What do you think?
Rate this book
Serengotti
In the one tumultuous day, Ch’anzu loses hir job and finds wife Scarlet in bed with a stranger. As life unexpectedly spirals out of control, Ch’anzu turns to hir charismatic Aunt Maé for comfort and wisdom, and makes the bold move to work on a project in Serengotti, a migrant African outpost in rural Australia.
In a novel haunted by the strangeness and yearnings of a displaced community – both beautiful and fractured – Ch’anzu is forced to confront hir many demons. Back in the city, brother Tex has gone missing. In Serengotti violence and infidelity simmer.
This is a novel bathed in sensuous, original language, a love letter to the strong women who bind families together despite everything. It’s also a tender remembrance of the many who haven’t or couldn’t survive the dislocations and tragedies of their turbulent pasts.
‘Thrillingly alive, visceral, funny, and poetic, this is a story of what happens after your world falls apart, and you are forced to piece together a new one—a bittersweet tale of love, desire and kin, of what we carry and what holds us afloat. A novel that dances with a haunted grace, with characters who will sear themselves into your memory.’ —DAVID CARLIN, award-winning author and editor of eight books, including The After-Normal, Our Father Who Wasn’t There and A–Z of Creative Writing Method
In a novel haunted by the strangeness and yearnings of a displaced community – both beautiful and fractured – Ch’anzu is forced to confront hir many demons. Back in the city, brother Tex has gone missing. In Serengotti violence and infidelity simmer.
This is a novel bathed in sensuous, original language, a love letter to the strong women who bind families together despite everything. It’s also a tender remembrance of the many who haven’t or couldn’t survive the dislocations and tragedies of their turbulent pasts.
‘Thrillingly alive, visceral, funny, and poetic, this is a story of what happens after your world falls apart, and you are forced to piece together a new one—a bittersweet tale of love, desire and kin, of what we carry and what holds us afloat. A novel that dances with a haunted grace, with characters who will sear themselves into your memory.’ —DAVID CARLIN, award-winning author and editor of eight books, including The After-Normal, Our Father Who Wasn’t There and A–Z of Creative Writing Method
288 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2023
6 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 21, 2023
If you need any proof that the most interesting books being published in Australia come from small publishers, look no further than Serengotti, by Eugen Bacon, a new release from Transit Lounge. The striking cover design by Peter Lo is just the beginning...
Eugen Bacon is an African-Australian writer who has been attracting international attention for her powerful writing. She is well-known for her award-winning fantasy and horror fiction, (see her website) but I did not discover her adventurous style until I came across her short fiction collection Danged Black Thing (2021, see my review).
Serengotti also showcases her playful side. I'm not sure, but the title is (I'm guessing) a play on words, one which sent me exploring online (perhaps as the author hoped it would). The Serengeti is a geographical area of Tanzania, (which is where the author was born). Its Wikipedia page has very little to say about the people of that area, only that successive catastrophes devastated the Maasai who migrated there in the early 20th century and have since been relocated to the Crater Highlands in Northern Tanzania. Today the Serengeti is a haven for wildlife, especially lions. WP (lightly edited to remove unnecessary links and footnotes) says:
Even this brief foray into exploring the Serengeti has shown me that dislocation, trauma and tragedy in Africa are not always the result of war.
Serengotti is not speculative fiction: it's sited very much in the here and right now. It has a sombre message, and one that provokes a thoughtful reader to consider more deeply what it means to be African in origin, in Australia, and how best we might support those who are damaged by their experiences. But Ch'anzu, the novel's narrator, is often laugh-out-loud funny.
Chuckling, the reader turns the page, and Bacon undercuts her own jokes.
Ch'anzu has been dumped (by Scarlet) so she is suddenly dealing with a broken heart on the same day that she gets the sack. She rebounds by upending her life altogether. She leaves behind her stylish South Yarra apartment and takes up Valarie's offer of an intriguing job in Serengotti, a gated community outside Wagga Wagga in rural NSW. It is a community of Africans who have come together to provide familiarity and support for people among them who are scarred by the experiences that made them refugees. Moraa's Black Soul restaurant serves an appetising African menu; burials and wakes (#NoSpoilers) are conducted in culturally familiar ways, and (run by twin elders and traditional healers Tau and Lau), there's a counselling service that blends traditional ways of thinking with contemporary counselling skills.
Ch'anzu's new job is an element of the innovative way that this community tackles trauma.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2023/06/21/s...
Eugen Bacon is an African-Australian writer who has been attracting international attention for her powerful writing. She is well-known for her award-winning fantasy and horror fiction, (see her website) but I did not discover her adventurous style until I came across her short fiction collection Danged Black Thing (2021, see my review).
Serengotti also showcases her playful side. I'm not sure, but the title is (I'm guessing) a play on words, one which sent me exploring online (perhaps as the author hoped it would). The Serengeti is a geographical area of Tanzania, (which is where the author was born). Its Wikipedia page has very little to say about the people of that area, only that successive catastrophes devastated the Maasai who migrated there in the early 20th century and have since been relocated to the Crater Highlands in Northern Tanzania. Today the Serengeti is a haven for wildlife, especially lions. WP (lightly edited to remove unnecessary links and footnotes) says:
The Serengeti hosts the second largest terrestrial mammal migration in the world, which helps secure it as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa and as one of the ten natural travel wonders of the world.
Even this brief foray into exploring the Serengeti has shown me that dislocation, trauma and tragedy in Africa are not always the result of war.
Serengotti is not speculative fiction: it's sited very much in the here and right now. It has a sombre message, and one that provokes a thoughtful reader to consider more deeply what it means to be African in origin, in Australia, and how best we might support those who are damaged by their experiences. But Ch'anzu, the novel's narrator, is often laugh-out-loud funny.
Whatever work you want to put on your project is waste. You're distracted pretty much. Your mind is buzzing with every what else. You think of Valarie — what's going on? Why isn't she answering your calls? You think of Scarlet, but your thoughts about her are oddly connected in a good way to inflation. The dismal world economy and all that ... being solo has its merits. Imagine saying to a potential paramour puckering up for a pash: 'Mate, you gotta kiss softly. Seen the price of lip balm? Gobble my whole damn mouth, and I'll have to break out more of that bitch-prized balm.' (P.165)
Chuckling, the reader turns the page, and Bacon undercuts her own jokes.
You laugh aloud at this. Yep. Trying to be Dame Edna or what? (p.166)
Ch'anzu has been dumped (by Scarlet) so she is suddenly dealing with a broken heart on the same day that she gets the sack. She rebounds by upending her life altogether. She leaves behind her stylish South Yarra apartment and takes up Valarie's offer of an intriguing job in Serengotti, a gated community outside Wagga Wagga in rural NSW. It is a community of Africans who have come together to provide familiarity and support for people among them who are scarred by the experiences that made them refugees. Moraa's Black Soul restaurant serves an appetising African menu; burials and wakes (#NoSpoilers) are conducted in culturally familiar ways, and (run by twin elders and traditional healers Tau and Lau), there's a counselling service that blends traditional ways of thinking with contemporary counselling skills.
Ch'anzu's new job is an element of the innovative way that this community tackles trauma.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2023/06/21/s...
April 21, 2024
“Sometimes you feel rearranged, hidden in the pocket of life’s airport, one that puts you on a tiny plane on the way to nowhere that’s now somewhere. You ask yourself existential questions, the how and why stories, but nothing comes at you flying low so you can make out the roads, and you know to leave those questions well alone.”
Serengotti is a trippy, off-kilter exploration of violence within communities, mid-life ennui and the elusive nature of community. Ch’anzu, our second-person protagonist, flounders more than drifts, through hir life in a way that feels at turns raucous, tender and poignant.
Like these tones, Bacon combines many elements in her writing. These are not so much mixed as blended, giving the novel an ever-surprising texture. Serengotti is not speculative fiction—there are no fantastical or futuristic elements outside of a few spiritual references—but somehow, it feels like it. So much of this world feels off-kilter—metaphors baffle, characters surprise, and Wagga Wagga is described as remote (? this could just be the way Melbournians think).
The novel is often slightly shrouded - with a reasonably large cast for the length; I used the search function to keep everyone straight. My sense of dislocation, of elements thrown slightly haphazardly together, feels less like an artifice and more as a window into Ch’anzu’s mental world. As zie takes on more agency, the novel’s structure also solidifies (or at least, I got the hang of it).
I’m still not quite sure what I think of this. In some ways, it left me more distanced and less absorbed than books I would normally feel like I loved. But I found myself picking up Bacon’s previous book (against my no-more-books rules). I think this one might have to sit in my brain for a bit before it settles in.
Serengotti is a trippy, off-kilter exploration of violence within communities, mid-life ennui and the elusive nature of community. Ch’anzu, our second-person protagonist, flounders more than drifts, through hir life in a way that feels at turns raucous, tender and poignant.
Like these tones, Bacon combines many elements in her writing. These are not so much mixed as blended, giving the novel an ever-surprising texture. Serengotti is not speculative fiction—there are no fantastical or futuristic elements outside of a few spiritual references—but somehow, it feels like it. So much of this world feels off-kilter—metaphors baffle, characters surprise, and Wagga Wagga is described as remote (? this could just be the way Melbournians think).
The novel is often slightly shrouded - with a reasonably large cast for the length; I used the search function to keep everyone straight. My sense of dislocation, of elements thrown slightly haphazardly together, feels less like an artifice and more as a window into Ch’anzu’s mental world. As zie takes on more agency, the novel’s structure also solidifies (or at least, I got the hang of it).
I’m still not quite sure what I think of this. In some ways, it left me more distanced and less absorbed than books I would normally feel like I loved. But I found myself picking up Bacon’s previous book (against my no-more-books rules). I think this one might have to sit in my brain for a bit before it settles in.
August 20, 2023
Serengotti by African Australian author Eugen Bacon is an inspirational story about heartache, endurance, transformation and chasing dreams, even when the odds are not at all in your favour.
Ch’anzu finds herself in turmoil after finding hir wife Scarlet in bed with a stranger and to top it off she loses hir job as a programmer. With her marriage over depression sets in, Ch’anzu finds solace with hir Aunt Maé. When offered a job to work on a project in a migrant African outpost in rural Australia she grabs the opportunity to move.
When faced with the hard seasons of life, Ch’anzu’s transformation seemed impossible especially when grief and uncertainty dominated hir days. She didn’t ask to have hir future completely rearranged, I admired hir resilience and fight for joy in hard times. She wasn’t going to be stuck in a place where hir identity became rooted in what hurt hir instead she was able to learn and grow and look to the future.
The plot is well-paced, twists and turns will surround you and keep you turning the pages until the very last page is reached. Being taken to the Serengotti, a small, gated community outside Wagga Wagga, NSW was engrossing. Populated by migrants who fled their war-torn country in Africa you are introduced to cultural practices, different languages, and family values.
This novel is extraordinary character-driven, it is filled with numerous dramatic settings that transport readers into each scene. The way the author explores the emotional depths of the protagonist and supporting cast is wonderful. It was very inspirational to see how the refugees lived and enjoyed their lives, supporting each other amidst the hardships and all the struggles they had endured in their own country.
I enjoy reading and learning about new authors and this was a perfect new author and new book! I loved everything about this novel. the words, the characters, the plot. All of it was unique and really drew me into the story. I have never read a book quite like this before, but I will say that I hope to read more work like this in the future.
The cover of the book is a standout for me, it is simple yet superbly effective with stunning use of photograph, and hand lettering. I am always drawn to bright and bold covers whenever I see it on a bookshelf. I am sure it will draw readers attention.
I highly recommend
Thank you, Beauty and Lace and Transit Lounge, for the opportunity to read and review.
Ch’anzu finds herself in turmoil after finding hir wife Scarlet in bed with a stranger and to top it off she loses hir job as a programmer. With her marriage over depression sets in, Ch’anzu finds solace with hir Aunt Maé. When offered a job to work on a project in a migrant African outpost in rural Australia she grabs the opportunity to move.
When faced with the hard seasons of life, Ch’anzu’s transformation seemed impossible especially when grief and uncertainty dominated hir days. She didn’t ask to have hir future completely rearranged, I admired hir resilience and fight for joy in hard times. She wasn’t going to be stuck in a place where hir identity became rooted in what hurt hir instead she was able to learn and grow and look to the future.
The plot is well-paced, twists and turns will surround you and keep you turning the pages until the very last page is reached. Being taken to the Serengotti, a small, gated community outside Wagga Wagga, NSW was engrossing. Populated by migrants who fled their war-torn country in Africa you are introduced to cultural practices, different languages, and family values.
This novel is extraordinary character-driven, it is filled with numerous dramatic settings that transport readers into each scene. The way the author explores the emotional depths of the protagonist and supporting cast is wonderful. It was very inspirational to see how the refugees lived and enjoyed their lives, supporting each other amidst the hardships and all the struggles they had endured in their own country.
I enjoy reading and learning about new authors and this was a perfect new author and new book! I loved everything about this novel. the words, the characters, the plot. All of it was unique and really drew me into the story. I have never read a book quite like this before, but I will say that I hope to read more work like this in the future.
The cover of the book is a standout for me, it is simple yet superbly effective with stunning use of photograph, and hand lettering. I am always drawn to bright and bold covers whenever I see it on a bookshelf. I am sure it will draw readers attention.
I highly recommend
Thank you, Beauty and Lace and Transit Lounge, for the opportunity to read and review.
August 29, 2023
Thanks to Beauty and Lace and Transit Lounge Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this very unique book.
It is written like no other I have read but once you get used to the author’s style it starts to flow.
Ch’anzu loses your job and her wife all at once and takes up a job opportunity in a migrant African settlement called, Serengotti. Here she finds people with more pain than she could imagine, they having seen and experienced more than anyone should in their lives.
Many things happen around her amongst the residents but also within her own family.
This book proves that everyone has a story but it is how you deal with it that is always your choice.
It is written like no other I have read but once you get used to the author’s style it starts to flow.
Ch’anzu loses your job and her wife all at once and takes up a job opportunity in a migrant African settlement called, Serengotti. Here she finds people with more pain than she could imagine, they having seen and experienced more than anyone should in their lives.
Many things happen around her amongst the residents but also within her own family.
This book proves that everyone has a story but it is how you deal with it that is always your choice.
August 1, 2023
This fever dream of a story spun my head and left me with upside-down impressions of the inhabitants of and happenings in an African village in rural Australia. Bacon uses surrealism to tell the story of Ch’anzu, who loses hir wife and job on the same day. Zie ends up in Serengotti, a village for people who have escaped violence and trauma, where zie’s been employed to create an entertainment experience that will help bring healing to the villagers.
It took me practically the whole book to get my head around the language of the novel, which is very fast-paced, and full of its own dialect and references—the fever dream to which I refer above. Additionally, Ch’anzu’s story is interrupted by odd and unsettling actual dreams, which keep the reader off-balance. Also, Ch’anzu has a (dark) twin, and Tex’s ruminations are inserted into the narrative at various points, quite like Tex is haunting Ch’anzu (…).
So, while this will not be for everyone, I enjoyed the experimental writing. Bacon shows that you can break the traditional structure and all of the rules of writing a novel, and still tell a cracking story.
Thank you to the author, Eugen Bacon, for this ARC.
It took me practically the whole book to get my head around the language of the novel, which is very fast-paced, and full of its own dialect and references—the fever dream to which I refer above. Additionally, Ch’anzu’s story is interrupted by odd and unsettling actual dreams, which keep the reader off-balance. Also, Ch’anzu has a (dark) twin, and Tex’s ruminations are inserted into the narrative at various points, quite like Tex is haunting Ch’anzu (…).
So, while this will not be for everyone, I enjoyed the experimental writing. Bacon shows that you can break the traditional structure and all of the rules of writing a novel, and still tell a cracking story.
Thank you to the author, Eugen Bacon, for this ARC.
October 15, 2023
‘Dreams are places you can’t visit, things you can’t touch when you’re awake.’
We meet Ch’anzu (zie/hir) in post pandemic Melbourne. After resigning hir job as a computer programmer, Ch’anzu discovers hir wife Scarlet in bed with a man. This leads to an estrangement, and Ch’anzu looks to hir Aunt Maé for wisdom and comfort.
Bear with me as I struggle to keep the pronouns straight and to appreciate Ch’anzu’s journey. Zie has broken up with Scarlet (infidelity with a woman may be accepted, but not with a man) and makes some difficult choices. Ch’ anzu has a twin brother Tex, and while Ch’anzu’s story is presented in second person, Tex joins us (briefly and italicized) in first person.
Yes, I’ve mentioned them, but for me these technical story-telling details are unimportant. Trying to describe how Eugen Bacon tells the story takes me away from the story itself. For me, the story is a roller-coaster ride through gender fluidity and dispossession to Serengotti, a (fictitious) haven for elements of the traumatised African diaspora in regional Australia. Ch’anzu takes a job at Serengotti, situated near Wagga Wagga. Hir job is to design a computer application where zie draws on hir programming background and skills to create a space ...
‘decorated in ochre, charcoal and henna, heavy wooden doors inscribed with Afrocentric art of buffalo skulls, ebony gods and goddesses, masks, mothers, creation and spirits’.
Ch’anzu is both attracted to and repelled by elements of Serengotti.
The dialogue is snappy, razor sharp, and culturally diverse. Australian slang and Swahili words jostle each other, mythical creatures appear and Ch’anzu starts to find a new sense of self.
And then Tex goes missing.
‘Grief is an impregnable lake. Tears sting your eyes. They flood. Tex fooled the law. ‘
I finished the novel, not entirely sure about where I have been or how I got there but enlivened by the journey. I’d love to meet Aunt Maé one day.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
We meet Ch’anzu (zie/hir) in post pandemic Melbourne. After resigning hir job as a computer programmer, Ch’anzu discovers hir wife Scarlet in bed with a man. This leads to an estrangement, and Ch’anzu looks to hir Aunt Maé for wisdom and comfort.
Bear with me as I struggle to keep the pronouns straight and to appreciate Ch’anzu’s journey. Zie has broken up with Scarlet (infidelity with a woman may be accepted, but not with a man) and makes some difficult choices. Ch’ anzu has a twin brother Tex, and while Ch’anzu’s story is presented in second person, Tex joins us (briefly and italicized) in first person.
Yes, I’ve mentioned them, but for me these technical story-telling details are unimportant. Trying to describe how Eugen Bacon tells the story takes me away from the story itself. For me, the story is a roller-coaster ride through gender fluidity and dispossession to Serengotti, a (fictitious) haven for elements of the traumatised African diaspora in regional Australia. Ch’anzu takes a job at Serengotti, situated near Wagga Wagga. Hir job is to design a computer application where zie draws on hir programming background and skills to create a space ...
‘decorated in ochre, charcoal and henna, heavy wooden doors inscribed with Afrocentric art of buffalo skulls, ebony gods and goddesses, masks, mothers, creation and spirits’.
Ch’anzu is both attracted to and repelled by elements of Serengotti.
The dialogue is snappy, razor sharp, and culturally diverse. Australian slang and Swahili words jostle each other, mythical creatures appear and Ch’anzu starts to find a new sense of self.
And then Tex goes missing.
‘Grief is an impregnable lake. Tears sting your eyes. They flood. Tex fooled the law. ‘
I finished the novel, not entirely sure about where I have been or how I got there but enlivened by the journey. I’d love to meet Aunt Maé one day.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
September 21, 2023
Serengotti is very much a novel of today, of thoughts, feelings, trauma, life, laughter, and to a degree, acceptance.
Ch’anzu tells her story in a bitter sweet, no holds barred style that shines a very clear light on the long term effects that displacement of culture, country and lifestyle, held together by unmentionable trauma can and does have on a society; a society that has cobbled together a future from an horrific past, in a country that really has no understanding of such things.
Her world seems to be collapsing from the inside out. Growing up in Australia she has a past full of despair and trauma. She has made a life for herself, studied hard and has a good job in the world of computers.
Losing her job, due to some fabricated reason is bad enough, but losing her wife as well just adds to the insult that seems to be her life at the moment. She realises that Melbourne is not the place to be and takes up a job offer in a place called Serengotti, a migrant settlement town, which turns her world up-side-down.
She faces more pain and suffering that she could ever imagine and begins to view the world, her world, in a vastly different manner. Her twin brother, Tex, an issue within himself, adds to the complexity of the story as he tries to change, but in doing creates further deeper, darker problems.
A surreal encounter with a woman who chooses to live life in a somewhat alternative style or universe, creates another layer of intrigue to a story that is full of twists and turns - Aviana is her name, but who is she in reality.
Compassionate, controversial, fascinating and deeply introspective, Serengotti is an outstanding novel which also has a very wry element to the wording, which keeps what could easily have been a dysfunctional storyline glued well together to form an unforgettable view into a world that is all too real to many.
Ch’anzu tells her story in a bitter sweet, no holds barred style that shines a very clear light on the long term effects that displacement of culture, country and lifestyle, held together by unmentionable trauma can and does have on a society; a society that has cobbled together a future from an horrific past, in a country that really has no understanding of such things.
Her world seems to be collapsing from the inside out. Growing up in Australia she has a past full of despair and trauma. She has made a life for herself, studied hard and has a good job in the world of computers.
Losing her job, due to some fabricated reason is bad enough, but losing her wife as well just adds to the insult that seems to be her life at the moment. She realises that Melbourne is not the place to be and takes up a job offer in a place called Serengotti, a migrant settlement town, which turns her world up-side-down.
She faces more pain and suffering that she could ever imagine and begins to view the world, her world, in a vastly different manner. Her twin brother, Tex, an issue within himself, adds to the complexity of the story as he tries to change, but in doing creates further deeper, darker problems.
A surreal encounter with a woman who chooses to live life in a somewhat alternative style or universe, creates another layer of intrigue to a story that is full of twists and turns - Aviana is her name, but who is she in reality.
Compassionate, controversial, fascinating and deeply introspective, Serengotti is an outstanding novel which also has a very wry element to the wording, which keeps what could easily have been a dysfunctional storyline glued well together to form an unforgettable view into a world that is all too real to many.
February 22, 2023
I was fortunate enough to read an advance copy of this novel. Bacon is a writer in love with language. Her prose is fluid, spontaneous, consistently engaging and she sparks characterisation in deft, painterly strokes. "Serengotti" is a literary crime novel, although it’s much more than that. It’s an examination of culture and displacement, of what happens when things turn sour and how to right yourself. It’s a story of truth and consequences, a puzzle enough to puzzle, yet not to confuse. Here, Bacon mines her African Australian heritage and finds a rich seam. The work is infused with details that push the story forwards, enhances the text, creates an environment of understanding. Whilst much of her work is speculative, this is not the case here, but it matters not. Bacon shows us that magic can exist in the everyday without embellishment. Serengotti awaits your exploration.
October 6, 2023
A riveting read. This book, by Eugen Bacon, is the kind that keeps you thinking long after you finish the final page. I loved the main character, Ch'anzu - zie's gutsy and forthright, embattled but fighting on nevertheless. Aunt Mae was an absolute delight. And the cast of other characters were well-drawn. The world of Serengotti felt very real to me. I loved that I got a look into a world and culture that I don't know enough about. Beautiful descriptive sensory detail had me experiencing the food, the wine, the village surrounds, the nighttime swims.
The prose in Serengotti is lyrical and lush. At times, the narrative felt almost dream-like, and had me questioning what was really happening (which I loved). Bacon's love of language shines through in this. I enjoyed Ch'anzu's character arc, but quite honestly, I would have been happy to keep following hir further.
The prose in Serengotti is lyrical and lush. At times, the narrative felt almost dream-like, and had me questioning what was really happening (which I loved). Bacon's love of language shines through in this. I enjoyed Ch'anzu's character arc, but quite honestly, I would have been happy to keep following hir further.
February 25, 2023
Serengotti tells its tale in lush, impassioned language. The plot is mysterious, unputdownable. Eugen Bacon’s signature sumptuous prose embroiders culture and experience, family and lovers, desperation and death, in a luscious display.
This is an author whose way with words is a muscled, living, growing thing; Bacon is a storyteller of immense talent and awesome invention. I loved Ch’anzu’s story from page one and wanted to find out what happened, even as I didn't want the story of this immersive world to end. From the swimming pool to the jungle, I loved every thing and every tiny mood change. I was totally engaged with Ch'anzu's worries and insecurities, her determination and inner strength.
Clever plotting, a compassionate eye to characters, and sureness in setting. Just watch out in case of snakes...
*Thanks to Transit Lounge and the author for the privilege of reading an advanced readers copy. This was a great one!
This is an author whose way with words is a muscled, living, growing thing; Bacon is a storyteller of immense talent and awesome invention. I loved Ch’anzu’s story from page one and wanted to find out what happened, even as I didn't want the story of this immersive world to end. From the swimming pool to the jungle, I loved every thing and every tiny mood change. I was totally engaged with Ch'anzu's worries and insecurities, her determination and inner strength.
Clever plotting, a compassionate eye to characters, and sureness in setting. Just watch out in case of snakes...
*Thanks to Transit Lounge and the author for the privilege of reading an advanced readers copy. This was a great one!
July 29, 2023
I sooo loved this book. Such an imaginative use of words. Serengotti And funny and sad and angry and loving and forgiving nd true and everything that a book should be. I felt like I had stepped into a slice of Afro-Australia that was completely new, but intriguing and beguiling, and I really didn't want the journey to end. Ch'anzu is really worth discovering.
December 7, 2023
I'm a huge fan of Eugen Bacon's writing. Serengotti is a change from her speculative fiction roots while still capturing the essence of her unique writing style. I thoroughly enjoyed being taken on Ch'anzu's journey as zie deals with and works through the emotional impact of life and relationships gone wrong. At the same time, I was captivated by the mysterious goings on in Serengotti, with the infusion of the Afro-Australian culture. A very intriguing and fulfilling read. (less)
February 5, 2024
Part mystery, part stream of consciousness, this book hums with an electricity that only Eugen Bacon can write with. Studded with strange language and acute observations, the journey of Ch’anzu is not one you just read. You live it, breathe it, emote with it. If you want to experience the new edge of story telling, then this should be a definite must read.
April 18, 2024
Beautiful.
April 26, 2024
Super exciting prose telling a rich story. Some very cool stuff coming out of indie publishers in Aus!
July 3, 2024
a dizzying, multi-layered, and sweaty story of change and community, super recommend!!
September 1, 2024
Too airy fairy for me. There was a pretty intriguing plot underneath, but the writing style was just too distracting.
November 1, 2023
Once in a while, a novel comes along that challenges not only the genres you like to read, but also your opinions on second-person narration. African Australian author Eugen Bacon’s latest novel, Serengotti, does just that. I’ll admit that I do not usually enjoy stories written in the second person. I find the close perspective distracting, and rather than putting myself in the position of the protagonist, I find myself pulling away from the characters. However, Bacon’s use of second-person narration allows the reader to see the world through the protagonist’s eyes and to challenge their own beliefs or perceptions of the world. Bacon’s talent at weaving evocative and engaging prose means the ‘you’s’ flow without being jarring. The use of second-person narration, alongside the pronoun ‘hir,’ poses questions to the reader about gender identity and norms.
Serengotti begins on the day Ch’anzu is fired from hir job and discovers hir wife has cheated...
https://www.otherterrainjournal.com.a...
Serengotti begins on the day Ch’anzu is fired from hir job and discovers hir wife has cheated...
https://www.otherterrainjournal.com.a...
January 17, 2025
Not going to lie I was a bit lost sometimes when the writing got particularly poetic, but I really enjoyed reading a story that played with its prose so intricately. I loved the use of second person. It's quite hard to write it in a way that's comfortable to read and not overly strange or jarring, but Bacon did a really amazing job of it.
While there were a lot of characters in the town and some of them got a little confusing, the dynamics of the small population, from their own personalities to the impacts their (often traumatic) backgrounds have had on them was done really well. From characters who were funny and lovable to more complex people you could never get a strong hold of, there was always someone to laugh at or hate.
The town itself, Serengotti, was very atmospheric. I could picture it very clearly and, honestly, the entire story was wonderfully engaging. It was a quick page turner, especially with many very short chapters, and I really enjoyed how it wasted no time despite being a bit flowery.
Very excited to read more of Eugen Bacon's work!
While there were a lot of characters in the town and some of them got a little confusing, the dynamics of the small population, from their own personalities to the impacts their (often traumatic) backgrounds have had on them was done really well. From characters who were funny and lovable to more complex people you could never get a strong hold of, there was always someone to laugh at or hate.
The town itself, Serengotti, was very atmospheric. I could picture it very clearly and, honestly, the entire story was wonderfully engaging. It was a quick page turner, especially with many very short chapters, and I really enjoyed how it wasted no time despite being a bit flowery.
Very excited to read more of Eugen Bacon's work!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews