Pig's Foot

by Carlos Acosta, Frank Wynne (Translation)

Oscar Mandinga, great-grandchild of the founders of a small hamlet of wooden shacks and red earth deep in the Cuban hinterland, is a sardonic teller of tales-some taller than others-of slavery, revolution, family secrets, love, and identity, spanning four generations.

But one day Oscar wakes to find himself utterly alone in the world. As the sole descendant of his family line, he is not sure what to do or where he should go, but in the midst of this uncertainty, he holds fast to what his grandfather always told “No man knows who he is until he knows his past, his history, the history of his country.”

As Oscar sets out to find his ancestral village of Pata de Puerco and the meaning of the magical pig's-foot amulet he has inherited, the search for his country's hidden history becomes entangled with his search for the truth about himself and his family.

Ambitious in scope yet intimate in tone, full of dark comedy, magical history, and startling revelations, Pig's Foot is a dazzling evocation of Cuba's tumultuous history, and a spell-binding debut.

Genres: Fiction, Magical Realism, Historical Fiction, Book Club, International, Science Fiction, Literary Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published October 30, 2013

About the author

Born in Havana in 1973, Carlos trained at the National Ballet School of Cuba with many of its most influential teachers, including Ramona de Sáa. From 1989 to 1991 Carlos performed throughout the world, guesting with several companies including the Compagnia Teatro Nuovo di Torino in Italy, where he danced alongside Luciana Savignano.

In 1990 he won the Gold Medal at the Prix de Lausanne, the Grand Prix at the 4th biennial Concours International de Danse de Paris, Vignale Danza Prize in Italy and Frédéric Chopin Prize, awarded by the Polish Artistic Corporation.

Upon the invitation of Ivan Nagy, Carlos was invited to dance as a principal with the English National Ballet in London during their 1991/92 season. He made his debut in the Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor and also appeared in Cinderella (partnering Eva Evdokimova and Ludmila Semenyaka), Le Spectre de la Rose, Les Sylphides, and also as the Prince in Ben Stevenson's The Nutcracker.

In 1991 he won the Prize for Merit in the Young Talent Competition, Positano, in Italy, the Italian Osimodanza Prize and the Grand Prix at Cuba's prestigious Union of Writers and Artists (UNEAC) competition.

Carlos danced with the National Ballet of Cuba for six months during 1992/93 under Alicia Alonso. In October 1993 and September 1994 he toured with the company to Madrid, Spain, where he danced various roles including Albrecht in Giselle, Basilio in Don Quixote and Siegfried in Swan Lake.

Reviews

[Calzean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rather enjoyed this book especially when the narrator interrupts the story to go on a rant. The narrator gives his family's history where the characters live in a remote and somewhat mysterious village. There's a far bit of people dying all of a sudden, parents being grandparents and maybe also an uncle or auntie at the same time. The women are all beautiful, the men strong or super intelligent and the African heritage and slavery never goes away. There is a strangeness to the story which comes clear at the end.

[Rachel (Smelleykins) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance copy via waterstones to review this book. I wouldn't usually read something that goes as far back as 1800's with mentions of war and slavery in, but I really did enjoy this. I enjoyed the fact that Oscar Kortico was speaking directly to the reader, like he could imagine what I was thinking.
We delve into the history of Oscar's family through the trial and tribulations in Cuba. From how Oscar learns about himself and how he got to where he ended up. The ending really did surprise me. I've long given up thinking I know what a book will finish like. I loved practically every character, even the ones we're probably meant to dislike. They were all cleverly written.
This isn't just about the 1800's era, it comes very much towards present day. It's a wonderful story that has everything, from love, romance, war, death, and good balance between humor and sauciness. Pigs foot is a wonderful debut and I can't wait to see what else Carlos Acosta brings out next!

I also adored the following quote:
'No man knows who he is until he knows his past, the history of his country'.

[Leilah Skelton · Rating 3 out of 5]

As far as debuts go, this is a fine offering from a new writer. There’s a no-nonsense protagonist explaining his familial history - the roots of his ancestry - and how this led him to be here, incarcerated, telling you his tale.

This novel oozes with generations of Cuban history. Although we are submerged into it, the novel occasionally became a little stuttery, and I felt that too much of the historical fact was wedged in in chunks, rather than layered more subtly within the novel’s telling.

That is my only criticism though. I thought that the characters were well fleshed, and setting so well described, that this really is one of those transportive novels. I’d be very keen to see what Acosta writes next.

[Lauredhel · Rating 1 out of 5]

An enormous load of miserable, grindingly sexist blether, followed by the most hackneyed "twist" known to literature.

I don't see what others are seeing in this book. And yes, I should have been warned by the comparisons to Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Bleagh.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems like people either love or hate this book. I loved it! Loved the stories, the history, and the characters.

[Carol W. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Freaking dark and depressing man. But in writing that is sexy and swaggerific. I can't believe I typed that.

Nonetheless, felt the ending was a cop-out which took away so MUCH from all that had been built up before. Taking away a star as a result.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Original Review for Judging Covers - http://judgingcovers.co.uk/reviews/pi...

I wanted so badly to like this book. I’d read reviews comparing Carlos Acosta’s writing to that of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who is my favourite author. Needless to say, I was excited and later horribly disappointed when this book fell short for me.

It wasn’t the writing style; Acosta’s writing is fluid and unique with a very charismatic narrator. The narration of Pig’s Foot was one of my favourite bits of the book and most of the reason I gave it two stars instead of one.

The setting wasn’t the problem either. I read a lot of South American and Hispanic literature so it wasn’t that I couldn’t relate or understand where or even when the story was taking place.

I think my biggest problem came 1/3 of the way in when I found myself asking, “What’s the point? Why do I care about this story and these people?” I felt no compulsion to keep turning pages and I didn’t really feel involved in the book as I felt I should have. I simply didn’t care about the characters or about how the whole thing ended.. and that included the weak plot twist.

Looking at other reviews, I’m relieved to see that I’m not alone. This is one book you’ll either love emphatically or strongly dislike. Sadly, I’m in the second camp.

[John Rennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a whimsical book. The story wanders around with no obvious point, and indeed it doesn't come to any particular ending. There is a kind of a twist ending but it's a twist that will be obvious to all but the most naive reader, and I'm sure the author never seriously intended it to be taken seriously. It's just more whimsy.

But for all this I found the book charming. I loved the characters and I loved the description of Cuba as it changed from a Spanish colony to the present. It was one of those books that sucked me in within a few minutes of opening it. The book won't be for everyone. If you're looking for anything deep and meaningful you need to look elsewhere. But if you're happy with a gentle and engaging story I can recommend this one.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to follow
Update: Nov 2016
Bad bad reviewer...forgot about this one and now can't remember enough to write a fair review...and...can't find my notes ! All I remember is feeling rather generous giving it 3 stars. Will have to re read.
Why do I procrastinate?

[sparklingboots · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating I really loved some of the characters in this book, so vivid and colourful and a great story.

[Isla Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really quite a dark and sombre read. Its somewhat gory, certainly quite violent with bloody violence depicted, so its certainly not for younger readers.

It features quite a large number of characters which I struggled to keep track of a bit. The setting and some of the scenarios in the plots/sub plots made me think of it as having a bit of a fantasy type flavour to it. If your not very imaginative then you'll likely struggle to picture the various circumstances depicted. It was somewhat immersive but it probably isn't the easiest read overall. Also it doesn't shy away from things, including awkward family issues, rape, shame and the pain of hidden secrets, among other things.

Also, although its forgotten perhaps mid way through the novel as its only brought to the readers attention at certain points in the book, its written in a first person narrative but from a historical viewpoint, in as much as the character tells the reader about their relatives in the past, so we read the narrator talking as if having a friendly conversation with us on ocassion and that lifts the sometimes quite bleak tone of the book. Certainly the 2nd part of the book is a bit more jovial at times and, thus, upbeat. There are a number of historical references as well, which I presume to be factually accurate, or certainly thereabouts.

It seemed to me a bit like a nightmarish adult fairy tale of sorts and the ending I found a bit disappointing. It makes the reader question things even more and if your not keen on books that dont clear up all the loose ends then trust me - you won't enjoy this. It is somewhat vivid and immersive but it was a bit too brutal and sad for me.

Suffice to say, this won't be a novel to suit all. It wasn't one of the best reads for me personally but some people will probably enjoy it, as a form of escapism perhaps as im not sure that 'enjoy' is a word that fully relates to a book of this sort. Overall its a reasonable book, hence my rating.

[Kay Southgate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A novel encompassing the history of Cuba and involving almost magical events. I wanted to like this more than I did, maybe it was the fact that I was reading it in translation that stopped me enjoying it as much as I felt I should have.

[Miki Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book. I now know more about the history of Cuba than I did before. I didn't see the twist, which is good.

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really wonderful book, found in a pile of books in a charity sale. Magically and deeply moving. Give it a go!

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Kay Southgate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story that encompasses the history of Cuba alongside magical characters and events. Paranoia emerges as identity is called into question.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

It reminded me of Dennis Lehane's Shutter Island. I didn't see the end coming until the end.

[Mike Cruden · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was greatly disappointed by this book. I usually enjoy historical fiction when the historical backdrop is successfully merged with the protagonists' stories, so I was looking forward to learning about the history of Cuba alongside enjoying a good story. Unfortunately Acosta didn't manage to accomplish this. Most of the narrative is concerned with the saga of a few peculiar individuals in a small village in Cuba, the titular Pig's Foot, from the early 19th century to present day, with Cuba's very eventful history dealt with in a very cursory manner, with some significant events, the American war with Spain for example, receiving hardly a mention. Perhaps this was to illustrate how little impact a country's historical events have on ordinary people, but I would still like to have learned more about the country's historical development. Also the main characters in the story were too outrageous to be believable and to make you care about them, with some scenes, especially the sex scenes, bordering on the ludicrous. I also disliked Acosta's device of speaking directly to the reader, which I found jarring and often pointless, especially when I was being sworn at! Some reviewers objected to the twist at the novel's end, which I didn't really mind, and in fact preferred to the logical alternative.

[Lianne Burwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pig's Foot is a book I have trouble evaluating. On the one hand, it's the story of the history of Cuba, from the slave days through to more modern times, following two intertwined families, told by their descendant who is apparently locked up by a villainous officer. Characters include a pygmie slave with a giant dick, revolutionaries, two sisters who marry two men who are as close as brothers, a violent rival, spirits from Africa, the city of Havana, and above all, the mysterious hidden village of Pata de Puerco, the Pig's Foot.

I was enthralled by the world created and the characters.

Then I hit the ending and was horribly disappointed. First of all, I've read that sort of an ending before. Much like Life of Pi, it ends with the suggestion that the narrator is delusional. In this case, he is actually in an insane asylum, undergoing electric shock therapy. Unfortunately, the ending left a slightly sour taste. Take out the last few chapters and it was a great book.

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved this book...until the last two chapters. If you can't suspend your disbelief, if you can't live in a world of magic, if you can't handle the magic side of magic realism, then just don't write magic realist fiction, Carlos Acosta. Magic realist fans, I highly recommend this book if you skip the last two chapters. I feel like the author had to include that nonsense at the end to get past censors, because it just didn't fit with the rest of the novel. Also, the perspective of the narrator, Oscar Mandinga, was inconsistent--at times eloquent and poetic, at other times crass, angry, and cursing like a sailor. Do with it what you will, but be warned. I don't reget reading Pig's Foot because the journey through Mandinga's tale was beautiful, mysterious, and offered a glimpse into Cuba, with which I have always been fascinated, but it left so much to be desired by the end.

[!Tæmbuŝu]

KOBOBOOKS

Reviewed by The Independent (1 Nov 2013), The Telegraph (26 Oct 2013), The Independent (10 Nov 2013), The Guardian (17 Nov 2013)

[Mary Hamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this because I love fiction in translation, being taken into a different world of imagination. That's exactly what Pig's Foot does. The work of dazzling Cuban dancer Carlos Acosta (his alone? I did wonder) it tells the story of a boy growing up in Pig's Foot, a hamlet so remote that no-one else in Cuba has heard of it. Conditions there are brutally deprived, passions intense. tough as these lives are, for the reader there's a sense of relief iin entering this strong, if not simple, story , escaping trivial issues and cutting through to emotions with heft. how close is it to magic realisim? Kissing cousins, perhaps. There's a truly original twist in the way it's constructed , risky but I think he's pulled it off. ( NO spoilers!) And I loved the voice.

[Meryll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting with an open mind, I got into this book and found it easy to read, pleasant (despite deprivation and misery in the story), and quirky at times. I had no trouble continuing throughout and really did enjoy it. As my knowledge of Cuba and it's torrid past is limited, it was enlightening to follow the story through generations to today. They still seem to have a long way to go. But all power to the Cubans.
This book is at once, a good read, a story well told, and informative on many levels.

[Athena Dupont · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conversational literature has a special place in my heart, and so does irreverent prose. Debut novelist Acosta combines oral-tradition story telling with Tom Robbins-esque preposterous plot and matter-of-fact comical characters, and the result is a fast-paced and humorous romp through rural Cuba. Political commentary, morality, and romance make cameos, but don’t let them distract you from the main course of vivid family history.

[Carole Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this after the first couple of chapters and until the chapter called 'The Interogation'. I suggest you read no further.
The story of the families are beautifully woven into the history and landscape of Cuba. THe language is simple and resonates with the rythym of a folk tale and the characters are extremely well drawn so that you feel you know them personally. I felt drawn in and was keen to know their fate.

[Anna Ghislena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. Carlos Acosta brings both cold and warm blooded humour, passion and patriotism to the unexpected and darkest magicical corners of Cuba. I loved all of his characters, the way he set the scenes and despite the surprise ending, came away from the last page firmly believing that anything is possible.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really didn't know what to expect. I read the comparisons to Marquez, but you can't compare to the incomparable. As literary fiction goes, the imagery and descriptiveness contained in this work is direct yet vivid. The references to the history of Cuba and the ancestral origins of its people made for good substance. I would recommend this to others - it was very entertaining.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book

This books was deep especially with the history of Cuba. Before reading this I never thought Cubans has deep roots. The ending of the book was a bit bazaar. I learned Bacardi is Cuban and not Puerto Rican ( I had to quick wiki search). This is a definitely a good read.

[Viv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in the style of Garcia Marquez, but not as long winded and much more comprehensible. A quaint, surrealistic novel which describes the tribulations of three generations of a negro family to the backdrop of modern Cuban history. I found most of the characters endearing, despite a proclivity to violence in many of them.

[Lian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the style and use of language but the story is a bit unoriginal. Still - it seems unfair that one person could be so talented as to be able to write as well as this when they are already such a fabulous dancer.