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scienceworks's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-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
4.0
octavia_cade's review
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
I have to admit that, when reading this, I was unsure if it was fiction or memoir. It turns out it's the former, but the afterword indicates that it's based on the author's childhood memories of growing up on the island of Annobón. It's beautifully written, anyway, and if there's quite a lot of repetition here, it's clearly a conscious choice, one that's influenced very much by rhythm. There's something almost soothing about that repetition, even when the subject matter is distressing. It almost feels like wave motion, that sort of rocking back and forth, which is very suited to the tone of the book: there's something very reflective about it.
That wave-motion of the prose is particularly fitting, given that so much of this book is concerned with island life. The ocean here is one of the main sources of food, and the construction of canoes - a community endeavour, and one accompanied by song - is an ongoing event. Honestly, there are a lot more supposedly compelling moments here: the mob murder of a lone woman, the fire, the death of a child and the long struggle to transport it to a hospital, for instance. Yet when I think back on what I've just read, it's the quiet construction of the canoes that makes the strongest impression. In many ways, that considered, necessary craftsmanship is the quiet heart of this book, and I can't help but think that the pages bear some relationship to the vessels... I suppose they do, after all, consist of the same substance.
That wave-motion of the prose is particularly fitting, given that so much of this book is concerned with island life. The ocean here is one of the main sources of food, and the construction of canoes - a community endeavour, and one accompanied by song - is an ongoing event. Honestly, there are a lot more supposedly compelling moments here: the mob murder of a lone woman, the fire, the death of a child and the long struggle to transport it to a hospital, for instance. Yet when I think back on what I've just read, it's the quiet construction of the canoes that makes the strongest impression. In many ways, that considered, necessary craftsmanship is the quiet heart of this book, and I can't help but think that the pages bear some relationship to the vessels... I suppose they do, after all, consist of the same substance.
esther_habs's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
cat_uk's review
4.0
I loved this book, written as if being told aloud to a third person. I could feel the narrator being dragged back to his childhood and the confusion he felt during a particularly horrific period on the island; a totally evocative tale capturing the setting, the way of life of the islanders and the weird way kids see things. Brilliant!
pelicaaan's review
3.0
This was a very fascinating look at an unfamiliar culture and place (and the cover is truly beautiful). The author's writing style got a little tired; it's very oral-history like, as though he's telling a series of stories, and he tends to revisit the same scenes, using the same language over and over again.
scottishben's review
2.0
I dont really like reading stuff not broken into paragraphs and chapters. I find it hard to get into and there are not convenient break points. As such I was a little bit against this from the start. Then the story was fairly conventional with a few literary devices and twists to mix things up. The setting being Equatorial Gunea (sp) being a place I know little about lifting it and there was quite a few interesting moments as well as moments when the writers wit or craft shown through. Overall though it was a struggle for me to get through and I would be cautious to whom I would recommend this although there was a decent amount here to enjoy and admire.
spitlera's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
snigdha1's review
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
kisaly's review
3.0
Another entry in my 'books of the world' reading project, this one from the Spanish-speaking African country of Equatorial Guinea. I've found it difficult to rate authors who are imitating oral storytelling tradition as they generally don't adhere to a linear plot. The writing is repetitive and melodic, the story dramatic and dark.