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The Ultimate Tragedy
The first novel to be translated into English from Guinea Bissau, The Ultimate Tragedy is a tale of love and emerging political awareness in an Africa beginning to challenge Portuguese colonial rule. Ndani leaves her village to seek a better life in the capital, finding work as a maid for a Portuguese family. The mistress of the house, Dona Deolinda, embarks on a mission to save Ndani's soul through religious teaching, but the master of the house has less righteous intentions. Ndani is expelled from the house and drifts towards home, where she becomes the wife of a village chief. He has built a mansion and a school to flaunt his power to the local Portuguese administrator, but he abandons Ndani when he finds she's not a virgin. She eventually finds love with the school's teacher, but in tumultuous times, making a future with an educated black man involves a series of hurdles. By turns humorous, heartrending and wise, The Ultimate Tragedy is a captivating novel that brings this little-known country to colourful, vivid life.
188 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1995
11 people are currently reading
679 people want to read
About the author
Abdulai Sila
7 books11 followersAbdulai Silá (also Silla, Sila; born 1 April 1958 in Catió), is a Guinea-Bissauan engineer, economist, social researcher and writer. He is the author of three novels: Eterna Paixão (1994), A Última Tragédia (1995) and Mistida (1997), the first of which was the first novel published in Guinea-Bissau.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
May 31, 2022
Outcasted for being unlucky, Ndani follows the advice of the only person who believes in her and heads to the capital to find work for the Portuguese colonists. She finds a job as a housekeeper, making a new start. But she must tread on eggshells as the whites have the authority. So she gets sent to school by her zealous employer and learns some valuable skills.
The story suddenly changes to some guy who dreams of a better future for his people, where they rule their own land and get justice for the many wrongs done. It babbles on quite a bit here about the importance of thinking. The character ends up being linked to Ndani later.
A third change occurs, where we hear from yet another guy who is a teacher and ends up being linked as well.
Religious hypocracy and double-standards are a main theme as well as the imbalance of power, including two sexual assaults. The situation is summed up in a soccer match where the referee has two sets of rules depending on who is playing.
The beginning was the most interesting part for me. I was fully invested in Ndani’s story. I was less engaged during the other perspectives, especially the rambling middle. It all came through in the end, and the title lived up to it’s name.
I learned a thing or two about the colonial period in Guinea-Bissau and was happy with this selection for my around-the-world challenge.
The story suddenly changes to some guy who dreams of a better future for his people, where they rule their own land and get justice for the many wrongs done. It babbles on quite a bit here about the importance of thinking. The character ends up being linked to Ndani later.
A third change occurs, where we hear from yet another guy who is a teacher and ends up being linked as well.
Religious hypocracy and double-standards are a main theme as well as the imbalance of power, including two sexual assaults. The situation is summed up in a soccer match where the referee has two sets of rules depending on who is playing.
The beginning was the most interesting part for me. I was fully invested in Ndani’s story. I was less engaged during the other perspectives, especially the rambling middle. It all came through in the end, and the title lived up to it’s name.
I learned a thing or two about the colonial period in Guinea-Bissau and was happy with this selection for my around-the-world challenge.
February 16, 2022
I am probably only finishing this to fill in for Guinea-Bissau in my reading Africa endeavour. It's only 150 pages, but it's taken me a while as it's a bit disjointed and feels like something I've heard before. Maybe it would have worked as a series of short stories?
There are a lot of interesting problems and angles in this book, but I don't really get a feeling for the main character, so it all becomes a bit of an exercise in 'how shit life is if you are poor and a woman in a poor african country, you're fucked whether you are in the tribal country or in the big cities'. Everyone wants something from you or nothing to do with you. In this case it's more of the latter: Ndile escapes her village, where everyone thinks she's a curse to everyone, in the city she is lucky not to starve to death by becoming a housegirl. But while the lady of the house gives her a new name and demands that she embraces religion, the man of the house forcibly makes her embrace something else - and there is no happy end to those conflicts, at least not for the poor girl.
Then we're back to the tribal lands where the much thinking chief are having problems getting the respect he thinks he deserves - and there is much thinking (he thinks) about respect and taxes (which I find rather uninteresting. [This is not the first book I've read about wounded male pride and rivalry, it won't be the last...] - he decides he need a white-wise woman, but he expects a virgin, so that doesn't end well either. And then there's the first black teacher. and finally love - but that too ends in tragedy.
There are a lot of interesting problems and angles in this book, but I don't really get a feeling for the main character, so it all becomes a bit of an exercise in 'how shit life is if you are poor and a woman in a poor african country, you're fucked whether you are in the tribal country or in the big cities'. Everyone wants something from you or nothing to do with you. In this case it's more of the latter: Ndile escapes her village, where everyone thinks she's a curse to everyone, in the city she is lucky not to starve to death by becoming a housegirl. But while the lady of the house gives her a new name and demands that she embraces religion, the man of the house forcibly makes her embrace something else - and there is no happy end to those conflicts, at least not for the poor girl.
Then we're back to the tribal lands where the much thinking chief are having problems getting the respect he thinks he deserves - and there is much thinking (he thinks) about respect and taxes (which I find rather uninteresting. [This is not the first book I've read about wounded male pride and rivalry, it won't be the last...] - he decides he need a white-wise woman, but he expects a virgin, so that doesn't end well either. And then there's the first black teacher. and finally love - but that too ends in tragedy.
September 15, 2018
This is a shiningly brilliant book.
It's set in Guinea-Bissau, somewhere around the middle of last century, and has three narrators: a young girl who, motivated by adventure and a wish to experience life outside her village, goes to be a domestic worker in a white couple's house; the school teacher who falls in love with her; and a chief who is trying to negotiate his relationship with a new colonial administrator.
It's raw and pointed about the great injustices committed under colonialism, but also wry and even funny in places. All the POV characters have great, distinct voices and the ending is heart-wrenching.
It's also motivated me to look up more about English PEN, because it's the second really interesting book I've read recently where the translation into English has been supported by them.
It's set in Guinea-Bissau, somewhere around the middle of last century, and has three narrators: a young girl who, motivated by adventure and a wish to experience life outside her village, goes to be a domestic worker in a white couple's house; the school teacher who falls in love with her; and a chief who is trying to negotiate his relationship with a new colonial administrator.
It's raw and pointed about the great injustices committed under colonialism, but also wry and even funny in places. All the POV characters have great, distinct voices and the ending is heart-wrenching.
It's also motivated me to look up more about English PEN, because it's the second really interesting book I've read recently where the translation into English has been supported by them.
July 22, 2018
In 2017, this book apparently became the first novel (though more of a novella really, clocking in around 180 pages) from Guinea-Bissau to be translated into English. It doesn’t do too well in the storytelling department, and despite being first published in 1995 it is a simplistic criticism of Portuguese colonialism (Guinea-Bissau became independent in 1973-1974), so I can see why there wasn’t a rush to translate. But of course there’s something to be said for reading voices from a particular place even if their literary merits are weak.
There will be SPOILERS below, though no more than are found in the book description (which gives away most of the story).
The book begins with a teenage girl, Ndani, traveling from her village to the capital city, Bissau, with hopes of becoming a domestic servant in a Portuguese home. After a few chapters, it skips abruptly to a village chief, smarting over an insult from a colonial official and thinking at great, repetitive length about the paramount importance of thinking. The stories come together when the chief marries Ndani (who has somehow learned to be a great lady by being a housegirl, yet is somehow the only such woman available even though the earlier chapters show that there are plenty of housegirls, and Ndani is not the brightest bulb on the tree). Then she falls in love with a local teacher, a young man trained by priests but questioning the righteousness of colonial rule. Tragedy, naturally, ensues.
The story is kind of a mess, unfortunately. It skips long periods of time without giving any sense of what Ndani’s life was like in the interim, leaving unanswered questions in its wake. Ndani’s abrupt shift from housegirl to fancy lady is not particularly convincing, nor did I find her cheerful willingness to jump right into sex believable from a woman whose only sexual experiences were rape. There’s a prophecy about Ndani that causes people to shun her, until they don’t, with no reason I could see for the change of heart other than that this plot device was no longer needed. Being in the chief’s head is tedious due to the long-winded repetition, and the teacher’s realization that the reality of colonial rule is inconsistent with Christian principles is painfully obvious; decades after colonial rule ended, I doubt this was a new idea to the book’s readers.
The translation is fairly smooth, but a number of words and concepts are left untranslated, and these are not always immediately obvious from context; most of these words appear to be from a local African language and were probably untranslated in the Portuguese original too, but a glossary would help foreign readers understand the references to local culture better.
Ultimately, this is a fairly quick and easy read, but the simplistic political commentary dominates over the story; I missed more of Ndani’s life than I saw, never got to know who she was as a person, and had no particular reason to care about her or anyone else in the story (her mistress was perhaps the most interesting character to me - a Portuguese woman who, after a near-death experience, devotes herself to "improving the natives" - but this character doesn't have the space to fully develop). I wouldn’t recommend this one unless you are specifically looking to read a book from Guinea-Bissau. If you are, this is a readable option.
There will be SPOILERS below, though no more than are found in the book description (which gives away most of the story).
The book begins with a teenage girl, Ndani, traveling from her village to the capital city, Bissau, with hopes of becoming a domestic servant in a Portuguese home. After a few chapters, it skips abruptly to a village chief, smarting over an insult from a colonial official and thinking at great, repetitive length about the paramount importance of thinking. The stories come together when the chief marries Ndani (who has somehow learned to be a great lady by being a housegirl, yet is somehow the only such woman available even though the earlier chapters show that there are plenty of housegirls, and Ndani is not the brightest bulb on the tree). Then she falls in love with a local teacher, a young man trained by priests but questioning the righteousness of colonial rule. Tragedy, naturally, ensues.
The story is kind of a mess, unfortunately. It skips long periods of time without giving any sense of what Ndani’s life was like in the interim, leaving unanswered questions in its wake. Ndani’s abrupt shift from housegirl to fancy lady is not particularly convincing, nor did I find her cheerful willingness to jump right into sex believable from a woman whose only sexual experiences were rape. There’s a prophecy about Ndani that causes people to shun her, until they don’t, with no reason I could see for the change of heart other than that this plot device was no longer needed. Being in the chief’s head is tedious due to the long-winded repetition, and the teacher’s realization that the reality of colonial rule is inconsistent with Christian principles is painfully obvious; decades after colonial rule ended, I doubt this was a new idea to the book’s readers.
The translation is fairly smooth, but a number of words and concepts are left untranslated, and these are not always immediately obvious from context; most of these words appear to be from a local African language and were probably untranslated in the Portuguese original too, but a glossary would help foreign readers understand the references to local culture better.
Ultimately, this is a fairly quick and easy read, but the simplistic political commentary dominates over the story; I missed more of Ndani’s life than I saw, never got to know who she was as a person, and had no particular reason to care about her or anyone else in the story (her mistress was perhaps the most interesting character to me - a Portuguese woman who, after a near-death experience, devotes herself to "improving the natives" - but this character doesn't have the space to fully develop). I wouldn’t recommend this one unless you are specifically looking to read a book from Guinea-Bissau. If you are, this is a readable option.
February 6, 2022
I loved this book! I read it in a few days. It is a comment about the injustice of colonialism, of occupation. There are many humourous incidents; the story is one of satire and indeed, tragedy. Are Christians really Christians? Is it always about vengeance? The dialogue is brilliant and the characters are well drawn. Excellent.
September 19, 2024
La novela podría diferenciarse en tres partes: la llegada de la joven Dnadi a la ciudad de Bissau, la capital de Guinea Bissau en busca de trabajo; la segunda, centrada en el Régulo de Quinhamel, una localidad ubicada al oeste de Bissau; y la tercera en la que reaparece Ndani, ahora en Quinhamel y luego en Catió, al sur de la ciudad de Bissau.
La novela, sobre todos en sus primeras dos partes, es muy detallada e ilustrativa sobre la vida de la población negra en el país durante el período en que era una colonia de Portugal; Ndani tiene una actitud de aceptación del mundo de los blancos, y aunque no comprenda muchas cosas, prioriza su propia supervivencia y bienestar. El Régulo, en la era colonial, constituía una figura de autoridad que representaba a la población de súbditos negros, en especial en las gestiones frente a las autoridades coloniales blancas. Y en este caso, la experiencia adquirida por el Régulo y su mente inquieta lo lleva a esforzarse por comprender los mecanismos del dominio blanco y las posibles acciones para modificar la situación. A continuación expongo un párrafo que narra sus pensamientos en inquietudes:
“Los Grandes Hombres (los ancianos sabios) decían que antes, cuando los blancos recién llegaron, eran ellos los que pagaban impuestos a los negros. Ahora eran los negros los que pagaban impuestos a los blancos. Las cosas habían cambiado. ¿Por qué? La mayoría de la gente no sabía la razón, y nunca la sabría. ¿Por qué? Porque no pensaban en ello. Los blancos pensaban en todo, pero una cabeza blanca no era más grande que una cabeza negra; tenía lo mismo dentro, estaba hecha por el mismo Dios. Los blancos trabajaban poco, pero pensaban mucho; los negros trabajaban mucho, pero pensaban poco. Todo lo contrario. Así había comenzado el problema. Era pensando en todas las cosas que tenían que hacer, como los blancos lograron hacer lo que habían propuesto.”
En la última parte, con la llegada de Ndani a Quinhamel, se inicia una serie de acciones y efectos imprevisibles, en los que no faltan los componentes supersticiosos de la mala suerte que desencadena el vínculo con los descastados. Y de aquí en adelante, la historia tomará una evolución que generará consecuencias irreversibles; como suele suceder con la vida.
Un libro muy ilustrativo y detallado, que permite una mirada desde adentro las acciones y reacciones humanas en un contexto descripto; aunque en algunos momentos lo encontré un poco repetitivo y con demasiados detalles, lo que le adormecía el ritmo de la novela. Por otra parte, se observan altibajos de calidad en su desarrollo, con algunas partes notables, aunque con ciertas deficiencias en la administración del clima dramático.
En resumen, una buena novela, correcta, bien escrita y con una historia interesante, y que además permite profundizar sin simplismos en las complejas relaciones humanas.
La novela, sobre todos en sus primeras dos partes, es muy detallada e ilustrativa sobre la vida de la población negra en el país durante el período en que era una colonia de Portugal; Ndani tiene una actitud de aceptación del mundo de los blancos, y aunque no comprenda muchas cosas, prioriza su propia supervivencia y bienestar. El Régulo, en la era colonial, constituía una figura de autoridad que representaba a la población de súbditos negros, en especial en las gestiones frente a las autoridades coloniales blancas. Y en este caso, la experiencia adquirida por el Régulo y su mente inquieta lo lleva a esforzarse por comprender los mecanismos del dominio blanco y las posibles acciones para modificar la situación. A continuación expongo un párrafo que narra sus pensamientos en inquietudes:
“Los Grandes Hombres (los ancianos sabios) decían que antes, cuando los blancos recién llegaron, eran ellos los que pagaban impuestos a los negros. Ahora eran los negros los que pagaban impuestos a los blancos. Las cosas habían cambiado. ¿Por qué? La mayoría de la gente no sabía la razón, y nunca la sabría. ¿Por qué? Porque no pensaban en ello. Los blancos pensaban en todo, pero una cabeza blanca no era más grande que una cabeza negra; tenía lo mismo dentro, estaba hecha por el mismo Dios. Los blancos trabajaban poco, pero pensaban mucho; los negros trabajaban mucho, pero pensaban poco. Todo lo contrario. Así había comenzado el problema. Era pensando en todas las cosas que tenían que hacer, como los blancos lograron hacer lo que habían propuesto.”
En la última parte, con la llegada de Ndani a Quinhamel, se inicia una serie de acciones y efectos imprevisibles, en los que no faltan los componentes supersticiosos de la mala suerte que desencadena el vínculo con los descastados. Y de aquí en adelante, la historia tomará una evolución que generará consecuencias irreversibles; como suele suceder con la vida.
Un libro muy ilustrativo y detallado, que permite una mirada desde adentro las acciones y reacciones humanas en un contexto descripto; aunque en algunos momentos lo encontré un poco repetitivo y con demasiados detalles, lo que le adormecía el ritmo de la novela. Por otra parte, se observan altibajos de calidad en su desarrollo, con algunas partes notables, aunque con ciertas deficiencias en la administración del clima dramático.
En resumen, una buena novela, correcta, bien escrita y con una historia interesante, y que además permite profundizar sin simplismos en las complejas relaciones humanas.
dnf
February 4, 2018I think I need to be in the right place for this one, and I’m not right now.
April 28, 2024
Read Around the World: Guinea Bissau
June 8, 2023
Read around the world project - Guinea-Bissau
This was an odd little novel. Both the book blurb and first chapter suggested that The Ultimate Tragedy would be from the POV of a poor Bissau-Guinean girl named Ndani, who starts working as a housemaid at the home of a Portuguese official. However, the middle 2/3 of the book switched POVs to her future husband(s), a local chief obsessed with the importance of thinking, and a schoolteacher brought up in a religious school. It’s an odd and circular few chapters, which take place mostly within the heads of these male characters. Only at the end do we circle back to Ndani, but I felt by this time I’d lost any investment in her character arc and the events surrounding her life.
Overall, this is a decent pick as it’s the first book translated into English from a Bissau-Guinean author, but I think its commentary on double standards (both between blacks/whites and men/women) could have been more powerful if it didn't do so much POV switching.
2.5/5 stars
This was an odd little novel. Both the book blurb and first chapter suggested that The Ultimate Tragedy would be from the POV of a poor Bissau-Guinean girl named Ndani, who starts working as a housemaid at the home of a Portuguese official. However, the middle 2/3 of the book switched POVs to her future husband(s), a local chief obsessed with the importance of thinking, and a schoolteacher brought up in a religious school. It’s an odd and circular few chapters, which take place mostly within the heads of these male characters. Only at the end do we circle back to Ndani, but I felt by this time I’d lost any investment in her character arc and the events surrounding her life.
Overall, this is a decent pick as it’s the first book translated into English from a Bissau-Guinean author, but I think its commentary on double standards (both between blacks/whites and men/women) could have been more powerful if it didn't do so much POV switching.
2.5/5 stars
June 19, 2020
A última tragédia, do guineense Abdulai Sila, é narrado num tom levemente ingênuo, quase fabular, criando um estranhamento diante da história de opressão e exploração que desenrola em sua narrativa. Para mim, é como se, ao optar por essa maneira de narrar, o autor escancarasse ainda mais o horror do colonialismo. A protagonista é a jovem Ndani, nativa de Biombo, que se muda para Bissau, em busca de emprego e de se libertar de uma maldição. Ela acaba na casa de uma portuguesa ultrarreligiosa, que não entende o nome da moça, e acredita ser Dania, que, para a patroa, é um nome de comunista, por isso muda para Diana. Essa é uma pequena amostra, mas bastante simbólica, dos males do colonialismo, que, domina a tudo, até a identidade do colonizado. O romance traz uma série de outras personagens cujas vidas vão se conectando aos poucos, e fazem um panorama da Guiné-Bissau.
May 28, 2023
Another book that made me want Goodreads to allow partial stars. More than a 3, not quite a 4.
The story of a young woman during the Portuguese occupation of Guinea-Bissau. The first and last parts focus on her and are interesting. The middle bogs down in repetitious passages about the need to think. I’m not sure if the author was trying to make a point or exactly what, but I admit ti skimming much of those two chapters. The book doesn’t end happily ever after, but drives home the injustices of colonialism.
The story of a young woman during the Portuguese occupation of Guinea-Bissau. The first and last parts focus on her and are interesting. The middle bogs down in repetitious passages about the need to think. I’m not sure if the author was trying to make a point or exactly what, but I admit ti skimming much of those two chapters. The book doesn’t end happily ever after, but drives home the injustices of colonialism.
September 12, 2023
Around the World Reading Challenge: GUINEA-BISSAU
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I didn't dislike this book, but I didn't particularly love it either. I felt like the summary spoils a good chunk of the story, though perhaps that was by necessity because a lot of time passes between the chapters, which also switch to different POVs, such that you have to sort of infer what happened to the characters after the last chapter ended. It left the story feeling really incomplete to me, and not quite cohesive, as there were just big chunks of story and context missing, though what was there was interesting.
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I didn't dislike this book, but I didn't particularly love it either. I felt like the summary spoils a good chunk of the story, though perhaps that was by necessity because a lot of time passes between the chapters, which also switch to different POVs, such that you have to sort of infer what happened to the characters after the last chapter ended. It left the story feeling really incomplete to me, and not quite cohesive, as there were just big chunks of story and context missing, though what was there was interesting.
June 4, 2020
It feels churlish to be too critical of this short novel which one feels has been written with such positive purpose and care. Read it to gain insight into the history and culture of this small West African nation.
January 25, 2018
A tragic tale. Not for the faint of heart.
I figure Ndani was nuts. She had a good life, better than some people who aren't living with a curse.
I figure Ndani was nuts. She had a good life, better than some people who aren't living with a curse.
June 9, 2024
Oooffff this is a big one, excellent (I will only fault it that the men are so much less interesting than Ndani and their parts dragged a bit).
"She had to tell him she was dying of longing."
"She had to tell him she was dying of longing."
July 14, 2018
COUNTRY: GUINEA-BISSAU
A young black woman named Ndani, who has been labeled “cursed” by the people of her village, leaves her home to find a job as a house girl in the capital city. She has been told that her life will be a series of tragedies, and she is determined to prove that prediction wrong. Meanwhile, a local black chieftain has a plan to overthrow the colonial government, and a black missionary teacher plans to marry and settle down with his wife in a new town where no one knows them. The major plot events in the book demonstrate the various characters’ efforts to change their life trajectories as well as their respective failures. Although they fail for different reasons – social stigma, greed, ignorance, racist political systems, poor personal judgment – the book illustrates that failure is not the tragedy referred to in the title, but rather the “ultimate tragedy” is the loss of hope.
I found myself wishing this book had been edited differently. It is divided into three distinct parts: Ndani moving to the city and getting a job; the Regulo plotting against the colonial government; and the Teacher attempting to live a normal life. All three parts are connected to each other, but it’s not clear how until well into the book. I wish the three plots had somehow been intertwined, John Irving-style so that when you realize how they are all linked together, you get that satisfying “aha!” moment. Instead, I was just mostly confused. I became invested in the Ndani story, and after a major plot point in her story, there’s a very abrupt shift to the Regulo without any explanation of who he is or why I should care about him, or how he relates to Ndani. And then again, there’s a significant shift in time from the Regulo to the Teacher section, and it would have been nice to have better signposting or warning that the shift was occurring. Even just a subsection that labeled the parts as “Part I,” “Part II,” and “Part III” would have been helpful.
On a pickier note, there were some issues with the translation that also bothered me, although they were pretty easily overcome. There were several Portuguese words that were left in the Portuguese that really needed some kind of definition or explanation, even if the translator had to do it in a footnote. Usually, these were words to describe a role within the village community or an abstract concept. It makes sense why the translator left those words in Portuguese as there is probably no good English word to use instead. Several Portuguese words, however, were left that had an obvious English translation, and it was unclear to me why the translator did not translate that word.
This book is interesting, although I wish it had been structured differently, or at least edited so that the sections were more clearly delineated. The translation is a bit clunky, but I think the characterization and themes come across very well despite this flaw.
A young black woman named Ndani, who has been labeled “cursed” by the people of her village, leaves her home to find a job as a house girl in the capital city. She has been told that her life will be a series of tragedies, and she is determined to prove that prediction wrong. Meanwhile, a local black chieftain has a plan to overthrow the colonial government, and a black missionary teacher plans to marry and settle down with his wife in a new town where no one knows them. The major plot events in the book demonstrate the various characters’ efforts to change their life trajectories as well as their respective failures. Although they fail for different reasons – social stigma, greed, ignorance, racist political systems, poor personal judgment – the book illustrates that failure is not the tragedy referred to in the title, but rather the “ultimate tragedy” is the loss of hope.
I found myself wishing this book had been edited differently. It is divided into three distinct parts: Ndani moving to the city and getting a job; the Regulo plotting against the colonial government; and the Teacher attempting to live a normal life. All three parts are connected to each other, but it’s not clear how until well into the book. I wish the three plots had somehow been intertwined, John Irving-style so that when you realize how they are all linked together, you get that satisfying “aha!” moment. Instead, I was just mostly confused. I became invested in the Ndani story, and after a major plot point in her story, there’s a very abrupt shift to the Regulo without any explanation of who he is or why I should care about him, or how he relates to Ndani. And then again, there’s a significant shift in time from the Regulo to the Teacher section, and it would have been nice to have better signposting or warning that the shift was occurring. Even just a subsection that labeled the parts as “Part I,” “Part II,” and “Part III” would have been helpful.
On a pickier note, there were some issues with the translation that also bothered me, although they were pretty easily overcome. There were several Portuguese words that were left in the Portuguese that really needed some kind of definition or explanation, even if the translator had to do it in a footnote. Usually, these were words to describe a role within the village community or an abstract concept. It makes sense why the translator left those words in Portuguese as there is probably no good English word to use instead. Several Portuguese words, however, were left that had an obvious English translation, and it was unclear to me why the translator did not translate that word.
This book is interesting, although I wish it had been structured differently, or at least edited so that the sections were more clearly delineated. The translation is a bit clunky, but I think the characterization and themes come across very well despite this flaw.
January 26, 2025
Esta novela, proveniente de Guinea-Bissau, se desarrolla en el contexto de la época colonial bajo el dominio portugués. Desde sus primeras páginas, queda patente la tensión social y racial que caracteriza ese periodo: el contraste entre los colonos blancos y la población negra se hace evidente, no solo en la forma de maltrato y marginación, sino también en la manera en que algunos nativos tratan de asimilarse para obtener privilegios y escapar del rechazo.
La trama sigue principalmente a Ndani, una joven que posteriormente es renombrada como Daniela al convivir con la élite blanca. Su evolución a lo largo del libro resulta uno de los puntos más interesantes, pues refleja de manera íntima y cercana los dilemas de identidad, la lucha interna y la búsqueda de un lugar en un entorno tan desolador. Además, la narración va cambiando de escenarios y presentando nuevos personajes que se van interrelacionando gradualmente, lo cual mantiene el interés y aporta distintas perspectivas sobre la experiencia colonial en Guinea-Bissau.
A pesar de su brevedad —no llega a las 200 páginas—, la obra está bien escrita y logra transmitir la tensión y el drama de la situación. Es cierto que, en algunos momentos, se echa de menos un poco más de acción; sin embargo, la novela compensa con creces esta carencia gracias a la riqueza de sus personajes, los giros en la trama y la ambientación histórica que consigue recrear. En mi opinión, se lee con agilidad, atrapando de tal manera que en dos días pude avanzar buena parte de la lectura sin resultar pesada ni repetitiva.
En definitiva, The Ultimate Tragedy es una lectura muy recomendable para quienes deseen adentrarse en la realidad colonial de Guinea-Bissau y conocer la pluma de Abdulai Sila. Su capacidad para retratar las tensiones sociales y la búsqueda de identidad en un contexto tan adverso convierten esta novela en un aporte valioso y distinto a lo que habitualmente solemos encontrar en la literatura de colonización.
Mi valoración final: 4 maletas sobre 5.
La trama sigue principalmente a Ndani, una joven que posteriormente es renombrada como Daniela al convivir con la élite blanca. Su evolución a lo largo del libro resulta uno de los puntos más interesantes, pues refleja de manera íntima y cercana los dilemas de identidad, la lucha interna y la búsqueda de un lugar en un entorno tan desolador. Además, la narración va cambiando de escenarios y presentando nuevos personajes que se van interrelacionando gradualmente, lo cual mantiene el interés y aporta distintas perspectivas sobre la experiencia colonial en Guinea-Bissau.
A pesar de su brevedad —no llega a las 200 páginas—, la obra está bien escrita y logra transmitir la tensión y el drama de la situación. Es cierto que, en algunos momentos, se echa de menos un poco más de acción; sin embargo, la novela compensa con creces esta carencia gracias a la riqueza de sus personajes, los giros en la trama y la ambientación histórica que consigue recrear. En mi opinión, se lee con agilidad, atrapando de tal manera que en dos días pude avanzar buena parte de la lectura sin resultar pesada ni repetitiva.
En definitiva, The Ultimate Tragedy es una lectura muy recomendable para quienes deseen adentrarse en la realidad colonial de Guinea-Bissau y conocer la pluma de Abdulai Sila. Su capacidad para retratar las tensiones sociales y la búsqueda de identidad en un contexto tan adverso convierten esta novela en un aporte valioso y distinto a lo que habitualmente solemos encontrar en la literatura de colonización.
Mi valoración final: 4 maletas sobre 5.
March 26, 2018
The Ultimate Tragedy is a shocking account of the development and wrongdoings in the little-known country of Guinea-Bissau. It follows Ndani, a girl who progresses from a housegirl, to a Régulo's wife and finally as a seamstress and mother. Throughout the book the themes of segregation and racism are prominent, which I feel added an emotional touch to the book. My main complaints however are not with the writing itself but with the translation, which often left words from the original Portuguese, untranslated and unexplained. I feel that this could be rectified with a simple glossary, hence why I am not really marking this book down for this.
Overall I found the novel very good, helping me to connect to the characters and get a good picture of the history and culture of Guinea-Bissau. I'd recommend to anyone wanting to diversify their bookshelf or just wanting to learn more about this little-known and little-seen corner of the world.
Overall I found the novel very good, helping me to connect to the characters and get a good picture of the history and culture of Guinea-Bissau. I'd recommend to anyone wanting to diversify their bookshelf or just wanting to learn more about this little-known and little-seen corner of the world.
April 17, 2023
Around-the-world #150: Guinea Bissau 🇬🇳.
This novel has a potentially good story, but the execution is flawed. The topic of the atrocities of Portuguese colonialism is a powerful one, but the writing and structure of the novel distract. The first few chapters make it seem the book takes the perspective of Ndani, a poor girl looking for employment at a white people's house. Then the focus suddenly moves elsewhere, with a highly confusing chapter about two local chiefs, after which it is suddenly the school teacher who is ghe main protagonist of the story. It all comes together somehow, but fails to convince.
2.5 stars.
This novel has a potentially good story, but the execution is flawed. The topic of the atrocities of Portuguese colonialism is a powerful one, but the writing and structure of the novel distract. The first few chapters make it seem the book takes the perspective of Ndani, a poor girl looking for employment at a white people's house. Then the focus suddenly moves elsewhere, with a highly confusing chapter about two local chiefs, after which it is suddenly the school teacher who is ghe main protagonist of the story. It all comes together somehow, but fails to convince.
2.5 stars.
October 13, 2023
A última tragédia é o primeiro livro da Guiné-Bissau traduzido internacionalmente. Importante.
E seria um livro importante necessariamente um livro bom?
Os temas discutidos são obviamente relevantes. Oh não colonialismo ruim, racismo ruim, como é péssimo casamento forçado. Legal, concordo, parabéns. Acho sempre importante deixar claro que a mensagem do livro é importante, e essa é a palavra chave, e o núcleo dessa tese. Um livro de ficção não se sustenta apenas em sua ideologia. Ajuda, obviamente, denúncias sociais e responsabilidade com a realidade são peças importantes, tudo não pode ser meramente arte pela arte. Mas pelo menos um pouco de arte tem que ter.
Ndani é uma jovem que quer uma vida melhor, vai trabalhar de servente para uma casa de brancos, o genérico acontece, ela lentamente se insere naquela sociedade e lida com o contraste. Ok. Por 2-3 capítulos, o livro é funcional, mesmo que simples, com situações razoavelmente interessantes. E subitamente saltamos de PoV e pulamos anos para o futuro, com pouquíssima explicação, entrando em tangentes longas e desnecessárias. A mudança de foco quebra o ritmo, estraga a construção de personagem, e Ndani subitamente torna-se no máximo coadjuvante em sua própria história, perdendo qualquer voz e importância narrativa, sendo obviamente a personagem mais interessante na obra, de longe, abandonada em sua própria tragédia. Poderia tentar filosofar sobre como o abandono do autor reflete a forma que a sociedade a trata, e ser deixada de lado pela narrativa é apenas mais uma tragédia sofrida pela mulher negra colonizada. Poderia, mas a possibilidade de inventar justificativas forçadas não conserta um livro.
Linguagem repetitiva, pensamentos circulares, páginas e mais páginas que não dizem nada, as 150 páginas que parecem muito mais. Existe muito pensar sobre pensar enquanto pouca coisa acontece, existem apontamentos óbvios (certos, mas óbvios) como "Oh não! Colonialismo não segue as palavras da Bíblia! Como pode?!", que beleza, verdade, mas é tratado superficialmente pois é o arco de um personagem que vem do nada para se tornar o terceiro protagonista dessa confusão disforme de livro.
Desfocado, perdido entre muitos temas e incapaz de aprofundar nenhum, personagens de cartolina que o autor abandona quando ameaçam se aprofundar, a tragédia mais dolorosa contida na obra foi sua leitura.
E seria um livro importante necessariamente um livro bom?
Os temas discutidos são obviamente relevantes. Oh não colonialismo ruim, racismo ruim, como é péssimo casamento forçado. Legal, concordo, parabéns. Acho sempre importante deixar claro que a mensagem do livro é importante, e essa é a palavra chave, e o núcleo dessa tese. Um livro de ficção não se sustenta apenas em sua ideologia. Ajuda, obviamente, denúncias sociais e responsabilidade com a realidade são peças importantes, tudo não pode ser meramente arte pela arte. Mas pelo menos um pouco de arte tem que ter.
Ndani é uma jovem que quer uma vida melhor, vai trabalhar de servente para uma casa de brancos, o genérico acontece, ela lentamente se insere naquela sociedade e lida com o contraste. Ok. Por 2-3 capítulos, o livro é funcional, mesmo que simples, com situações razoavelmente interessantes. E subitamente saltamos de PoV e pulamos anos para o futuro, com pouquíssima explicação, entrando em tangentes longas e desnecessárias. A mudança de foco quebra o ritmo, estraga a construção de personagem, e Ndani subitamente torna-se no máximo coadjuvante em sua própria história, perdendo qualquer voz e importância narrativa, sendo obviamente a personagem mais interessante na obra, de longe, abandonada em sua própria tragédia. Poderia tentar filosofar sobre como o abandono do autor reflete a forma que a sociedade a trata, e ser deixada de lado pela narrativa é apenas mais uma tragédia sofrida pela mulher negra colonizada. Poderia, mas a possibilidade de inventar justificativas forçadas não conserta um livro.
Linguagem repetitiva, pensamentos circulares, páginas e mais páginas que não dizem nada, as 150 páginas que parecem muito mais. Existe muito pensar sobre pensar enquanto pouca coisa acontece, existem apontamentos óbvios (certos, mas óbvios) como "Oh não! Colonialismo não segue as palavras da Bíblia! Como pode?!", que beleza, verdade, mas é tratado superficialmente pois é o arco de um personagem que vem do nada para se tornar o terceiro protagonista dessa confusão disforme de livro.
Desfocado, perdido entre muitos temas e incapaz de aprofundar nenhum, personagens de cartolina que o autor abandona quando ameaçam se aprofundar, a tragédia mais dolorosa contida na obra foi sua leitura.
July 4, 2021
Ndani, a girl from a village in Guinea-Bissau is shunned by her villagers as she is believed to be cursed. One fine day, she leaves her village to seek a better life in the service of the white colonials in the capital city. Here she faces new challenges such as trying to overcome the language barrier, racism, her employer's attempts at saving her soul by whitewashing her culture, and unwanted sexual advances.
Next we meet the village chief or the Regulo. A self proclaimed intellectual, hell bent on trying to teach the importance of thinking to his people. A powerful man in his own right, his ego is hurt when he has been insulted by a white government administrator. Therefore, he devises a plan to bring the white administrator down a notch.
And lastly, we meet the Teacher, whose name is never disclosed. He's had a tragedy in his past and is part of the "assimilated", blacks who hold important "civilized" positions in the colonial society. He grows increasingly disillusioned by the system and wants to change it. He faces many hurdles along the way.
Three people, three narratives, all pan out and interconnect over the course of the novella, The Ultimate Tragedy by Abdulai Sila (translated to English by Jethro Soutar). This is the first book to have been translated to English from Guinea-Bissau. The novella is set in the early to mid 20th century, before the country gained independence from the Portuguese colonial rule in 1973-1974. It gives an interesting insight into the life of the indigenous people during the Pre-Independence Era and the political awareness that was gaining momentum in the lead to the country's freedom.
With only 187 pages, this book is a quick read. My only gripe about this book is the characterizations. The sudden discontinuation of the narratives only to introduce a new character in the next chapter with little to no resolution of the previous narrative was jarring. This made it so that I wasn't really invested in the characters. Also, the summary of the book almost revealed the whole story, more than the book did at times, and that is kinda one of my bookish pet peeves. So, if you're planning on reading this book, I suggest you give the Goodreads summary a wide berth, coz it contains spoilers.
Next we meet the village chief or the Regulo. A self proclaimed intellectual, hell bent on trying to teach the importance of thinking to his people. A powerful man in his own right, his ego is hurt when he has been insulted by a white government administrator. Therefore, he devises a plan to bring the white administrator down a notch.
And lastly, we meet the Teacher, whose name is never disclosed. He's had a tragedy in his past and is part of the "assimilated", blacks who hold important "civilized" positions in the colonial society. He grows increasingly disillusioned by the system and wants to change it. He faces many hurdles along the way.
Three people, three narratives, all pan out and interconnect over the course of the novella, The Ultimate Tragedy by Abdulai Sila (translated to English by Jethro Soutar). This is the first book to have been translated to English from Guinea-Bissau. The novella is set in the early to mid 20th century, before the country gained independence from the Portuguese colonial rule in 1973-1974. It gives an interesting insight into the life of the indigenous people during the Pre-Independence Era and the political awareness that was gaining momentum in the lead to the country's freedom.
With only 187 pages, this book is a quick read. My only gripe about this book is the characterizations. The sudden discontinuation of the narratives only to introduce a new character in the next chapter with little to no resolution of the previous narrative was jarring. This made it so that I wasn't really invested in the characters. Also, the summary of the book almost revealed the whole story, more than the book did at times, and that is kinda one of my bookish pet peeves. So, if you're planning on reading this book, I suggest you give the Goodreads summary a wide berth, coz it contains spoilers.
August 6, 2023
Não é um livro sensacional , por assim dizer. Mas é uma escrita que sabe prender o leitor, instigá-lo até o último fio de curiosidade e te fazer engolir as páginas em busca das respostas.
Apesar de focar na trajetória de Ndani, aliás Daniela, aliás Ndani, é dividido entre três personagens que dividem suas perspectivas com o leitor, sem o uso da primeira pessoa.
Desde que li na contracapa as 2 primeiras frases - A tragédia tem sempre duas caras. Uma, sinistra, para chorar, a outra, cómica, para rir até às lágrimas - pensei e procurei a dualidade na história. Não para minha surpresa, é sobre isso mesmo. Sobre a divisão bem dividida em Guiné-Bissau (não me leve a mal, sei que literatura não tem obrigatoriedade em ser fiel em nenhum retrato, mas sei do caráter literário de Abdulai Sila com a história de seu país), sobre a impenetrabilidade dos grupos sociais. Dos Casados e dos Solteiros.
A última tragédia é um livro pessimista, certamente. Depois do seu maior pico de otimismo, com os planos do Régulo, é só ladeira abaixo. Tragédia e tragédia. Quase para relembrar que não existe garantia na vida. E que, às vezes, uma maldição é uma maldição, por mais que um bom tempo de felicidades e a resistência na crença faça parecer o contrário.
A história é interessante, conhecer os pensamentos dos personagens é intrigante, a indignação é justa e, assim, eu recomendo a leitura. Só não tenham medo das palavras com origem no crioul, e não percam tempo pesquisando na internet (a maioria não tem em nenhum dicionário nem página, o que é um absurdo). No fim do livro, existe um glossário.
Apesar de focar na trajetória de Ndani, aliás Daniela, aliás Ndani, é dividido entre três personagens que dividem suas perspectivas com o leitor, sem o uso da primeira pessoa.
Desde que li na contracapa as 2 primeiras frases - A tragédia tem sempre duas caras. Uma, sinistra, para chorar, a outra, cómica, para rir até às lágrimas - pensei e procurei a dualidade na história. Não para minha surpresa, é sobre isso mesmo. Sobre a divisão bem dividida em Guiné-Bissau (não me leve a mal, sei que literatura não tem obrigatoriedade em ser fiel em nenhum retrato, mas sei do caráter literário de Abdulai Sila com a história de seu país), sobre a impenetrabilidade dos grupos sociais. Dos Casados e dos Solteiros.
A última tragédia é um livro pessimista, certamente. Depois do seu maior pico de otimismo, com os planos do Régulo, é só ladeira abaixo. Tragédia e tragédia. Quase para relembrar que não existe garantia na vida. E que, às vezes, uma maldição é uma maldição, por mais que um bom tempo de felicidades e a resistência na crença faça parecer o contrário.
A história é interessante, conhecer os pensamentos dos personagens é intrigante, a indignação é justa e, assim, eu recomendo a leitura. Só não tenham medo das palavras com origem no crioul, e não percam tempo pesquisando na internet (a maioria não tem em nenhum dicionário nem página, o que é um absurdo). No fim do livro, existe um glossário.
September 6, 2021
This was my read the world selection for Guinea-Bissau.
This book is basically a criticism of colonialism and is told in three sections: the first is about Ndani who leaves her village for Bissau as her village believe she is cursed. She finds work as a maid for a Portuguese family. It then jumps to the Régulo, a village chief who spends a lot of time thinking about the importance of thinking 😳 Eventually he decides to build a big house and to find the perfect wife, who knows how to run a house properly.
Finally, we meet the Teacher, who is a black teacher at a Missionary school who is well respected. He encounters Ndani, who is living alone in a big house, having been rejected by her husband and they embark on a love affair, eventually moving together to a village after her husband dies, where things don’t go quite as well as they’d hoped.
This book started off well for me, as I was quite invested in Ndani’s story, but when it jumped awkwardly into the Regulo’s story, it lost me as it was quite drawn out and tedious. It was slightly redeemed when it reached the Teacher’s section, but there were long intervening periods that were missed and it was difficult to piece together what had happened leading up to these points.
The writing was ok, if a little waffly and although it had some very relevant and important observations, I didn’t engage with the story as much as I had hoped to. Certainly an ok book though from my perspective. ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
This book is basically a criticism of colonialism and is told in three sections: the first is about Ndani who leaves her village for Bissau as her village believe she is cursed. She finds work as a maid for a Portuguese family. It then jumps to the Régulo, a village chief who spends a lot of time thinking about the importance of thinking 😳 Eventually he decides to build a big house and to find the perfect wife, who knows how to run a house properly.
Finally, we meet the Teacher, who is a black teacher at a Missionary school who is well respected. He encounters Ndani, who is living alone in a big house, having been rejected by her husband and they embark on a love affair, eventually moving together to a village after her husband dies, where things don’t go quite as well as they’d hoped.
This book started off well for me, as I was quite invested in Ndani’s story, but when it jumped awkwardly into the Regulo’s story, it lost me as it was quite drawn out and tedious. It was slightly redeemed when it reached the Teacher’s section, but there were long intervening periods that were missed and it was difficult to piece together what had happened leading up to these points.
The writing was ok, if a little waffly and although it had some very relevant and important observations, I didn’t engage with the story as much as I had hoped to. Certainly an ok book though from my perspective. ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
February 2, 2022
The Ultimate Tragedy is a story of colonial Africa from the point of view of the colonialised. This means it’s not often a happy story, especially as some Black characters start to try and reclaim their home and agency but soon find that the systems in society are working against them.
Ndani’s story, like most of the characters stories in The Ultimate Tragedy to be honest, is a sad one. There’re almost no bright moments of happiness in her life and when she does find some, it doesn’t last for long. For that reason, The Ultimate Tragedy is bit slow to read as it’s so relentlessly melancholy.
That being said, there are a few moments or wry humour sprinkled throughout. Often it comes from miscommunication or from having the benefit of hindsight as some of the things Dona Deolinda and other white characters say or do is obviously racist but it’s written in a way that there’s almost a knowing wink to it. Like, “gee aren’t these people dumb and offensive.” I know that probably sounds weird but it’s the best I can describe it. Like these characters are epitome of the White Saviour trope but they are so oblivious to the fact due to the time The Ultimate Tragedy is set, and to read that sort of story now it’s funny because of its ridiculousness.
However, that ridiculousness obviously has a darker and more dangerous sde and when Ndani and her loved ones get caught up in it, the injustices they face are so sad and, like the title of the book, tragic.
Ndani’s story, like most of the characters stories in The Ultimate Tragedy to be honest, is a sad one. There’re almost no bright moments of happiness in her life and when she does find some, it doesn’t last for long. For that reason, The Ultimate Tragedy is bit slow to read as it’s so relentlessly melancholy.
That being said, there are a few moments or wry humour sprinkled throughout. Often it comes from miscommunication or from having the benefit of hindsight as some of the things Dona Deolinda and other white characters say or do is obviously racist but it’s written in a way that there’s almost a knowing wink to it. Like, “gee aren’t these people dumb and offensive.” I know that probably sounds weird but it’s the best I can describe it. Like these characters are epitome of the White Saviour trope but they are so oblivious to the fact due to the time The Ultimate Tragedy is set, and to read that sort of story now it’s funny because of its ridiculousness.
However, that ridiculousness obviously has a darker and more dangerous sde and when Ndani and her loved ones get caught up in it, the injustices they face are so sad and, like the title of the book, tragic.
May 23, 2019
I read the English Version
This book takes place during the Portugese rule of Guinea-Bissau. It starts with a young girl named Ndani who is looking for work as a maid. She is going house to house until a couple finally decides to take her in. The head of the house- Dona Deolinda - thinks Ndani's sole needs saving through religious intervention. She treats Ndani more like a slave than a house maid.
Ndani leaves the service of this house when she becomes the wife of a village chief. He is wealthy and he built a mansion and a school to impressed the Portugese administrators. The village chief leaves Ndani when he finds out she isn't a virgin, and she falls in love with one of the teachers at the school. What happens next is a series of problems that happen only because of the teacher's skin color.
This is a good book. It is short, but I felt that it had enough time for character developement. There is definitely a lot of political and racial undertones in the book that ALMOST overshadow the story. But I do think they were necessary to reflect the feelings of the people in this area during the time the Portugese were there.
I definitely recommend giving it a read. I am glad I found this one.
This book takes place during the Portugese rule of Guinea-Bissau. It starts with a young girl named Ndani who is looking for work as a maid. She is going house to house until a couple finally decides to take her in. The head of the house- Dona Deolinda - thinks Ndani's sole needs saving through religious intervention. She treats Ndani more like a slave than a house maid.
Ndani leaves the service of this house when she becomes the wife of a village chief. He is wealthy and he built a mansion and a school to impressed the Portugese administrators. The village chief leaves Ndani when he finds out she isn't a virgin, and she falls in love with one of the teachers at the school. What happens next is a series of problems that happen only because of the teacher's skin color.
This is a good book. It is short, but I felt that it had enough time for character developement. There is definitely a lot of political and racial undertones in the book that ALMOST overshadow the story. But I do think they were necessary to reflect the feelings of the people in this area during the time the Portugese were there.
I definitely recommend giving it a read. I am glad I found this one.
May 9, 2024
What a weird little book. In three parts, I was vaguely interested in part one, not interested at all in part two until I was, and then all in for part three. I don't know if "slow burn" applies to a book 176pp long, but it's what I think.
I've read a lot of reviews that detail the plot, so lets not repeat. It should be noted that this author published the first novel in Guinea-Bissau, and this is the first novel from Guinea-Bissau to be translated into English. And I find these titles wonderful when this book is a full on interrogation of colonalisation. However, it is worth noting it is a contemporary novel published originally in 1995. Yet, I am sure some of the issues raised in this book were still uncomfortable for the power structures in Guinea-Bissau at the time of publication.
I found the first part of the book hard to connect with character wise for a while, then when you emphasised you got a bit of a blindside. Part two was a bit too manifesto until it softened and you emphasised again. Part three used all your empathy against you in the most unrighteous way, which is the entire reality of colonisation and particularly people clinging to their last scraps of power by their fingernails. I didn't love this book, but I am glad I read it.
I've read a lot of reviews that detail the plot, so lets not repeat. It should be noted that this author published the first novel in Guinea-Bissau, and this is the first novel from Guinea-Bissau to be translated into English. And I find these titles wonderful when this book is a full on interrogation of colonalisation. However, it is worth noting it is a contemporary novel published originally in 1995. Yet, I am sure some of the issues raised in this book were still uncomfortable for the power structures in Guinea-Bissau at the time of publication.
I found the first part of the book hard to connect with character wise for a while, then when you emphasised you got a bit of a blindside. Part two was a bit too manifesto until it softened and you emphasised again. Part three used all your empathy against you in the most unrighteous way, which is the entire reality of colonisation and particularly people clinging to their last scraps of power by their fingernails. I didn't love this book, but I am glad I read it.
November 28, 2017
Read for work book club.
I really enjoyed this one. It was written in the same vein as many other colonial era books with satire and tragedy, but you’ll be hard pressed to find one from guinea Bissau AND on translated to English. So it’s worth it for that.
I really enjoyed the characters in this one, especially the chief (though found the narratives on his musings about thinking to be a bit long winded). The story felt a bit disjointed at times, with various gaps that could have been better filled, but overall I really liked the story telling and how every character came together by fate or coincidence. And, the story really is a tragedy. I read the last few pages with my mouth open and yelling nooooooo silently in my head. I so wanted a different ending, but know it couldn’t be any other way.
I really enjoyed this one. It was written in the same vein as many other colonial era books with satire and tragedy, but you’ll be hard pressed to find one from guinea Bissau AND on translated to English. So it’s worth it for that.
I really enjoyed the characters in this one, especially the chief (though found the narratives on his musings about thinking to be a bit long winded). The story felt a bit disjointed at times, with various gaps that could have been better filled, but overall I really liked the story telling and how every character came together by fate or coincidence. And, the story really is a tragedy. I read the last few pages with my mouth open and yelling nooooooo silently in my head. I so wanted a different ending, but know it couldn’t be any other way.
April 29, 2019
The first book from Guinea Bissau to be translated into English and well translated it was too, which makes such a difference.
Three narrators, a young girl carrying a curse looking for something outside her village life, a town leader struggling to bear the local white administrator and a teacher brought up through the native schools. All their lives intersect and intertwine.
I thought it was a fascinating look at colonial Africa from the point of view of the colonised. Struggles against tradition, but most importantly the gradual emergence of a need for reclaiming the country and identity.
Pretty easy read once you get used to the sudden change in narrator and leaps forward in time. It had the effect of fast forwarding a movie and having to reorientate your perspective.
Three narrators, a young girl carrying a curse looking for something outside her village life, a town leader struggling to bear the local white administrator and a teacher brought up through the native schools. All their lives intersect and intertwine.
I thought it was a fascinating look at colonial Africa from the point of view of the colonised. Struggles against tradition, but most importantly the gradual emergence of a need for reclaiming the country and identity.
Pretty easy read once you get used to the sudden change in narrator and leaps forward in time. It had the effect of fast forwarding a movie and having to reorientate your perspective.
August 12, 2023
I pretty much agree with another review for this book: The first part about Ndani was by far the most interesting. I was invested in her story as a “cursed” Black girl who sought her fortune as a housekeeper in the house of a white lady.
The middle part confused me, and the last part illustrates that Ndani found temporary happiness in a relationship with a teacher, who however gets sent away to prison for a crime against a white man, and [spoiler] perishes from longing.
I felt like when the story stopped focusing on Ndani it lost its momentum. The middle part truly lost me, and I kinda found back to it again in the part about the teacher, but I was a bit disappointed the book failed to continue focusing on Ndani’s life and perspective…
The middle part confused me, and the last part illustrates that Ndani found temporary happiness in a relationship with a teacher, who however gets sent away to prison for a crime against a white man, and [spoiler] perishes from longing.
I felt like when the story stopped focusing on Ndani it lost its momentum. The middle part truly lost me, and I kinda found back to it again in the part about the teacher, but I was a bit disappointed the book failed to continue focusing on Ndani’s life and perspective…
January 13, 2025
Guinea-Bissau. A young girl leaves her rural village after a wiseman predicts her ruin. Working as a servant in the city she is first “saved for the church” by her mistress and then raped by the master of the house. Forced into marriage, she is rejected by her husband for her lack of virginity. She escapes to a new village where she begins again with the school teacher. Her husband is falsely accused of murder and deported. She drowns. There is a To Kill A Mockingbird speech at the end about injustice and how it will surely end one day. I found this translation on archive.org.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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