Vzdih

by Ananda Devi, Suzana Koncut (Translator)

Prizorišče romana Vzdih je nerodoviten, od boga zapuščeni otoček Rodrigues, kjer se revščina prepleta z norostjo. Nekaj izkoreninjencev, ujetih v past med nesrečno preteklostjo in brezupno prihodnostjo, se pred grozečo revščino zateče na opustele višave, prežete z zastrtim spominom na umrle sužnje. Vzdih je ime tega kraja, novonaseljenci pa ga občutijo kot skrivnosten in sovražen prostor, poln prikazni iz minulega časa in grozečih duhov. Njihov brezupen in blazen načrt, da bi tam obogateli z gojenjem marihuane, se kmalu prevesi v popolno polomijo, k čemur pripomorejo tudi nenehna videnja mrtvih, prikazni iz preteklosti in duhovi, ki se vpletajo v njihovo zgodbo. Znotraj te sanjske in poetične atmosfere pa se kljub fantastičnosti razkriva konkretna realnost sodobnega življenja v postkolonialnem svetu, zaznamovana z brezperspektivnostjo, zaostalostjo in propadom človeških vrednot. In ta mešanica poetične fantastičnosti in krute realnosti daje romanu zelo svojevrsten ton. Zdi se namreč, da vstopamo v mitsko pripoved, polno skrivnostnih vzrokov in čudaških bitij, kmalu pa se pokažejo povsem realni razlogi za to: neozdravljiva bolezen, poskus detomora, genske okvare, izkoriščanje in brezobzirno nasilje.


Roman ima jasen pripovedni okvir. Napisan je skozi prvoosebno pripoved enega od izkoreninjencev, Patrica Razsvetljenega, »tistega, ki zna brati, ki jim pripoveduje zgodbe, bere časopise in prenaša novice«. Njegova pripoved seveda ni linearna, saj gradi na vednosti o končni tragediji in propadu, z občasnimi potepi v bližnjo in daljno preteklost pa mojstrsko stke celovito sestavljanko raznolikih zgodb.

171 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 204

About the author

Ananda Devi is a Mauritian writer. Her novel, Eve de ses décombres, won the Prix des cinq continents de la Francophonie in 2006, as well as several other prizes. It was adapted for the cinema by Sharvan Anenden and Harrikrisna Anenden. In 2007, Devi received the Certificat d'Honneur Maurice Cagnon du Conseil International d'Études Francophones.[1] She has since won other literary prizes, including the Prix du Rayonnement de la langue et de la littérature française of the Académie française. During 2010 she was bestowed with Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government.

Reviews

[James F · Rating 2 out of 5]

Devi's sixth novel and the third I have read, Soupir is set on the smaller and less developed Isle de Rodrigues, an outlier near her native Mauritius, which also figures in a novel by the other Mauritian author I have read, J.M.G. LeClézio. It is the story of a group who leave the city (Port Mathurin) to settle on a barren hillside, which is called Soupir (to sigh), hoping to become rich by cultivating ganja. The novel is told by one of the group, Patrice L'Éclairé; each of the short chapters is about one or more individuals in the group. There are also a few ghosts. The style is somewhat experimental but much less so than in Pagli, which was published a year earlier. The book focuses on violence, and has an (unclear) connection with the history of slavery. The psychology is rather unconvincing, and this one just didn't work for me.

[Annabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book I've read for pleasure in quite a while.

I'd first been introduced to Anandi Devi through Eve et ses décombres, which had been an absolutely devastating read. This is also bleak, but in such a way where it's difficult for me to be as present as a reader. But the writing itself is still so beautiful, the bodies so well constructed, that I found myself carried along despite a certain distance that was impossible for me to ever overcome or breach.