Though the story is set in a small village in a remote area of South America, the novel's themes are so ---- that its events could have occurred anywhere and involved any of us at any time.

The phrase 'could have occurred anywhere and involved any of us at any time' describes something that applies broadly to all people and places - this is the definition of 'universal'. 'Mythical' means fictional, 'anguished' means suffering, and 'complex' means complicated - none capture the broad applicability described.