Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Strange Tunnels Disappearing
 
See larger image
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Strange Tunnels Disappearing [Paperback]

Gary Ley
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details.

Product details

  • Paperback: 324 pages
  • Publisher: Seren (18 April 2002)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 185411302X
  • ISBN-13: 978-1854113023
  • Product Dimensions: 21.5 x 14 x 2.5 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,935,363 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gary Ley
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.

Visit Amazon's Gary Ley Page

Tag this product

 (What's this?)
Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organise and find favourite items.
Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Reviews

4 star
0
3 star
0
2 star
0
1 star
0
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Strange Tunnels Disappearing is a beautifully written novel which captures the complexity of Peruvian society in the 1980's. The Peruvian way of life is depicted vividly and accurately and forms on the ideal setting for contrasting political views and individual values. José, a mild mannered academic is desperate to see social reform and therefore sympathies with the Maoist Sendero Party. However unlike his sister Julia, he can't come to terms with terrorist activity as a means to achieve social justice. Hugo Young is a visitor to Peru following the footsteps of his boyhood hero Henry Meiggs,the railway entrepreneur. His self-centred, pro-capitalist nature adds a compelling contrast to the other characters of the book.

Strange Tunnels has an intriguing story line and the quality of the writing is maintained throughout. It is a book worth reading again and again.

Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By -cc-
Format:Paperback
I met Gary Ley travelling in Peru and resolved to track down and read his novel, set in the country, on my return. Strange Tunnels Disappearing did not disappoint. Taking place in more turbulent times than Peru is now experiencing, the story switches between two characters who eventually meet on an island in the middle of Lake Titicaca.

Hugo Young is a fairly selfish and arrogant aircraft salesman who travels around Peru while a deal he is working on is deadlocked. He has the dubious distinction of having another person as his internal monologue: his hero Henry Meiggs, an American industrialist who built Peru's railways in the 19th century. Meiggs, even more selfish and arrogant, is an ever-present reality for Hugo, and his mantra of corruption: "fight, pay, charm", informs Hugo's actions.

José Perez is a politics lecturer involved with Sendero Luminoso, the Maoist revolutionary group active in Peru in the 1980s and early 90s. An altogether more likeable person, he has qualms about the organisation's violent methods and his sister's deeper involvement in them. He is forced to flee from the ruthless Peruvian authorities after fearing he has blown his cover as a Sendero sympathiser.

The intrigue builds as Hugo and José meet and (after a period of mutual suspicion) speak for the first time and become more at ease with each other, until Hugo becomes drawn into José's plans to make contact with his sister Julia, in hiding in La Paz. To tell any more would spoil the story!

The novel adheres to historical fact, which is interwoven with the plot, for example the flashback to the burning of ballot papers in 1980 in Chuschi, which in the story is José's home town. Even the rising star of Alberto Fujimori gets a mention later on! While I'm in no position to judge whether the author accurately captures the mood in Peru while it was in a condition of civil war, he certainly conveys a climate of fear. The sights and sounds and general atmosphere of the country also come across well. Those who have been there will find the little details familiar: the scam-merchants who prey on gullible 'gringos', and taxi drivers offering to take their passengers to the nearest brothel.

If you want an insight into recent Peruvian history, the culture of South America, the politics of the Third World, or simply a good story set in an unfamiliar land, you could do a lot worse than to read this excellent book.

Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums


Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category


Look for similar items by subject


Feedback