The Raw Man

by George Makana Clark

It begins with a journey. In a resurrected bungalow on the edge of the fledgling nation of Zimbabwe, Sergeant Gordon's story has come to rest. He has borne it across drought-blasted floodplains and highlands, fleeing the copper mine which was his prison for many years. Back there in the underground darkness his story first took form, told as it came to in patterns and pieces, forwards and backwards in time, until it became a breathing, speaking entity, moving out through the tunnels. In sections oscillating between the material and spiritual worlds we learn Gordon's story in reverse, from the military, to adolescent rebellion, a patchwork education and the brutal initiations of youth; back to childhood, birth and beyond. We travel the scarred landscapes of Southern a fractured region contending with its own history and a terrible present reality. Gordon must do the same; reading the blood stories of those he meets, uncovering in visions the secrets of his own ancestry. "The Raw Man" is a unique and powerful first novel, a mixing of reality and myth and histories real and imagined. It is a story which has never before been told, a conjuring of an extraordinary place and time which reverberates beyond the pages. Reminiscent in its intensity to Joseph Conrad, in its scope to J. M. Coetzee, and in its storytelling to Jorge Luis Borges, "The Raw Man" is a revelatory work of fiction, and one that is impossible to forget.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Africa

224 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2011

Reviews

[Maghily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Une lecture compliquée, sombre qui m'a donné pas mal de fil à retordre durant les 100 - 150 premières pages. La particularité de ce roman est qu'il commence par la mort du personnage principal et nous emmène jusqu'à sa naissance, à travers les épisodes marquant de sa vie.

L'auteur joue avec les narrateurs passant tantôt au "je" tantôt au "il", sans que l'on sache s'il on avait vraiment changé de point de vue ou si l'on parlait toujours de la même personne.

Je ne suis pas sûre d'avoir tout compris, loin de là. Et ce roman ne m'a pas vraiment donné envie de découvrir le Zimbabwe, pays où la violence semble faire rage à tout instant.

[Adam Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This dark, graceful novel challenges all the conventions as it traces the life of Sergeant Gordon backward through time, from his death in the novel's opening, to his birth on the final page. Set in Africa and filled with the oral traditions of Shona and Xhosa storytelling, the narrative straddles Zimbabwe's war of independence from the perspective of a working-class family from the white minority rule that's been hiding its mixed-race heritage. The result is mythic and dark and oracular. Along the way, you'll see tender moments of connection and first love juxtaposed with the horrors of war and loss that can never be spoken of. The read is challenging at times, but the rewards are worth it. Highly recommended!

[Alistair Pyke · Rating 3 out of 5]

The almost reverse timeline narrative structure is a bit off putting, especially if you take a little while to read the whole book. You are required to remember seemingly insignificant details in case they turn out to be very significant indeed. The structure does make it more interesting though, and more heart wrenching at times. You can see how early life has played a huge part in determining how life has turned out for the main character.

[Ted Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those rare books that rewards re-reading. If you want a book where you can casually follow along, flipping pages and not truly engaging with the story, look elsewhere. Clark has written a book that pulls in - and rewards - the reader who seeks out the story behind what is written and is willing to work to put together both what the narrator shares... and what the narrator leaves out.

[Roswitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This thrilling novel spans the birth of a nation -- Zimbabwe -- and the life story of one man who seems to embody its horrors and contradictions. The novel's reverse chronology reveals secrets in a way that is particularly satisfying. In this novel the magic of the ancestors is potent while their prophets are just as misguided as those of the west. The language is spare yet evocative, studded with surprising images and haunting moments. Reading The Raw Man made me realize something -- modern Africa, while it may be irrevocably damaged and continues to be ruthlessly exploited -- has, for the most part, given its colonizers the boot.

[Frédéric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grim and mystical story of a doomed quadroon in Rhodesia, as it was called back then, embracing his cultural heritage contrary to his shameful father.
The book starts with Gordon's death, at peace at last, and jump backwards to his birth letting us know more of the hardships of his life, his roots and the bewitching Africa that gave him birth.
Somber yet fascinating.

[!Tæmbuŝu]

KOBOBOOKS

Reviewed by The Guardian

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I started this book I thought it was going to be one that I could really get my teeth into. However, after a few chapters I was starting to doubt it and probably gave up around a quarter of the way through. I very rarely give up on books but just couldn't get any further with this one.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now one of my favorite books. A work of genius. A novel that needs to be reread to be fully enjoyed.

Wonderful details, wonderful poetic writing, a very interesting structure and setting. Extremely unique, I can't recommend it enough.

[Gerda Pickin · Rating 3 out of 5]

an unusual tale told in reverse chronology

[valerie QUICHAUD · Rating 4 out of 5]

pas mal sur l'afrique mais c'est un peu noir