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2.77 AVERAGE
2.77 AVERAGE
informative
slow-paced
informative
slow-paced
On a sentence to sentence basis, the writing was great. But somehow I was lost throughout the book. I don't think the story was told entirely linearly and there were some confusing time gaps. The writing was very dense so this took a lot of attention and time to read such a short book. I did learn a lot about Timor Leste, and I'm interested to read Luis Cardoso's most recent work, for which he won an award. I think it's so cool that he is really pioneering written literature for this country which is actually younger than me!
challenging
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Colonisation
Minor: Slavery, Xenophobia
Timor-Leste is an interesting country I hadn't heard much about before picking up this book. Geographically close to Australia, it has been occupied by both Portugal and Indonesia in recent history, before finally gaining independence in 2002.
Cardoso's book talks about his childhood, and mainly adolescence in Timor-Leste during the 1970's, as Timor-Leste successfully gained independence from Portugal to only be invaded and occupied 9 days later by Indonesia.
Unsurprisingly, for a book called 'The Crossing' there are a lot of journeys in this book, both physical and metaphorical. Water is also an important repeated symbol, and I have the impression that bodies of water are very important to Timorese culture, not surprising for a small island nation.
There was also a feeling of the importance of your background, and how no matter how far you travel, and what you do, you can not leave ancestry behind. This is both a comforting and uncomfortable thought.
Personally I didn't find the writing that captivating. While there were interesting details on the political and cultural history of Timor-Leste, I had to force myself to keep reading, and I wouldn't exactly describe it as a page turner.
Overall an interesting exploration of Cardoso's adolescence, but let down by the writing in my opinion.
Cardoso's book talks about his childhood, and mainly adolescence in Timor-Leste during the 1970's, as Timor-Leste successfully gained independence from Portugal to only be invaded and occupied 9 days later by Indonesia.
Unsurprisingly, for a book called 'The Crossing' there are a lot of journeys in this book, both physical and metaphorical. Water is also an important repeated symbol, and I have the impression that bodies of water are very important to Timorese culture, not surprising for a small island nation.
There was also a feeling of the importance of your background, and how no matter how far you travel, and what you do, you can not leave ancestry behind. This is both a comforting and uncomfortable thought.
Personally I didn't find the writing that captivating. While there were interesting details on the political and cultural history of Timor-Leste, I had to force myself to keep reading, and I wouldn't exactly describe it as a page turner.
Overall an interesting exploration of Cardoso's adolescence, but let down by the writing in my opinion.
Intressant om ett väldigt okänt land. Länk till recensionen: https://ewelinasbokblogg.blogspot.com/2019/09/kronika-om-en-overfart.html
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Interesting as a rare memoir from an East Timorese, who grew up there but spent the period of the Indonesian military occupation in Portugal. The pace was very slow and the narrative was not compelling, with the exception of a few scattered passages. It does not serve as a primer of the colonial history or subsequent occupation; it might be more engaging for a reader who is already familiar with that history, and the important people in the independence movement.
informative
medium-paced
challenging
informative
slow-paced
The Crossing is a memoir of a young man whose coming of age coincided with a very turbulent time in his country’s history. He grew up under Portuguese rule and was studying in Portugal in 1975 when independence was declared. Just nine days later Indonesian troops invaded and seized control. I did glean some snippets of information about what his childhood and education were like. However, it felt a bit disjointed, and the tone was rather dry and detached. If I’d had more prior knowledge of the country and its history I may have gained more from this memoir.
adventurous
informative
reflective
medium-paced