There are 24 chapters in the book and the meet up is away by 5 weeks. So we will exclude this week, so that if anyone needs to procure the book they can do it these days and others can use it as a bonus time. We will keep 6 chapters every week.
Chapters 1 to 6 - 24/5
7 to 12- 31/5
13 to 18- 7/6
19 to 24- 14/6
Following these are not mandatory. But after each milestone is covered, the readers can share their thoughts and comments on the elements of that part of the novel. The only condition is that the spoilers of the upcoming portions of the book are not revealed.
What a novel. Gripping. Narrative like a movie sequence even within the same chapter, going from one scene to another. Thoroughly enjoying it. Latin American novelists write with gay abandon, have a sort of irreverence... They are not straitlaced, which makes it very raw and hence interesting.
Novel gives a picture about Dominican Republic than what you read in history books. Another book details the high life of Peru and the decadence.
"The Feast of the Goat" (original Spanish: La Fiesta del Chivo) is a powerful political and psychological novel by Mario Vargas Llosa, first published in 2000. It explores the final days of the Dominican Republic's brutal dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo, weaving together fictional and historical elements through multiple perspectives.
Overview and Title Significance
The “Goat” refers to Rafael Trujillo, whose nickname was El Chivo (The Goat).
The “Feast” refers to both the rituals of power and excess surrounding his regime and the orchestrated revenge and assassination that ultimately ends it.
It’s a bitterly ironic title—highlighting how those who serve power also become devoured by it, much like in a sacrificial feast.
Narrative Structure & Point of View
The novel is split into three alternating narratives:
1. Urania Cabral’s Story (Present, 1990s)
Urania, daughter of a former Trujillo loyalist (Agustín Cabral), returns to the Dominican Republic after decades abroad.
Her narration is introspective, confessional, and first/second-person, addressed to her silent, paralyzed father.
She reveals a deeply traumatic secret from her youth and reflects on how authoritarianism shapes personal and familial decay.
2. The Assassins’ Plot (1961)
A suspenseful, almost minute-by-minute account of the conspiracy and execution of Trujillo’s assassination.
The narration is detailed and immediate, focusing on fear, patriotism, and revenge.
The assassins are former regime insiders or military men betrayed or morally broken by Trujillo.
3. Trujillo’s Perspective (1961)
Explores the dictator’s inner thoughts—his pride, paranoia, obsession with control, and impending fall.
The tone here is psychological and political, exposing the mechanisms of terror, cult of personality, and masculinity.
Who Are the Assassins? Why Did They Kill Trujillo?
There were seven main conspirators, though more supported the plot:
Key Assassins:
- Antonio de la Maza – His brother was murdered by the regime.
- Salvador Estrella Sadhalá
- Amado García Guerrero – Motivated by personal grief; Trujillo blocked his marriage.
- Antonio Imbert Barrera
- Juan Tomás Díaz
- Roberto Pastoriza
- Luis Amiama Tió – One of the few who survived.
Motives:
Revenge for murdered family or lovers
Personal betrayal
Patriotism and desire to end the 31-year dictatorship
They assassinated Trujillo on May 30, 1961, viewing him as the cause of widespread suffering, repression, and moral decay.
Other Main Characters
- Rafael Trujillo (The Goat) – Dictator of the Dominican Republic, symbolic of absolute power and its corruption.
- Agustín “Egghead” Cabral – Urania’s father, once a close aide of Trujillo, now disgraced and mute.
- Johnny Abbes García – Trujillo’s sadistic chief of intelligence, a symbol of regime brutality.
- Balaguer – Trujillo’s puppet president, who later becomes the real president post-dictatorship.
- Ramfis Trujillo – Trujillo’s son, who tries to maintain the regime’s grip after the assassination.
Themes Explored
The personal cost of authoritarianism
Memory, guilt, and betrayal
Political violence and moral compromise
Feminine resistance through Urania’s silence and truth-telling
The male-dominated culture of power, especially symbolized by Trujillo’s hypersexual persona
The Feast of the Goat is a haunting, multilayered novel set in the Dominican Republic, telling the story of the final days of the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo, who ruled with an iron fist from 1930 until his assassination in 1961.
The novel follows three interwoven narratives:
Urania Cabral, now a successful lawyer in New York, returns to Santo Domingo after decades. Through her memories and confessions to her incapacitated father, we learn about her traumatic past and how her father’s ambition led him to offer her to Trujillo, resulting in her sexual abuse by the dictator. Her story is deeply personal and symbolic of the psychological damage caused by dictatorship.
The assassins’ plot, led by seven conspirators—many of them former military men and supporters of Trujillo—recounts the tense buildup to the murder of Trujillo on May 30, 1961. These men act out of revenge, moral outrage, or political desperation.
Trujillo’s own perspective is portrayed, showing a proud, aging tyrant who senses the tide turning. The narration shows his obsession with discipline, power, sexual control, and his looming fear of betrayal.
After the assassination, Trujillo's regime reacts with brutal vengeance, torturing and killing the conspirators and their families. The novel ends with Urania finding some form of closure, but also highlighting the lingering trauma that tyranny leaves behind.
Character Map
Here’s a simple character guide showing their roles and relationships:
Character Role Notes
Rafael Trujillo ("The Goat") Dictator of the Dominican Republic Central figure; cruel, paranoid, obsessed with control
Urania Cabral Narrator (1990s timeline) Daughter of a former Trujillo aide; victim of sexual abuse by Trujillo
Agustín “Egghead” Cabral Urania's father Once part of Trujillo’s inner circle; sacrificed Urania for political gain
Johnny Abbes García Head of the secret police Ruthless enforcer of Trujillo’s regime
Ramfis Trujillo Trujillo’s son Sadistic, attempts to avenge his father after the assassination
Joaquín Balaguer Puppet president under Trujillo Later became real president; survived the political transition
Antonio de la Maza Assassin Family destroyed by Trujillo; key conspirator
Amado García Guerrero Assassin Personal reasons: Trujillo blocked his marriage
Antonio Imbert Barrera Assassin Survived and later became a national hero
Luis Amiama Tió Assassin Survived; helped others escape post-assassination
Salvador Estrella Sadhalá, Juan Tomás Díaz, Roberto Pastoriza Other conspirators All motivated by justice or revenge; most were killed
Trujillo’s inner circle (military, ministers, etc.) Secondary characters Show how fear, loyalty, and ambition fed the regime
Key Takeaways
- Trujillo’s nickname “The Goat” is central to the title.
- Urania’s trauma mirrors the country's long-lasting psychological scars.
- The novel critiques toxic masculinity, authoritarian power, and moral complicity.
- Llosa blends history with fiction, giving voice to those silenced by fear and violence.
- The novel has 24 chapters, alternating between:
- Urania Cabral’s Present-Day Narrative
- The Assassins’ Plot (1961, just before and after Trujillo's murder)
- Trujillo’s Point of View (Final Day of His Life)
Each chapter generally follows one thread, but some interlace memories and flashbacks.
Chapter-by-Chapter Summary
Chapters 1–3
Urania Cabral returns to Santo Domingo after 35 years. She visits her paralyzed father.
She begins recounting her past, hinting at trauma and betrayal.
Trujillo prepares for a drive to the capital. He reflects on aging and his weakening control.
The assassins gather, preparing for the assassination.
Chapters 4–6
Urania reflects on her elite upbringing, her father’s closeness to Trujillo, and her sense of estrangement.
Trujillo is shown in his daily rituals—he micromanages everything, even church affairs and underwear choices.
The assassins—Antonio de la Maza, Amado García, others—wait in ambush, tense and fearful.
Chapters 7–9
Trujillo’s drive continues. He thinks about his past, military rule, and distrust of allies.
Urania’s internal monologue grows more intense; she hints at a betrayal by her father.
The assassination is executed: Trujillo is ambushed and shot dead in a dramatic scene on the highway.
Chapters 10–12
The aftermath of the assassination: The assassins hide or flee; the regime scrambles to react.
Urania revisits old memories—her convent education, her bitterness toward the Dominican elite.
Balaguer and Ramfis try to contain the damage, fearing both collapse and U.S. intervention.
Chapters 13–15
The manhunt for the conspirators begins. Some are captured and tortured.
Urania’s bitterness intensifies—she reflects on how men in her family and country prioritized power over justice.
Trujillo’s family prepares to preserve the regime, with Ramfis returning from Paris.
Chapters 16–18
Ramfis's brutal crackdown: He arrests, tortures, and executes suspects without mercy.
Urania finally reveals to her silent father what he did: he gave her to Trujillo at age 14 to regain political favor. Trujillo abused her.
She fled to the U.S. the next day and never returned—until now.
Chapters 19–21
Final days of the conspirators: most are captured and killed. Only Imbert and Amiama Tió escape.
Urania speaks with her cousin and aunt; her emotional wound is still raw.
She finally visits the beach where her life changed.
Chapters 22–24
Urania declares her liberation through speech, finally sharing her secret.
The novel ends on a somber note—justice was partial, and the cost of silence and complicity remains high.
The narration reflects on how dictatorship deforms not just politics, but people’s souls.
Themes by Narrative Thread
Thread Themes
Urania Cabral: Trauma, silence, betrayal, women in patriarchal societies, psychological aftermath of dictatorship
The Assassins: Moral compromise, patriotism, vengeance, courage and fear, sacrifice
Trujillo’s POV: Tyranny, control, aging, paranoia, masculinity, political power
The Feast of the Goat is not just a political novel—it's a psychological dissection of tyranny’s legacy. Urania Cabral’s personal trauma mirrors the nation's collective scar. Llosa’s brilliant use of multiple narrative voices adds emotional depth and historical insight, offering readers a layered view of power, its allure, and its consequences.
Totally loving it.
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