Anyone who has been to Colombia or even knows something of Colombia’s history cannot help but recognize the country in De Bernieres ’ trilogy. His richly detailed descriptions and the characters he weaves together into the fabric of this book create a sort of modern folk tale full of adventure, mysticism, and more than a little mayhem. He creates a marvelous array of characters—so many the story can be a little confusing if you put it aside for awhile and try to come back to it—campesinas, town whores, disenfranchised priests, soldiers both venal and valiant, seer Indians, revolutionaries, doctors, lawyers, Indian chiefs, spoiled heiresses, politicians—through whom he peoples a sort of modern morality play in which he pulls no punches and makes no apologies or excuses. The book is at times horrible and horrifying, at times hilarious, but always quite simply brilliant.