 Vargas Llosa interlaces fictional elements and historical events : the book is not a documentary , and the Cabral family , for instance , is completely fictional . On the other hand , the characters of Trujillo and Trujillo 's assassins are drawn from the historical record ; Vargas Llosa weaves real historical incidents of brutality and oppression into these people 's stories , to further illuminate the nature of the regime and the responses it provoked . In Vargas Llosa 's words , " It 's a novel , not a history book , so I took many , many liberties . [ . . . ] I have respected the basic facts , but I have changed and deformed many things in order to make the story more persuasive — and I have not exaggerated . " 
 Vargas Llosa <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>interlaces</mark></a> fictional elements and historical events : the book <a href='negative_concord' title='2'><mark>is</mark></a> <a href='negative_concord' title='3'><mark>not</mark></a><a href='None' title='4'><mark>a</mark></a><a href='negative_concord' title='5'><mark>documentary</mark></a> , and the Cabral family , for instance , <a href='drop_aux' title='6'><mark>is</mark></a>completely fictional . On the other hand , the characters of Trujillo and Trujillo <a href='null_genetive' title='7'><mark>'s</mark></a>assassins are drawn from the historical record ; Vargas Llosa <a href='uninflect' title='8'><mark>weaves</mark></a> real historical incidents of brutality and oppression into these people <a href='null_genetive' title='9'><mark>'s</mark></a>stories , to further illuminate the nature of the regime and the responses it provoked . In Vargas Llosa <a href='null_genetive' title='10'><mark>'s</mark></a>words , " It 's a novel , not a history book , so I took many , many liberties . [ . . . ] I <a href='been_done' title='11'><mark>have</mark></a> respected the basic facts , but I <a href='been_done' title='12'><mark>have</mark></a> changed and deformed many things in order to make the story more persuasive — and I <a href='been_done' title='13'><mark>have</mark></a> not exaggerated . " 
Vargas Llosa interlace fictional elements and historical events : da book ain't no documentary , and the Cabral fam , for instance , completely fictional . On the other hand , the characters of Trujillo and Trujillo  assassins r drawn from tdahistorical record ; Vargas Llosa wove real historical incidents of brutality and oppression into these people  stories , to further illuminate the nature of the regime and the responses it provoked . In Vargas Llosa  words , " It 's a novel , not a history book , so I took many , many liberties . [ . . . ] I done respected thdaasic facts , but I done changed and deformed many things in order to make the story more persuasive — and I done not exaggerated . "