Publisher's Synopsis
This book-length essay by the great Peruvian novelist is an alarm call to Western civilisation, which is in danger of losing some of its most precious achievements. His starting point is the famous analysis by T.S. Eliot in 'Notes Towards the Definition of Culture'. Eliot wrote: 'I see no reason why - we may not even anticipate a period, of some duration, of which it will be possible to say that it will have no culture'. Vargas Llosa believes that moment has now arrived.
