Assault on Paradise (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Pedro Albarán arrives in the Costa Rican city of Cartago a "cartoon of wretchedness," having fled the Spanish Inquisition with little more than the rags on his back. He finds the chaotic colonial city full of "gossipmongers, backbiters, and troublemakers"--but also a dizzying variety of women, "the color of molasses, of stewed quinces, of peaches in syrup...." Skeptical, suspicious of authority, with a decided weakness for the fairer sex, Albarán is a picaresque hero for the New World. This vividly imagined historical novel follows his misadventures among the colonial army, the Church, and the Mayan natives, as he dallies with women and witnesses the Mayan struggle against their colonial oppressors. Costa Rican author Tatiana Lobo vividly summons the sights and smells of the young nation in the early years of the 18th century, its idyllic setting as well as the squalor and brutality of its slave auctions. The title of the novel is a pretty fair indicator of this work's political intentions; Lobo obviously venerates Mayan culture and mythology, but in doing so she never loses sight of her immensely likeable rogue of a hero. The winner of the 1995 Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Prize, this novel uses Albarán as a springboard for an eloquent and moving indictment of the conquistadors and their bloodthirsty legacy.

From Library Journal

On the one hand a hilarious swashbuckling adventure, on the other a bloody, bitter indictment of the Catholic Church in the colonizing of Central America, this novel deservedly won the Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz Prize in 1995. Pedro Albaran, first victim and then instrument of the Inquisition, arrives in Costa Rica in the first decade of the 18th century. In his tender love for a native woman, he embraces her culture without ever understanding it and then must watch his Spanish countrymen wreak havoc on her?and their daughter's?people. The novel is kept moving rapidly by its memorable cast of characters, including a sensuous tavern keeper, a deranged priest, and corrupt politicians. Born in Chile, Lobo has lived in Costa Rica since 1966. She has published five other books in Spanish; one hopes that they, too, will soon be translated into English.?Mary Margaret Benson, Linfield Coll. Lib., McMinnville, OR
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 298 pages
• Publisher: Curbstone Press; 1st edition (May 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880684462
• ISBN-13: 978-1880684467
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #672,639 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent first novel from talented writer, July 12, 2000

By A Customer

Tatiana Lobo's Assault on Paradise is a deftly crafted exploration of colonial Costa Rica. From Juan de las Alas, who defies the Church and gravity, to Pedro and the child Catarina, the characters have depth and personality. In a story that is engrossing and entertaining, the author sheds light not only on a forgotten corner of colonial Latin America but also on the place of women, Indians, and heretics within it.

2.0 out of 5 stars Mayan natives???, September 7, 2004

By	Jorge Arroyo Delgado - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

there were no mayan natives in Costa Rica. Many pre colonials like Bribri Boruca and others, but mayans? not a lot of records for that.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I could not get through this book, November 6, 2002

By	kathleen means (redwood city, ca USA) - See all my reviews

I selected this book because it was well reviewed and I wanted to "get to know" Costa Rica before I visited there. Unlike other historical novels I have read about other places before I travelled there, this one failed to give me a sense of place. In fact, I could not finish it.