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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
Welcome to my journey around the world through books. Today we are visiting Angola, with the book Transparent City from Ondjaki.
I wanted to like this more than I actually did, but even though it is a very powerful book with a powerful message, I didn't enjoy it.
There are lots of characters, lots of dialogue and I think this would be better read in its original language, Portuguese, rather than the translated version to English. The names of the characters would have been better left in Portuguese rather than translated. These characters are very colourful people, mainly living in an apartment block, leading their day to day lives, with hardships and sadness.
Odonato is the main character but the city, the capital of Angola, Luanda also has a big part.
My favourite characters were the Seashell salesman and the mailman. Although the mailman does exaggerate a little with his desire for a motorbike to help him in his job, that is exactly what this book is about, social classes and the huge difference between those with means and those without.
The good parts for me were the outdoor cinema and the details with the poor rooster from the next door building.
But the writing is messy. If you have actually gotten this far reading this review, one of the interesting facts is that the novel is written without punctuation marks, no full stops, no capital letters, except for the names, no chapters or breaks, and even though this seems confusing, it is not too hard to follow along. But this book does open your eyes to inequality of life and corruption in the country of Angola, and also many other countries in the world, written in a hidden and confusing way.
I liked the fact that the cover of the book has the same colours as the national flag.
I am giving this book 3 stars.
If you want to continue following my journey around the world through books, please consider subscribing and hitting the notification bell. Thanks. See you in the next country.
I wanted to like this more than I actually did, but even though it is a very powerful book with a powerful message, I didn't enjoy it.
There are lots of characters, lots of dialogue and I think this would be better read in its original language, Portuguese, rather than the translated version to English. The names of the characters would have been better left in Portuguese rather than translated. These characters are very colourful people, mainly living in an apartment block, leading their day to day lives, with hardships and sadness.
Odonato is the main character but the city, the capital of Angola, Luanda also has a big part.
My favourite characters were the Seashell salesman and the mailman. Although the mailman does exaggerate a little with his desire for a motorbike to help him in his job, that is exactly what this book is about, social classes and the huge difference between those with means and those without.
The good parts for me were the outdoor cinema and the details with the poor rooster from the next door building.
But the writing is messy. If you have actually gotten this far reading this review, one of the interesting facts is that the novel is written without punctuation marks, no full stops, no capital letters, except for the names, no chapters or breaks, and even though this seems confusing, it is not too hard to follow along. But this book does open your eyes to inequality of life and corruption in the country of Angola, and also many other countries in the world, written in a hidden and confusing way.
I liked the fact that the cover of the book has the same colours as the national flag.
I am giving this book 3 stars.
If you want to continue following my journey around the world through books, please consider subscribing and hitting the notification bell. Thanks. See you in the next country.
challenging
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A surprisingly funny novel about a government rooted in corruption and the people trying to survive under it. The use of magical realism makes this a less accessible book, but I enjoyed the stylistic choices made by the author. While it is a slower read, it is entertaining throughout the entire plot.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gun violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Police brutality
Minor: Animal cruelty, Death, Racial slurs
Transparent City is written as a series of vignettes into the life of some people inhabiting the Maianga building in the Maiainga district of Luanda in which the protagonist lives, providing perspectives from across ages and experiences as to the current state of the Angolan capital. The characters are described to do whatever it takes in order to survive their lives in the city, such as the Mailman who has been carrying out his duty transmitting letters on foot, while taking care of posting handwritten letters consistently to some government officials to provide him with a moped to help his task, yet to no avail.
Central to the story is a character called Odonato, who lives on the sixth floor of the Maianga building with his wife, Xilisbaba, their daughter, Amarelinha, and Grandma Kunjikise. Ondjaki brings elements of magical realism to his story by making Odonato transparent in the city while searching for his lost son, Ciente-the-Grand, as the city of Luanda becomes unrecognisable. The plot revolves around Odonato’s attempt to locate Ciente-the-Grand, who was shot in the buttock after attempting to rob someone’s house. Odonato seems transparent, his problems of locating his son seem to be minuscule when compared to the problems that the whole Luandans experience in their day-to-day life, even when compared to his fellow Maianga building residents.
In between the main plot, Ondjaki also paints the structural corruption that occurs in Angola following the aftermath of the Angolan Civil War with his various examples, including the attempt by the government to drill oil that is presumed to exist under Luanda’s land despite the numerous populations inhabiting the city. Ondjaki attempts to show the transformation of Angola under the MPLA which is increasingly open to capitalism, presumably by inviting foreign investors to locate oils in Luanda.
At the same time, however, Ondjaki's writing is suffused with a sense of hope and possibility. Despite the challenges facing them, the characters in the novel are resilient and resourceful, finding ways to connect with one another and build a sense of community. Ondjaki's portrayal of this community-building is particularly powerful, as he shows how ordinary people can come together to create a sense of belonging and purpose in even the most difficult of circumstances.
Central to the story is a character called Odonato, who lives on the sixth floor of the Maianga building with his wife, Xilisbaba, their daughter, Amarelinha, and Grandma Kunjikise. Ondjaki brings elements of magical realism to his story by making Odonato transparent in the city while searching for his lost son, Ciente-the-Grand, as the city of Luanda becomes unrecognisable. The plot revolves around Odonato’s attempt to locate Ciente-the-Grand, who was shot in the buttock after attempting to rob someone’s house. Odonato seems transparent, his problems of locating his son seem to be minuscule when compared to the problems that the whole Luandans experience in their day-to-day life, even when compared to his fellow Maianga building residents.
In between the main plot, Ondjaki also paints the structural corruption that occurs in Angola following the aftermath of the Angolan Civil War with his various examples, including the attempt by the government to drill oil that is presumed to exist under Luanda’s land despite the numerous populations inhabiting the city. Ondjaki attempts to show the transformation of Angola under the MPLA which is increasingly open to capitalism, presumably by inviting foreign investors to locate oils in Luanda.
At the same time, however, Ondjaki's writing is suffused with a sense of hope and possibility. Despite the challenges facing them, the characters in the novel are resilient and resourceful, finding ways to connect with one another and build a sense of community. Ondjaki's portrayal of this community-building is particularly powerful, as he shows how ordinary people can come together to create a sense of belonging and purpose in even the most difficult of circumstances.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A very fast-paced novel about the lives of the magical, mysterious inhabitants of a fantastically absurd apartment building, in which the story unfolds with little to no pauses or period marks and the narrative follows the inhabitants as they come to terms with having to survive in a corruption-ridden post-colonial Luanda. Unforgettable, witty characters in an easy read (the prose reads almost like poetry) in a satirical style to capture the life in free Angola.
challenging
funny
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:
Yes
Dos livros mais inteligentes que já li. A maneira como Ondjaki aposta no humor e na ironia para acentuar a crítica e a sátira é absolutamente fenomenal. A quantidade de vezes que dei por mim a pensar "ah, que génio!" foi tão grande que me faltam palavras. Fantástico, Ondjaki. Muita vontade de ler mais livros do autor.