These are the Seventies in Spanish-America, and an explosion of writers surged. An "all boys club" (no Isabel Allende in those years) struggling for finding themselves, found that writing novels (or romances) will be, maybe, the best way. Mario Vargas Llosa, a then young and (very handsome) middle-class Peruvian wrote this satirical, funny, and witty novel where he laughs at himself, family values, modes and above all, men-women relationships.The setting: a radio station where the most popular genre were radio soap operas("radio-novelas" in Spanish, and from which he is taking the model for the construction of his writing).Interesting and moving, the afternoon strolls between Aunt Julia and Marito (he is her junior).If you are interested in Spanish Grammar (and/or culture) the usage of names and slang words at the diminutive should be noticed(Very Hispanic usage indeed). A reading in Spanish is highly recommended).