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mattbeatty's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fascinating read. I knew essentially nothing of the Haitian revolution before reading this, and it has really sparked my interest. The voodoo, Henri Christophe, the Cap, Sans Souci, the Citadelle, all of this is amazing and makes for great historical fiction.
Told through the eyes of Ti Noël, a slave who can't seem to escape his bondage until his elder years spent in senility, witnesses Saint-Domingue on the island of Haiti though many phases: during the French occupation, the Haitian revolution, throughout the reign of King Henri Christophe, and after the mutiny which led to his fall. His narrative weaves through voodoo and promiscuity, incorporates aspects of French life and slavery both from whites and blacks. There is hopelessness and hope, cyclical revolutions and uprisings, prosperity and ruined cultures. The line between what is real as seen by the voodoo religion and what occurred from the historical perspective (Henri Christophe's stroke, poisionings, shapeshifting, group power through chants and drumming, etc.) is well-crafted and left to the reader to discern.
Two complaints: the narrative drifts too easily (Ti Noël, to Pauline Bonaporte and Soliman, back to Ti Noël, to Sans Souci, etc.), although it does steadily returns to Ti Noël; and the passage of time is not clear or well-defined, though I admit this may be a purposeful device employed by Carpentier.
A good read, a fairly quick read, and one steeped and storied in history.
Told through the eyes of Ti Noël, a slave who can't seem to escape his bondage until his elder years spent in senility, witnesses Saint-Domingue on the island of Haiti though many phases: during the French occupation, the Haitian revolution, throughout the reign of King Henri Christophe, and after the mutiny which led to his fall. His narrative weaves through voodoo and promiscuity, incorporates aspects of French life and slavery both from whites and blacks. There is hopelessness and hope, cyclical revolutions and uprisings, prosperity and ruined cultures. The line between what is real as seen by the voodoo religion and what occurred from the historical perspective (Henri Christophe's stroke, poisionings, shapeshifting, group power through chants and drumming, etc.) is well-crafted and left to the reader to discern.
Two complaints: the narrative drifts too easily (Ti Noël, to Pauline Bonaporte and Soliman, back to Ti Noël, to Sans Souci, etc.), although it does steadily returns to Ti Noël; and the passage of time is not clear or well-defined, though I admit this may be a purposeful device employed by Carpentier.
A good read, a fairly quick read, and one steeped and storied in history.
lorenareadsbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
alilv's review against another edition
4.0
Such an interesting book but very archaic Spanish which makes it a bit hard to read.
peej_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
If you're interested in magical realism and don't want to start with Cien años de Soledad/A Hundred Years of Solitude, this is the place to start. Considered the predecessor to the genre itself, author Alejo Carpentier's work is confusing, enthralling and bound to leave you sucked into a vision of post-revolutionary Haiti. Worth it to read Carpentier's original paper on the concept of "the marvelous real" as well if it piques your interest (you definitely cannot find it here: https://bit.ly/3P8Jmi6 ).
rachelmatsuoka's review against another edition
3.0
Beautifully written. It illuminated the complexity of the cycle of abuse and of the rise and fall of power of different groups affected by slavery and colonialism. However, the writing felt removed from the characters as if you were reading about them and not experiencing the story with them. I also found the storytelling disjointed which unfortunately left me emotionally unattached to any of the characters.
hmholmes19's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
hailey045's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.25
emka918's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
jake_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
4.25
This is the second Carpentier I've read, and like the other, Explosions in a Cathedral, the themes are heavy and should give the novel gravitas, but much of the plot's weight is obscured beneath a baroque prose style interested in tangents and lists of specific details. This is a prose style I like, but for many this novel could be underwhelming given the premise, a very Latin American magical realist telling of the Haitian Revolution.
lylawells's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Read for a class on the Haitian Revolution
This book genuinely left me speechless. Medina's translation is fantastic, but this is a challenging read nonetheless. Ti Noel is not likable, which is of course the point, but it makes the narrative significantly harder to stomach. A fascinating look at revolutions and perhaps, revolutions that may not have really "happened." After finishing this book I found myself drawing many parallels between it and The Hunger Games, which is silly, but seriously. Go read this book and then watch Mockingjay 1 and 2. I think Collins may have been a bit inspired! Anyway. Short and beautiful, but an insanely challenging read.
Trigger Warning: Graphic Sexual Assault, among other things
This book genuinely left me speechless. Medina's translation is fantastic, but this is a challenging read nonetheless. Ti Noel is not likable, which is of course the point, but it makes the narrative significantly harder to stomach. A fascinating look at revolutions and perhaps, revolutions that may not have really "happened." After finishing this book I found myself drawing many parallels between it and The Hunger Games, which is silly, but seriously. Go read this book and then watch Mockingjay 1 and 2. I think Collins may have been a bit inspired! Anyway. Short and beautiful, but an insanely challenging read.
Trigger Warning: Graphic Sexual Assault, among other things
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault