The Dream of the Celt by Mario Vargas Llosa

ISBN: 9780571275724

Faber & Faber, 01 June 2012

Paperback, 400 pages

The Dream of the Celt by Mario Vargas Llosa opens in 1916 with Irish nationalist Roger Casement awaiting execution in Pentonville Prison after his involvement in the Easter Rising. Once celebrated as a British diplomat and humanitarian, Casement exposed the brutal exploitation of indigenous peoples in the Congo and the Amazon. However, his later efforts to support Irish independence—along with the scandal surrounding his private diaries—led to his downfall.

Through a powerful blend of historical narrative and psychological insight, Vargas Llosa reconstructs Casement’s extraordinary life, exploring themes of colonialism, identity, morality, and betrayal, ultimately portraying a complex man whose legacy remains deeply controversial.