The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vásquez

The 1993 death of the drug-cartel kingpin Pablo Escobar ended the bloodiest chapter in Colombia’s modern history, allowing the country—a decade later—to begin a process of collective catharsis.

This catharsis first became clear on Colombian television. Once dominated by romantic melodramas, the industry began producing realistic “narco-series” that portrayed the violent and glamorous life of the narcos, with their bloody battles, yachts and country homes, and their ladies addicted to plastic surgery. Although generally crude, the narco-series were popular. They fulfilled...

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