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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Liwa Ekimakingaï wakes in his grave at Frère Lachaise. Dead at 24, his reality is literally turned upside-down when he discovers his afterlife.
This was such a beautiful exploration of death, grief for a life lost (from both the perspective of the survivors as the deceased), the celebration of life, and Congolese life.
This was my first Mabanckou, but I have a feeling I’ll read more of his work. The writing was witty, dark and soulful, the characters are almost tangible, and I really enjoyed how he weaved magical realism so well with the non-magical aspects of the book. You almost forget that there is magical realism at play at all.
For those interested in philosophizing about (life after) death, reading about Congolese culture or who enjoy a dash of magic in their stories, consider picking up Dealing With The Dead!
This was such a beautiful exploration of death, grief for a life lost (from both the perspective of the survivors as the deceased), the celebration of life, and Congolese life.
This was my first Mabanckou, but I have a feeling I’ll read more of his work. The writing was witty, dark and soulful, the characters are almost tangible, and I really enjoyed how he weaved magical realism so well with the non-magical aspects of the book. You almost forget that there is magical realism at play at all.
For those interested in philosophizing about (life after) death, reading about Congolese culture or who enjoy a dash of magic in their stories, consider picking up Dealing With The Dead!
slow-paced
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
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:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In 'Dealing with the Dead' Liwa Ekimakingaï awakes in a cemetery. He has died young. Confused and lost he wants to piece together his last moments and say goodbye to his closest relative his grandmother. The novel delves into the familial relationships and and personal politics of Ekimakingaï. While, also depicting the surrounding area and wider politics of Congo through the multitude of fellow ghosts in the cemetery.
I enjoyed the depictions of setting. As someone who is unfamiliar with Congo I found that i could still make a clear depiction of the political setting and cultural setting. Ekimakingaï's descriptions and memories of his grandmother were also deeply interesting.
I found the narration really hard to read. The flip between third and second felt clunky and is personally not a style of narrative I enjoy. However, I can see that it was an interesting tool used in the context of the novel, after all we do all die. (I have also just read that this is a nod to a French writer and style unfortunately this went over my head so wasn't as appreciated.)
Thanks to #netgalley for this ARC.
I enjoyed the depictions of setting. As someone who is unfamiliar with Congo I found that i could still make a clear depiction of the political setting and cultural setting. Ekimakingaï's descriptions and memories of his grandmother were also deeply interesting.
I found the narration really hard to read. The flip between third and second felt clunky and is personally not a style of narrative I enjoy. However, I can see that it was an interesting tool used in the context of the novel, after all we do all die. (I have also just read that this is a nod to a French writer and style unfortunately this went over my head so wasn't as appreciated.)
Thanks to #netgalley for this ARC.
I didn't love this one in the way that I have most of his others. Something about it just wasn't connecting with me fully, and I found it almost a bit of a slog in a couple of places. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, and it is for the most part a perfectly enjoyable read, but I will always hope for more than just liking an Alain Mabanckou book. Maybe that's on me though. Maybe my expectations were too high going into this.
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes