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Addis Ababa Noir
Addis Ababa is a sprawling melting pot of cultures where rich and poor live side by side in relative harmony—until they don’t.
Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city.
Brand-new stories by: Maaza Mengiste, Adam Reta, Mahtem Shiferraw, Linda Yohannes, Sulaiman Addonia, Meron Hadero, Mikael Awake, Lelissa Girma, Rebecca Fisseha, Solomon Hailemariam, Girma T. Fantaye, Teferi Nigussie Tafa, Hannah Giorgis, and Bewketu Seyoum.
From the introduction by Maaza Mengiste:
What marks life in Addis Ababa are the starkly different realities coexisting in one place. It’s a growing city taking shape beneath the fraught weight of history, myth, and memory. It is a heady mix. It can also be disorienting, and it is in this space that the stories of Addis Ababa Noir reside . . .
These are not gentle stories. They cross into forbidden territories and traverse the damaged terrain of the human heart. The characters in these pages are complicated, worthy of our judgment as much as they somehow manage to elude it. The writers have each discovered their own ways to get us to lean in while forcing us to grit our teeth as we draw closer . . .
Despite the varied and distinct voices in these pages, no single book can contain all of the wonderful, intriguing, vexing complexities of Addis Ababa. But what you will read are stories by some of Ethiopia’s most talented writers living in the country and abroad. Each of them considers the many ways that myth and truth and a country’s dark edges come together to create something wholly original—and unsettling.
Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city.
Brand-new stories by: Maaza Mengiste, Adam Reta, Mahtem Shiferraw, Linda Yohannes, Sulaiman Addonia, Meron Hadero, Mikael Awake, Lelissa Girma, Rebecca Fisseha, Solomon Hailemariam, Girma T. Fantaye, Teferi Nigussie Tafa, Hannah Giorgis, and Bewketu Seyoum.
From the introduction by Maaza Mengiste:
What marks life in Addis Ababa are the starkly different realities coexisting in one place. It’s a growing city taking shape beneath the fraught weight of history, myth, and memory. It is a heady mix. It can also be disorienting, and it is in this space that the stories of Addis Ababa Noir reside . . .
These are not gentle stories. They cross into forbidden territories and traverse the damaged terrain of the human heart. The characters in these pages are complicated, worthy of our judgment as much as they somehow manage to elude it. The writers have each discovered their own ways to get us to lean in while forcing us to grit our teeth as we draw closer . . .
Despite the varied and distinct voices in these pages, no single book can contain all of the wonderful, intriguing, vexing complexities of Addis Ababa. But what you will read are stories by some of Ethiopia’s most talented writers living in the country and abroad. Each of them considers the many ways that myth and truth and a country’s dark edges come together to create something wholly original—and unsettling.
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 4, 2020
50 people are currently reading
628 people want to read
About the author
Maaza Mengiste
16 books611 followersMaaza Mengiste is a novelist and essayist. Her debut novel, Beneath the Lion’s Gaze, was selected by the Guardian as one of the 10 best contemporary African books and named one of the best books of 2010 by Christian Science Monitor, Boston Globe and other publications. Her fiction and nonfiction can be found in The New Yorker, Granta, the Guardian, the New York Times, BBC Radio,and Lettre International, among other places. She was the 2013 Puterbaugh Fellow and a Runner-up for the 2011 Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Both her fiction and nonfiction examine the individual lives at stake during migration, war, and exile, and consider the intersections of photography and violence. She was a writer on the social-activist documentary film, Girl Rising, which features the voices of actors such as Meryl Streep, Liam Neeson, and Cate Blanchett. She currently serves on the boards of Words Without Borders and Warscapes. Her second novel, The Shadow King, is forthcoming.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
September 21, 2020
This volume of the Akashic Noir series takes us to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, a vibrant land of 110 million people, at least five languages, and a wide span of civilization from college-educated families to the poor in their whacks. Whatever you once thought of Ethiopia, the stories here probably turn your preconceived ideas on their heads. This is a city of great contrasts, connected to a diaspora in the USA and London and haunted by a violent past not too long ago. There are families haunted by the disappearance of their loved ones and given hope of resolution when mass graves are discovered. There are, moreover, ghosts that haunt and characters that see the world enveloped in many hues. There are the classic shape shifters of African legend and issues confronted. If you open this thinking you'll find an African Sam Spade, you'll be lost. Perhaps it's not really noir, but more literary. In any event, the stories contained within are powerful and well worth reading.
In "A DOUBLE-EDGED INHERITANCE," a story of love, pain, and betrayal, that could have rung true in many places across the world, Hannah Giorgios writes: "Shiromeda Meskerem didn’t believe in fate. Fate was one of those silly things her Orthodox aunties whispered about in their singsong voices, starry-eyed and full of desperate, ill-advised hope for something, anything. Fate was for people who had abandoned control, the last refuge of the weak and uninspired. Fate was for women who didn’t know any better." There are families torn asunder by a a thirst for power that even youthful romance is no match for. Even women cannot escape the violence of the past.
In "Ostrich," by Rebecca Fisseha, we learn about how children see a violent world and how we as adults foolishly think we can shelter them the knowledge of the tree of good and evil. We also learn about returning to our childhood homes and about how difficult it is to salvage evidence of the truth and what such a salvage job may cost us in plain flesh and blood.
In "Dust, Ash, Flight, Maaza Mengiste tells us of the unmarked graves of bones found hidden in military bases and behind prison yards of the Third World, how people have disappeared, and how their families desperately cling to tattered photographs, perhaps wanting to know the truth, perhaps hoping beyond hope that years later, their loved ones somehow some way survived.
In "Father Bread, " Mikael Awake introduces us to the lost children, surviving the turmoil while the hyenas laugh and gambol. He writes: "If you ever go to Toglet and find yourself up at dawn, hold your breath for a minute and sit in complete silence. They say that if you do this, you can still hear the kindling woman’s whooping screams echo through the valley."
In "The Blue Shadow," by Mahtem Shiferraw, we get a vibrant symphony of colors: "When she spoke, the room filled with yellow. Her tone could paint the whole house in one stroke, walls suddenly blooming with perennials and adey abeba , floors caked in branches of tsid, and corners sprouting with the blue of kiremt rain. The air would become thick and creamy, and if anyone happened to listen to her voice at that specific moment, they would be in awe, as they were most of the time in her presence. It was not what she said that fascinated them, but the way she said things with such elegance, such poise." Indeed, we get such great descriptions of emotions that we almost forget how the mystical has joined in the story: "Weyzero Fantish peered into the boy’s eyes. She could tell he had aged so quickly, so quietly. She had seen this before, the way grief appears suddenly and claws its way into the insides of people without their knowing. It was happening again right in front of her, and this time, she was the cause for such sorrow."
By no means are omissions of any of the stories in this collection meant to convey anything at all. Space only permits so much commentary. Overall, a surprisingly good read.
In "A DOUBLE-EDGED INHERITANCE," a story of love, pain, and betrayal, that could have rung true in many places across the world, Hannah Giorgios writes: "Shiromeda Meskerem didn’t believe in fate. Fate was one of those silly things her Orthodox aunties whispered about in their singsong voices, starry-eyed and full of desperate, ill-advised hope for something, anything. Fate was for people who had abandoned control, the last refuge of the weak and uninspired. Fate was for women who didn’t know any better." There are families torn asunder by a a thirst for power that even youthful romance is no match for. Even women cannot escape the violence of the past.
In "Ostrich," by Rebecca Fisseha, we learn about how children see a violent world and how we as adults foolishly think we can shelter them the knowledge of the tree of good and evil. We also learn about returning to our childhood homes and about how difficult it is to salvage evidence of the truth and what such a salvage job may cost us in plain flesh and blood.
In "Dust, Ash, Flight, Maaza Mengiste tells us of the unmarked graves of bones found hidden in military bases and behind prison yards of the Third World, how people have disappeared, and how their families desperately cling to tattered photographs, perhaps wanting to know the truth, perhaps hoping beyond hope that years later, their loved ones somehow some way survived.
In "Father Bread, " Mikael Awake introduces us to the lost children, surviving the turmoil while the hyenas laugh and gambol. He writes: "If you ever go to Toglet and find yourself up at dawn, hold your breath for a minute and sit in complete silence. They say that if you do this, you can still hear the kindling woman’s whooping screams echo through the valley."
In "The Blue Shadow," by Mahtem Shiferraw, we get a vibrant symphony of colors: "When she spoke, the room filled with yellow. Her tone could paint the whole house in one stroke, walls suddenly blooming with perennials and adey abeba , floors caked in branches of tsid, and corners sprouting with the blue of kiremt rain. The air would become thick and creamy, and if anyone happened to listen to her voice at that specific moment, they would be in awe, as they were most of the time in her presence. It was not what she said that fascinated them, but the way she said things with such elegance, such poise." Indeed, we get such great descriptions of emotions that we almost forget how the mystical has joined in the story: "Weyzero Fantish peered into the boy’s eyes. She could tell he had aged so quickly, so quietly. She had seen this before, the way grief appears suddenly and claws its way into the insides of people without their knowing. It was happening again right in front of her, and this time, she was the cause for such sorrow."
By no means are omissions of any of the stories in this collection meant to convey anything at all. Space only permits so much commentary. Overall, a surprisingly good read.
December 31, 2021
When I come across Addis Ababa Noir and decided to indulge I had a few expectations. which are:
1. A good depiction of the lived experiences of the city Addis Ababa
2. A bold advance of the Noir genre despite the conservative exterior of the Setting (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)
3. Language Aesthetics
1. In the stories I have found a decent representation of Addis Ababa and its dwellers. Each story has its setting linked to a specific town which celebrates the nuanced sense of places within the city itself. It was interesting to know these links between the stories and their accompanying places also offer Easter eggs to someone who is familiar with the stories, myths and superstitions of the local people.
2. Although I was inclined to look past it due to the publishers' claim of defining Noir in the broadest sense, Addis Ababa Noir ( with the exception of a few stories) lacks the intensity and darkness one would expect from a collection with Noir in its name; both in essence and delivery.
To my delight, not all stories were amiss. I find 'Insomnia' by Lelissa Girma ; 'The Blue Shadow' by Mahtem Shiferraw and 'Of Buns and Howls' by Adam Reta to be an interesting depiction of a true Addis Ababa Noir that hit the mark both in showing the underlying nuanced Addis Ababan experiences and respecting the genre
3. There's a saying in Amharic that says 'የሃገሩን ሰርዶ በሃገሩ በሬ' I wanted to translate it into English but decided otherwise because it will be lost in translation. But I decided to use it anyway because that's exactly how I felt while reading certain portions of the book. In some works, Some ideas appeared weak; Some words lost their tone and phrases lost their dramatic appeal. In other stories. the use of Amharic words comes off as trying too hard to the point of becoming a caricature: As if one was making sure to incorporate them in fear the stories themselves weren't unique enough to take on the Ethiopian/Addis Ababan identity.
In general, Addis Ababa Noir was an interesting read, A light read (considering the Noir claim) which can be a good way for onlookers trying to catch a glimpse into Ethiopian literature without solely judging the literary scene based on it
1. A good depiction of the lived experiences of the city Addis Ababa
2. A bold advance of the Noir genre despite the conservative exterior of the Setting (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)
3. Language Aesthetics
1. In the stories I have found a decent representation of Addis Ababa and its dwellers. Each story has its setting linked to a specific town which celebrates the nuanced sense of places within the city itself. It was interesting to know these links between the stories and their accompanying places also offer Easter eggs to someone who is familiar with the stories, myths and superstitions of the local people.
2. Although I was inclined to look past it due to the publishers' claim of defining Noir in the broadest sense, Addis Ababa Noir ( with the exception of a few stories) lacks the intensity and darkness one would expect from a collection with Noir in its name; both in essence and delivery.
To my delight, not all stories were amiss. I find 'Insomnia' by Lelissa Girma ; 'The Blue Shadow' by Mahtem Shiferraw and 'Of Buns and Howls' by Adam Reta to be an interesting depiction of a true Addis Ababa Noir that hit the mark both in showing the underlying nuanced Addis Ababan experiences and respecting the genre
3. There's a saying in Amharic that says 'የሃገሩን ሰርዶ በሃገሩ በሬ' I wanted to translate it into English but decided otherwise because it will be lost in translation. But I decided to use it anyway because that's exactly how I felt while reading certain portions of the book. In some works, Some ideas appeared weak; Some words lost their tone and phrases lost their dramatic appeal. In other stories. the use of Amharic words comes off as trying too hard to the point of becoming a caricature: As if one was making sure to incorporate them in fear the stories themselves weren't unique enough to take on the Ethiopian/Addis Ababan identity.
In general, Addis Ababa Noir was an interesting read, A light read (considering the Noir claim) which can be a good way for onlookers trying to catch a glimpse into Ethiopian literature without solely judging the literary scene based on it
November 23, 2023
Noveller i olika stil och genrer, från den skuggsidan av Addis Ababa, vilket jag uppskattar eftersom det ger mig en opolerad (mer än en "proper" novellsamling föreställer jag mig) av Etiopien. En del nya sätt att berätta på också, vilket är en av sakerna jag söker i att läsa litteratur från länder utanför västvärlden. Några bättre än andra, men alla värda sin läsning.
Noir-serien finns uppenbarligen för flera städer, och det är som sagt inte ett dumt sätt att få flera olika perspektiv och röster, om man ska läsa in sig på ett nytt land.
Läsprojekt: Kartan (Etiopien)
Noir-serien finns uppenbarligen för flera städer, och det är som sagt inte ett dumt sätt att få flera olika perspektiv och röster, om man ska läsa in sig på ett nytt land.
Läsprojekt: Kartan (Etiopien)
February 11, 2023
I thought I'll continue reading books set in Ethiopia and so picked this one, 'Addis Ababa Noir' edited by Maaza Mengiste.
'Addis Ababa Noir' is a collection of 14 short stories. They are all set in Addis Ababa, of course 😊 Many of them are poignant stories, sometimes with heartbreaking endings. Many of them are set during the period of the Derg, between 1974-91 when the military dictatorship was in power in Ethiopia and during which time innocent people suffered. As you might have guessed by now, this is not a book of classic noir. So you won't find stories like a woman plotting with the insurance agent to kill her husband and pocket the insurance money, or a woman plotting with a guest to kill her husband who is the motel owner and get his money. This is not that book. The noir aspect here is that things are sad and dark and bleak and there are no happy endings. There are some stories which don't have heartbreaking endings and sometimes the endings are almost happy, but the endings in general are sad ones.
My favourite story from the book was 'Father Bread' by Mikael Awake. In this story a young boy ends up in an orphanage. His family has been attacked and killed by hyenas. The man who owns the orphanage tries to put the young boy up for adoption to an American couple. But this man's intentions are not necessarily noble. And the young boy, he is no ordinary young boy. The ending of the story was stunning and surprising and I didn't see that coming. It was wonderful how the author took an idea from Ethiopian mythology and adapted it to a modern setting.
My second favourite story from the book was 'Agony of a Congested Heart' by Teferi Nigussie Tafa. It is about the struggle of the Oromo people, who have been oppressed by successive Ethiopian governments. This story offers an insightful, tragic lesson in history. When the narrator says that while his African brothers and sisters suffered under white colonialism, his own people the Oromo suffered under black colonialism, it breaks our heart. Einstein once said – "Two things are infinite : the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe." Humans just keep proving it everyday with their infinite levels of oppression. The oppressed continue to oppress others who are less fortunate than them, and this continues to infinite levels, and this has been there since the dawn of time with no end in sight. We'd assume that humans would have learnt the lessons of history by now and would try to be more kind and do better, but human stupidity is infinite as Einstein said, and it looks like they'll never learn. When the narrator says in the end – "When I discovered this, I realized that my forty years of struggle had ended in nothing. Maybe struggle is not good. Maybe struggle is a curse! We all carry the agony of a congested heart. My agony, my people’s agony" – it breaks our heart.
I also loved the first story in the book, 'Kind Stranger' by Meron Hadero, in which a man who is passing through a churchyard, is pulled aside by a stranger who then starts telling this man his story. 'A Night in Bela Sefer' by Sulaiman Addonia is about a young man who responds to a strange ad in the paper and is hired for a job. It is a beautiful story about desire and identity and orientation. 'A Double-Edged Inheritance' by Hannah Giorgis is about family and love with some revenge thrown in. 'Dust, Ash, Flight' by Maaza Mengiste is a heartbreaking story about people who lose their family members to government-sponsored violence. 'The Blue Shadow' by Mahtem Shiferraw is a beautiful, heartbreaking story about a mother's love for her son. The mother is an unusual person, and you'll know why when you read the story. 'Of the Poet and the Cafe' by Girma T. Fantaye is about a man who goes in the morning to open his cafe and discovers that it has disappeared. He is even more surprised when no one seems to remember him or his cafe. It is a fascinating, surreal story and is almost Borgesian. 'Kebele ID' by Linda Yohannes is a simple story but also a beautiful one. 'None of Your Business' by Solomon Hailemariam is a story which asks questions on what is really a democracy and what happens when we fight for it and demand it.
I loved 'Addis Ababa Noir'. It was not at all what I expected. The stories explored Ethiopian culture and history and mythology and contemporary life and it was hard to classify them as classical noir. This noir series by Akashic Books is big and there is a huge backlist. Hoping to dip into that in the future.
I'll leave you with some of my favourite passages from the book.
From 'Kind Stranger' by Meron Hadero
"Those subtle stings to pride—they’re worse than the big ego blows because they’re not like some obvious pebble you can remove from your shoe. They are like shards that you know are there but can’t find and can’t get rid of."
From 'Ostrich' by Rebecca Fisseha
"My father waited. I knew that wait. It meant that their conversation was one response away from becoming a fight. All it needed was for her to say words sharper than his. Unlike other adults, my parents never hid their fights from anyone. They believed that disagreeing was normal and good, and always kissed afterward, no matter who won. But my mother didn’t respond that day. She let the silence be. It lingered even after my father rolled down his window to the sound of the city."
From 'The Blue Shadow' by Mahtem Shiferraw
"Although Weyzero Fantish was a woman afflicted by many sorrows, she also loved life deeply. Mourning was what she did best, and she wanted to do it because everyone deserved to be mourned for, to be longed for, and the seed of sorrow she planted in her mourners’ hearts always loomed larger and more intricate, and would come back to her in the shape of kindness and kinship."
From 'Insomnia' by Lelissa Girma
“A mirror is a compassionate object reflecting false images the reflection wishes to believe,” his friend said. “If that man had watched himself from our vantage point, if he saw himself dining with his present condition, he would have thrown himself off a bridge and died. You can’t find out the truth about yourself until you come across your own self on the street, and then you observe yourself at a distance to decide what condition you are in.”
From 'Of Buns and Howls' by Adam Reta
"To him, dead people were cool, because dead people couldn’t kill you."
Have you read 'Addis Ababa Noir'? What do you think about it? Have you read other books in this noir series?
'Addis Ababa Noir' is a collection of 14 short stories. They are all set in Addis Ababa, of course 😊 Many of them are poignant stories, sometimes with heartbreaking endings. Many of them are set during the period of the Derg, between 1974-91 when the military dictatorship was in power in Ethiopia and during which time innocent people suffered. As you might have guessed by now, this is not a book of classic noir. So you won't find stories like a woman plotting with the insurance agent to kill her husband and pocket the insurance money, or a woman plotting with a guest to kill her husband who is the motel owner and get his money. This is not that book. The noir aspect here is that things are sad and dark and bleak and there are no happy endings. There are some stories which don't have heartbreaking endings and sometimes the endings are almost happy, but the endings in general are sad ones.
My favourite story from the book was 'Father Bread' by Mikael Awake. In this story a young boy ends up in an orphanage. His family has been attacked and killed by hyenas. The man who owns the orphanage tries to put the young boy up for adoption to an American couple. But this man's intentions are not necessarily noble. And the young boy, he is no ordinary young boy. The ending of the story was stunning and surprising and I didn't see that coming. It was wonderful how the author took an idea from Ethiopian mythology and adapted it to a modern setting.
My second favourite story from the book was 'Agony of a Congested Heart' by Teferi Nigussie Tafa. It is about the struggle of the Oromo people, who have been oppressed by successive Ethiopian governments. This story offers an insightful, tragic lesson in history. When the narrator says that while his African brothers and sisters suffered under white colonialism, his own people the Oromo suffered under black colonialism, it breaks our heart. Einstein once said – "Two things are infinite : the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe." Humans just keep proving it everyday with their infinite levels of oppression. The oppressed continue to oppress others who are less fortunate than them, and this continues to infinite levels, and this has been there since the dawn of time with no end in sight. We'd assume that humans would have learnt the lessons of history by now and would try to be more kind and do better, but human stupidity is infinite as Einstein said, and it looks like they'll never learn. When the narrator says in the end – "When I discovered this, I realized that my forty years of struggle had ended in nothing. Maybe struggle is not good. Maybe struggle is a curse! We all carry the agony of a congested heart. My agony, my people’s agony" – it breaks our heart.
I also loved the first story in the book, 'Kind Stranger' by Meron Hadero, in which a man who is passing through a churchyard, is pulled aside by a stranger who then starts telling this man his story. 'A Night in Bela Sefer' by Sulaiman Addonia is about a young man who responds to a strange ad in the paper and is hired for a job. It is a beautiful story about desire and identity and orientation. 'A Double-Edged Inheritance' by Hannah Giorgis is about family and love with some revenge thrown in. 'Dust, Ash, Flight' by Maaza Mengiste is a heartbreaking story about people who lose their family members to government-sponsored violence. 'The Blue Shadow' by Mahtem Shiferraw is a beautiful, heartbreaking story about a mother's love for her son. The mother is an unusual person, and you'll know why when you read the story. 'Of the Poet and the Cafe' by Girma T. Fantaye is about a man who goes in the morning to open his cafe and discovers that it has disappeared. He is even more surprised when no one seems to remember him or his cafe. It is a fascinating, surreal story and is almost Borgesian. 'Kebele ID' by Linda Yohannes is a simple story but also a beautiful one. 'None of Your Business' by Solomon Hailemariam is a story which asks questions on what is really a democracy and what happens when we fight for it and demand it.
I loved 'Addis Ababa Noir'. It was not at all what I expected. The stories explored Ethiopian culture and history and mythology and contemporary life and it was hard to classify them as classical noir. This noir series by Akashic Books is big and there is a huge backlist. Hoping to dip into that in the future.
I'll leave you with some of my favourite passages from the book.
From 'Kind Stranger' by Meron Hadero
"Those subtle stings to pride—they’re worse than the big ego blows because they’re not like some obvious pebble you can remove from your shoe. They are like shards that you know are there but can’t find and can’t get rid of."
From 'Ostrich' by Rebecca Fisseha
"My father waited. I knew that wait. It meant that their conversation was one response away from becoming a fight. All it needed was for her to say words sharper than his. Unlike other adults, my parents never hid their fights from anyone. They believed that disagreeing was normal and good, and always kissed afterward, no matter who won. But my mother didn’t respond that day. She let the silence be. It lingered even after my father rolled down his window to the sound of the city."
From 'The Blue Shadow' by Mahtem Shiferraw
"Although Weyzero Fantish was a woman afflicted by many sorrows, she also loved life deeply. Mourning was what she did best, and she wanted to do it because everyone deserved to be mourned for, to be longed for, and the seed of sorrow she planted in her mourners’ hearts always loomed larger and more intricate, and would come back to her in the shape of kindness and kinship."
From 'Insomnia' by Lelissa Girma
“A mirror is a compassionate object reflecting false images the reflection wishes to believe,” his friend said. “If that man had watched himself from our vantage point, if he saw himself dining with his present condition, he would have thrown himself off a bridge and died. You can’t find out the truth about yourself until you come across your own self on the street, and then you observe yourself at a distance to decide what condition you are in.”
From 'Of Buns and Howls' by Adam Reta
"To him, dead people were cool, because dead people couldn’t kill you."
Have you read 'Addis Ababa Noir'? What do you think about it? Have you read other books in this noir series?
October 6, 2020
My first venture into the Akashic Noir series, and initially an observation that few, if any, of these stories are ‘noir’. They have violence and suffering in common, and in most, the horrific spectre of the Red Terror.
The collection’s strength is that it provides an insight into sections of Ethiopian history that I knew little about. It’s weakness is that there is more inconsistency in the standard of the stories than one might expect in a collection.
Stand-out are, Dust, Ash and Flight, and Father Bread. The former centres around a team of Argentinian experts (tragically..) searching for the bones of the ‘disappeared’. The latter, a clever fantasy of the survival of orphaned children as nearby hyenas cavort.
Re Akashic books.. I’ve read Manrique’s Like This Afternoon Forever, about two Colombian priests who fall in love; the first third is very good. I may read more from the Noir series, which is huge, aware that they are most likely collections of literary fiction. Countries that I have hardly read anything from interest me. Any recommendations?
The collection’s strength is that it provides an insight into sections of Ethiopian history that I knew little about. It’s weakness is that there is more inconsistency in the standard of the stories than one might expect in a collection.
Stand-out are, Dust, Ash and Flight, and Father Bread. The former centres around a team of Argentinian experts (tragically..) searching for the bones of the ‘disappeared’. The latter, a clever fantasy of the survival of orphaned children as nearby hyenas cavort.
Re Akashic books.. I’ve read Manrique’s Like This Afternoon Forever, about two Colombian priests who fall in love; the first third is very good. I may read more from the Noir series, which is huge, aware that they are most likely collections of literary fiction. Countries that I have hardly read anything from interest me. Any recommendations?
August 4, 2021
Short stories to transport the reader to ADDIS ABABA
Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, first launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city.
“These are not gentle stories” says Maaz Mengiste, who curated these stories written by a variety of different authors. In Ethiopia there are over 80 languages and 200 plus dialects, which reflect its rich history and diversity.
“The authors in this anthology extend a hand to you. Let them lead you down their streets and alleyways, into their characters’ homes and schools, and show you all the hidden corners, the secrets, and the lapsed realities that hover just above Addis that everyone else sees“. The military presence in the city is picked up in several stories
Ostrich is the story of a 6 year old child managing her sighting and subsequent horror of what turns out to be a dead body, spotted when she is accompanying her mother in a car driving down one of the main arteries in Addis. Her mother points out the ostriches lurking around in small clusters along the side of the road and tries to distract her from her consuming thoughts; she struggles with having seen the body and is upset by the fractious nature of her parents’ relationship.
A double-Edge Inheritance tells the story of a love affair with with consequences – it is sprinkled with local words, like ‘Yerkirta’ ‘ehitey’ ‘gabis’ and it would have been really useful to discover their meaning. In Father Bread a young boy is offered up for adoption and the American couple pay handsomely for the privilege, organised by a man – Abba Dabo – who is overriding the wishes of the child. Under the Minibus Ceiling brings to life a huddle of humanity, as the weyala collects the fares and a young man endeavours to chat up a woman.
Overall, this is a wonderful introduction – dark and creative, of course, at times – to this sprawling city of three million plus inhabitants, a real melting pot of cultures,
There is a nice chapter at the end detailing more about the contributors.
Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, first launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city.
“These are not gentle stories” says Maaz Mengiste, who curated these stories written by a variety of different authors. In Ethiopia there are over 80 languages and 200 plus dialects, which reflect its rich history and diversity.
“The authors in this anthology extend a hand to you. Let them lead you down their streets and alleyways, into their characters’ homes and schools, and show you all the hidden corners, the secrets, and the lapsed realities that hover just above Addis that everyone else sees“. The military presence in the city is picked up in several stories
Ostrich is the story of a 6 year old child managing her sighting and subsequent horror of what turns out to be a dead body, spotted when she is accompanying her mother in a car driving down one of the main arteries in Addis. Her mother points out the ostriches lurking around in small clusters along the side of the road and tries to distract her from her consuming thoughts; she struggles with having seen the body and is upset by the fractious nature of her parents’ relationship.
A double-Edge Inheritance tells the story of a love affair with with consequences – it is sprinkled with local words, like ‘Yerkirta’ ‘ehitey’ ‘gabis’ and it would have been really useful to discover their meaning. In Father Bread a young boy is offered up for adoption and the American couple pay handsomely for the privilege, organised by a man – Abba Dabo – who is overriding the wishes of the child. Under the Minibus Ceiling brings to life a huddle of humanity, as the weyala collects the fares and a young man endeavours to chat up a woman.
Overall, this is a wonderful introduction – dark and creative, of course, at times – to this sprawling city of three million plus inhabitants, a real melting pot of cultures,
There is a nice chapter at the end detailing more about the contributors.
January 23, 2021
A haunting short story collection that dives into the underbelly of the city, summoning all that exists in the darkness, from state violence to the cruelty of family. It's a powerful catalogue of the ways in which human beings become twisted under the weight of repression. The stories are sometimes uneven in weight but the discovery of Akashic' noir series more than made up for it.
August 17, 2021
I wish I could recommend this, based on my love of Africa and support of its creative class. However, there are way too many absolute stinkers in this collection to make it worthwhile.
August 9, 2020
Reading the fourteen original stories in Addis Ababa Noir took me to a place I know little about and allowed me to experience different parts of the city through the imaginations of the authors. The book is published in the Akashic Noir series, and betrayal, violence, and death are everywhere. The specter of the Ethiopian Red Terror looms large as well.
The book is divided into four sections: Past Hauntings, Translations of Grief, Madness Descends, and Police and Thieves. While I enjoyed all of the stories, four in particular will stay with me. "A Double Edged Inheritance" by Hannah Giorgis and "Ostrich" by Rebecca Fisseha tell the stories of women living abroad who return to Ethiopia with questions whose answers entangle their own histories with that of their country. Dread sidles up to the reader at the beginning of Solomon Hailemariam's "None of Your Business" and lingers beyond the final words. And the characters in editor Maaza Mengiste's own contribution, "Dust, Ash, Flight," put themselves through a hell that rips the scabs off of their emotional wounds while even as it lets them hold onto the hope of resolution and maybe even redemption.
My enjoyment of Addis Ababa Noir is a great incentive to read more of many of these authors. Thanks to LibraryThing for the advanced reading copy.
The book is divided into four sections: Past Hauntings, Translations of Grief, Madness Descends, and Police and Thieves. While I enjoyed all of the stories, four in particular will stay with me. "A Double Edged Inheritance" by Hannah Giorgis and "Ostrich" by Rebecca Fisseha tell the stories of women living abroad who return to Ethiopia with questions whose answers entangle their own histories with that of their country. Dread sidles up to the reader at the beginning of Solomon Hailemariam's "None of Your Business" and lingers beyond the final words. And the characters in editor Maaza Mengiste's own contribution, "Dust, Ash, Flight," put themselves through a hell that rips the scabs off of their emotional wounds while even as it lets them hold onto the hope of resolution and maybe even redemption.
My enjoyment of Addis Ababa Noir is a great incentive to read more of many of these authors. Thanks to LibraryThing for the advanced reading copy.
October 24, 2020
Addis Ababa Noir is another edition of the fantastic Akashic Noir collection of anthologies. There are fourteen short stories, though few are what I would normally think of as noir. Maaza Mengiste is a literary writer and most of the stories in this anthology fit more comfortably into literary fiction than noir. Perhaps when the violence of the Derg, war with Eritrea, and ethnic violence remains in living memory, life itself may be noir.
The first and final stories seem to enfold the others, both stories of remaining through the Derg (a brutal military junta that overthrew Haile Selassie) or fleeing into the diaspora. “Kind Stranger” by Meron Hadero is a confessional story told by a stranger to a man returning for a short visit. The confessor recounts his love for a student whom he betrayed to the Derg decades ago and his encounter with her recently. The final story, “Agony of the Congested Heart” by Teferi Nigussie Tafa is narrated by a man in the diaspora, telling the story of his friendship with another man going back to their college years and time in the resistance.
Magical realism runs through this anthology. People turn into hyenas. A bun flies through a city and to another country. Ghosts narrate their deaths. Death haunts Addis Ababa. The editor’s story, “Dust, Ash, Flight” tells the story of a photographer on an international effort to recover and identify the dead in mass graves. “The Ostrich” tells of a woman haunted by a spot on the road where she saw a dead man. The stories are infused with magic.
Addis Ababa Noir was a disappointment for me. It didn’t really feel like noir despite the grim nature of stories. Some of this may be my own failing to appreciate a different literary aesthetic, but for me, too many of the stories seemed unresolved. They just ended. I realize this is a cultural failing on my part to just accept that the idea of story may be very different and what feels unresolved to me may be exactly what is valued there. The stories do create a strong sense of place. Characters are mostly complex and intriguing. There is a lot to like, but my expectations of the Noir series are high.
I received an e-galley of Addis Ababa Noir from the publisher through Edelweiss.
Addis Ababa Noir at Akashic Books
Maaza Mengiste author site
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
August 24, 2020
Addis Ababa is the capital of Ethiopia. I can't say after having read this book that there are any great writing talents there.
October 17, 2020
These stories dealt with pain, nationhood, rebellion, and the never-ending fight for selfhood and country.
What I appreciate most about the Noir series is how vividly each author depicts their character, the struggle, the grit, darkness and disquieting atmosphere that comes alive in the collection. The stamp of each city, town, or community is felt in the identity and molding of each character.
It is almost impossible to separate the person from their origins, as their experiences are inexplicably tied to where they are from, what and how they have lived, who and what they return to.
These are stories that explore identity with respect to family, self and sexuality, cultural practices; and the suppression, oppression, and disappearance of freedom (of thought, voice, expression). We get to know our characters through memories, word of mouth, and their unique experiences: the boy who feels grief through colours, or the child who learns of the existence of a creature of lore.
As with all anthologies, there are some stories that hit harder than others, but each carries the unique mark of its author and of the region of Addis Ababa where it takes place.
What I appreciate most about the Noir series is how vividly each author depicts their character, the struggle, the grit, darkness and disquieting atmosphere that comes alive in the collection. The stamp of each city, town, or community is felt in the identity and molding of each character.
It is almost impossible to separate the person from their origins, as their experiences are inexplicably tied to where they are from, what and how they have lived, who and what they return to.
These are stories that explore identity with respect to family, self and sexuality, cultural practices; and the suppression, oppression, and disappearance of freedom (of thought, voice, expression). We get to know our characters through memories, word of mouth, and their unique experiences: the boy who feels grief through colours, or the child who learns of the existence of a creature of lore.
As with all anthologies, there are some stories that hit harder than others, but each carries the unique mark of its author and of the region of Addis Ababa where it takes place.
July 9, 2021
Akashic Books has been focusing on Africa recently in their Akashic Noir series, and they have produced some enthralling collections. Addis Ababa Noir is no exception. The editor, Maaza Mengiste, is excellent, and an exceptional novelist in her own right. She’s confessed that she worked harder and longer on this collection than she’d expected, and the result gives testimony to that as well as to the quality of the diverse writers.
In her introduction, Mengiste illustrates the spread of the stories against the sweeping history of Ethiopia that goes back to biblical times. She sums it up this way:
“What marks life in Addis Ababa, still, are those starkly different realities coexisting in one place. It’s a growing city taking shape beneath the fraught weight of history, myth, and memory. It’s a heady mix. It can also be disorientating, and it is in this space that the stories of Addis Ababa Noir reside.”
The collection is divided into four sections, loosely based on the themes of the stories. The first section, Past Hauntings, contains some stunners. Mengiste’s own story, “Of Dust and Ash,” revolves around a forensic team from Argentina coming to Ethiopia to collect evidence for the trials of the perpetrators of the red terror that followed the revolution. The forensic team is based on fact, as is the team’s photographer, who was held in Argentina during their own terror and forced to photograph the prisoners on their way to their varied deaths. Mengiste asks what it does to people to exhume skeletons buried in unmarked graves under the eyes of grieving relatives who will never know the answers they seek.
“Ostrich” by Rebecca Fisseha, who was Quill & Quire magazine’s breakout debut author last year, also reaches back into the past. A young girl experiences the growing violence and turmoil as her mother takes her past the palace. She is terrified of the ostriches, but one day her fear is forgotten when she sees a dead body lying at the edge of the road. That haunts her, and when she returns as an adult many years later, the ostriches are gone but the ghost remains in her mind, leading to a painful conclusion.
Then there’s Meron Hadero’s “Kind Stranger,” the tale of a love lost and destroyed. An old man confesses his past to a kind stranger.
The second section, Translations of Grief, starts with Mikael Awake’s memorable “Father Bread.” This story builds folklore into the life of a young boy orphaned by a horrible attack and taken in by a kindly man who gives bread to the homeless children. But menace builds throughout, and when it strikes, it strikes hard.
Mahtem Shiferraw has a striking piece, “The Blue Shadow,” around a protagonist who paints her emotions in colors on her surroundings. As a visual artist as well as a writer, Shiferraw brings it off with this tale of betrayal.
“A Night in Bela Sefer” revolves around infatuation and sex. That’s clear from the first paragraph, but it’s nothing like what we expect, and it doesn’t end well. Sulaiman Addonia, an acclaimed novelist collecting prize nominations, has a wry smile at our expense here.
In the third part, Madness Descends, the authors start to explore noir concepts that may be generated by the protagonists’ minds. Or maybe not. Lelissa Girma’s character has the ultimate insomnia. He never sleeps. The story reveals why, and where it inevitably leads.
Girma Fantaye’s “Of the Poet and the Café” explores the case of a man who believes the world has changed overnight—a small change that removes the café where he made and lost his reputation as a poet. Painfully, he discovers that the small physical change parallels the emotional one.
“Of Buns and Howls” by Adam Reta follows the travels of a traditional bun from Ethiopia to South Africa, dragging the characters along with it. It can’t be described. You have to read it.
The final part, Police and Thieves, promises to be more traditional. The first story, “Kebele ID,” by Linda Yohannes is about as close as it gets. Money is stolen. Then stolen again. Its owner and the police want it back. But there’s a twist in the tail.
“None of Your Business” by Solomon Hailemariam is about why it’s not just the thieves who fear the police, and the final story “Agony of the Congested Heart” by Taferi Tafa revolves around ideals gained and then painfully lost.
These and the rest of the 14 stories in the collection give one a snapshot of Ethiopian writers, new and established, and of what they can do. It makes one scramble for more of their work. Mengiste and Akashic have done us a service by putting together this intriguing collection.
In her introduction, Mengiste illustrates the spread of the stories against the sweeping history of Ethiopia that goes back to biblical times. She sums it up this way:
“What marks life in Addis Ababa, still, are those starkly different realities coexisting in one place. It’s a growing city taking shape beneath the fraught weight of history, myth, and memory. It’s a heady mix. It can also be disorientating, and it is in this space that the stories of Addis Ababa Noir reside.”
The collection is divided into four sections, loosely based on the themes of the stories. The first section, Past Hauntings, contains some stunners. Mengiste’s own story, “Of Dust and Ash,” revolves around a forensic team from Argentina coming to Ethiopia to collect evidence for the trials of the perpetrators of the red terror that followed the revolution. The forensic team is based on fact, as is the team’s photographer, who was held in Argentina during their own terror and forced to photograph the prisoners on their way to their varied deaths. Mengiste asks what it does to people to exhume skeletons buried in unmarked graves under the eyes of grieving relatives who will never know the answers they seek.
“Ostrich” by Rebecca Fisseha, who was Quill & Quire magazine’s breakout debut author last year, also reaches back into the past. A young girl experiences the growing violence and turmoil as her mother takes her past the palace. She is terrified of the ostriches, but one day her fear is forgotten when she sees a dead body lying at the edge of the road. That haunts her, and when she returns as an adult many years later, the ostriches are gone but the ghost remains in her mind, leading to a painful conclusion.
Then there’s Meron Hadero’s “Kind Stranger,” the tale of a love lost and destroyed. An old man confesses his past to a kind stranger.
The second section, Translations of Grief, starts with Mikael Awake’s memorable “Father Bread.” This story builds folklore into the life of a young boy orphaned by a horrible attack and taken in by a kindly man who gives bread to the homeless children. But menace builds throughout, and when it strikes, it strikes hard.
Mahtem Shiferraw has a striking piece, “The Blue Shadow,” around a protagonist who paints her emotions in colors on her surroundings. As a visual artist as well as a writer, Shiferraw brings it off with this tale of betrayal.
“A Night in Bela Sefer” revolves around infatuation and sex. That’s clear from the first paragraph, but it’s nothing like what we expect, and it doesn’t end well. Sulaiman Addonia, an acclaimed novelist collecting prize nominations, has a wry smile at our expense here.
In the third part, Madness Descends, the authors start to explore noir concepts that may be generated by the protagonists’ minds. Or maybe not. Lelissa Girma’s character has the ultimate insomnia. He never sleeps. The story reveals why, and where it inevitably leads.
Girma Fantaye’s “Of the Poet and the Café” explores the case of a man who believes the world has changed overnight—a small change that removes the café where he made and lost his reputation as a poet. Painfully, he discovers that the small physical change parallels the emotional one.
“Of Buns and Howls” by Adam Reta follows the travels of a traditional bun from Ethiopia to South Africa, dragging the characters along with it. It can’t be described. You have to read it.
The final part, Police and Thieves, promises to be more traditional. The first story, “Kebele ID,” by Linda Yohannes is about as close as it gets. Money is stolen. Then stolen again. Its owner and the police want it back. But there’s a twist in the tail.
“None of Your Business” by Solomon Hailemariam is about why it’s not just the thieves who fear the police, and the final story “Agony of the Congested Heart” by Taferi Tafa revolves around ideals gained and then painfully lost.
These and the rest of the 14 stories in the collection give one a snapshot of Ethiopian writers, new and established, and of what they can do. It makes one scramble for more of their work. Mengiste and Akashic have done us a service by putting together this intriguing collection.
September 11, 2020
Read my full review here: http://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot.c...
We have always rented our small basement apartment to graduate students, and it was our great good fortune to have Samson and his wife Nofkote as renters for two years. Samson had come to Western Michigan University from Addis Ababa to pursue a Master’s Degree. During the civil war, Nofkote had fled to the United States from Ethiopia with her family while Samson’s family had retreated to a rural area of Ethiopia. Both were members of the same tribe—a tribe that had fallen out of favor during the civil war. Both fathers had been government officials. Samson’s father became a carpenter and Nofkote’s father drove a taxi in Washington DC.
I learned so much from them. After graduation, they moved back to the DC area, where there is a very large Ethiopian community. Four years ago we were invited to Samson’s sister’s wedding in Detroit. We met Ethiopian doctors, lawyers, and professors, all of whom had come to the United States from Addis Ababa during the diaspora. It was an extraordinary experience to meet them and to hear their harrowing stories.
So, it was with this background, I absorbed the stories in Addis Ababa Noir. The stories are beautifully written and express the highs and lows of this incredible city—a city that has suffered greatly and a people that have suffered along with their city. Some of the authors have moved to other parts of the world and write about the Addis Ababa of their memory, either before or during the Red Terror. Some of the authors live there today. All have so much to tell us.
Like most of the Akashic Noir series, the fourteen stories in the collection run the gamut of the genre. Few can be called pure Noir, but all are haunting and describe a longing for better days and more peaceful times. I was particularly taken by the story of a young woman who returns to the city to bury a beloved aunt, only to find her previously unknown father and some startling details about her mother’s death. Another remarkable story concerns a small child who daily watches the ostriches as they wander the palace yard, but then one day she is sure she sees a dead body on the sidewalk in front of the palace, right by the bump in the road. In another, an old man tells a stranger a story about a woman he saw on the street. He was sure she was the girl he had known in school and fallen in love with. And then, tragedy strikes.
Knowing what I already knew about the Ethiopian diaspora, the stories held a unique fascination for me. Maaza Mengiste, the editor, says in the introduction, “What marks life in Addis Ababa are the starkly different realities coexisting in one place. It's a growing city taking shape beneath the fraught weight of history, myth, and memory. It is a heady mix. It can also be disorienting, and it is in this space that the stories of Addis Ababa Noir reside.”
These are the stories of a people, who have faced disaster head on and have arisen tough and resilient. Adddis Ababa Noir is as remarkable a collection as the people who populate it.
We have always rented our small basement apartment to graduate students, and it was our great good fortune to have Samson and his wife Nofkote as renters for two years. Samson had come to Western Michigan University from Addis Ababa to pursue a Master’s Degree. During the civil war, Nofkote had fled to the United States from Ethiopia with her family while Samson’s family had retreated to a rural area of Ethiopia. Both were members of the same tribe—a tribe that had fallen out of favor during the civil war. Both fathers had been government officials. Samson’s father became a carpenter and Nofkote’s father drove a taxi in Washington DC.
I learned so much from them. After graduation, they moved back to the DC area, where there is a very large Ethiopian community. Four years ago we were invited to Samson’s sister’s wedding in Detroit. We met Ethiopian doctors, lawyers, and professors, all of whom had come to the United States from Addis Ababa during the diaspora. It was an extraordinary experience to meet them and to hear their harrowing stories.
So, it was with this background, I absorbed the stories in Addis Ababa Noir. The stories are beautifully written and express the highs and lows of this incredible city—a city that has suffered greatly and a people that have suffered along with their city. Some of the authors have moved to other parts of the world and write about the Addis Ababa of their memory, either before or during the Red Terror. Some of the authors live there today. All have so much to tell us.
Like most of the Akashic Noir series, the fourteen stories in the collection run the gamut of the genre. Few can be called pure Noir, but all are haunting and describe a longing for better days and more peaceful times. I was particularly taken by the story of a young woman who returns to the city to bury a beloved aunt, only to find her previously unknown father and some startling details about her mother’s death. Another remarkable story concerns a small child who daily watches the ostriches as they wander the palace yard, but then one day she is sure she sees a dead body on the sidewalk in front of the palace, right by the bump in the road. In another, an old man tells a stranger a story about a woman he saw on the street. He was sure she was the girl he had known in school and fallen in love with. And then, tragedy strikes.
Knowing what I already knew about the Ethiopian diaspora, the stories held a unique fascination for me. Maaza Mengiste, the editor, says in the introduction, “What marks life in Addis Ababa are the starkly different realities coexisting in one place. It's a growing city taking shape beneath the fraught weight of history, myth, and memory. It is a heady mix. It can also be disorienting, and it is in this space that the stories of Addis Ababa Noir reside.”
These are the stories of a people, who have faced disaster head on and have arisen tough and resilient. Adddis Ababa Noir is as remarkable a collection as the people who populate it.
August 6, 2020
I received a copy of this book courtesy of LibraryThing Early Reviewers (giveaway) and the publisher.
This is not a collection of noir. It is a collection of literary fiction. As such, I feel I can't really give an opinion on the quality of this work - I don't like literary fiction; I much prefer for stories to have a point, or at the very least an actual ending. So many of these stories felt like vignettes or allegories, and that's not exactly what I was expecting.
I'd personally only classify 2 of the 14 stories as noir: "A Double-Edged Inheritance" by Hannah Giorgis and "Insomnia" by Lelissa Girma.
There is plenty of gorgeous prose on offer. I especially loved the evocation of color in "The Blue Shadow." Unfortunately, even those stories that felt like they were going somewhere would either ramble off into nothingness or end abruptly, leaving me to wonder what exactly was the point? Some of them lacked internal logic, which drove me batty. Until I made it to Section 4, I had a strong feeling of exclusion: I don't have a lot of knowledge about Ethiopia in general, or the historical, cultural, or social complexities of the region, and I didn't get a lot of help from the context of these stories. I don't need or want an info dump or authorial hand-holding, but a hint of what was important and/or meaningful would've been appreciated. Mercifully, the last section was the exception: if you're going to read this collection, and, like me, you have a paucity of knowledge, I'd suggest starting there - the other stories will make more sense.
I've purchased other books in the Akashic Noir line, so I'm hoping that this experience will be the exception rather than the rule. I'm looking for noir, not merely dark/depressing/miserable stories. I'm far more familiar with the locations of the other books, and maybe that will help as well.
This is not a collection of noir. It is a collection of literary fiction. As such, I feel I can't really give an opinion on the quality of this work - I don't like literary fiction; I much prefer for stories to have a point, or at the very least an actual ending. So many of these stories felt like vignettes or allegories, and that's not exactly what I was expecting.
I'd personally only classify 2 of the 14 stories as noir: "A Double-Edged Inheritance" by Hannah Giorgis and "Insomnia" by Lelissa Girma.
There is plenty of gorgeous prose on offer. I especially loved the evocation of color in "The Blue Shadow." Unfortunately, even those stories that felt like they were going somewhere would either ramble off into nothingness or end abruptly, leaving me to wonder what exactly was the point? Some of them lacked internal logic, which drove me batty. Until I made it to Section 4, I had a strong feeling of exclusion: I don't have a lot of knowledge about Ethiopia in general, or the historical, cultural, or social complexities of the region, and I didn't get a lot of help from the context of these stories. I don't need or want an info dump or authorial hand-holding, but a hint of what was important and/or meaningful would've been appreciated. Mercifully, the last section was the exception: if you're going to read this collection, and, like me, you have a paucity of knowledge, I'd suggest starting there - the other stories will make more sense.
I've purchased other books in the Akashic Noir line, so I'm hoping that this experience will be the exception rather than the rule. I'm looking for noir, not merely dark/depressing/miserable stories. I'm far more familiar with the locations of the other books, and maybe that will help as well.
October 27, 2020
I know the series name is the hook here, but I would not call these stories "noir". Yes, they all take place in Addis Ababa, and each is dark in some way, though some are more supernatural than traditionally violent. I wouldn't say good vs evil is undefined either, as most of these are quite clear. But maybe the "noir" genre is undergoing a redefinition--possibly defined by this series? My favorite thing about this series of books, though, is being introduced to current writers I am not familiar with.
Anyway. I have never been to Ethiopia or (obviously) Addis Ababa. I cannot speak to the geographical accuracy of these stories. These are all set in and around the city, but I expected more of the city itself feeling like a character. A few gave a taste of the city itself: Fiseha's "Ostrich" did, as a young woman returns to the city she grew up in. Seyoum's "Under the Minibus Ceiling" definitely did. Others, like Giorgis's "A Double-Edged Inheritace" and Hailemariam's "None of Your Business" speak more to life in Ethiopia in general. Fantaye's "Of the Poet and the Cafe" is more in the style of weird fiction, and might have been my favorite (though it can be so hard to pick just one in an anthology).
The included authors are a mix of Ethiopians living in and out of Ethiopia. Two of the stories (by Fantaye and Seyoum) are translated (presumably from Amharic, though the book does not say).
————
Thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers and Akashic Books for providing me with a review copy of this book.
Anyway. I have never been to Ethiopia or (obviously) Addis Ababa. I cannot speak to the geographical accuracy of these stories. These are all set in and around the city, but I expected more of the city itself feeling like a character. A few gave a taste of the city itself: Fiseha's "Ostrich" did, as a young woman returns to the city she grew up in. Seyoum's "Under the Minibus Ceiling" definitely did. Others, like Giorgis's "A Double-Edged Inheritace" and Hailemariam's "None of Your Business" speak more to life in Ethiopia in general. Fantaye's "Of the Poet and the Cafe" is more in the style of weird fiction, and might have been my favorite (though it can be so hard to pick just one in an anthology).
The included authors are a mix of Ethiopians living in and out of Ethiopia. Two of the stories (by Fantaye and Seyoum) are translated (presumably from Amharic, though the book does not say).
————
Thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers and Akashic Books for providing me with a review copy of this book.
August 16, 2020
Merriam Webster dictionary defines noir as "crime fiction featuring hard-boiled cynical characters and bleak sleazy settings". By that definition, Addis Ababa Noir fails miserably. Using noir as an adjective, the stories should ones "having a bleak and darkly cynical quality", Addis Ababa Noir does little better.
Many of the stories are sad or hard to read because of the misery presented, but the majority of them either have supernatural elements requiring suspension of disbelief or they are purely focused on the history of Ethopia in the 1970s and 1980s, a period of deep unrest, revolution, regime change, and political corruption.
I'm not sure if these are representative of a specific style of Ethiopian literature, but I also found that the majority of the stories abruptly ended, as though the authors reached their required word count and just walked away from their typewriters. I found the stories disjointed and the overall collection disappointing. This is my least favorite collection from Akashic, which breaks my heart, because I have been looking forward to this for at least 6 months.
Thanks to LibraryThing and Akashic Books for the free copy of the collection in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are entirely my own.
Many of the stories are sad or hard to read because of the misery presented, but the majority of them either have supernatural elements requiring suspension of disbelief or they are purely focused on the history of Ethopia in the 1970s and 1980s, a period of deep unrest, revolution, regime change, and political corruption.
I'm not sure if these are representative of a specific style of Ethiopian literature, but I also found that the majority of the stories abruptly ended, as though the authors reached their required word count and just walked away from their typewriters. I found the stories disjointed and the overall collection disappointing. This is my least favorite collection from Akashic, which breaks my heart, because I have been looking forward to this for at least 6 months.
Thanks to LibraryThing and Akashic Books for the free copy of the collection in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are entirely my own.
February 18, 2021
This is one of those books that you take from it what you want. I found it difficult to develop an over reaching theme. Like other African based Noir in this series, the stories tend to concentrate on the difficulty of everyday life and the effect on the society by continually changing governments with different plans to 'remake' the country.
One of the better stories is about the life of one citizen who is doing well under the current regime and then becomes a pariah under the next one. After another regime change he is rehabilitated but decides to go to Germany to study. When he comes back he is looked at as a traitor by the then current regime.
There are many black market stories and the use and transportation of drugs, and the ensuing problems. More than one story deals with the continuing failure of the old neighborhood protection culture and the rise in prostitution and the rise in married men with mistresses. So I find it hard to pick out a rhythm to the whole book and have given it a wishy-washy rating.
One of the better stories is about the life of one citizen who is doing well under the current regime and then becomes a pariah under the next one. After another regime change he is rehabilitated but decides to go to Germany to study. When he comes back he is looked at as a traitor by the then current regime.
There are many black market stories and the use and transportation of drugs, and the ensuing problems. More than one story deals with the continuing failure of the old neighborhood protection culture and the rise in prostitution and the rise in married men with mistresses. So I find it hard to pick out a rhythm to the whole book and have given it a wishy-washy rating.
March 13, 2021
Please read this book! It’s beautiful and literary, dark and gritty, political and personal. It sweeps its readers to Ethiopia, to orphanages and graves, to maids’ quarters and offices of powerful men. It continues Akashic’s noir-series offerings, showcasing a city (here, the capital of Ethiopia), its neighborhoods, and the longings, fallibility, and aches of its people. The stories range from personal (perhaps even hauntingly familiar) to eerie (remember this review when you come to the hyena in “Father Bread”) to politically charged and painfully throbbing (as in the superlative “Dust, Ash, Flight” by the collection’s editor Maaza Mengiste). The anthology doesn’t last long from a reading-time perspective—you’ll devour it in short order. But, boy, does it linger. Know that when you pick it up, you’re hopping on a ride that’s gonna take you a long way from home ... and last for much longer than the duration of the read itself.
July 30, 2021
This book of short stories was a great introduction to a number of Ethiopian and Ethiopian diaspora writers writing fiction in English. I wasn't sure what "noir" would look or sound like when set in Addis Ababa - turns out all the shades and shapes of darkness in the human soul are fair game, with no particular expectations of tone or style. Most of the stories were interesting and memorable, some really stood out, and a few started strong but ran out of steam at the end. Thanks to Maaza Mengiste for putting together this collection and reminding me how much I enjoy reading short stories.
December 3, 2024
Come travel with me to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Each of the 14 tales in this collection of short stories seems to connect to a small town within the city.
All the tales are dark and filled with death, violence and a sense of magical thinking. Everyone will have their own favorites from this collection and mine was Father Bread, a story of survival and a boy who knows what he wants and what he doesn't.
It is a very interesting collection, although you will be disappointed if you are looking for detective stories. The book reminded me more of a collection of fairy tales I read not too long ago. I enjoyed it!
All the tales are dark and filled with death, violence and a sense of magical thinking. Everyone will have their own favorites from this collection and mine was Father Bread, a story of survival and a boy who knows what he wants and what he doesn't.
It is a very interesting collection, although you will be disappointed if you are looking for detective stories. The book reminded me more of a collection of fairy tales I read not too long ago. I enjoyed it!
July 30, 2025
This is the second in the series I have read. I thought Denver was dark, but the first half of this one is so bleak I had a hard time finishing. The second half is a little lighter, and there's a bit more variety in style than Denver - - and Denver Noir takes a back seat to no one.
Menigste's own contribution alone should be required reading in World Lit classes. But don't read the book just for that.
Menigste's own contribution alone should be required reading in World Lit classes. But don't read the book just for that.
August 17, 2021
First we mourn the grief we bear, and then later we mourn the grief we’ve caused.”...
Out of 14 stories i think, only two moved me. I feel like there wasn't the degree of nihilism that I usually expect from noir stories. But I really enjoyed the glimpses of addis ababan culture so overall it wasn't a total loss
Out of 14 stories i think, only two moved me. I feel like there wasn't the degree of nihilism that I usually expect from noir stories. But I really enjoyed the glimpses of addis ababan culture so overall it wasn't a total loss
September 1, 2020
A treasury of short stories about a country and city that most of us know little about. Good and evil both abound in the world, and these stories illustrate both. Widen your world view and start reading.
May 12, 2021
DNF because I'm reminded noir is depressing and short stories are like punches, so it's like being repeatedly punched by high quality stories. Great noir stories rooted in their setting, by Ethiopian authors.
April 8, 2024
Stand out stories: "Dust, Ash, Bread" by Maaza Mengiste, "Father Bread" by Mikael Awake, "A night in Bela Sefer" by Sulaiman Addonia, "under the minibus ceiling" by Bewketu Seyoum, "Of Buns and Howls" by Adam Reta. And "Agony of a Congested Heart" by Teferi Nigussie Tafa.
We need more of these!!!
We need more of these!!!
December 5, 2025
This review refers to Meron Hadero's 'Kind Stranger':
Told through the POV of a narrator who helps an injured stranger, who then proceeds to trauma-dump his entire life story onto him. LOL. I actually find this scenario so funny, but I digress. At its core, I think the story is really about someone seeking redemption from the guilt and shame of their own betrayal. The whole thing reads like a confessional.
Told through the POV of a narrator who helps an injured stranger, who then proceeds to trauma-dump his entire life story onto him. LOL. I actually find this scenario so funny, but I digress. At its core, I think the story is really about someone seeking redemption from the guilt and shame of their own betrayal. The whole thing reads like a confessional.
Want to read
July 1, 2020Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
August 11, 2020
Tremendously literate stories set in Ethiopia. Mengiste has done an admirable job compiling this collection of short fiction. An amazing set of literature.
August 2, 2022
A good collection of well-crafted (mostly) nostalgic stories that transports the reader back to the life of Ethiopians in the 1980s.
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