diandrouspetrocosmea's review
4.0
“There are deaths that snuff out a single life. And others that, like military coups, finish off an entire generation.”
I received a copy of this book through the First Reads Program. My rating is closer to 3.75 stars than a full-fledged four.
His Own Man is one character’s investigation of the history and mind of his former friend and fellow diplomat: Marcílio Andrade Xavier, nicknamed Max, later codenamed “Sam Beckett.” The fascinating manipulations and maneuvering begin around Brazil’s military coup of 1964; (somewhat conveniently) winding through South America, the United States, and Europe for decades onward. Both the narration and the dialogue can be quite verbose with context and discussion, which can some times get in the way of appreciating the characters and story. However, the translation seems smooth, and a clear questioning voice carries the novel.
Ribeiro is strongest when describing behavior; particularly of those shaping and shaped by power, and those thrashing through or forever changed by fear. Max may joke that “Horror lives next door,” but even a relatively privileged diplomat like himself can’t completely escape the violence of that era. The narrator’s own culpability is briefly mentioned here and there, but is likely set in deliberate relief to the flagrant machinations of Max. This narrator should have heeded his own criticism and omitted the postscript of the final chapter, but otherwise it’s a graceful end for a novel about personal examination.
I received a copy of this book through the First Reads Program. My rating is closer to 3.75 stars than a full-fledged four.
His Own Man is one character’s investigation of the history and mind of his former friend and fellow diplomat: Marcílio Andrade Xavier, nicknamed Max, later codenamed “Sam Beckett.” The fascinating manipulations and maneuvering begin around Brazil’s military coup of 1964; (somewhat conveniently) winding through South America, the United States, and Europe for decades onward. Both the narration and the dialogue can be quite verbose with context and discussion, which can some times get in the way of appreciating the characters and story. However, the translation seems smooth, and a clear questioning voice carries the novel.
Ribeiro is strongest when describing behavior; particularly of those shaping and shaped by power, and those thrashing through or forever changed by fear. Max may joke that “Horror lives next door,” but even a relatively privileged diplomat like himself can’t completely escape the violence of that era. The narrator’s own culpability is briefly mentioned here and there, but is likely set in deliberate relief to the flagrant machinations of Max. This narrator should have heeded his own criticism and omitted the postscript of the final chapter, but otherwise it’s a graceful end for a novel about personal examination.
bettinathenomad's review
5.0
This is an excellent political novel that addresses some fundamental issues of politics and diplomacy: how does a diplomat act if the country they're serving is a dictatorship? To what extent can a diplomat remain "his own man" with convictions and values? Max, the main character of the novel, is "his own man" in a different sense: his only goal is to advance his own career. Telles Ribeiro traces Max's journey through the years of Brazilian military dictatorship, his involvement in the coups in Uruguay and Chile, and his chamaeleon-like re-adaptation to democracy. Read my full review here: http://wp.me/p1gPfH-qR
bluepigeon's review
4.0
I was hesitant to read His Own Man, having been burnt too many times with bad translation. I was happily surprised, delighted really, to find that the novel read really well in English; it is superbly translated, which indicates that a congratulations is in order for the translator (Kim Hastings), the publisher (Other Press) and the author (Edgard T. Ribeiro).
His Own Man is a political saga of Max (rather, M.A.X.) told from the point of view of one of his closest friends. With that said, it becomes clear very early on that Max is not the kind of man who has close friends. Very early on, the narrator tells us how he met Max and how, over the forty odd years of knowing Max, he has tried to put together the "puzzle" of Max, to understand Max's motives, his involvement in the political (and military) events that shaped generations in Latin America, his alliances, and most importantly, his feelings. When all of this is revealed or rather foreshadowed in the first 50 pages of the book, I wondered what else was there to know about Max. Yet, Ribeiro somehow weaves a story that is recounted by many who had business and personal dealings with Max, slowly revealing details and connections that make the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. The narrator runs an internal commentary of his perception of the conversations he has with Max and everyone else, trying to decipher the hidden meaning of every spoken word, every gesture, and even every drink consumed. As the narrator gets closer to the actual nature of Max's involvement in the events that led to the establishment of the dictatorships in Chile and Uruguay, and the bigger implications this had for the role Brazil had in shaping Latin American politics and history, and the even bigger political games at play by the Americans and the British, the tone of the book turns darker and tense, creating an atmosphere of anxious energy. What's perhaps surprising is that nothing comes as a huge surprise, yet what the narrator manages to uncover about these dark years in his own countries history is still shocking.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in American and British politics, and in Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, and Cuba, and world history in general. This should be recommended reading for all high school kids in the power-wielding countries, so they do not naively ask "But why don't they like us?" when they grow up. A suggested fiction accompaniment to Stephen Kinzer's All the Shah's Men.
Thanks to Other Press and Goodreads First Reads for a copy of the book for review.
His Own Man is a political saga of Max (rather, M.A.X.) told from the point of view of one of his closest friends. With that said, it becomes clear very early on that Max is not the kind of man who has close friends. Very early on, the narrator tells us how he met Max and how, over the forty odd years of knowing Max, he has tried to put together the "puzzle" of Max, to understand Max's motives, his involvement in the political (and military) events that shaped generations in Latin America, his alliances, and most importantly, his feelings. When all of this is revealed or rather foreshadowed in the first 50 pages of the book, I wondered what else was there to know about Max. Yet, Ribeiro somehow weaves a story that is recounted by many who had business and personal dealings with Max, slowly revealing details and connections that make the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. The narrator runs an internal commentary of his perception of the conversations he has with Max and everyone else, trying to decipher the hidden meaning of every spoken word, every gesture, and even every drink consumed. As the narrator gets closer to the actual nature of Max's involvement in the events that led to the establishment of the dictatorships in Chile and Uruguay, and the bigger implications this had for the role Brazil had in shaping Latin American politics and history, and the even bigger political games at play by the Americans and the British, the tone of the book turns darker and tense, creating an atmosphere of anxious energy. What's perhaps surprising is that nothing comes as a huge surprise, yet what the narrator manages to uncover about these dark years in his own countries history is still shocking.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in American and British politics, and in Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, and Cuba, and world history in general. This should be recommended reading for all high school kids in the power-wielding countries, so they do not naively ask "But why don't they like us?" when they grow up. A suggested fiction accompaniment to Stephen Kinzer's All the Shah's Men.
Thanks to Other Press and Goodreads First Reads for a copy of the book for review.
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