Peruvian Literature: A World for Julius

A World for Julius
Alfredo Bryce Echenique

Julius is the youngest child of a wealthy Peruvian family. He was born in a big house, big enough to be called "the palace" and comprise a swimming pool, a small orchard, the servant's quarters, and a coach that once belonged to his great-grandfather, who happened to be a former president of Peru.

Julius' father died when he was only one and a half, and although his mother and stepfather are both gorgeous and stylish, their multiple obligations -for the most cocktail parties and dinners at the golf club- leave them with little time for the boy's education. Julius is thus raised by the many servants that surround him, but must ultimately go through the hurtful experience of growing-up in infinite solitude.

From the confused yet tender look of young Julius, Alfredo Bryce Echenique paints an ironic and penetrating portrait of Lima's upper class during the 50s and 60s. With a style that is humorous and corrosive -but also nostalgic, as the novel is partly autobiographic-, the author reveals the blessings and curses of a social elite that is unable -or unwilling- to see the great differences between classes.

Considered since its publication one the most valuable works of Latin-American contemporary narrative, A world for Julius is both an exploration of the loss of innocence and the chronicle of a decadent society.

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