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General Sun, My Brother
The first novel of the Haitian novelist Jacques Stephen Alexis, General Sun, My Brother appears here for the first time in English. Its depiction of the nightmarish journey of the unskilled laborer Hilarion and his wife from the slums of Port-au-Prince to the cane fields of the Dominican Republic has brought comparisons to the work of Emile Zola, Andre Malraux, Richard Wright, and Ernest Hemingway.
Alexis, whose mother was a descendant of the Revolutionary General Jean-Jacques Dessalines, was already a mature thinker when he published General Sun, My Brother (Compere General Soleil) in France in 1955. A militant Marxist himself, Alexis championed a form of the "marvelous realism" developed by the Cuban novelist Alejo Carpentier, who called for a vision of historical reality from the standpoint of slaves for whom the supernatural was as much a part of everyday experience as were social and other existential realities.
General Sun, My Brother opens as Hilarion is arrested for stealing a wallet and imprisoned with an activist named Pierre Roumel--a fictional double for the novelist Jacques Roumain--who schools him in the Marxist view of history. On his release, Hilarion meets Claire-Heureuse and they settle down together. Hilarion labors in sisal processing and mahogany polishing while his partner sets up a small grocery store. After losing everything in a criminally set fire, the couple joins the desperate emigration to the Dominican Republic. Hilarion finds work as a sugarcane cutter, but the workers soon become embroiled in a strike that ends in the "Dominican Vespers," the 1937 massacre pf Haitian workers by the Dominican army. The novel personifies the sun as the ally, brother, and leader of the peasants. Mortally wounded in crossing the Massacre River back into Haiti, Hilarion urges Claire-Heureuse to remarry and to continue to work for a Haiti where people can live in dignity and peace.
Alexis, whose mother was a descendant of the Revolutionary General Jean-Jacques Dessalines, was already a mature thinker when he published General Sun, My Brother (Compere General Soleil) in France in 1955. A militant Marxist himself, Alexis championed a form of the "marvelous realism" developed by the Cuban novelist Alejo Carpentier, who called for a vision of historical reality from the standpoint of slaves for whom the supernatural was as much a part of everyday experience as were social and other existential realities.
General Sun, My Brother opens as Hilarion is arrested for stealing a wallet and imprisoned with an activist named Pierre Roumel--a fictional double for the novelist Jacques Roumain--who schools him in the Marxist view of history. On his release, Hilarion meets Claire-Heureuse and they settle down together. Hilarion labors in sisal processing and mahogany polishing while his partner sets up a small grocery store. After losing everything in a criminally set fire, the couple joins the desperate emigration to the Dominican Republic. Hilarion finds work as a sugarcane cutter, but the workers soon become embroiled in a strike that ends in the "Dominican Vespers," the 1937 massacre pf Haitian workers by the Dominican army. The novel personifies the sun as the ally, brother, and leader of the peasants. Mortally wounded in crossing the Massacre River back into Haiti, Hilarion urges Claire-Heureuse to remarry and to continue to work for a Haiti where people can live in dignity and peace.
299 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1955
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565 people want to read
About the author
Jacques Stephen Alexis
15 books19 followersHaitian communist novelist, poet, and activist.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 24, 2022
Probably one of the most beautifully written books I’ve ever read. As relevant in the 1940s as it is now. Heart breaking story but phenomenal character development of Hilarion. Made me feel like I was next to him in Haiti and the DR. Everyone should read this book.
December 5, 2018
Novels from early or mid 20th century that are driven by communist didacticism can be quite an unbearable reading nowadays. Not so with Alexis' first novel. It tells the story of a poor Haitian proletarian (burgler / worker) who develops some sympathies for and a loose association with the communist movement. The historical background of the story is the 1937 massacre of Haitian workers in Trujillo's Dominican Republic. While the political optimism is truly dated and the plot rather plain, the metaphorical embedding of the people into the course of natural phenomena is very well done. That the books starts with a night-time prologue and ends with a chapter where the sun is rising, may sound rather uninspired, too, but the linking between man (woman) and his (her) environment is very beautifully written out. Well worth reading.
October 29, 2022
This was unexpectedly a great reading experience. Beautifully written (and translated), captivating, full of pathos with ripping social and political commentary I see why this book inspired Edwidge Danticat's The Farming of Bones, and why she mentions Alexis in The Dew Breaker.
This book is set in Haiti and the Dominican Republic in 1937 and tells the story of life during a harsh period in Haiti through the experiences of the main character, Hilarion Hilarius (a possibly symbolic name). I find the book not only rich in how Alex criticized the Haitian government, the United States (only three years removed from its 19 year occupation of Haiti), and Rafael Trujillo of the Dominican Republic, charming as he detailed the love shared between Hilarion and Claire-Hereuse as well as the love of Haiti by some of the minor characters.
Another aspect of the book I love is the detailed descriptions of both the country and the cities in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Alexis gave his readers beautiful pictures of both countries in a way to demonstrate that the countries are one island, and have much in common. He is clear that he is critical of Trujillo and Vincent (the Haitian president), and not "the people." That's deliberate as Alexis was a Communist and wrote from the perspective of a peasant man who lived a tough life, but still possessed a glimmer of hope.
Though Alexis wrote from a Communist perspective, he wrote of the intricacies of Haitian culture, especially religious culture and language. There are many Kreyol words that give the reader a glimpse into the richness of the language (there's an ample glossary in the book). He wrote of the Vodou infused religion of the common folk.
It's just a well-done piece of literary fiction, and I believe it is a classic in the canon of Haitian literary fiction. I understand Danticat's The Farming of Bones better by reading this.
This book is set in Haiti and the Dominican Republic in 1937 and tells the story of life during a harsh period in Haiti through the experiences of the main character, Hilarion Hilarius (a possibly symbolic name). I find the book not only rich in how Alex criticized the Haitian government, the United States (only three years removed from its 19 year occupation of Haiti), and Rafael Trujillo of the Dominican Republic, charming as he detailed the love shared between Hilarion and Claire-Hereuse as well as the love of Haiti by some of the minor characters.
Another aspect of the book I love is the detailed descriptions of both the country and the cities in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Alexis gave his readers beautiful pictures of both countries in a way to demonstrate that the countries are one island, and have much in common. He is clear that he is critical of Trujillo and Vincent (the Haitian president), and not "the people." That's deliberate as Alexis was a Communist and wrote from the perspective of a peasant man who lived a tough life, but still possessed a glimmer of hope.
Though Alexis wrote from a Communist perspective, he wrote of the intricacies of Haitian culture, especially religious culture and language. There are many Kreyol words that give the reader a glimpse into the richness of the language (there's an ample glossary in the book). He wrote of the Vodou infused religion of the common folk.
It's just a well-done piece of literary fiction, and I believe it is a classic in the canon of Haitian literary fiction. I understand Danticat's The Farming of Bones better by reading this.
June 16, 2010
General Sun, My Brother By Jacques Stephen Alexis, translated by Carroll F. Coates. 290 pp. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia. $21.00.
The Haitian Massacre occurred in 1937 with the slaughter of roughly 10-20,000 Haitians on the Dominican Republic side of Massacre River. Knowing that the Haitians had trouble pronouncing the ‘r’ in Spanish words, and instead made an ‘l’ sound, the Dominican Army was ordered by Dominican President Rafael Trujillo to execute anyone who could not properly roll the “r” in the Spanish word for parsley, perejil. This genocide was also called the Parsley Massacre.
In the novel, Alexis’ development of the main character, Hilarion Hilarius, effectively demonstrates the horrifically unjust nature of the Haitian Massacre while simultaneously promoting the ideals inherent in communism, though he is stingy with the use of the word. Alexis, a communist himself, presents both topics in such a way that the reader will have trouble disagreeing with what Hilarion comes to believe as the novel progresses. The book is very well written and makes extensive use of imagery allowing the reader to feel as though they are standing in each scene, able to experience the atmosphere of every situation.
The novel is presented through the eyes of Hilarion who is first shown stealing a wallet due to his immense hunger. He is caught and taken to jail where he meets an important communist political figure, Roumel, who helps Hilarion find work after he is released from jail. Hilarion goes on to find love, meet more communists and “sympathizers”, and experience firsthand the slaying of many of the Haitians living in the Dominican Republic at the time of the Massacre. During all this he becomes less of an observer and more of an actor in his own life.
Early on communism is presented as an alternative political view; to Hilarion it represents an elimination of social categories and a way to give people basic human rights. For people still being used as servants and worked to death in cane fields, how could this not seem appealing? Though Hilarion is originally opposed to the idea, he slowly begins to see communism’s merits. Alexis’ intention seems to be to warm the reader to the idea of communism, though I chose to read it simply as the idea that all people deserve basic human rights. That is, there is certainly some freedom for the reader to interpret the extent to which communism is present in this book.
As the title may suggest, nature, usually weather, is often used to highlight or complement a scene’s mood. Since many people, myself included, associate weather with mood already, this aspect of the book was effective in its purpose. The rain and sun were sometimes used as devices to foreshadow certain situations. Often when something was wrong or about to turn bad, it would begin raining. In contrast, the sun often came out at the end of these bad situations, signaling a transition to something better. As an example, the beginning of the Massacre is marked by a steady drizzle.
The novel’s take on the Haitian Massacre is a powerful one. It follows Hilarion and his family through their journey to escape death. As I came to know them more I became more attached to their wellbeing, making their journey all the more powerful and gripping. Reading that the Massacre involved some 10-20,000 people, some may appreciate the magnitude of this, yet may not be aware how much sorrow might be involved in just a single family’s experience. This book seems to address this naivety by showing the immense struggle and pain Hilarion and his family experience during the Massacre.
This is not an uplifting book, but it is a gripping and emotional read. Its imagery, though full of symbolism, is beautifully described so that even the most casual reader can enjoy it without getting lost in a hurricane of metaphors. Those fundamentally opposed to communism or even political activism should not shy away either since this is not really a political book. Rather, the book simply argues that everyone is entitled to a decent life. Some may find the descriptions a bit lengthy, but they only serve to add more depth to the book and are exceptionally well done. This novel certainly will give any reader a closer look at the Massacre.
By Jordan Lange
The Haitian Massacre occurred in 1937 with the slaughter of roughly 10-20,000 Haitians on the Dominican Republic side of Massacre River. Knowing that the Haitians had trouble pronouncing the ‘r’ in Spanish words, and instead made an ‘l’ sound, the Dominican Army was ordered by Dominican President Rafael Trujillo to execute anyone who could not properly roll the “r” in the Spanish word for parsley, perejil. This genocide was also called the Parsley Massacre.
In the novel, Alexis’ development of the main character, Hilarion Hilarius, effectively demonstrates the horrifically unjust nature of the Haitian Massacre while simultaneously promoting the ideals inherent in communism, though he is stingy with the use of the word. Alexis, a communist himself, presents both topics in such a way that the reader will have trouble disagreeing with what Hilarion comes to believe as the novel progresses. The book is very well written and makes extensive use of imagery allowing the reader to feel as though they are standing in each scene, able to experience the atmosphere of every situation.
The novel is presented through the eyes of Hilarion who is first shown stealing a wallet due to his immense hunger. He is caught and taken to jail where he meets an important communist political figure, Roumel, who helps Hilarion find work after he is released from jail. Hilarion goes on to find love, meet more communists and “sympathizers”, and experience firsthand the slaying of many of the Haitians living in the Dominican Republic at the time of the Massacre. During all this he becomes less of an observer and more of an actor in his own life.
Early on communism is presented as an alternative political view; to Hilarion it represents an elimination of social categories and a way to give people basic human rights. For people still being used as servants and worked to death in cane fields, how could this not seem appealing? Though Hilarion is originally opposed to the idea, he slowly begins to see communism’s merits. Alexis’ intention seems to be to warm the reader to the idea of communism, though I chose to read it simply as the idea that all people deserve basic human rights. That is, there is certainly some freedom for the reader to interpret the extent to which communism is present in this book.
As the title may suggest, nature, usually weather, is often used to highlight or complement a scene’s mood. Since many people, myself included, associate weather with mood already, this aspect of the book was effective in its purpose. The rain and sun were sometimes used as devices to foreshadow certain situations. Often when something was wrong or about to turn bad, it would begin raining. In contrast, the sun often came out at the end of these bad situations, signaling a transition to something better. As an example, the beginning of the Massacre is marked by a steady drizzle.
The novel’s take on the Haitian Massacre is a powerful one. It follows Hilarion and his family through their journey to escape death. As I came to know them more I became more attached to their wellbeing, making their journey all the more powerful and gripping. Reading that the Massacre involved some 10-20,000 people, some may appreciate the magnitude of this, yet may not be aware how much sorrow might be involved in just a single family’s experience. This book seems to address this naivety by showing the immense struggle and pain Hilarion and his family experience during the Massacre.
This is not an uplifting book, but it is a gripping and emotional read. Its imagery, though full of symbolism, is beautifully described so that even the most casual reader can enjoy it without getting lost in a hurricane of metaphors. Those fundamentally opposed to communism or even political activism should not shy away either since this is not really a political book. Rather, the book simply argues that everyone is entitled to a decent life. Some may find the descriptions a bit lengthy, but they only serve to add more depth to the book and are exceptionally well done. This novel certainly will give any reader a closer look at the Massacre.
By Jordan Lange
March 14, 2009
A brilliant book, simultaneously going deep into Haitian culture, introducing us to remarkbale characters, and debating radical politics of the time ('30's). Can't recommend it enough: the Haitian "Grapes of Wrath"?
March 29, 2025
*Compère Général Soleil* de Jacques Stephen Alexis s’inscrit dans la tradition du réalisme magique haïtien, qui va bien au-delà des limites du réalisme magique européen. En effet, comme le souligne S. Govaert dans ses réflexions sur le réalisme magique hispanique, ce courant littéraire est directement lié à un combat politique. Il s’agit non seulement d’une esthétique littéraire, mais également d’un mode d’expression et de résistance face à des contextes sociaux et historiques oppressants. Le réalisme magique haïtien, à travers des écrivains comme Jacques Stephen Alexis, Marie Vieux-Chauvet ou encore Wilson Harris, trouve sa force particulière dans l'ancrage de cette littérature dans un monde où le mythe fait partie de l’existence quotidienne. C’est un réalisme plus direct, plus puissant, plus profondément lié aux luttes sociales et politiques des Antilles.
En Europe, le réalisme magique a souvent une dimension plus introspective et passe par une recherche d’une transcendance idéalisée, un mouvement vers un "au-delà" ou un "paradis perdu", comme l’indiquent les écrivains comme Massimo Bontempelli ou Johan Daisne. Mais ce processus d’évasion vers un monde supérieur, tel qu’il est décrit dans la postface du roman *De trap van steen en wolken*, fait abstraction du réel social. Ce n’est pas le cas du réalisme magique en Amérique hispanique ou dans les Antilles, où le merveilleux se fait ancrage dans le réel et confrontation avec ce dernier. Chez les écrivains latino-américains et antillais, le merveilleux n’est pas un simple ornement littéraire, mais bien une partie intégrante d’un combat pour la préservation de l’identité culturelle, contre les valeurs imposées par les puissances coloniales et néocoloniales.
Le réalisme magique, tel qu'il s’exprime dans la littérature haïtienne, puise dans les croyances populaires, notamment le vaudou, pour offrir une vision du monde où la magie, loin d’être surnaturelle, fait partie d’une réalité sociale complexe. Comme l’écrit Govaert à propos des auteurs latino-américains, le réalisme magique devient "une critique directe de valeurs étrangères" et se nourrit de "l’identité propre" des peuples. Dans ce cadre, *Compère Général Soleil* va au-delà de l’esthétique littéraire. Il s’inscrit dans une tradition où la réalité n’est pas simplement dépeinte, mais transcendée par une vision du monde profondément marquée par la culture locale et les luttes de pouvoir.
Ainsi, contrairement à l’idée d’un réalisme magique purement esthétique, le roman d’Alexis témoigne de la capacité de l'écrivain haïtien à réinventer son rapport au réel. Dans son écriture, l'imaginaire n’est pas une fuite vers l’au-delà, mais un moyen d’affronter les conditions sociales et historiques de son époque. Comme le soulignent les auteurs du réalisme magique haïtien, "le merveilleux peut et doit intervenir dans un réalisme puissant et social". Ce n’est pas un merveilleux mystique, mais un merveilleux rétabli dans sa dimension humaine et sociale, enraciné dans le quotidien des personnages et dans les luttes politiques et culturelles du peuple haïtien.
En Europe, le réalisme magique a souvent une dimension plus introspective et passe par une recherche d’une transcendance idéalisée, un mouvement vers un "au-delà" ou un "paradis perdu", comme l’indiquent les écrivains comme Massimo Bontempelli ou Johan Daisne. Mais ce processus d’évasion vers un monde supérieur, tel qu’il est décrit dans la postface du roman *De trap van steen en wolken*, fait abstraction du réel social. Ce n’est pas le cas du réalisme magique en Amérique hispanique ou dans les Antilles, où le merveilleux se fait ancrage dans le réel et confrontation avec ce dernier. Chez les écrivains latino-américains et antillais, le merveilleux n’est pas un simple ornement littéraire, mais bien une partie intégrante d’un combat pour la préservation de l’identité culturelle, contre les valeurs imposées par les puissances coloniales et néocoloniales.
Le réalisme magique, tel qu'il s’exprime dans la littérature haïtienne, puise dans les croyances populaires, notamment le vaudou, pour offrir une vision du monde où la magie, loin d’être surnaturelle, fait partie d’une réalité sociale complexe. Comme l’écrit Govaert à propos des auteurs latino-américains, le réalisme magique devient "une critique directe de valeurs étrangères" et se nourrit de "l’identité propre" des peuples. Dans ce cadre, *Compère Général Soleil* va au-delà de l’esthétique littéraire. Il s’inscrit dans une tradition où la réalité n’est pas simplement dépeinte, mais transcendée par une vision du monde profondément marquée par la culture locale et les luttes de pouvoir.
Ainsi, contrairement à l’idée d’un réalisme magique purement esthétique, le roman d’Alexis témoigne de la capacité de l'écrivain haïtien à réinventer son rapport au réel. Dans son écriture, l'imaginaire n’est pas une fuite vers l’au-delà, mais un moyen d’affronter les conditions sociales et historiques de son époque. Comme le soulignent les auteurs du réalisme magique haïtien, "le merveilleux peut et doit intervenir dans un réalisme puissant et social". Ce n’est pas un merveilleux mystique, mais un merveilleux rétabli dans sa dimension humaine et sociale, enraciné dans le quotidien des personnages et dans les luttes politiques et culturelles du peuple haïtien.
October 10, 2019
I am grateful for this Author, for his wit, his passion, his imagination, his sorrows, his humor. I am grateful to have read the book. The last 40 pages explore the Genocide mandated by Trujillo in 1946 where over 30,000 Haitians were slaughtered. I grieve the characters, specifically the protagonist Hilarion, his dreams, his failures, his joys, his vices. The language in this book is beautiful , the author did a great job when came to describing the motherland , complex emotions. I admire the common themes in this book, communism, colorism, classism and how class can often establish feelings of loneliness even when fighting with people who believe in the same cause. I read the French edition of this book because I wanted to be as close to the author's words and thoughts as possible. I also grieve Jacques Stephen Alexis who himself perished at the hand of fascism. And I to conclude this review I'd like share one of my favorite quotes from the last chapter :" Auparavant la seule chose que je savais , c'était qu'il fallait se résigner pour vivre, mais jamais je n'avais pensé que l'homme pouvait être méchant pour rien, sadique, vicieux, qu'il pouvait se vendre, corrompre ce qu'il touche,trahir sans vergogne et tout ça avec une vanité sans bornes!"
June 30, 2019
What a saga! I'm very grateful to have read it, but more as a political tract or piece of Haitian intellectual history than as a novel. I share the novel's politics found them too overt and even didactic. That said (1) this has some of the most beautiful writing about the Haitian land and landscape that I've ever read.... or perhaps land/ landscape generally. And (2) I had the curious experience of falling in love with the author, who puts so much of his hope and love into this book.
January 14, 2021
That's it, this is THE book
May 3, 2023
amazingly good
June 20, 2022
L'écriture était magnifique, très poétique. Je crois que c'est la plus belle plume que j'ai lu de ma vie. Stephen Alexis nous emmène dans son univers et nous fait voir les choses quotidiennes sous un regard tout autre. J'aurais facilement donné cinq étoiles si c'était seulement question du style d'écriture. Par contre, j'ai trouvé l'histoire très ennuyante. La progression de l'histoire était très lente. J'ai certains bons souvenirs de l'histoire, j'ai aimé comment le protagoniste s'éduque et comment il a changé entre le petit voleur du début et l'homme éduqué et révolutionnaire de la fin. Et en parlant de la fin, quelle fin. Par contre, j'avais du mal à me motiver à lire et je dirais même que ça m'a enlevé l'envie de lire cet automne (ça m'a pris quatre mois le terminer!). Je suis convaincue que cet auteur devrait être plus intéressant en poèmes qu'en roman.
« … Dans ses hardes, il y avait des trous comme des fenêtres pour qu'on voie les misères de son corps. »
« Dans ce monde à l'envers, la vieillesse était le pire lot. Ceux qui commençaient à vieillir, s'ils ne craignaient pas la décrépitude pour elle-même, désiraient la mort, avant que de devenir des épaves, porteuses d'épouvante et d'horreur, condamnés à boire la lie fangeuse du calice, où tout un peuple s'abreuve chaque jour. »
« À chaque fois que les grands vapeurs mugissaient dans la rade, toute une bande d'adolescents déguenillés accourait de toutes les directions vers le Fort l'Islet. Jamais je n'eus le cœur de mendier aux touristes américains fifty cents comme d'autres. Mais quand, de la poupe, des grappes de marins lançaient des pièces dans l'eau, j'étais parmi la bande de gars, dressés comme des chiens, autour du bout de viande qui allait leur être jeté. Les yeux allumés, oscillant de tout notre corps, à chaque mouvement de la main qui allait abandonner la pièce. Dès qu'elle avait commencé sa trajectoire, nous plongions à qui mieux mieux, hargneux, se bousculant sans merci. […] On remontait pour cracher l'eau salée, les yeux rouges, les tempes battantes, la bouche en sang, le souffle coupé. Une fois, il y en eut un qui ne remonta pas… » p.347
« L'autre amoureux éperdu de la terre haïtienne, le général Soleil, fit une apparition brutale. Écartant les buées roses du matin, soufflant avec sa bouche de forge, secouant sa crinière de flammes, le nègre de feu qui, sans cesse, voyage dans le ciel, commença à boire les eaux et déversa sa chaleur d'amour sur la plaine. »
« Jaillies des poignets, parcourues de veines, ces mains de travailleur sont des outils, sans cesse déformés, alourdis, épaissis. […] Ces paumes avaient pourtant été de tendres plages ondulées de creux et de dunes, parcourues de sillons capricieux, du temps de l'adolescence impatiente. Maintenant, un cal dur s'étend sur la colline d'où naît le pouce, des croûtes sur la plaine centrale bordée d'infâmes durillons. Ces doigts, carrés, tordus en crochets, aplatis ou courbés n'ont plus de forme ni de couleur. […] Ces jambes, à force de peiner, deviendront des bâtons noueux et torses, d'où surgira la saillie du mollet, amas de muscles entrelacés et remuants comme un nœud de couleuvres. »
Un bémol que j'aurais, c'est que je n'étais pas très confortable avec l'hypersexualisation des femmes. Voici quelques exemples:
« Au carrefour de la ruelle Jardine et de Lalue, deux femmes se chamaillent. L'une porte une énorme charge de mamelles qui font crever sont corsage … l'autre […] fait danser son derrière à chaque gros mot qui sort de sa bouche. Son derrière danse comme une mer en furie. »
« Des pompiers taquinaient une fille qui riait, ravie. Bien découplée, la petite garce, rondelette, avec des petits seins debout, des dents blanches. »
J'ai aussi aimé constaté que certains mots utilisés au Québec l'étaient là aussi: maringouin, frette, soulier, piastres, bâtisse, communisse, crème glacée
« … Dans ses hardes, il y avait des trous comme des fenêtres pour qu'on voie les misères de son corps. »
« Dans ce monde à l'envers, la vieillesse était le pire lot. Ceux qui commençaient à vieillir, s'ils ne craignaient pas la décrépitude pour elle-même, désiraient la mort, avant que de devenir des épaves, porteuses d'épouvante et d'horreur, condamnés à boire la lie fangeuse du calice, où tout un peuple s'abreuve chaque jour. »
« À chaque fois que les grands vapeurs mugissaient dans la rade, toute une bande d'adolescents déguenillés accourait de toutes les directions vers le Fort l'Islet. Jamais je n'eus le cœur de mendier aux touristes américains fifty cents comme d'autres. Mais quand, de la poupe, des grappes de marins lançaient des pièces dans l'eau, j'étais parmi la bande de gars, dressés comme des chiens, autour du bout de viande qui allait leur être jeté. Les yeux allumés, oscillant de tout notre corps, à chaque mouvement de la main qui allait abandonner la pièce. Dès qu'elle avait commencé sa trajectoire, nous plongions à qui mieux mieux, hargneux, se bousculant sans merci. […] On remontait pour cracher l'eau salée, les yeux rouges, les tempes battantes, la bouche en sang, le souffle coupé. Une fois, il y en eut un qui ne remonta pas… » p.347
« L'autre amoureux éperdu de la terre haïtienne, le général Soleil, fit une apparition brutale. Écartant les buées roses du matin, soufflant avec sa bouche de forge, secouant sa crinière de flammes, le nègre de feu qui, sans cesse, voyage dans le ciel, commença à boire les eaux et déversa sa chaleur d'amour sur la plaine. »
« Jaillies des poignets, parcourues de veines, ces mains de travailleur sont des outils, sans cesse déformés, alourdis, épaissis. […] Ces paumes avaient pourtant été de tendres plages ondulées de creux et de dunes, parcourues de sillons capricieux, du temps de l'adolescence impatiente. Maintenant, un cal dur s'étend sur la colline d'où naît le pouce, des croûtes sur la plaine centrale bordée d'infâmes durillons. Ces doigts, carrés, tordus en crochets, aplatis ou courbés n'ont plus de forme ni de couleur. […] Ces jambes, à force de peiner, deviendront des bâtons noueux et torses, d'où surgira la saillie du mollet, amas de muscles entrelacés et remuants comme un nœud de couleuvres. »
Un bémol que j'aurais, c'est que je n'étais pas très confortable avec l'hypersexualisation des femmes. Voici quelques exemples:
« Au carrefour de la ruelle Jardine et de Lalue, deux femmes se chamaillent. L'une porte une énorme charge de mamelles qui font crever sont corsage … l'autre […] fait danser son derrière à chaque gros mot qui sort de sa bouche. Son derrière danse comme une mer en furie. »
« Des pompiers taquinaient une fille qui riait, ravie. Bien découplée, la petite garce, rondelette, avec des petits seins debout, des dents blanches. »
J'ai aussi aimé constaté que certains mots utilisés au Québec l'étaient là aussi: maringouin, frette, soulier, piastres, bâtisse, communisse, crème glacée
September 1, 2021
Un incontournable de la littérature haïtienne du 20e siècle, ce premier roman de Jacques Stephen Alexis nous plonge dans le contexte social, intellectuel et politique des années 30. Il revient aussi sur des évènements historiques tragiques, comme les tensions entre Haïti et la République dominicaine, qui se manifestent par le massacre, orchestré sous la gouvernance dictatoriale et fasciste de Trujillo, des membres de la communauté haïtienne travaillant dans les plantations dominicaines. On sent également tout le bouillonnement intellectuel caractéristique de l’époque à laquelle le roman a été écrit (années 1950), alors que sont mis en scène des personnages dont la stature n’est pas sans rappeler celle de figures marquantes de l’ile, comme Jacques Roumain, ou dont le sort est tristement similaire à celui que l’auteur (et d’autres figures intellectuelles de cette époque) connaitra suivant son engagement politique : emprisonnement, torture, assassinat, etc. L’optimisme envers le mouvement communiste est d’ailleurs bien senti tout au long des pages, témoignant du propre cheminement idéologique de Jacques Stephen Alexis. Un roman tragique, imagé, sensible et profondément marquant.
January 30, 2023
4.5/5
Haitian writer Jacques Stephen Alexis describes the human condition through a loving, brutal, and worthwhile read. His descriptions alone elevate this novel- the reader can open the book at random and find brilliant metaphors like this:
"Outside, the vanquished night, riddled with arrows of light, was fleeing in gray tatters, like a crazy flight of bats pursued by the dawn."
By the end of the book, you feel as if you're walking alongside the characters on their journey back to Haiti. Alexis writes about love in a way few other writers can, filling in details of little moments that illuminate the feelings of Hilarion and Claire-Heureuse during their courtship and life together. Much like his later novel "In the Flicker of an Eyelid", the love the characters have for one another shines through the dark moments of life. Everyone should read Jacques Stephen Alexis, his books make me want to be a better human.
Haitian writer Jacques Stephen Alexis describes the human condition through a loving, brutal, and worthwhile read. His descriptions alone elevate this novel- the reader can open the book at random and find brilliant metaphors like this:
"Outside, the vanquished night, riddled with arrows of light, was fleeing in gray tatters, like a crazy flight of bats pursued by the dawn."
By the end of the book, you feel as if you're walking alongside the characters on their journey back to Haiti. Alexis writes about love in a way few other writers can, filling in details of little moments that illuminate the feelings of Hilarion and Claire-Heureuse during their courtship and life together. Much like his later novel "In the Flicker of an Eyelid", the love the characters have for one another shines through the dark moments of life. Everyone should read Jacques Stephen Alexis, his books make me want to be a better human.
May 21, 2012
Libro insigne de la literatura haitiana, en el cual descubrimos la primera revolución de la nación negra, por un autor que en sus escasas cuatro décadas de vida supo darnos un retrato no sólo de la Perla de las Antillas sino de la humanidad entera. Recomiendo TODOS sus libros. Como Alejo Capentier y Aimé Cesaire, sobrepasaron sus fronteras caribeñas.
June 5, 2013
published in French in 1955. Story of Hilarion, the Haitian common man and his sufferings from poverty in PauP to the cane fields of the DR. Alexis dsappeared at the age of 39 while taking part in an invasion from exile in Cuba of Duvalierist Haiti . General Sun was his first novel.
March 22, 2010
A truly great Haitian novel, about family and the attempt to escape poverty and oppression. That makes it sound grim, but it is also very beautiful.
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