The old man who read love stories, written by Luis Sepúlveda, tells the tale of Antonio José Bolívar Proaño, the only one capable of hunting down the man-eating cat. He knows the Amazon jungle, respects the animals that inhabit it, has lived with the "Shuar" Indians, and agrees to the duel with the beast.

However, Antonio José Bolívar discovers late the antidote for the dreadful venom of old age: he is a good reader with a passion for novels that speak of true love, which causes pain. The old man, divided between hunting and his passion for these stories, takes us on a journey filled with innocence and enchanting magic.