BOOK REVIEW / In Brief: The Old Man Who Read Love Stories by Luis Sepulveda, trs Peter Bush: Souvenir, pounds 10.99
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Although written with a simplicity which verges on the childlike, this ecologically conscious novel set in the Ecuadorian Amazon certainly isn't slight. Dedicated to the memory of murdered ecological activist Chico Mendes, it finds Chilean exile Luis Sepulveda launching a determined defence of the native Shuar Indians of Ecuador, whose way of life is, inevitably, under threat from the encroaching white man. When a crazed ocelot takes to attacking humans in the forest, the Old Man of the title, who was brought up by the Indians, is required to return to the forest to hunt it down. Already a bestseller in France, the novel is at its strongest when it details the customs of the endangered natives, whose balanced existence makes a dramatic contrast with the rapacity of the white settlers.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments