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Spellbound
Yismake Werku is a writer known for experimenting with new forms. When Dertogada’s mysterious novel first published, it was received with great enthusiasm by the Amharic novel reader. Yismake Worku is not one of those writers who spend their entire lives in one form, hoping to succeed. He seeks a new path that has not been traveled.
He presented to us now is the result of his search for a new path. Yismake Worku, with his natural talent, can make a second seem like an eternity when he wants to; when he wants to, he can compress time into a single second. With the arguments he presents, which are like a stream flowing, he knows how to catch his breath and hold his breath, and when he wants, he can slowly pour out his thoughts like a river in the field. The social, political and national accounts he presents with his strong pen do not only show his courage - but also his intelligence. Since he presents hard facts with his merciless pen; incontrovertible truths, he does not care about the lies that are brought by those who have lost their truth, and those who do not have the truth.
In my opinion; The Spellbound is a type of fiction that can be classified as a style of writing called magic realism. The main character of this novel is a dog. He was once a respected man. Didymus Dore, one day, is struck by a magical spell on his body. He takes advantage of this change to destroy the privacy of society. When the magic of his return to the body wears off and he is overcome, knowledge that he did not realize during his time in the body is revealed to him; the hidden secrets of his existence are revealed to him in a new way.
Another new technique that Yismake Worku introduced in The Spellbound is the ability to connect the history of cities with the plot of the novel. For Yismake, cities are not places, they are characters in their own right. It shows that behind their dull appearance, they have a bright history. On the other hand, I did not know that Zway town, the main character of Yismake, was such a eloquent storyteller until he passed away. So when he tells the story, he is not a traveler who confesses his travelogue; he only chooses the incidents that go with the theme and makes them fit into the main story. As Yismake did in his other previous novels; he pauses in the middle of the narrative, ponders, reflects, and expounds; he brings out the big ideas that revolve around national issues. I think the theme that he has concentrated his full force on in this novel is De-Humanization. It shows us a shocking world where people have become dogs and have become human beings. If I go any further, I will be burdening the reader. Happy reading!
Dr. Admasu Meshesha
He presented to us now is the result of his search for a new path. Yismake Worku, with his natural talent, can make a second seem like an eternity when he wants to; when he wants to, he can compress time into a single second. With the arguments he presents, which are like a stream flowing, he knows how to catch his breath and hold his breath, and when he wants, he can slowly pour out his thoughts like a river in the field. The social, political and national accounts he presents with his strong pen do not only show his courage - but also his intelligence. Since he presents hard facts with his merciless pen; incontrovertible truths, he does not care about the lies that are brought by those who have lost their truth, and those who do not have the truth.
In my opinion; The Spellbound is a type of fiction that can be classified as a style of writing called magic realism. The main character of this novel is a dog. He was once a respected man. Didymus Dore, one day, is struck by a magical spell on his body. He takes advantage of this change to destroy the privacy of society. When the magic of his return to the body wears off and he is overcome, knowledge that he did not realize during his time in the body is revealed to him; the hidden secrets of his existence are revealed to him in a new way.
Another new technique that Yismake Worku introduced in The Spellbound is the ability to connect the history of cities with the plot of the novel. For Yismake, cities are not places, they are characters in their own right. It shows that behind their dull appearance, they have a bright history. On the other hand, I did not know that Zway town, the main character of Yismake, was such a eloquent storyteller until he passed away. So when he tells the story, he is not a traveler who confesses his travelogue; he only chooses the incidents that go with the theme and makes them fit into the main story. As Yismake did in his other previous novels; he pauses in the middle of the narrative, ponders, reflects, and expounds; he brings out the big ideas that revolve around national issues. I think the theme that he has concentrated his full force on in this novel is De-Humanization. It shows us a shocking world where people have become dogs and have become human beings. If I go any further, I will be burdening the reader. Happy reading!
Dr. Admasu Meshesha
308 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 9, 2025
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