, ndikosavuta kulingalira za zowona zomwe ziwembu zomwe Vargas Llosa adayambitsa nkhaniyi ndi kulinganiza kosangalatsa pakati pa zochitika zenizeni, kufotokozera momveka bwino ndikuchita kwa anthu azopeka.
Pamapeto pake anali Carlos Castillo Armas yemwe adamupha. Koma mosakaika konse kunali kuyamika kwa United States komwe kudalitsa zomwe zachitika kuti athetse mayesero olamulira achikomyunizimu m'derali.
Pambuyo pake iliyonse imakolola zipatso zake. United States ipeza ndalama zake zopindulitsa pomwe a Castillo Armas adathetsa kuwukira kulikonse mwa kusintha chilungamo chadzikolo kuti chiziyeza. Ngakhale chowonadi ndichakuti sanakhale nthawi yayitali pampando chifukwa atatha zaka zitatu adatsiriza kuphedwa.
Chifukwa chake Guatemala ndiwowonera chilichonse chatsopano chomwe Vargas Llosa akufuna kutiwuza kuchokera pamakona ndi zidutswa za miyoyo yomwe imapanga zojambula zomaliza. Ndi otchulidwa nthawi zonse kumapeto kwa moyo, ndi zokhumba za anthu zosokonezeka ndi malingaliro, zoneneza komanso mikangano yanthawi zonse.
Buku lalikulu lonena za masiku ovuta a Guatemala ovuta kwambiri zikomo, koposa zonse, pakuwona ndi kuwongolera kwa CIA mdzikolo, ndikuwonjezera miyoyo ya anthu ambiri aku Guatemala.
Tsopano mutha kugula buku la Hard Times, buku latsopano la Mario Vargas Llosa, apa: