Tattooed Soldier

This book was astonishing in the handling of a gruesome and horrible time of abuse in Guatemala. I suppose this work of fiction was based on actual incidents from the civil war there. It flowed like music or poetry while describing horrid events during the time of the war, and the insanity it bread in the protagonist, living the traumatic life there, and then in the US, where he "providentially:" met the tattooed soldier that had killed his wife and child while the protagonist and his wife were college students separated from school due to having their tiny son. . The story was mesmerizing. The author had me at every turn, and I grieved with this young man--and even with the soldier who had known no other life after being conscripted(kidnapped) into the army not even being allowed to go home to tell his family he had to leave He was in his mid teens, not yet formed as a man. .age, . The soldier learned to survive by identifying with and striving to impress his abductors. And these two powerful forces played out a tragedy you couldn't take your eyes away from. Astounding story, masterfully told.

This book is incredibly emotional and has you hanging onto the edge of your seat. The story focuses on the Guatemalan Civil war that transpired from the 1960s-1990s and the effects and perspectives of those most affected. There is a special attention to Guatemalan slang, gender roles, culture, and the life of an immigrant living in Los Angeles during the LA riots. My only critic is the way the female characters are written, they seem to just be used a points to keep the main characters plot moving forward and it's clear these female characters were written by a man with the male fantasy at mind. Other than that I found this book to be very educational and it handled the content greatly.

Tattooed Solider is one of the first novels I’ve read that talks about what was happening in Guatemala in the 80s. It was interesting to read about the different perspectives and the parallels we see throughout the book. I also found it interesting the way Tobar’s writing style jumps between the three main characters in the book, sometimes in the middle of chapters. As gruesome as some parts are (being that families with children are being murdered) it isn’t the main focus of the story, but Tobar does a good job of telling real life stories and of things that did actually happened in Guatemala. We also get to see different perspectives of refugees and some of the homeless population. For the most part the book is well-written and suspenseful, with lots of thought-provoking, underlying themes. The only criticism is the way the women were portrayed. The women in the book, Elena and Longoria, seemed to be written in the “male gaze,” with most of their actions being overly dramatic and unrealistic. That’s the only reason I give the book 4 stars.

I was assigned to read this for my class, Latinas and Revolutions. This book was chosen to cover the region of Guatemala. It follows the lives of Antonio Bernal and Guillermo Longoria. Lorgoria was a violent soldier in his country who kills the wife and son of Antonio. Years later Antonio finds Longoria in a park in Los Angeles and his goal is to seek revenge. The ending is shocking! But my favorite park was reading about the struggle in Guatemala. I learned so much by reading articles that explain the situation of the country in that time and it is just a shock to see the kinds of things that were allowed in many Central American countries in the 1970s-1980s, and even much before that time. It's disappointing to also see USA's involvement in all of this, yet not so surprising once you read a lot of the histories in those countries. I'd recommend this book!

This is a beautifully written book that tackles the profound issues of our times with characters you won't forget long after the book is over. The book starts in Guatemala and covers a period of history that was suppressed in the US for decades. A psychological thriller with close intimate portraits of inner lives that will get under your skin. Should be on HS curriculum in all the US. His latest book is excellent as well, a much more incisive look at immigrant issues than the popular The Help.

The author described the span of time in which the emotions and feelings of the main characters took shape. The background for the story was researched and substantial to the plot. The way Tobar writes, I can see and hear everything he describes as if watching a film. My familiarity with both Guatemala and Los Angles is minimal. Tobar definitely knew both. It would have been easy to just sit and read the book all the way through. Compelling enough for a re-read. The evil portrayed was balanced out by the positive traits of the main and supporting characters.

It’s a very good novel but the print is too small.

This novel was required for one of my collage classes but it was a pretty good read. The plot moves along quickly. There are many characters but you find yourself liking at least one of them. There are lots of literary devices used to create symbolism and parallels between the settings and the people. The novel does bounce between two locations Guatemala and Los Angeles, CA but its an effective way to bridge and parallel those two places that the characters think of most of often. This is an adult book as the tattooed solider is required to kill people, and the way touches upon the fragility of humanity. Some parts are gruesome as they go into detail during the killings,those are only a small part and is not the main focus of the book, but overall gives the reader a new perceptive of refugees and immigrants in downtown Los Angeles.

Un très grand auteur, j'ai adoré "The Barbarian Nurseries", un très beau livre qui réussit à éviter bien des clichés et un regard intéressant sur les relations entre Américains et immigrés d'origine mexicaine. Un grand plaisir à lire!