Le Voyage d'Octavio

by Miguel Bonnefoy

Une grande fable baroque sur le Venezuela, onirique et picaresque, autour de la figure d’un paysan analphabète qui se réapproprie sa propre Histoire : le premier roman de Miguel Bonnefoy, lauréat en 2013 du Prix du Jeune Ecrivain de langue française, qui a révélé des auteurs comme Marie Darrieussecq, Jean Baptiste Del Amo, Antoine Bello, etc.

137 pages, Paperback

First published January 7, 2015

About the author

Miguel Bonnefoy was born in France in 1986 to a Venezuelan mother and a Chilean father. In 2013, he was awarded the Prix du Jeune Ecrivain, which has previously helped to launch the careers of writers such as Marie Darrieussecq. Octavio's Journey is Bonnefoy's first novel, written in French.

From https://www.amazon.co.uk/Octavios-Jou...

Reviews

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don Octavio is one decision away from determining his life's trajectory. Born in Trinidad, he is illiterate like his father before him. As a member of the native population, he has been denied an education. He stays in the shadows trying to blend in. He works in shady places as a messenger or laborer.

In 1908, he is living in a Venezuelan slum. Noise and commotion are pervasive. Don Octavio lives in a flimsy hillside abode where wealth is defined by the number of windows in your dwelling. He hides his illiteracy by cutting and bandaging his hand rendering him temporarily unable to write. Presenting this excuse during a doctor visit and having no paper to write on when the doctor has forgotten his prescription pad, Octavio asks the doctor to write the name of the medicine on his table. Octavio, a muscular giant, carries the table on his back to the chemist. The prescription has become illegible since Octavio has lent his table, when needed by village residents, during his descent to the village apothecary. A replacement prescription is later presented but is missing the last letters of the medicine. Enter Venezuela, acute insomniac, incessant talker and fan of men who listen silently to her bold opinions.Venezuela is able to decipher the name of the medicine. Venezuela, non judgmentally, convinces Octavio that writing only involves a few strokes of the pen. As his writing improves and he learns to read, the world becomes brand new. He no longer cuts his hand.

Octavio now has two jobs and two teachers. In addition to Venezuela's mentoring, Octavio is a member of the brotherhood. He belongs to a group of burglars who plunder while residents are away. Guerra, lead burglar, justifies the brotherhood's actions by using secret ballot voting to determine burgle sites, teaches respect for victim's property and believes in equal distribution of the booty. No weapons are allowed. Items pilfered are given creative back stories and sold for a handsome price. When Guerra sets his sights on Venezuela's house, Octavio's decision will determine his journey through life.

First time novelist Miguel Bonnefoy is a born storyteller. "Octavio's Journey" is magical. I enjoyed the ride.

Thank you Gallic Books and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "Octavio's Journey".

[Dagio_maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Ogni popolo ha la sua piaga fondatrice:
la nostra risiede nel crollo della nostra storia.
E per poterla ricostruire abbiamo dovuto rivolgerci al mito.”




Octavio vive in una bidonville di Caracas.
Solitario e silenzioso escogita stratagemmi per non rivelare di essere analfabeta.


”Con gli altri scambiava solo parole semplici, plasmate dall’uso e dalla necessità.
Aveva attraversato l’umanità contando sulle dita, indovinando certe parole dalla somma delle loro lettere, leggendo altrove, negli occhi e nelle mani, la mimica delle persone, estraneo alla gelosa relazione tra suoni e lettere.
Parlava poco o niente. Ripeteva quello che sentiva per imitazione, a volte senza capire, sopprimendo sillabe, pronunciando a orecchio, e spesso le parole posate sulle sue labbra erano come elemosine chiuse nelle sue mani.
Dal mondo prendeva solo l’ossigeno: al mondo restituiva solo il suo silenzio.”

Casi fortuiti lo guidano in direzioni mai immaginate in un crescendo che fonde sempre più Storia e mito.
Octavio attraverserà contemporaneamente la geografia e la storia del Venezuela.
Un viaggio che è metafora della meravigliosa scoperta del sapere.

Un breve racconto che ha reso Miguel Bonnefoy (classe 1986, nato a Parigi da madre venezuelana e padre cileno) un degno erede della migliore tradizione letteraria del realismo magico.

[Maria Yankulova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Мигел Бонфоа категорично е заел място сред любимите ми автори. Красивия и поетичен стил, размиването между приказните елементи, премесени със социален коментар и реални исторически събития са в основата и на този роман. Признавам, че не ми е най-любимият. Може би по средата малко ме загуби, стана прекалено абстрактен и отвлечен, но първата половина и финалните редове определено наклониха везните към по-високата финална оценка. Много харесах образа на Октавио и преживяванията му свързани с литературата, процеса, в който се учи да чете и пише и срещата му с любовта.

“Никой не знае как да каже, че не може да чете, нито да пише. Това не се учи. То е скътано дълбоко в човека, в някаква дълбина, която няма структура, няма светлина. Това е религия, която не изисква изповед.”

“Той бе прост и изживяваше тази простота като идентичност. Имаше онова отнесено, мило, но разсеяно изражение, което често се среща при мечтателите. Той не познаваше допира с хартията и мириса на старите книги.”

“Без да знае какво точно е любовта, Октавио се обърна към нея, взе лицето и в ръцете си и я целуна. Всички думи на устните му изведнъж се сведоха до тази целувка, в този шок те приеха мълчанието на плътта. Дълго време не отдели устни от нейните, сякаш за да остави следа.”

[Makis Dionis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Μια Mujer... φανταζόταν ότι για ένα τόσο σημαντικό πλάσμα, θα υπήρχε μία πιο δύσκολη λέξη..
Η ανάσα του μύριζε currunchete.
Ad augusta per angusta.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an advance copy of this book by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wish that I had read this novella in a college level literature class. I am a bit frustrated because I feel that I only was able to appreciate about 2/3 of this fine book. Octavio’s journey is an allegorical story of the history of Venezuela. The author clearly had much to say and while I was able to follow the concepts of Octavio (the main character, a giant who symbolizes the country as it develops) as Venezuela, betraying his own culture and history, wandering lost until ultimately finding himself, I feel that in a University class some historical background would have really made the difference.

If I may make a suggestion, it might be interesting to include an introduction in a subsequent printing that provides a brief historical essay (no spoilers for the novella, please) that outlines historical events and could give someone without knowledge of the history of Venezuela a frame of reference for the events and what they symbolize.

A beautiful story with a heart as big as its gigantic protagonist. Full of artistic skill as well as emotion. One of those few allegories that actually work as an interesting narrative story as well.

4 stars.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short but affecting fable set in Venezuela tells the story of Octavio, an illiterate man whose chance meeting with a dynamic woman – called Venezuela – changes his life in ways he could never have imagined. There’s no happy ending for his relationship with the women Venezuela but I assume we are to understand that somehow his relationship with the country is more rewarding. The story line is compelling enough even if, like me, you don’t really understand what it’s all about. I’ve read a quote from the author that “It’s the story of a man travelling through a country, and of that country travelling through a man.” I’m not familiar enough with Venezuela to know how effective the novel is as fable or allegory, and would have appreciated an introductory essay, but the narrative and Octavio himself are interesting enough to outweigh any incomprehension about the deeper meanings, and the magical realism elements light enough not to intrude. A puzzling – for me – little book but one which I nevertheless quite enjoyed.

[Стефани Kalcheva]

Харесвам Мигел Бонфоа и магическия реализъм, но може би защото вече се пренаситих с неговите книги, може би заради това "Пътуването на Октавио" ми се видя като бледо копие на предишните истории. Най-любима си ми остава "Наследство", след това "Песента на ягуара", после "Черна захар".

[Frédéric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderfully written from beginning to end this short novel shifts to a metaphorical journey half through and lost me in the process.

In Venezuela, in the 50’s or 60’s probably, the illiterate Octavio starts to learn his letters with a nice woman, herself named Venezuela. For these two, not in their prime anymore (they’re probably in their 50s), this apprenticeship gives birth to more sensible sentiments. Then Octavio does something that makes him leave the town… and here begins a surreal journey in the countryside which nature and goal totally eluded me.

I’m probably not the best audience for this kind of stories so take my judgement with a grain of salt. The author writes with a beautiful poetic style and I’m pretty sure people fond of Garcia Marquez or Neruda will like it more than I did.

[Eddie Clarke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet little magical realist fable. Sensuous detail & some compelling imagery

[Maddysbook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comme toujours avec cet auteur un texte plein de poésie et de simplicité.
J’ai aimé voyager avec Octavio…
La fin m’a fait verser une petite larme.

[Polly Krize · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Genuinely and sensitively written, you can read this book either as the story of a man's life or the story of the history of Venezuela. Either way, it is entertaining and magical. The cover also caught my eye.

[K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: Violence, probably some other stuff but I read this like a week ago and it was under a hundred pages, so...........

This book is very reminiscent for me of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It's set in Venezuela and involves peculiar characters and magical realism. So.

Really, I don't have a HUGE amount to say about this. It's only 90-something pages, so there's not a lot of time for character development or story development or anything like that. The first half was definitely more interesting to me than the second, and the ending was downright weird. But I'm glad I read it - it definitely gave me a lot to think about.

[Jimena · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little jewel and homage to magical realism. If you like García Márquez, you'll love this book.

[SueLucie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review copy courtesy of Gallic Books via NetGalley - many thanks for the opportunity to read this.

I understand this to be an allegorical tale of Venezuela’s history but I confess that was lost on me and I enjoyed it as a story of a man’s life. The most moving aspect of the book for me was Octavio’s experience of learning to read and write, having been illiterate throughout his childhood and early adulthood. Not only can he get by more easily in daily life, it is as though he has been cured of blindness and he sees everything differently. He is enthralled by the way he can now hang on to words and feelings that would have vanished as soon as they were uttered before. Very well written.

Octavio flees his home after becoming caught up in a burglary gone wrong and spends decades wandering the forests and villages of Venezuela, his unusual height and strength finding him odd jobs to keep him going. An uncomplicated soul, while he is living a simple life close to nature, his country is being transformed by global modernisation. A touching story, building up to an unexpected and poignant ending.

[Anabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un livre qui rend justice à la tradition Sud-Américaine. Un homme analphabète s’amourache d’une femme portant le nom de son pays : Venezuela. Grande fan de théâtre, elle lui apprend à lire. L’homme sera confronté à ses valeurs lorsque son gang lui demande de cambrioler la maison de sa bienaimée. Rempli de honte, il partira explorer le pays, et tenter de se le réapproprier. Un livre qui fait du bien.

[Macqueron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quelle imagination et quelle langue! Il en faut du talent pour faire vivre autant en si peu de pages. A la façon des novellas de Garcia Marquez, Miguel Bonnefoy faut vibrer ses personnages, avec humour, mais aussi à hauteur humaine. On y sent la déclaration d’amour à un pays et une géographie. Une vraie poésie

[Barbara The MarSienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Une petite histoire très sympa. J'ai aimé découvrir comment cet analphabète trouve des astuces pour le cacher, ensuite l'émerveillement de l'apprentissage et enfin son voyage pour se découvrir.

[Aisling Doherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought it at the airport. Devoured it. Beautifully translated so I'm assuming it was beautifully written in its native language.

[Julie Dionne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je lui donne 2.5 étoiles.

J'ai apprécié la première moitié de l'histoire, où on apprend les débuts du village de St-Paul-du-Limon et d'Octavio, et où on lit son histoire jusqu'à sa relation avec Venezuela. Octavio est un homme analphabète qui a jusqu'alors toujours teouvé une façon de gagner sa vie et de se débrouiller malgré le fait qu'il ne savait pas lire ni écrire. Lorsque Venezuela entre dans sa vie, elle la change non seulement au plan sentimental, mais aussi en lui apprenant la lecture et l'écriture. La vie d'Octavio est cependant chamboulée lorsque la bande de cambrioleurs pour laquelle il travaille décide de faire un vol à la maison de sa bien-aimée et qu'elle le reconnaît parmi les intrus.

Rongé par la honte et la culpabilité, Octavio quitte son village et part à la découverte du Venezuela, marchant de village en village. À chaque endroit où il s'installe pour un certain temps, il apporte qqch à son hôte ou aux villageois, et il apprend d'eux. La fin de son voyage se termine par le retour dans son village de St-Paul. Cette épopée est racontée un peu sous forme de fable, avec de nombreuses métaphores et allégories, dont la fin, que je n'ai pas vraiment comprise. Peut-être en raison de la traduction ou de liens plus communs avec la culture vénézuélienne que j'ignore.

Cette histoire est écrite de façon très poétique, et la description des lieux est telle qu'ils prennent vie facilement dans notre tête.

[Janni_B · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thing that caught my attention was the wonderful cover. In a bookshop I would have stopped and picked up the book.

I enjoyed reading the tale of Octavio. To be honest I'm not sure if I understood the allegory of Octavio's journey and the story of Venezuela but that is probably because I'm not familiar with the history of Venezuela.

The story reads like a fable or adult fairy tale. It is charming. The wonderful descriptions make the locations jump off the page. Octavio seems a likeable enough character, a giant of a man who is illiterate. He says little and tries to avoid quarrels and any any kind of violence. He works hard at any job he can find, earning little.

Then he chances to meet a woman called Venezuela who helps him learn to read and write. Then his journey begins

The book tells the story of his wanderings and the people he meets and the places he stays for a while and how he fits in with those around him.

It's a fairly short book, beautifully written, funny in parts, but also quite poignant in places. Enchanting.

[My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Gallic Books for an ARC]

[Andreea · Rating 4 out of 5]

"C'était peut-être là le premier paysage du monde."

"De ce monde, il ne prenait que l'oxygène : au monde, il ne donnait que son silence."

"Comme les monstres ou les génies, Octavio devait
quitter le monde sans descendance. Sa robustesse, son élan pour la vie, il l'héritait directement de cette masse de liberté qu'il ne pouvait transmettre à personne. Il faisait partie de ces hommes qui, comme les arbres, ne peuvent que mourir debout."

"Don Octavio se tut. Là où il vivait, la nature des hommes n'était pas bavarde. Des discours brefs, secs, des discours faits d'absences de discours."

"Chaque peuple a sa plaie fondatrice: la nôtre est dans l'effondrement de notre histoire. Nous avons dû nous tourner vers le mythe pour la reconstruire."

"Il comprit qu'il grandissait comme un arbre, au hasard sur une colline, au fond d'un chantier, disparaissant là où il s'était attaché."

"Sa sueur, son haleine, tout avait pris de la poussière. Comme l'effigie d'un monde oublié, il ne restait de lui qu'un parfum de plâtre et de lumière."

[Mladoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ici nous est conté, le voyage onirique et poétique d'Octavio aux multiples visages et aux doigts d'or.
Cette histoire d'amour avortée se transforme en quête initiatique pour la rédemption de ses fautes. La très jolie figure théâtrale de la fin boucle à merveille et avec beaucoup d'inventivité la trame de cette aventure originale qui commence par une banale visite médicale à domicile. Un panorama grandiose de ce pays d'ailleurs. Un style juste, simple et pourtant plein de poésie, de métaphores fantasmées. Une très belle découverte littéraire !

[Emmanuel Deroeux · Rating 5 out of 5]

En suivant Don Octavio, fort comme un chêne mais honteusement analphabète, on découvre ses rencontres avec une femme, la littérature et l'histoire. C'est surtout la langue et les fondements mythiques du Venezuela qu'il embrasse avec une sorte de naïveté tout à fait touchante. Miguel Bonnefoy fait montre de sons sens poétique de la description, d'une poésie rythmée et fluide qui mêle métaphores et réalité. On se laisse volontiers porté par cette sensibilité à la beauté des mots, des images et, surtout, de tous les personnages, qu'ils soient gentlemen cambrioleur ou ermite rêvant de grandeur.

[Haappy_fox_bookcorner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Μου άρεσε αρκετά αν και θα το ήθελα λίγο μεγαλύτερο σαν περιεχόμενο ώστε να μπορέσουν να εξέλιχθουν και να παρουσιαστούν πλήρως οι πρωταγωνιστές και ο χαρακτηρας τους ειδικά του Οκτάβιο. Υποτίθεται ότι το βιβλίο είναι μια αλληγορική αναφορά στην ιστορία της Βενεζουέλας όμως προσωπικά επειδή δεν γνωρίζω κάτι ιδιαίτερο γι’αυτο δεν μπόρεσα να κάνω τους παραλληλισμούς που έπρεπε. Παρόλα αυτά η σύντομη ιστορία του αγράμματου Οκταβιο μου άρεσε και διαβάζεται ευχάριστα και γρήγορα.

[Jean-Louis Blanchet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Une jolie fable picaresque, un récit plein de poésie qui nous emmène dans un Venezuela assez magique. C'est bien écrit, appliqué même, mais je n'ai pas été emporté par cette histoire. J'avoue que je connais mal cette région du globe et sa culture. Ceci explique peut-être cela. A moins que ce ne soit l'écriture qui ne me touche pas suffisamment. Je lirai un autre ouvrage de cet auteur que j'ai trouvé vraiment brillant lors d'une rencontre avec des lecteurs pour me faire un autre avis.

[María · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un viaje hacia las letras que nos habitan, los silencios que nos describen y el deseo que resiste. Donde alguien es capaz de deshabitar el silencio porque hay quien puede regalar un intento.
“Nadie aprende a decir que no sabe ni leer ni escribir. Eso no se aprende. Eso queda en una profundidad que no tiene estructura, que no tiene luz. Es una religión que no exige confesión”

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

La vie d’un analphabète à qui il arrive tout un tas d’aventures en Amérique latine… je ne me rappelle plus de grand-chose si ce n’est que les descriptions sont fouillées (trop), l’histoire rocambolesque (trop), et l’intérêt limité (trop). Cet « univers luxuriant qui rend hommage à une certaine tradition littéraire sud-américaine » ne m’a pas conquise.

[Espelunco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me interesan las formas contemporáneas que se acercan al realismo mágico, y en este libro hay bastante de eso. Parte cerca de ese modelo pero se va moviendo, para mi sorpresa, hacia la novela de caballerías. No imagino bien cómo será la experiencia de leerlo en su francés original, pero de todos modos supongo que es curiosa.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but like many modern fables, the underlying message is obscure.

[Gayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written story which mixes myth with reality