As a work of literature, it's a weak book. The style is a bit monotonous and character motives are poorly developed. The erratic way in which the absurd and fantastical is thrown in alongside the "realistic" leads to an uneven reading (to my mind). Perhaps that's why Eco wrote that travesty of a book, Baudolino. I have the same problems with it that I have with Cien años de soledad.

It could be a more interesting book if seen in the context of political turmoil in Latin America. However, to do that you'd have to combine a literature class with a history class, something that most schools don't generally do.