الصبي الذي باستطاعته وضع بجعة في رأسه

by John Hunt, سلمى الحافي (Translator)

"أراد أن يشرح أكثر وهما يتناولان فطيرة الخوخ. عندما كانت شوكته تنغمس في البطاطس المهروسة وفي اللحم المفروم، أراد أن يقول إن غرفة النوم تلك عبارة عن سجن وملاذ، وكيف أنه لم يشعر قط أنه أقرب وأبعد عن والده مما كان عليه عندما كان يقرأ له. كيف أنه في بعض الأحيان، عندما تسبب الكلمات والقصص ضحكة مكتومة وابتسامات، يكاد الجسد الذي في السرير يصبح أبًا له. وأحيانًا أخرى، بغض النظر عن كيفية قراءته أو ما يقرؤه، يظل الجسد بلا حراك. إنما كالعادة، لم تسعِفه الكلمات".


"أرعبته ثرثرة الآنسة ديلمونت المنسابة، والطريقة التي ألقت بها الكلمات في مهب الريح وهي تعلم أين ستهبط. كان من المؤكد أنها ستفترض أن كل شخص يمتلك هذه القدرة. دندنَت كلماتها وضحكت في منتصفها ثم تابعت كأن شيئًا لم يحدث. تعمدت وضع العقبات في طريقها حتى تتمكن من القفز فوقها".


"آنَسَه سماع أصوات بهذا البعد، اعترت الكلمات غباشة جعلتها أشبه بالشخصيات البعيدة التي نُغيِّمُها عمدًا. كما كان الضوء مختلفًا بدوره، إذ بدا أكثر انتشارًا ونعومة. وفَّرَت المنحنيات الناعمة ملاذًا من الحافات المتكسِّرة للنيات الحسنة. المصافحة بقوة شديدة، والابتسامات شديدة الصدق، والضغط على الكتف المؤلم جدًّا أو الخفيف جدًّا. ودائمًا ذلك الهراء حول أن الوقت من شأنه أن يشفي كل شيء. ماذا لو أفسح الوقتُ مساحة أكبر للذاكرة؟".


يحاول "فِين" فهم علاقته مع الأماكن والأشخاص من حوله. يعوقه تلعثمه وتأخذه اللغة إلى عوالم تُساعده أحيانًا وتزيد تعقيد حياته أحيانًا أخرى. تضمَّنت أيامه العاديَّة القراءة لوالده المريض وتمشية كلبه وتأدية واجباته المنزلية، حتى قابل رجلًا يعيش في حديقة هضبة "ناجت". يخوض "فين" مع الرجل الذي قال إن اسمه "هيب ثلاثة عشر اثنان" في أحاديث حول الكون والبشر والملائكة، ويحمل الأحاديث معه إلى المدرسة والمنزل. بين الخيال والواقع، يجد "فين" مساحة ليعتني بالبجعة الساكنة في رأسه.

280 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2018

Reviews

[فاطِمة طه · Rating 3 out of 5]

3¾⭐️⭐️⭐️
حتي بعيد الخاتمة كنت سأقيمه بنجمتين فقط.. و لكنه استحق أكثر، ربما كان هناك بعد لحظات الملل و لكن اللغة كانت بديعة، و بالطبع لعبت الترجمة دورًا مؤثرًا في ذلك.
ربما هذا كتاب من أكثر الكتب التي خرجت منها بالعديد من الاقتباسات.
لن أتذكر جل أحداث الكتاب لأنه ليس مركزًا على الأحداث بل شخصية فين فحسب و لكن سأتذكر هذا الكتاب لأنه كان رفيقي في أيام الجامعة .
Neuroendocrine module 2024.
10 june 2024.

[Paige Nick]

Young Phen (Stephen) is growing up in Hilbrow in 1967. His dad is really sick. His mom, gran and uncle are trying to manage the doctors and the meds and survival. Phen reads books to his dad, he also walks his dog, stutters, struggles at school, slips into his imagination to escape his life, and meets Heb Thirteen Two, who is either an angel or a crazy homeless guy who lives in the park.

Literary fiction, with magic realism weaved into it. It feels like the author's childhood may have been sewn into this story; small growing up in Jozi in the 60s moments ring that true.

It's not plotty or quick, more a considered and philosophical coming-of-age tale. With an ending that turns quite magical and etherial.

[Menna Mousa · Rating 2 out of 5]

الرواية فلسفية .. شعرت أنها معقدة بعض الشئ و مملة في أوقات كثيرة
لا أعرف أين الخلل بالضبط ؟ و لكني شعرت أن الترجمة أربكتني قليلا .. ربما أنقصت من جمال الرواية
لم أحبها صراحة بإستثناء آخر ثلاث صفحات فيها

[Lauren Mcgill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book but found it quite disjointed and difficult to slog through

[Salma Yasser · Rating 1 out of 5]

felt like I was being stabbed through the eye with an ice pick

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful book. About death and angels and Hillbrow in the 50's.. just lovely.

[Sarahinidjel · Rating 2 out of 5]

" لم يستطيعوا قول ما يقصدونه قط، كانت ثمة أسرار دائما، واحتوت كلماتهم على أجزاء مخيفة"
رواية فلسفية بامتياز، فلسفة على لسان الطفل فين، صاحب الثمان سنوات بخياله الجامح وذكائه المتقد، كان يطرح فين الأسئلة عن الحياة وعن كل ماحوله داخل سريرته بحيث لا أحد يسمعه، فكلما حاول رفع صوته كان يقف صامتا عاجزا متلعثما، فتضيع كلماته في الهواء!

[Anaïs Jordaan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made me wish I had a father even if he were dying from cancer.

[Andy – And The Plot Thickens · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It was at this point that Phen realised he'd been a fool to think it was all about what people said. It was all about what they DIDN'T say. Words were used to talk AROUND what really mattered. To surround and hide the truth. Grown-ups could claim they weren't lying because they were so good at camouflaging. It was the silence that leaked the truth through."

South Africa. 1967. Eleven-year-old (Ste)phen wanders the streets of Hillbrow, Johannesburg, trying to escape his home life. His father is terminally ill and lies at home, dependent on an oxygen machine. His mother, grandmother and uncle like to downplay what's happening but Phen knows.

Phen is a lonely child, one without friends. His peers at school call him Stuttafords (a former department store in South Africa) because of his stutter. So, he and his dog spend his time away from school, outside, pretending to go on the kinds of adventures Phen reads in books.

But then, Phen meets Heb Thirteen Two in the park. Heb wears pinstriped suit pants, a tie-dye psychedelic top and rope as shoelaces. The man and boy befriend each other, even though Heb speaks in riddles and never seems to answer a question directly. Is Heb just another homeless person? Or does his name mean something more? After all, Hebrews 13:2 says, "Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it." (Note: this is not a religious book).

This is a stunning story about growing up, the power of books, and finding meaning within ourselves. It's written in the magic realism style, which is one of my favourites. I loved it.

[Hjwoodward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not have a kindle edition of this book, I wish it would stop saying so at the top. The whole nostalgic Hillbrow bit was interesting in parts, but I didn't think facts like mentioning Fontana sold chicken and baked goods added to the plot really, it was just a bit of nostalgia shoved in, I felt. I liked Phen's character, and felt sorry for him. I would have liked to not feel such pity for him, but who could not what with his stuttering, his friendlessness and his father dying? I enjoyed the humour, sometimes the book made me laugh aloud. I really enjoyed the sentences from books and trying to identify them. The author's description of the protagonist's mixed emotions when his father asks him to read to him is very well done, as is the boy's reaction to the tape recorder. Good descriptions of the dog and the angel in the park.

[Travice · Rating 4 out of 5]

11 year old Phen lives in a block of flats in Hillbrow Johannesburg 1967. His neighbour is Mrs. Kaplan He asks her "What is that number tattooed on your arm?" She says: " it's the telephone number to hell!'

John Hunt really captures Hillbrow of that time. I loved the references to Fontana...Estoril Book Shop and Casablanca Road House!

[Erica Smythe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was drawn into the story from the very first page to the last. The characters are beautifully crafted and the last three pages of the story will remain with me for a long time.
My book of the year so far.

[Smin · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's something about books written from a child's perspective that make them magical and real at the same time. It was fascinating reading a book based in South Africa during the 1960's with a slightly ethereal twist.

[Kosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

'n Vyfster-juweel.

[imaan · Rating 4 out of 5]

slow, but special

[Fred Reyers]

Working through adversity and developing a mature world view

The descriptions of a tortured child’s view on the everyday events around him are stunning and one has to assume the author was reflecting his own journey or one of someone close to him.
Even to an atheist or agnostic, the religious view that shimmers through is totally credible and inoffensive.

[Elizabeth Espach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprising and beautiful.

[Hiyoowi · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. One of my favourite reads of the year.