In a dramatic, ebullient memoir, eminent Peruvian novelist Vargas Llosa recounts his unsuccessful bid for the Peruvian presidency in 1990 on a reformist platform. Believing private enterprise to be the driving force of economic development, Vargas Llosa, who promised to end state control of the economy, discrimination and entrenched class privilege in Peru's multiracial society, rejects the oft-repeated thesis that Alberto Fujimori, who won the election, has appropriated his ideas. On the contrary, he criticizes Fujimori's regime as authoritarian and destined to propagate backwardness. The author's political saga alternates with frank chapters on his childhood, adolescence and development as a writer. His autobiography is of equal interest as a political statement and a literary testament. (Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Originally published in Spanish (El pez en el agua, 1993), this work by the well-known and widely translated Peruvian writer is both a literary and a political autobiography, with decided emphasis on the latter. The chapters are organized so as to alternate from recollections of the youthful years of personal and literary development to the maturing perspective of an established cultural and political figure. As the unsuccessful candidate for the Peruvian presidency in 1990, the author is well positioned to comment on the vicissitudes of an aspiring statesman in an environment devoid of democratic institutions and traditions. The memoir additionally offers an ample view of Peruvian society, with its complex loyalties, contradictions, and prejudices. The overall result is a much clearer understanding not only of contemporary Peru but of Latin America in general. Recommended for collections strong in Latin American studies. Charles E. Perry, East Central Univ., Ada, Okla. (Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.)

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