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Please Do Not Disturb
As the African nation of Bwalo prepares for The Big Day—the only day in the year the ailing King talks to his subjects—we meet five very different people:
Charlie, a curious boy with a dangerous dictaphone habit, eavesdrops on the eccentric guests of the Mirage Hotel.
Sean, an Irishman who’s given his heart (and the best part of his liver) to Bwalo, struggles to write the great African novel—if only his crazed fiancée and fierce thirst would stop distracting him.
Josef, the mythmaker and kingmaker who paved the way for Tafumo’s rise to power, starts to hear the ominous rattle of skeletons in his closet.
Hope, the nurse caring for the king, keeps the old man alive, maintaining the façade of the powerful ruler as she mourns her own broken dreams.
And in the countdown to the Big Day, storm clouds gather as a petty criminal, Jack, smuggles something into Bwalo—specifically to the Mirage Hotel—that will change the lives of all of them forever.
Charlie, a curious boy with a dangerous dictaphone habit, eavesdrops on the eccentric guests of the Mirage Hotel.
Sean, an Irishman who’s given his heart (and the best part of his liver) to Bwalo, struggles to write the great African novel—if only his crazed fiancée and fierce thirst would stop distracting him.
Josef, the mythmaker and kingmaker who paved the way for Tafumo’s rise to power, starts to hear the ominous rattle of skeletons in his closet.
Hope, the nurse caring for the king, keeps the old man alive, maintaining the façade of the powerful ruler as she mourns her own broken dreams.
And in the countdown to the Big Day, storm clouds gather as a petty criminal, Jack, smuggles something into Bwalo—specifically to the Mirage Hotel—that will change the lives of all of them forever.
292 pages, Hardcover
Published November 15, 2016
16 people are currently reading
996 people want to read
About the author
Robert Glancy
8 books54 followersI was born in Zambia and raised in Malawi – a country known as the Warm Heart of Africa but made famous as the place where Madonna finds her children. At 14 I swapped the Warm Heart of Africa for the Chilblain of Edinburgh, where I learned the true meaning of the term ‘culture shock’. There I discovered deep-fried Mars bars, kilts, and what the Scots mean by ‘pelly-wally’. It means pale, freakishly pale, Scottish pale – as pale as the belly of a dead fish!
In search of warmer weather, I moved to beautiful New Zealand in 2003, where I have lived ever since with my lovely wife, two cute children, and four mad cats. Bar a brief adventure in 2014, when we went to live in France so I could terrorise the locals with my atrocious GCSE French, scoffing croissants and mangling their exquisite language wherever I went. I’m so sorry. What can I say – Je suis désolé, mange touts!
As well as upsetting the French, I divided my time unevenly between cat-sitting and writing my second book. The cat just about survived – sorry Molly! More miraculously I finished my book. Bloomsbury published Terms & Conditions and Please Do Not Disturb. And they both became massive bestselling blockbuster phenomena! *
*No, sorry, they did not… that was a joke. Anyway…
I’m back in New Zealand now writing books three, four, five and more. I love writing funny, crazy books for children like Mr Chambo and the Harper & the Shimmer series (coming soon to an internet connection near you!). I also like writing funny, crazy books for grownups.
Like a rare and dim comet, I’ve also appeared randomly and blessedly briefly on TV and radio, generally sounding confused and flummoxed. Including a terrifying interview with the great John Humphrys on the BBC where I tried to find funny things to say about Terms & Conditions. Hey, I tried!
I also do a podcast with my kids called What’s Up! It is full of daft songs and bad jokes, and we only manage to make one or two episodes every few months, but they are definitely not worth listening to if you have access to any other podcasts. Ha!
Alongside my novels, I’ve written for The Guardian, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, Condé Nast, and Esquire — a list my mother still thinks I’ve made up.
In search of warmer weather, I moved to beautiful New Zealand in 2003, where I have lived ever since with my lovely wife, two cute children, and four mad cats. Bar a brief adventure in 2014, when we went to live in France so I could terrorise the locals with my atrocious GCSE French, scoffing croissants and mangling their exquisite language wherever I went. I’m so sorry. What can I say – Je suis désolé, mange touts!
As well as upsetting the French, I divided my time unevenly between cat-sitting and writing my second book. The cat just about survived – sorry Molly! More miraculously I finished my book. Bloomsbury published Terms & Conditions and Please Do Not Disturb. And they both became massive bestselling blockbuster phenomena! *
*No, sorry, they did not… that was a joke. Anyway…
I’m back in New Zealand now writing books three, four, five and more. I love writing funny, crazy books for children like Mr Chambo and the Harper & the Shimmer series (coming soon to an internet connection near you!). I also like writing funny, crazy books for grownups.
Like a rare and dim comet, I’ve also appeared randomly and blessedly briefly on TV and radio, generally sounding confused and flummoxed. Including a terrifying interview with the great John Humphrys on the BBC where I tried to find funny things to say about Terms & Conditions. Hey, I tried!
I also do a podcast with my kids called What’s Up! It is full of daft songs and bad jokes, and we only manage to make one or two episodes every few months, but they are definitely not worth listening to if you have access to any other podcasts. Ha!
Alongside my novels, I’ve written for The Guardian, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, Condé Nast, and Esquire — a list my mother still thinks I’ve made up.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
January 24, 2019
“I hated this musty old museum room. Like many others, it was modelled on some room in Buckingham Palace: gloomy, dark, oppressive. And many of these paintings were counterfeits of those that hung in the Queen's own residence, this replica room full of fake Masters. Even the palace airconditioning was kept low, a brittle chill pervading the rooms. So utterly British was the atmosphere that at times I was surprised to see Africa outside. As if the windows were paintings and the paintings were windows. The dark bulletproof glass enhanced the illusion that the windows framed exotic African art, while the paintings captured real views of the glum English countryside.”
Please Do Not Disturb is the second novel by Zambia-born, Malawi-raised New Zealand author, Robert Glancy. The annual Big Day is approaching for the tin-pot African nation of Bwalo. It’s the day that their (formerly-benevolent) dictator, His Excellency the Life King N Tafumo makes an appearance to address the people. This year, as well as the usual attendees (attendance is compulsory), there will be celebrities, including black American pop star, Truth and his enormous entourage. Sharing their observations of the lead-up to this celebration are current and former residents.
Josef Songa is Bwalo’s Minister for Communication, Broadcast, Education and Tourism and the man who was instrumental, in the early eighties, in bringing Tafumo and the uMunthu Party to power. He wrote the country’s history book (a largely fictional tale), but now wonders if, like some of his oldest comrades, he has fallen out of favour with his (once close) friend and king, something that is not conducive to a long life expectancy.
Irish ex-pat Sean Kelly has taught at the University for many years while dipping into journalism and trying to write the elusive Great Second Novel. Bwalo woman Stella is his fiancée, and he has come to love this little piece of Africa, but now bemoans the squandering of its potential.
Hope nurses the ageing dictator, but was once close to the men who saw off British rule, even marrying Josef. Her failure to provide him with a son was only one reason she often felt his fists. She is one of few who know the true physical and mental health of their leader.
Young Charlie Johnson lives at the Hotel Mirage with his parents, manager Stuart and accountant Fiona (who longs to return to Scotland). With his newly-acquired dictaphone, he enthusiastically interviews everyone he encounters, asking probing questions about their lives and polling how they feel about the Big Day. And, eavesdropping on guests, staff and the owner, Charlie learns more about what’s going on than most of the adults.
Currently from Kenya, Jack Franklin (who does have a history with Bwalo) has taken on a (what-soon-starts-to-look dubious) job smuggling an illegal chemical into the country. It becomes apparent that all is not as stated, but is it now too late to back out of the deal?
Whispers and hints indicate that big change is coming to Bwalo: who will survive?
These five narrators recount events from their vastly different perspectives. A cast of quirky characters populates this delightful novel: if some at first seem stereotypical, this impression is dispelled as the story develops. Their dialogue provides a good dose of satire, but Glancy also gives his characters wise words and succinct, insightful observations. Josef notes that “The tropics warp white men in strange ways” and “Power is a drug that makes the baboon forget he’s foolish” while Hope remarks that “few monuments are as unmovable as the ego of a Bwalo man.”
Glancy sets his story in modern-day Africa, but in a place that is kept firmly rooted in the early nineteen-eighties by Tafumo’s repressive regime. His plot is easily believable and manages to provide plenty of (occasionally dark) humour but also an exciting climax. Glancy’s descriptive prose easily evokes the feel of Africa: his personal experience on the African continent and his love for the land and her people, despite their very human flaws, is apparent on every page. Sharing much of the tone and mood of Michael Holman’s Kuwisha trilogy, this is an outstanding read.
The Bolinda audio version of this novel is read by five very capable narrators, including Adjoa Andoh.
Please Do Not Disturb is the second novel by Zambia-born, Malawi-raised New Zealand author, Robert Glancy. The annual Big Day is approaching for the tin-pot African nation of Bwalo. It’s the day that their (formerly-benevolent) dictator, His Excellency the Life King N Tafumo makes an appearance to address the people. This year, as well as the usual attendees (attendance is compulsory), there will be celebrities, including black American pop star, Truth and his enormous entourage. Sharing their observations of the lead-up to this celebration are current and former residents.
Josef Songa is Bwalo’s Minister for Communication, Broadcast, Education and Tourism and the man who was instrumental, in the early eighties, in bringing Tafumo and the uMunthu Party to power. He wrote the country’s history book (a largely fictional tale), but now wonders if, like some of his oldest comrades, he has fallen out of favour with his (once close) friend and king, something that is not conducive to a long life expectancy.
Irish ex-pat Sean Kelly has taught at the University for many years while dipping into journalism and trying to write the elusive Great Second Novel. Bwalo woman Stella is his fiancée, and he has come to love this little piece of Africa, but now bemoans the squandering of its potential.
Hope nurses the ageing dictator, but was once close to the men who saw off British rule, even marrying Josef. Her failure to provide him with a son was only one reason she often felt his fists. She is one of few who know the true physical and mental health of their leader.
Young Charlie Johnson lives at the Hotel Mirage with his parents, manager Stuart and accountant Fiona (who longs to return to Scotland). With his newly-acquired dictaphone, he enthusiastically interviews everyone he encounters, asking probing questions about their lives and polling how they feel about the Big Day. And, eavesdropping on guests, staff and the owner, Charlie learns more about what’s going on than most of the adults.
Currently from Kenya, Jack Franklin (who does have a history with Bwalo) has taken on a (what-soon-starts-to-look dubious) job smuggling an illegal chemical into the country. It becomes apparent that all is not as stated, but is it now too late to back out of the deal?
Whispers and hints indicate that big change is coming to Bwalo: who will survive?
These five narrators recount events from their vastly different perspectives. A cast of quirky characters populates this delightful novel: if some at first seem stereotypical, this impression is dispelled as the story develops. Their dialogue provides a good dose of satire, but Glancy also gives his characters wise words and succinct, insightful observations. Josef notes that “The tropics warp white men in strange ways” and “Power is a drug that makes the baboon forget he’s foolish” while Hope remarks that “few monuments are as unmovable as the ego of a Bwalo man.”
Glancy sets his story in modern-day Africa, but in a place that is kept firmly rooted in the early nineteen-eighties by Tafumo’s repressive regime. His plot is easily believable and manages to provide plenty of (occasionally dark) humour but also an exciting climax. Glancy’s descriptive prose easily evokes the feel of Africa: his personal experience on the African continent and his love for the land and her people, despite their very human flaws, is apparent on every page. Sharing much of the tone and mood of Michael Holman’s Kuwisha trilogy, this is an outstanding read.
The Bolinda audio version of this novel is read by five very capable narrators, including Adjoa Andoh.
August 23, 2017
PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB comes with a wonderfully evocative sense of place and people, delivered with an affectionate comic touch. There's something reminiscient in here of lots of these styles of novels set in developing nations, where the people in positions of power and leadership are over the top, the worker's invariably put upon, hard working and blessed with bucket loads of patience and understanding, and everything seems to sort of muddle along in a way that would drive incomers mildly mad if you didn't see the funny side of it.
Glancy does a terrific job here at pointing out the absurbities in elegant prose. It is, however, populated by a huge cast of characters, contributing a lot of similar narrative voices to a plot which is frequently overcrowded with points to be made, and lacking forward drive as a result. Great sense of place and character though - possibly just needs a bit more focus, drive and maybe a more judicious spread of the personalities over more than one outing.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
Glancy does a terrific job here at pointing out the absurbities in elegant prose. It is, however, populated by a huge cast of characters, contributing a lot of similar narrative voices to a plot which is frequently overcrowded with points to be made, and lacking forward drive as a result. Great sense of place and character though - possibly just needs a bit more focus, drive and maybe a more judicious spread of the personalities over more than one outing.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
July 1, 2016
Being a bit of a Dumbo sometimes when it comes to sorting out who’s who and what’s what, it took me a few chapters of this book (they’re mostly short) before I got to grips with things. After that, however, it was brakes off and away.
Several characters tell the story ˗ occasionally giving different viewpoints on the same incident ˗ and swing from wild humour to satire to terror, sometimes within the same page. Glancy keeps a firm hand on the plot, and what seems at first to be chaotic gradually hones in on the horrors of the ‘Glorious Day of Our Splendid Independence’ ˗ or the Big Day, as Charlie, the young boy who opens the story, more prosaically calls it.
Charlie is the son of an expat Scots couple who run the Mirage Hotel in Bwalo, a fictional African country under the thumb of the increasingly dictatorial King Tafumo. The Stalinesque tentacles of Tafumo’s administration stretch into all corners of Bwalo. Nevertheless, he’s adored by his population, even though he’s a fraud. Only his long-time friend, Josef, knows his past.
Ambitious and financially ruinous projects are Tafumo’s legacy, along with a desire to emulate England and its glories. Most of the projects have fallen into decay, and even the functioning state departments, such as the University ˗ which an embattled Josef oversees ˗ is on its last legs.
It’s plainly time for a change, but from which quarter will it come? This book will keep you turning pages way past your bedtime.
Glancy was born in Zambia and raised in Malawi, and after a stint in the UK, has lived in New Zealand for more than a decade. His insight into the way Africa attracts and holds the British is well-expressed here, as is his understanding that the country can move from peaceability to violence in the blink of an eye.
Several characters tell the story ˗ occasionally giving different viewpoints on the same incident ˗ and swing from wild humour to satire to terror, sometimes within the same page. Glancy keeps a firm hand on the plot, and what seems at first to be chaotic gradually hones in on the horrors of the ‘Glorious Day of Our Splendid Independence’ ˗ or the Big Day, as Charlie, the young boy who opens the story, more prosaically calls it.
Charlie is the son of an expat Scots couple who run the Mirage Hotel in Bwalo, a fictional African country under the thumb of the increasingly dictatorial King Tafumo. The Stalinesque tentacles of Tafumo’s administration stretch into all corners of Bwalo. Nevertheless, he’s adored by his population, even though he’s a fraud. Only his long-time friend, Josef, knows his past.
Ambitious and financially ruinous projects are Tafumo’s legacy, along with a desire to emulate England and its glories. Most of the projects have fallen into decay, and even the functioning state departments, such as the University ˗ which an embattled Josef oversees ˗ is on its last legs.
It’s plainly time for a change, but from which quarter will it come? This book will keep you turning pages way past your bedtime.
Glancy was born in Zambia and raised in Malawi, and after a stint in the UK, has lived in New Zealand for more than a decade. His insight into the way Africa attracts and holds the British is well-expressed here, as is his understanding that the country can move from peaceability to violence in the blink of an eye.
October 17, 2016
Uhm ja okay... das Buch war ganz okay, aber irgendwie hat es mich nicht wirklich unterhalten. Es war nicht düster, aber auch nicht fröhlich, es war wie so ein unangenehmer Knoten im Bauch. Die Charaktere waren nicht wirklich sympathisch, ich habe null mit ihnen gefühlt und die Kontexte habe ich auch nicht immer verstanden. Schade, die Grundidee klang so wunderbar.
January 29, 2019
“I hated this musty old museum room. Like many others, it was modelled on some room in Buckingham Palace: gloomy, dark, oppressive. And many of these paintings were counterfeits of those that hung in the Queen's own residence, this replica room full of fake Masters. Even the palace airconditioning was kept low, a brittle chill pervading the rooms. So utterly British was the atmosphere that at times I was surprised to see Africa outside. As if the windows were paintings and the paintings were windows. The dark bulletproof glass enhanced the illusion that the windows framed exotic African art, while the paintings captured real views of the glum English countryside.”
Please Do Not Disturb is the second novel by Zambia-born, Malawi-raised New Zealand author, Robert Glancy. The annual Big Day is approaching for the tin-pot African nation of Bwalo. It’s the day that their (formerly-benevolent) dictator, His Excellency the Life King N Tafumo makes an appearance to address the people. This year, as well as the usual attendees (attendance is compulsory), there will be celebrities, including black American pop star, Truth and his enormous entourage. Sharing their observations of the lead-up to this celebration are current and former residents.
Josef Songa is Bwalo’s Minister for Communication, Broadcast, Education and Tourism and the man who was instrumental, in the early eighties, in bringing Tafumo and the uMunthu Party to power. He wrote the country’s history book (a largely fictional tale), but now wonders if, like some of his oldest comrades, he has fallen out of favour with his (once close) friend and king, something that is not conducive to a long life expectancy.
Irish ex-pat Sean Kelly has taught at the University for many years while dipping into journalism and trying to write the elusive Great Second Novel. Bwalo woman Stella is his fiancée, and he has come to love this little piece of Africa, but now bemoans the squandering of its potential.
Hope nurses the ageing dictator, but was once close to the men who saw off British rule, even marrying Josef. Her failure to provide him with a son was only one reason she often felt his fists. She is one of few who know the true physical and mental health of their leader.
Young Charlie Johnson lives at the Hotel Mirage with his parents, manager Stuart and accountant Fiona (who longs to return to Scotland). With his newly-acquired dictaphone, he enthusiastically interviews everyone he encounters, asking probing questions about their lives and polling how they feel about the Big Day. And, eavesdropping on guests, staff and the owner, Charlie learns more about what’s going on than most of the adults.
Currently from Kenya, Jack Franklin (who does have a history with Bwalo) has taken on a (what-soon-starts-to-look dubious) job smuggling an illegal chemical into the country. It becomes apparent that all is not as stated, but is it now too late to back out of the deal?
Whispers and hints indicate that big change is coming to Bwalo: who will survive?
These five narrators recount events from their vastly different perspectives. A cast of quirky characters populates this delightful novel: if some at first seem stereotypical, this impression is dispelled as the story develops. Their dialogue provides a good dose of satire, but Glancy also gives his characters wise words and succinct, insightful observations. Josef notes that “The tropics warp white men in strange ways” and “Power is a drug that makes the baboon forget he’s foolish” while Hope remarks that “few monuments are as unmovable as the ego of a Bwalo man.”
Glancy sets his story in modern-day Africa, but in a place that is kept firmly rooted in the early nineteen-eighties by Tafumo’s repressive regime. His plot is easily believable and manages to provide plenty of (occasionally dark) humour but also an exciting climax. Glancy’s descriptive prose easily evokes the feel of Africa: his personal experience on the African continent and his love for the land and her people, despite their very human flaws, is apparent on every page. Sharing much of the tone and mood of Michael Holman’s Kuwisha trilogy, this is an outstanding read.
Please Do Not Disturb is the second novel by Zambia-born, Malawi-raised New Zealand author, Robert Glancy. The annual Big Day is approaching for the tin-pot African nation of Bwalo. It’s the day that their (formerly-benevolent) dictator, His Excellency the Life King N Tafumo makes an appearance to address the people. This year, as well as the usual attendees (attendance is compulsory), there will be celebrities, including black American pop star, Truth and his enormous entourage. Sharing their observations of the lead-up to this celebration are current and former residents.
Josef Songa is Bwalo’s Minister for Communication, Broadcast, Education and Tourism and the man who was instrumental, in the early eighties, in bringing Tafumo and the uMunthu Party to power. He wrote the country’s history book (a largely fictional tale), but now wonders if, like some of his oldest comrades, he has fallen out of favour with his (once close) friend and king, something that is not conducive to a long life expectancy.
Irish ex-pat Sean Kelly has taught at the University for many years while dipping into journalism and trying to write the elusive Great Second Novel. Bwalo woman Stella is his fiancée, and he has come to love this little piece of Africa, but now bemoans the squandering of its potential.
Hope nurses the ageing dictator, but was once close to the men who saw off British rule, even marrying Josef. Her failure to provide him with a son was only one reason she often felt his fists. She is one of few who know the true physical and mental health of their leader.
Young Charlie Johnson lives at the Hotel Mirage with his parents, manager Stuart and accountant Fiona (who longs to return to Scotland). With his newly-acquired dictaphone, he enthusiastically interviews everyone he encounters, asking probing questions about their lives and polling how they feel about the Big Day. And, eavesdropping on guests, staff and the owner, Charlie learns more about what’s going on than most of the adults.
Currently from Kenya, Jack Franklin (who does have a history with Bwalo) has taken on a (what-soon-starts-to-look dubious) job smuggling an illegal chemical into the country. It becomes apparent that all is not as stated, but is it now too late to back out of the deal?
Whispers and hints indicate that big change is coming to Bwalo: who will survive?
These five narrators recount events from their vastly different perspectives. A cast of quirky characters populates this delightful novel: if some at first seem stereotypical, this impression is dispelled as the story develops. Their dialogue provides a good dose of satire, but Glancy also gives his characters wise words and succinct, insightful observations. Josef notes that “The tropics warp white men in strange ways” and “Power is a drug that makes the baboon forget he’s foolish” while Hope remarks that “few monuments are as unmovable as the ego of a Bwalo man.”
Glancy sets his story in modern-day Africa, but in a place that is kept firmly rooted in the early nineteen-eighties by Tafumo’s repressive regime. His plot is easily believable and manages to provide plenty of (occasionally dark) humour but also an exciting climax. Glancy’s descriptive prose easily evokes the feel of Africa: his personal experience on the African continent and his love for the land and her people, despite their very human flaws, is apparent on every page. Sharing much of the tone and mood of Michael Holman’s Kuwisha trilogy, this is an outstanding read.
January 12, 2019
This was an incredible book. It's set in a fictional African country. My favorite thing about this book is that the story is told through multiple viewpoints. The characters are fascinating. The author was born in Zambia and raised in Malawi. The world created in this novel is just so incredibly dimensional and the characters fully fleshed out. It is a beautiful read.
March 2, 2017
Ein schönes Buch und eine echt tolle Idee.
Die Charaktere waren alle wirklich interessant und man hat irgendwann richtig das Gefühl gehabt, als sei man auch gerade in dem Land Bwalo und auch ein Gast des Hotels.
Mit den Charakteren kommt allerdings auch ein Punkt, der mir nicht ganz so gut gefallen hat: Es waren teilweise zu viele. Zumindest für den Beginn hat mir die Perspektive viel zu oft gewechselt und es wurde nicht gerade einfacher dadurch, dass alle auch noch aus der Ich-Perspektive erzählt haben. Aber mit der Zeit habe ich mich gut eingefunden und fand es zum Ende auch gar nicht mehr so schlimm.
Ein tolles Buch, dass ich eigentlich nur empfehlen kann und das wahrscheinlich mal wieder viel zu wenig Aufmerksamkeit bekommt. Das aber auch, weil es sicherlich nicht für jeden etwas ist.
Es gibt von mir 3,5 bis 4 Sterne von 5.
Die Charaktere waren alle wirklich interessant und man hat irgendwann richtig das Gefühl gehabt, als sei man auch gerade in dem Land Bwalo und auch ein Gast des Hotels.
Mit den Charakteren kommt allerdings auch ein Punkt, der mir nicht ganz so gut gefallen hat: Es waren teilweise zu viele. Zumindest für den Beginn hat mir die Perspektive viel zu oft gewechselt und es wurde nicht gerade einfacher dadurch, dass alle auch noch aus der Ich-Perspektive erzählt haben. Aber mit der Zeit habe ich mich gut eingefunden und fand es zum Ende auch gar nicht mehr so schlimm.
Ein tolles Buch, dass ich eigentlich nur empfehlen kann und das wahrscheinlich mal wieder viel zu wenig Aufmerksamkeit bekommt. Das aber auch, weil es sicherlich nicht für jeden etwas ist.
Es gibt von mir 3,5 bis 4 Sterne von 5.
December 7, 2019
Interesting take on African totalitarianism written by a Zambian-born, Malawi-raised, UK-educated, currently New Zealand-based author (so I'm feeling very poorly traveled right about now). There are a number of books, movies, etc. about this unique and multicultural continent with a sordid and complicated past. Please Do Not Disturb takes place in the present day, in a fictional southern African nation known as Bwalo. The story is told from multiple points of view, each character with their own reactions to the events surrounding The Big Day - the anniversary of King Tamufo's rise to power - the one day of the year that he ventures from his mansion to speak with his subjects.
Each of the five point-of-view characters provides a unique perspective on the events of the book. Josef, Tamufo's childhood friend and current minister, is beginning to understand the truth behind the nefarious happenings under Tamufo's regime. Hope, Josef's ex-wife and Tamufo's nurse, is realistic and provides a more present understanding of the King's state of mind. Charlie, the local hotel manager's son, allows the reader to see the events through a child's immature and trusting eye. Sean is a Irish ex-patriot writer with a penchant for alcohol and a severe case of writer's block. Sean is often a source of comic relief in an otherwise serious story line. Finally, Jack is a drug runner hired to move "chemicals" to Bwalo. The perspective intertwine in a less-than-balanced fashion, with some characters receiving less attention than I would have liked.
The story is suspenseful but doesn't veer into disturbing or overly-emotional territory for the most part. The characters are uneven - some are well-developed with consistent past and present personas (Sean). Others are simply there to advance the plot (Jack). Still others seem overly naive (Josef). It doesn't have the same sense of drama that is present in most novels about post-colonial Africa. There is more levity here, which is counterintuitive to the subject matter. Not to say that it is all fun-and-games. There is a dictator, after-all. Rather, the way it is written feels lighter, almost satirical in parts. It's an easy, fast read, and definitely enjoyable. Just don't expect to be moved by any great emotional revelation.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Each of the five point-of-view characters provides a unique perspective on the events of the book. Josef, Tamufo's childhood friend and current minister, is beginning to understand the truth behind the nefarious happenings under Tamufo's regime. Hope, Josef's ex-wife and Tamufo's nurse, is realistic and provides a more present understanding of the King's state of mind. Charlie, the local hotel manager's son, allows the reader to see the events through a child's immature and trusting eye. Sean is a Irish ex-patriot writer with a penchant for alcohol and a severe case of writer's block. Sean is often a source of comic relief in an otherwise serious story line. Finally, Jack is a drug runner hired to move "chemicals" to Bwalo. The perspective intertwine in a less-than-balanced fashion, with some characters receiving less attention than I would have liked.
The story is suspenseful but doesn't veer into disturbing or overly-emotional territory for the most part. The characters are uneven - some are well-developed with consistent past and present personas (Sean). Others are simply there to advance the plot (Jack). Still others seem overly naive (Josef). It doesn't have the same sense of drama that is present in most novels about post-colonial Africa. There is more levity here, which is counterintuitive to the subject matter. Not to say that it is all fun-and-games. There is a dictator, after-all. Rather, the way it is written feels lighter, almost satirical in parts. It's an easy, fast read, and definitely enjoyable. Just don't expect to be moved by any great emotional revelation.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 21, 2017
4.25 Stars. Robert Glancy’s debut novel
Terms & Conditions
was amongst my favourite books of 2014. The structure of his second novel Please Do Not Disturb, five characters’ alternating first person narratives, is perfectly suited to the audio format. Add a cast of talented, and appropriately accented, audiobook narrators and the result is something that transcends the written word.
Read full review >>
August 9, 2016
Converging perspectives come together to make Please Do Not Disturb, a novel about the upcoming Big Day in Bwalo to honor the country's leader Tafumo. (Bwalo is a fictional African nation, loosely based on Malawi.)
The characters who drive the novel's action come from all walks of life: a drunk Irish expat who can't seem to finish his second novel, one of the top ministers in Tafumo's regime, his ex-wife Hope who serves as Tafumo's personal nurse, and Charlie: son of Scottish hotel workers whose shiny new toy (a Dictaphone!) becomes more dangerous as the story progresses.
First person POV is not my reading preference, but the medium is employed well in Please Do Not Disturb. It creates a more nuanced perspective of a country's search for identity under a dictatorship and the lingering affects of colonialism. Characters are flawed, and their mistakes are not excused. But they are allowed a chance to tell their own stories and allow the reader to judge their motivations. The first person POV also allows for more intimate moments of humor or terror, like Charlie's love for Fanta or Josef's building paranoia and illness.
It took a little while for the story to ramp up for me. The first third of the book is an exercise in tracking characters and story progression. But once the pieces click into place, Please Do Not Disturb becomes a nail biter. Every click of Charlie's Dictaphone creates more dread as the Big Day arrives and the full drama is revealed.
At times, the jump from character to character is a bit clunky. Moving back in time to recap a scene we've already seen through another character's perspective. But overall, the varying perspectives are handled well, from Sean's perpetual state of drunkenness to Charlie's energetic naivete. And despite the serious subject matter, there are plenty of funny moments to enjoy. Like Mr. Horst's gaudy portrait or the American rapper Truth and his entourage of dancers. (The scene with the freebie CDs is especially great.)
Please Do Not Disturb is definitely worth a read. Funny and poignant.
Thank you to Bloomsbury USA for an ARC. I received this copy from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
The characters who drive the novel's action come from all walks of life: a drunk Irish expat who can't seem to finish his second novel, one of the top ministers in Tafumo's regime, his ex-wife Hope who serves as Tafumo's personal nurse, and Charlie: son of Scottish hotel workers whose shiny new toy (a Dictaphone!) becomes more dangerous as the story progresses.
First person POV is not my reading preference, but the medium is employed well in Please Do Not Disturb. It creates a more nuanced perspective of a country's search for identity under a dictatorship and the lingering affects of colonialism. Characters are flawed, and their mistakes are not excused. But they are allowed a chance to tell their own stories and allow the reader to judge their motivations. The first person POV also allows for more intimate moments of humor or terror, like Charlie's love for Fanta or Josef's building paranoia and illness.
It took a little while for the story to ramp up for me. The first third of the book is an exercise in tracking characters and story progression. But once the pieces click into place, Please Do Not Disturb becomes a nail biter. Every click of Charlie's Dictaphone creates more dread as the Big Day arrives and the full drama is revealed.
At times, the jump from character to character is a bit clunky. Moving back in time to recap a scene we've already seen through another character's perspective. But overall, the varying perspectives are handled well, from Sean's perpetual state of drunkenness to Charlie's energetic naivete. And despite the serious subject matter, there are plenty of funny moments to enjoy. Like Mr. Horst's gaudy portrait or the American rapper Truth and his entourage of dancers. (The scene with the freebie CDs is especially great.)
Please Do Not Disturb is definitely worth a read. Funny and poignant.
Thank you to Bloomsbury USA for an ARC. I received this copy from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
October 4, 2021
A humorous fictional account of a post colonial African nation though the eyes of some of the main characters including the remaining Europeans. Corruption is endemic as the new leader descends into megalomania.
October 7, 2017
This book is full of brilliant figurative language - most of which is inappropriate for sharing with elementary (or secondary) students.
Set in a small "freed" country in Africa, the liberator has become the oppressor. King for life, self-styled god, mentally and physically a husk.
Told in first person by the personal nurse of the king, one or his cabinet ministers (who also happens to know his deepest secret), the young son of the manager of the Mirage Hotel (who is accidentally gathering conspiracies beyond his ken on his "toy" dictaphone) African born white, the drunkard ex-pat from Cork, Ireland suffering writer's block, and the occasional drug runner who got in WAY over his head on this job.
Set in a small "freed" country in Africa, the liberator has become the oppressor. King for life, self-styled god, mentally and physically a husk.
Told in first person by the personal nurse of the king, one or his cabinet ministers (who also happens to know his deepest secret), the young son of the manager of the Mirage Hotel (who is accidentally gathering conspiracies beyond his ken on his "toy" dictaphone) African born white, the drunkard ex-pat from Cork, Ireland suffering writer's block, and the occasional drug runner who got in WAY over his head on this job.
September 15, 2017
An interesting and cleverly written book about a fictional African country with an aging dictator. The style is a bit odd, with a mix of serious and comic sections that don't always blend well, and short chapters that rapidly transition between a wide assortment of viewpoints. I enjoyed reading this, but I would have liked more depth in the characters - I didn't feel that I ended up with much understanding of any of them, and even at the very end I continued to struggle to keep track of who was who.
January 31, 2024
Very unique. A switch person view on an African country switching from foreign king to dictator to... whatever comes next. It took me a bit to sort all the characters out. It was such a brief dip into this crazy world that it felt whirlwind-ish. Lots of good thoughts
May 11, 2017
it was a good read ,kind of hard to follow at first, but good ending
July 14, 2017
2.5 stars. I think I read this at a bad time. Lots of characters that I couldn't keep track of at the beginning but a good/interesting story in the end
September 15, 2017
I was somewhat doubtful about the author's portraying every character in the first person. But it works magnificently.
January 4, 2018
Listened to this one. So funny and this author really notices humanity and their strange ways. The readers were awesome as well.
July 31, 2018
Zimbabwe in a post colonial world.
Intruige and murder and political plotting.
Clever structure cuts between narrators to tell the story from many different perspectives.
Intruige and murder and political plotting.
Clever structure cuts between narrators to tell the story from many different perspectives.
October 1, 2018
Nice job recreating life of expats in Africa, somewhat, a little heavy handed/cliche at times, but still an easy and fun read.
May 2, 2020
After a looooong time... I have come across a writer who uses the power of simplicity to leave an everlasting impact on the reader. Absolutely loved it.
October 9, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and it was an easy read. I liked getting the story from a variety of characters, and really loved Charlie's chapters.
January 4, 2018
The rise and fall of an African dictator (Tafomo). Told through the eyes of his associates and the expats centred on the hotel. Too many characters confused me at the start so I lost interest and skipped to the back of the book.
February 15, 2017
Thoughtful, and often humorous, look at political upheaval in Africa through a fictional country. Each chapter focuses on a different character with his or her own perspective. My favorite was the child Charlie who added a great deal of humor to the story. The writing is crisp, and the pace of the book is quick. A fun and interesting read.
February 10, 2017
If the Robert Glancy doesn't become a household name, I'll be very disappointed. "Please Do Not Disturb" is a disturbing, yet tender look at life in totalitarianism and what happens when it is decapitated. With short chapters, narrated by memorable characters, the book flies. However, I placed it down several times because I didn't want to see what was coming. I highly recommend it.
November 29, 2016
Totally different from his first book, "Terms & Condition," which was ever so clever.
Some of the language is a bit raw, but I assume captures the essence of an African country, run by a benevolent dictator (an oxymoron.) I appreciate an author who has diversity in his writing, instead of relying on a formula or developing a series. For that, plus the infusion of some subtle humor into serious subjects, I look forward to Glancy's next book.
Some of the language is a bit raw, but I assume captures the essence of an African country, run by a benevolent dictator (an oxymoron.) I appreciate an author who has diversity in his writing, instead of relying on a formula or developing a series. For that, plus the infusion of some subtle humor into serious subjects, I look forward to Glancy's next book.
February 6, 2017
A really interesting look at authoritarianism and African countries after colonialism. Told in different voices the pace builds to a page turning, nail biting ending.
August 11, 2016
After enjoying his first book, this one disappoints. The story is narrated by 5 individuals and in parts it is funny and informative but the author fails to blend the stories into a cohesive narrative. Of all the stories the one of Shawn, the ex-pat, was my favorite.
January 8, 2017
Stick with this book, as it takes a few chapters to acquaint with all the characters. The pace picks up and you'll be page-turning to the finish. The characters were all so well painted, and you get a real sense of expat Africa. Amazingly different from this author's first book - great writing.
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