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laurievaquer's review against another edition
5.0
A friend gave me this book just before my move to Kinshasa (Congo) a few years ago and I never took the time to read it until now. Now I don't live in the Congo anymore and I wished I had read this book before, it's very well written and full of dark humor depicting what's going on in that country. It's a very sad story and a must read if you're interested in colonialism and Africa.
lydiabeth's review against another edition
challenging
funny
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Genocide, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, and Rape
helenar's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This is one of the few books written by a Congolese author that is translated into English. Like many books I read this sparked me into reading a little of the history behind the story of which I knew very little and the knowledge did make it easier to understand. I found it a difficult read due to the graphic descriptions of torture, sexual violence, and killings but feel that it is an important story to tell with its theme of globalisation and the effects of technology on the valuable resources within the Congo and the different ways this effected the native people. The story centres around a young man who sees this globalisation as a great opportunity for him to make his fortune and he also sees the benefits for those around him. The author also very eloquently describes the actual affects on nature and the planet and the predicted difficulties this will cause as seen by some of the older characters. This was a very different read partly I think due to the way language was used which I am guessing is at least partly down to a very clever translation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Rape, Torture, and Violence
raeofsunlight's review against another edition
4.0
Trigger warnings: extreme sexual violence, child abuse, torture, mass murder
I actively did not enjoy the process of reading this book (see trigger warnings as to why). But a month after finishing, it has really stuck with me. The more I think about it, the more I feel the achievement of Bofane’s work, and the importance of his being read more widely.
Now available in translation, this is one of the only works by a Congolese author you can actually read in English (please comment below if you know any other good translated Congolese fiction - I’ve had trouble finding any). You feel the difference immediately in Bofane’s writing. It’s not an outsider using the Congo as a lens through which to examine their and their country’s own issues. Congo Inc. unashamedly focuses on a very specific truth: the condition of modern DRC at a human and environmental level.
A friend described Congo Inc. as, “like being slapped round the face with a book,” and I know exactly what she means. This book does not pander to its readers, and it does not pander to the West. Subtitled “Bismark’s Testament,” whilst being a very modern novel, it demonstrates how the effects of colonialism are woven into every facet of the country to this day.
Bofane takes all the things we know deep down go on in the world but have the privilege to avoid thinking about, and lays them bare in front of us. Moreover, he demonstrates how greed for Congo’s vast natural resources has not only fuelled violence within DRC, but has enabled the occurrence of some of the worst atrocities in modern Western history.
Following the globalisation-obsessed Pygmy, Isookanga, Bofane introduces us to a vast, almost too vast, array of characters. The overwhelmed feeling this novel gives us is purposeful: like the bustling streets of Kinshasa this novel heaves with a sense of place, of disorder, of the claustrophobia created by invisible barriers to movement and progress.
DRC is a deeply relevant country, an integral part of the modern world that we should all learn more about. I recommend anyone looking for a perspective-expanding novel to read this one.
I actively did not enjoy the process of reading this book (see trigger warnings as to why). But a month after finishing, it has really stuck with me. The more I think about it, the more I feel the achievement of Bofane’s work, and the importance of his being read more widely.
Now available in translation, this is one of the only works by a Congolese author you can actually read in English (please comment below if you know any other good translated Congolese fiction - I’ve had trouble finding any). You feel the difference immediately in Bofane’s writing. It’s not an outsider using the Congo as a lens through which to examine their and their country’s own issues. Congo Inc. unashamedly focuses on a very specific truth: the condition of modern DRC at a human and environmental level.
A friend described Congo Inc. as, “like being slapped round the face with a book,” and I know exactly what she means. This book does not pander to its readers, and it does not pander to the West. Subtitled “Bismark’s Testament,” whilst being a very modern novel, it demonstrates how the effects of colonialism are woven into every facet of the country to this day.
Bofane takes all the things we know deep down go on in the world but have the privilege to avoid thinking about, and lays them bare in front of us. Moreover, he demonstrates how greed for Congo’s vast natural resources has not only fuelled violence within DRC, but has enabled the occurrence of some of the worst atrocities in modern Western history.
Following the globalisation-obsessed Pygmy, Isookanga, Bofane introduces us to a vast, almost too vast, array of characters. The overwhelmed feeling this novel gives us is purposeful: like the bustling streets of Kinshasa this novel heaves with a sense of place, of disorder, of the claustrophobia created by invisible barriers to movement and progress.
DRC is a deeply relevant country, an integral part of the modern world that we should all learn more about. I recommend anyone looking for a perspective-expanding novel to read this one.
literaryinfatuation's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
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