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3.65 AVERAGE


The writing was gorgeous but focused on the wrong story imo. The best part of this was marams tale. It should have been focused on her, and ndiak’s perspective could have been fascinating. However, the initial frame of the daughter fell flat when we never get any resolution, and centering the pain of a white man in a story about colonialism and slavery feels off. 
dark emotional reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
adventurous emotional informative mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective

Une lecture plaisante mais pas marquante. Plaisante car le style est beau, le roman se lit facilement, le lieu principal de l'intrigue (le Sénégal) change un peu des livres que je lis d'habitude.
Pas marquante pour moi car le rythme est très étrange, avec une première partie un peu longue, sur la vie d'Aglaé et le réaménagement du château de Balaine, qui ne reviendront plus dans le récit et qui ne sont que l'excuse pour la trouvaille des carnet de Michel Adanson, qui constituent le cœur du livre. Ces carnets d'ailleurs : écrits dans le style du 18e siècle, les liens amicaux et amoureux y sont exagérés, et cette histoire d'amour unilatéral au premier regard et en côtoyant la personne seulement 2 jours en tout et pour tout, ca ne m'a jamais attiré. Ces carnets sont aussi un peu longs, et semblent raconter des faits un peu superflus sur la fin.
La construction prend ceci dit un peu de sens à la toute fin du roman, quand apparaît la voix de madeleine, cette esclave affranchie guadeloupéenne qui servi de modèle au très célèbre tableau. À travers son court monologue on comprend que le livre entier fait état de cette culpabilité blanche qui pousse le Blanc à vouloir sauver le Noir au détriment des volontés de ce dernier, et parfois de sa vie. Et quand le Blanc devra vivre avec une culpabilité qui lui pèsera au niveau mental uniquement, le Noir en paiera la conséquences dans sa chair.
adventurous emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I enjoyed the premise of this - the 'adventures' of a white French botanist through Senegal during the 1700s written in the diarised format that colonial adventures stories seem to take on, but with the author being a Frenchman of Senegalese descent. An interesting background to a book which leads to a sort of nested reading between the lines.

However! The book does stick quite rigidly to the old style, rendering it quite a slog to read at points. I found myself skimming over some sections to speed the progression of the narrative.

I did enjoy the introduction of an alternate voice and perspective chiming in at the end of the book, which did lend the ending some freshness.
emotional reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Difficult subject matter but a nicely written story. Not as engaging overall as I had hoped. I definitely enjoyed ‘At Night All Blood is Black’ much more.