The Bad Girl

Summary

In the novel «The Bad Girl», Mario Vargas Llosa unfolds a love story that spans decades and continents. The main character, Ricardo, a Peruvian, has been in love since his youth with the mysterious and elusive Lily, whom he calls «the bad girl». Their paths cross in Lima, Paris, London, and Tokyo, and each time she appears before him in a new guise, changing names, destinies, and masks, yet always slipping away. Driven by his passion and devotion, Ricardo is repeatedly drawn into her adventurous games, becoming a witness to her triumphs and downfalls. Against the backdrop of a changing world, political upheavals, and cultural clashes, their relationship becomes a symbol of eternal searching, obsession, and the impossibility of finding peace. Llosa masterfully weaves into the narrative themes of loneliness, devotion, and the illusory nature of happiness, creating a profound and touching portrait of a love that knows no boundaries or time.