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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
funny
sad
medium-paced
A vibrant and enjoyable read that conveys its setting well, with an unforgettable cast of characters and a charming playfulness to its storytelling. The political satire can be heavy-handed at times, even allowing for the farcical nature of the novel, but it's a small complaint.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was immediately intrigued by this story of a city on fire. The city, Luanda, is changing and being changed by the inhabitants and those with a vested interest in it. The writing gives you the feeling of being whisked about Luanda, from scene to scene, in a way that is so smooth yet requires you to stop and catch your breath while your mind stops spinning. There are tax collectors, a mailman in search of a motorbike, plenty of bureaucrats, a seashell seller, a blind man, criminals, and big oil companies. But, at the centre of it all, there is a building in Maianga Square with a pothole, burst pipes with continuously flowing water, and seven floors. It's inhabitants are a colourful bunch of characters except for Odonato who is slowly becoming transparent, in both a literal and figurative way.
It makes for a wonderful story full of laugh out loud moments, heartbreaking scenes, and satire that gets you rolling your eyes with how ridiculous and sometimes real it actually is. The writing takes some getting used to as there are no capitals, other than names, and no full stops but it doesn't impede enjoyment in the slightest.
It makes for a wonderful story full of laugh out loud moments, heartbreaking scenes, and satire that gets you rolling your eyes with how ridiculous and sometimes real it actually is. The writing takes some getting used to as there are no capitals, other than names, and no full stops but it doesn't impede enjoyment in the slightest.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty, Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Fire/Fire injury
Sofre quem se deixa ficar, de lembrança e coração, no desértico lugar a que chamam passado.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Este livro é absolutamente ma ra vi lho so.
De uma riqueza profunda, simbólica, precisa e estonteante.
Também admiro muito a escrita - afinal, não existem muitos escritores que conseguem dialogar de forma corrente mas mantendo a poesia sempre presente. Elevou a língua portuguesa a outro patamar, e ao misturar o realismo mágico, fiquei ainda mais fascinada.
São infinitas as partes que poderia usar como exemplo desta escrita estrondosa, começando pela contracapa que me cativou desde o primeiro momento, mas escolho este poema.
conheceu então
um fino frio nas costas
e viu desenhando no chão o mapa do seu próprio sangue - sentindo que morria assim, empapado na saudade da sua mãe
De uma riqueza profunda, simbólica, precisa e estonteante.
Também admiro muito a escrita - afinal, não existem muitos escritores que conseguem dialogar de forma corrente mas mantendo a poesia sempre presente. Elevou a língua portuguesa a outro patamar, e ao misturar o realismo mágico, fiquei ainda mais fascinada.
São infinitas as partes que poderia usar como exemplo desta escrita estrondosa, começando pela contracapa que me cativou desde o primeiro momento, mas escolho este poema.
conheceu então
um fino frio nas costas
e viu desenhando no chão o mapa do seu próprio sangue - sentindo que morria assim, empapado na saudade da sua mãe
This book is poetry written in prose (I read it in Portuguese). It is a story about the lives of a group of people that live in a six store building, that never was completly build. So there is a 'vertical corridor' but no elavator. Everything seems in this Luanda to work only through schemes. It seems to be a picture of Luanda at the begining of the 21st century, dense narrated with a very dark humour.
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
An imaginative book, infused with magical realism, which offers a searing critique of Angolan politics and society and the effects of economic liberalisation. I really enjoyed the writing style, the meandering and slightly dreamy nature of the story-telling, and the humorous notes that infuse the book. The story is constructed around a polyphony of characters centred around an apartment building in a poor area of Luanda, which are meant to represent different strata of Luanda society. I really liked the tapestry that Ondjaki weaved through this form of story-telling, but it does mean that there is no character development in se. The characters are used as narrative devices for the purpose of social commentary, rather than being the object of the story. As others have pointed out, a key weakness of the book is the almost complete lack of female voices in the book and the often-misogynistic representation of women. Which makes it difficult for me to rate this book. I would give it 4.5 stars for its narrative quality and social satire, but 2 stars for its gender bias.
Ah, I really wanted to love this book because it was exactly the kind of premise I would enjoy. But it was just plain boring...
It follows characters who are somewhat connected by a particular building, but none of the characters are particularly interesting or unique. There is an attempt at poetic prose and description, but it doesn’t really fit in. And the long sections just drag the pacing of this book so much. It’s completely forgettable, and I have a feeling it is attempting to be special or subversive, but simply not using capital letters or full stops for absolutely no reason does not a special/subversive book make. It felt entirely useless.
If you think this book sounds like something you’d enjoy, let me recommend you José Eduardo Agualusa’s “A General Theory of Oblivion” instead!
It follows characters who are somewhat connected by a particular building, but none of the characters are particularly interesting or unique. There is an attempt at poetic prose and description, but it doesn’t really fit in. And the long sections just drag the pacing of this book so much. It’s completely forgettable, and I have a feeling it is attempting to be special or subversive, but simply not using capital letters or full stops for absolutely no reason does not a special/subversive book make. It felt entirely useless.
If you think this book sounds like something you’d enjoy, let me recommend you José Eduardo Agualusa’s “A General Theory of Oblivion” instead!
I loved this story and it’s narrated beautifully. We get a glimpse into life in Angola, corruption, and the struggle of the poor in urban neighborhoods. But more than that, it is about the love of a dad for his missing son. Like the parable of the shepherd who leaves its flock to rescue the sheep that went astray, this dad forgives his son for all his misgivings and tries to recover him at any cost. There are a lot of quickly characters that keeps the reader entertained throughout.