tarzan's_tonsillitis_echenique
2003 Nominated

Tarzan’s Tonsillitis

artwork-image

ABOUT
THE BOOK

A tragi-comic story of improbable, inevitable love. At the centre: a couple in love, in exile together and apart. He is Juan Manuel Carpio, a second-generation Peruvian of Native American origins, a middle-class singer-composer. She is Fernanda María de la Trinidad del Monte Montes, a polyglot and cultured Salvadoran. Through the mostly epistolary narrative set in 1960’s Paris, revolutionary El Salvador, Chile, 1980’s California and London, we follow the thirty-year arc of their relationship: the disastrous and traumatic marriages to other people; the ups and downs of their respective careers; the inexorable effects of politics on their personal lives; their shifting passions and gradual realisation that the truest bond between lovers is a tender, abiding and respectful friendship.

ABOUT
THE AUTHOR Alfredo
Bryce Echenique

ABOUT
THE TRANSLATOR Alfred
MacAdam

Professor MacAdam’s area of specialization is twentieth-century Latin-American narrative, a subject on which he has published three books and numerous articles. He is also a translator of Latin-American fiction and has translated novels by Julio Cortázar, Reinaldo Arenas, Alejo Carpentier, José Donoso, Carlos Fuentes, Mario Vargas Llosa, Juan Carlos Onetti, and Osvaldo Soriano. From 1984 to 2004, MacAdam was the editor of Review: Latin American Literature and Arts, a publication of the Americas Society. This biannual magazine presents work by Latin-American writers not yet known to English-speaking audiences as well as unknown texts by already established writers.

Professor MacAdam’s area of specialization is twentieth-century Latin-American narrative, a subject on which he has published three books and numerous articles. He is also a translator of Latin-American fiction and has translated novels by Julio Cortázar, Reinaldo Arenas, Alejo Carpentier, José Donoso, Carlos Fuentes, Mario Vargas Llosa, Juan Carlos Onetti, and Osvaldo Soriano. From 1984 to 2004, MacAdam was the editor of Review: Latin American Literature and Arts, a publication of the Americas Society. This biannual magazine presents work by Latin-American writers not yet known to English-speaking audiences as well as unknown texts by already established writers.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Country
Peru
Original Language
Spanish
Publisher
Pantheon Books
Translator
Alfred MacAdam

RELATED FEATURES

Video August 27 2026

2026 Dublin Literary Award Winner in Conversation

Watch 2026 Dublin Literary Award winner, Ali Smith, and author Belinda McKeon in conversation, which took place on 22nd May 2026 at the Dublin International Literature Festival
Video August 27 2026

2026 Dublin Literary Award Ceremony

Watch back the 2026 Dublin Literary Award Ceremony which took place on 21st May 2026
News May 21 2026

2026 Dublin Literary Award Winner Revealed

Discover this year's winner!
Video May 16 2026

Brigitte Giraud – Live Fast Q&A

Q&A Session with 2026 Dublin Literary Award shortlisted author Brigitte Giraud, author of Live Fast, exploring the inspirations behind her novel.

STAY CONNECTED

Stay in touch and sign up to our newsletter to receive all the latest news and updates on the Dublin Literary Award.