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danielles_reads's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
I envy the people who live elsewhere, far away from this country. They can still believe in happiness. They make plans for their future and that of their children. Their sleep is undisturbed by nightmares. I envy those lucky enough to find a certain measure of fulfillment in their lives. For them, obstacles aren't insurmountable.
This ended up not being what I was expecting at all. I know the synopsis says "a series of moving snapshots", but this felt like a collection of mini essays pretending to be fiction. Kind of like if Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 was a short story collection of multiple characters.
There were some emotional moments due to the sheer scale of loss experienced during the Ebola epidemic, but since none of the POV characters are named and we never really get to know them, the loss doesn't linger. I did feel sad a few times, like when a man's fiancée suddenly died, but I really wish this had gone more into the daily life and experiences of those most affected rather than list off facts of what happened. I did learn more about the Ebola epidemic from this, since it happened at a busy time in my life when I wasn't really paying attention to world news. This reminded me that the world is a lot bigger than myself and my experiences, which is what I always hope for when I read translated works, especially those by authors from the Global South.
I will say that I think the intent of the author was to educate, considering that the actual name of the country that the book takes place in is never named. It's like the book is supposed to be a generic stand-in for the experiences of those affected by Ebola.
My favorite parts were the chapters from the POVs of non-human characters, which is where this book really felt like a novel, especially with a more experimental bent. The chapter from the POV of the Ebola virus itself was my favorite, as it effectively showed that viruses are just trying to survive like humans, while leaving destruction in their wake that humans may or may not deserve. I did like the ones from the POV of the bats and the Baobab tree too, since they reflected on the fleeting nature of humans while also being incredibly destructive in the rush to "modernize."
Some of the best quotes from the POV of the Ebola virus:
I know nothing about their beliefs. I'm not governed by any law. I'm here purely for the sake of existing. I am me, period. An organism that needs to reproduce itself. No compromise. No negotiation. I'm alive, and I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to stay that way. My only needs are to feed and to defend myself. A pile of flesh will do. Any kind of receptacle, animal or human, it's all the same to me. I'm neither good nor bad. Such judgments are useless. I'm like a plant that grows, like a spider that devours its prey.
Humans lament their fate, but they're no better than I am. They have no lessons to teach to anyone. They should instead take a hard look at the evil they have inflicted and continue to inflict on themselves, deliberately, ever since they first walked the earth.
They are destructive by nature, much more so than I am. And yet, although they are perfectly aware of that fact, they refuse to acknowledge it. They prefer to delude themselves, to believe themselves superior to the other creatures in this world. Rulers, tyrants of this planet, that's what they are, and their power is absolute. Their arrogance has made them forget every limit. Worse, they slaughter one another without mercy, and they come up with crueler ways of tormenting and killing every single day. They always find new reasons for starting wars.
fuzzyhebrew's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book seeks to tell the story of the 2014 Ebola outbreak through a series of vignettes each told from a different perspective. There are people who succumb to the virus, people who recover, people who treat it, the animals that carry it, and more. I really enjoyed the variety and it gave me a lot to think about as far as my own responsibilities if such an event were to occur in my area. I think the book is very important to read and hits home especially after the COVID pandemic. The author did write this before COVID, but like many others, she knew that epidemics and pandemics were on the horizon based on how humans interact with nature and each other.
geoatrophy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
ashley03dawn's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
4.0
half_book_and_co's review against another edition
4.0
"When people on the outside learned you were working with Ebola patients, they didn't want to come near you anymore. You lost all your friends. When you went home, you were alone with your family. My daughter had problems at school; no one wanted to play with her during recess. Her fellow students had heard the rumours circulating in the neighbourhood: the medical staff was behind all these deaths; the President of the Republic had supposedly payed them large sums to reduce the local population and thus get rid of the poor. Ebola, they said, didn't exist."
In 2014 there were Ebola outbreaks in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. In the course of two years more than 11.000 people died horrific deaths. Véronique Tadjo has written a polyphonic novel about this event. In each chapter another protagonist steps forward and tells their story: a doctor and nurse working with Ebola patients, a poet losing his fiancée to the virus, a young man burrying bodies, a distant relative who is asked to take in a child which has been orphaned. But there is also the virus itself getting a voice , the bat which has been demonized, and - centrally though - the Baobab tree. Ranging from matter-of-factly to poetic, these voices draw a vivid picture and pose questions about science and other belief systems, humanity's place in the world, community and support.
In 2014 there were Ebola outbreaks in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. In the course of two years more than 11.000 people died horrific deaths. Véronique Tadjo has written a polyphonic novel about this event. In each chapter another protagonist steps forward and tells their story: a doctor and nurse working with Ebola patients, a poet losing his fiancée to the virus, a young man burrying bodies, a distant relative who is asked to take in a child which has been orphaned. But there is also the virus itself getting a voice , the bat which has been demonized, and - centrally though - the Baobab tree. Ranging from matter-of-factly to poetic, these voices draw a vivid picture and pose questions about science and other belief systems, humanity's place in the world, community and support.
callieisreading's review against another edition
4.0
4.25 stars. To me this read less like what I would consider a novel and more like fictional essays? Which isn't a genre, but should be. The writing is beautiful, full credit to Tadjo and her translator Cullen, who crafted beautiful prose into a haunting experience.
apoorvasr's review against another edition
5.0
In the Company of Men by Veronique Tadjo , translated from the French by John Cullen
It seemed to be the right time to read this book. Looking back at the bleak times of last year , the earth ravaged by the Covid virus.
It is true that history repeats itself . But will the humans ever learn ?
The story of the Ebola virus , the epicentre of its existence and its wrath spreading among the Africans . The origin being the consumption of bushmeat..
Death ensues.
The virus’ wrath is endless . Families are wiped out. Children are orphaned.
The Baobab tree in the Saharan desert looks on and offers it’s pearls of wisdom - the need to be in sustenance and harmony with our environment . To respect and nurture our earth, for she is a giving mother.
To not fall prey into the spirals of human greed and hunger.
The Baobab tree holds no more conferences under its shade. It’s verdant boughs cut and sold as “ souvenirs”.
We listen to the perspectives of all in this book - A poetic treatment of the disease.
The doctors who cannot treat but can only control..
The families who do not understand the severity of the disease ..
The volunteers burying the dead in the containment centre .
Lovers separated in quarantine ..
Finally even the bats and viruses talk . How it may not be their fault , how they are just carriers and how they did not know their range of destruction yet . Innocent bystanders only .. Activated by us..
A virus which has no soul without a host ..
We revisit how we felt with Covid . The continuous burning of the body . The lucky healed - what made them strong? We will never know.
In the end there are similarities with both wars with viruses - presenting a united front and the power of human love and empathy pushing us though a pandemic ..
It seemed to be the right time to read this book. Looking back at the bleak times of last year , the earth ravaged by the Covid virus.
It is true that history repeats itself . But will the humans ever learn ?
The story of the Ebola virus , the epicentre of its existence and its wrath spreading among the Africans . The origin being the consumption of bushmeat..
Death ensues.
The virus’ wrath is endless . Families are wiped out. Children are orphaned.
The Baobab tree in the Saharan desert looks on and offers it’s pearls of wisdom - the need to be in sustenance and harmony with our environment . To respect and nurture our earth, for she is a giving mother.
To not fall prey into the spirals of human greed and hunger.
The Baobab tree holds no more conferences under its shade. It’s verdant boughs cut and sold as “ souvenirs”.
We listen to the perspectives of all in this book - A poetic treatment of the disease.
The doctors who cannot treat but can only control..
The families who do not understand the severity of the disease ..
The volunteers burying the dead in the containment centre .
Lovers separated in quarantine ..
Finally even the bats and viruses talk . How it may not be their fault , how they are just carriers and how they did not know their range of destruction yet . Innocent bystanders only .. Activated by us..
A virus which has no soul without a host ..
We revisit how we felt with Covid . The continuous burning of the body . The lucky healed - what made them strong? We will never know.
In the end there are similarities with both wars with viruses - presenting a united front and the power of human love and empathy pushing us though a pandemic ..
katie_greenwinginmymouth's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
4.0
The book presents a chorus of voices presenting their experience of the epidemic and is book-ended by the voice of the ancient baobab tree whose longevity gives a more than human perspective on these events and a perspective from which to critique humankind’s exploitation of the natural world. In between we hear from numerous people affected by the virus, healthcare workers, NGO workers, sanitation workers, outreach workers and even a bat and the virus itself.
Sometimes fable-like and sometimes like oral testimony the story unfolds in a simple, direct way that works well for the subject matter. What stuck with me most was the contrast between the treatment given to the NGO worker who was immediately flown back to their country for treatment compared to the death of the country’s most knowledgeable clinician because no western country would authorise his transfer to them for treatment. Time and again it seems that desperate situations magnify inequalities and block simple, lifesaving actions. We are overwhelmed with evidence of this it seems these days…