Literary resources for travel to Peru
August 10, 2014 9:51 AM

My lovely wife and I are traveling to Peru in early September. We're looking for novels and stories (maybe poetry too?) that will give us a feel for what things are like there.

We don't need travel guides or anything like that. We just want to get a picture of what life is like, the culture, literature, music, etc. We are going to: Lima, Nazca, Arequipa, Cuzco, and the Amazon near Puerto Maldonado. Give us your best recommendations! (I already know about this question.
posted by number9dream to Travel & Transportation (3 answers total) 6 users marked this as a favorite
On the indigenous side of things, I'd recommend Jose Maria Arguedas' Deep Rivers. And a literary exploration of Peru would not be complete without reading something by No el prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa--Conversation in the Catherdral is considered his strongest exposition of specifically Peruvian themes of politics and society.
posted by drlith at 10:27 AM on August 10, 2014


It's not new, but I still would would recommend Cut Stones and Crossroads by Ronald Wright.
posted by gudrun at 10:35 AM on August 10, 2014


You don't say if you're doing the Inca Trail but the classic "Alturas de Machu Picchu" by Neruda never fails to inspire.
posted by wayward vagabond at 10:37 AM on August 10, 2014


« Older Is consignment worth it?   |   Dress me up! Casual-ish Wyoming Wedding Attire... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.