"Conversation in the Cathedral" is set in 1950s Peru during the dictatorship of General Ordia. Suspicion, paranoia, and extortion have become an integral part of life. The dialogue flows between two individuals, Santiago and Ambrosio, who discuss their torturous lives and the decline and disappointment that have overtaken their city. In this groundbreaking novel, Mario Vargas Llosa explores the psychological and moral mechanisms that govern power and the people who comprise it. It is an exploration of identity, the role of the citizen, and how a lack of personal freedom can leave indelible marks on a nation and its people.