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Das Auge des Leoparden
Hauptfigur ist Hans Olofson, dessen Leben in zwei parallel verlaufenden Erzählsträngen geschildert wird. Seine Kindheit und Jugend in der nordschwedischen Provinz verlaufen ebenso banal wie tragisch: Die Mutter hat die Familie vor langer Zeit verlassen, der Vater -- ein ehemaliger Seemann -- schlägt sich als Holzfäller durch und versinkt immer wieder im Alkoholrausch. Hans sucht verzweifelt nach einem Lebensziel, wird mit seiner Orientierungslosigkeit jedoch alleine gelassen.
Seine einzige Freundin ist eine Jahre ältere Frau mit einem entstellten Gesicht. Als sie Selbstmord begeht, beschließt er, ihren Lebenstraum zu erfüllen, nach Afrika zu reisen und auf einer Missionsstation auszuhelfen. Doch die Konfrontation mit dieser ihm völlig fremden Welt erschüttert ihn zutiefst. Nach wenigen Tagen beschließt er, wieder nach Schweden zurückzukehren. Noch ahnt er nicht, dass fast 20 Jahre vergehen werden, bevor er wieder europäischen Boden betreten wird.
Seine einzige Freundin ist eine Jahre ältere Frau mit einem entstellten Gesicht. Als sie Selbstmord begeht, beschließt er, ihren Lebenstraum zu erfüllen, nach Afrika zu reisen und auf einer Missionsstation auszuhelfen. Doch die Konfrontation mit dieser ihm völlig fremden Welt erschüttert ihn zutiefst. Nach wenigen Tagen beschließt er, wieder nach Schweden zurückzukehren. Noch ahnt er nicht, dass fast 20 Jahre vergehen werden, bevor er wieder europäischen Boden betreten wird.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
214 people are currently reading
1118 people want to read
About the author
Henning Mankell
269 books3,800 followersHenning Mankell was an internationally known Swedish crime writer, children's author and playwright. He was best known for his literary character Kurt Wallander.
Mankell split his time between Sweden and Mozambique. He was married to Eva Bergman, Swedish director and daughter of Ingmar Bergman.
Mankell split his time between Sweden and Mozambique. He was married to Eva Bergman, Swedish director and daughter of Ingmar Bergman.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 204 reviews
August 13, 2013
I have never been to Africa.
Yet somehow I feel like as if I have been. Swedish Writer, Henning Mankell took me on a journey to discover that amazing continent, like no other. He showed me the landscape of Africa, more specifically that of Zambia, her people, her culture and customs, corruption and war, problems that were scorching her soul and tearing her apart.
The Eye of the Leopard, Mankell’s book set in his native Sweden and his beloved Africa, where he apparently spent part of his life. This was not the first book I have read by this first rate author, best known for his Inspector Kurt Wallander crime fiction series. I have been a fan of his ever since I stumbled upon The Return of the Dancing Master about ten years ago. I was hooked by his unique story-telling style instantly and permanently.
In the span of a decade, I have hungrily devoured many of this modern literary master’s works, often ordering his new books before they came out. I have read almost all of his non-Wallander books, except his children’s books, and without exception, I enjoyed them all.
Through The Eye of the Leopard, I have fallen deeper in love with his brilliant story-telling, the beauty of his words, the haunting images he created, and the mystery and tension he conveyed through the pages.
This book follows the protagonist Hans Olofson, a Swedish young man born and grown up in the freezing Norrland, abandoned by a mother he never knew and living with his alcoholic father. Mankell expertly weaves a parallel story-line, alternating between his time as a boy growing into a young man in Sweden, and a young man who did not have a purpose in life, drifting and lost, then decided to go to Africa, to fulfill a dream that his girlfriend once had.
"He can recall his departure for Africa like a dim shadow play.
He imagine the memories he bears to be a forest which was once open and clean, but which has become more and more overgrown. He has no tools for clearing the brush and scrub in this landscape. The growth of his memories is constant, the landscape harder and harder to take in."
There are many beautiful, thought-provoking descriptions like the paragraph above throughout the book. As a reader, I was sucked into the internal turmoil of Hans Olofson, his struggles to comprehend his fate, the impossibility of him understanding Africans, even after 18 years in that land, his suffocating fears, and the deep-rooted, pervading misunderstanding and hatred between the Whites and the Blacks.
"Is there anything that can be understood? Isn’t life, which is so difficult to manage, nothing but a series of incomprehensible events lurking behind the corners as one passes? Who can ever deal with the dark impulses hidden inside?"
This is a compelling, wonderfully crafted narrative about human weaknesses and strengths, contrasting cultures between Northern European and Central Africa. It is one man’s adventure into another land, both alien and exciting, his psychological journey into unknown territory.
I highly recommend this book, and in fact, all of Mankell’s books – he is a living literary legend, and a master of Scandinavian crime fiction and Nordic Noir, whose works will continue to inspire and enlighten many generations to come.
- Review originally published on my blog on 18/03/21013 at: http://www.junyingkirk.com/?p=4575#st...
Yet somehow I feel like as if I have been. Swedish Writer, Henning Mankell took me on a journey to discover that amazing continent, like no other. He showed me the landscape of Africa, more specifically that of Zambia, her people, her culture and customs, corruption and war, problems that were scorching her soul and tearing her apart.
The Eye of the Leopard, Mankell’s book set in his native Sweden and his beloved Africa, where he apparently spent part of his life. This was not the first book I have read by this first rate author, best known for his Inspector Kurt Wallander crime fiction series. I have been a fan of his ever since I stumbled upon The Return of the Dancing Master about ten years ago. I was hooked by his unique story-telling style instantly and permanently.
In the span of a decade, I have hungrily devoured many of this modern literary master’s works, often ordering his new books before they came out. I have read almost all of his non-Wallander books, except his children’s books, and without exception, I enjoyed them all.
Through The Eye of the Leopard, I have fallen deeper in love with his brilliant story-telling, the beauty of his words, the haunting images he created, and the mystery and tension he conveyed through the pages.
This book follows the protagonist Hans Olofson, a Swedish young man born and grown up in the freezing Norrland, abandoned by a mother he never knew and living with his alcoholic father. Mankell expertly weaves a parallel story-line, alternating between his time as a boy growing into a young man in Sweden, and a young man who did not have a purpose in life, drifting and lost, then decided to go to Africa, to fulfill a dream that his girlfriend once had.
"He can recall his departure for Africa like a dim shadow play.
He imagine the memories he bears to be a forest which was once open and clean, but which has become more and more overgrown. He has no tools for clearing the brush and scrub in this landscape. The growth of his memories is constant, the landscape harder and harder to take in."
There are many beautiful, thought-provoking descriptions like the paragraph above throughout the book. As a reader, I was sucked into the internal turmoil of Hans Olofson, his struggles to comprehend his fate, the impossibility of him understanding Africans, even after 18 years in that land, his suffocating fears, and the deep-rooted, pervading misunderstanding and hatred between the Whites and the Blacks.
"Is there anything that can be understood? Isn’t life, which is so difficult to manage, nothing but a series of incomprehensible events lurking behind the corners as one passes? Who can ever deal with the dark impulses hidden inside?"
This is a compelling, wonderfully crafted narrative about human weaknesses and strengths, contrasting cultures between Northern European and Central Africa. It is one man’s adventure into another land, both alien and exciting, his psychological journey into unknown territory.
I highly recommend this book, and in fact, all of Mankell’s books – he is a living literary legend, and a master of Scandinavian crime fiction and Nordic Noir, whose works will continue to inspire and enlighten many generations to come.
- Review originally published on my blog on 18/03/21013 at: http://www.junyingkirk.com/?p=4575#st...
November 20, 2011
"The Eye of the Leopard" is the first Henning Mankell book in which his brooding analyses of Sweden, presented in his detective novels, are connected fully to his books set in Africa. Hans Olofson is a young working-class Swede who, almost by chance, shifts himself to Zambia and ends up living there for over 18 years, eventually owning and managing an egg producing operation that supplies the Copperbelt and Lusaka. This could be a novel of the young Swede finding himself, and connecting at a deep emotional level with the African society of which he becomes a part -- as Mankell himself seems to have done in his own life in coming to work with theatre in Maputo, Mozambique. But Hans, instead, is constantly overcome by fear, of a society that he doesn't understand, of people he thinks hate him because of his skin colour and his relative wealth. So after 18 years he leaves, never having truly lived in Zambia, to return to his past in Sweden.
This is a well-written novel, Mankell's characterizations are probing as always, but I was left unconvinced by the story. Having lived in Africa, I cannot believe that a man who spent 18 years in the complexity, beauty and challenges of Zambia would still be dominated by his racial fears of the unknown. This does not sound like Mankell's own life nor like the realities of Zambia for expatriates I have known there.
This is a well-written novel, Mankell's characterizations are probing as always, but I was left unconvinced by the story. Having lived in Africa, I cannot believe that a man who spent 18 years in the complexity, beauty and challenges of Zambia would still be dominated by his racial fears of the unknown. This does not sound like Mankell's own life nor like the realities of Zambia for expatriates I have known there.
May 1, 2013
I spent a year in Zambia, in Kitwe Central Hospital from'75 to '76. I had no real idea of any rumblings of dissatisfaction and ultimate murderous rampages as described in the book. My friends (also docs from Belfast) were in Ndola and I would go on my Suzuki 70cc to see them once in a while. Coming home along that highway in the dark was a bit nerve wracking but purely from maniacal bus drivers, not murderous Natiolalists. If you want to know why President Kaunda always had a big white handkerchief clutched in his hand, you have to read this book! This was no travelogue. This was dark and ultimately hopeless. An uncomfortable read highlighting the frustrations of post independent Zambians. Nobody seems to benefit .....apart from the kleptocrats and, of course, the perfidious offshore bank.
May 13, 2021
Und wieder konnte ich einen echten Schatz inmitten meines Stapels ungelesener Bücher entdecken. Ich kann mich noch genau daran erinnern, wie dieses Buch vor vielen Jahren zu mir gelangte. Die Stadtbibliothek veranstaltete damals einen ihrer regelmäßigen sogenannten „Bücherbummel“, wo man ausrangierte und gespendete Bücher für ganz kleines Geld erwerben konnte. Dort war ich gemeinsam mit meiner Mutter unterwegs, die dieses Buch aus dem riesigen Bücherangebot fischte und mir wärmstens ans Herz legte. Tatsächlich nahm ich es mit leichtem Widerwillen mit, denn Henning Mankell war meines Wissens nach ein Krimi-Autor und Krimis lese ich einfach nicht so gerne. Aber mit dem Hinweis, dass „Das Auge des Leoparden“ eines seiner hervorragenden Afrika-Bücher und keineswegs ein Krimi sei, hatte sie mich doch noch überzeugen können. Allerdings war es das dann auch erstmal, denn das Buch wurde bestimmt 10 Jahre gut in meinem Bücherregal abgelagert, bevor ich es wieder zur Hand nahm – als einen Kandidaten für meine BUCHweltreise, der mich nach Sambia führen sollte.
Doch zunächst nimmt dieser Roman mit nach Schweden zu Hans Olofson, der 1969 eigentlich nur eine kurze Reise nach Afrika machen wollte, dann aber neunzehn Jahre dort blieb. Statt in Uppsala sein Jurastudium zu beenden, übernimmt er in Lusaka die Hühnerfarm einer weißen Engländerin, deren Mann im Busch verschollen ist. Dabei verfolgt er ehrgeizige Reformpläne: Er will neue Häuser für die Schwarzen bauen, ihnen höhere Löhne bezahlen und ihren Kindern eine Schule einrichten. Doch bald mehren sich die Zeichen, dass sich die Zustände wohl nicht so rasch in seinem Sinne ändern lassen. Seine weißen Nachbarn werden massakriert, sein Schäferhund brutal getötet. Und der Mann, den er für seinen einzigen schwarzen Freund hält, rät ihm, für immer wegzugehen.
Schon als Kind träumte Henning Mankell davon, den Afrikanischen Kontinent zu bereisen, 1972 erfüllte er sich erstmals diesen Wunsch und fand in Afrika seine wahre Heimat. Abwechselnd lebte er in seinem Heimatland Schweden und seiner Wahlheimat Afrika. Erstmals erschien dieser Roman 1990 in Schweden und es ist 1988 als der Protagonist dabei ist, Sambia wieder zu verlassen. Viel Zeit ist seit dem vergangen und doch hatte ich beim Lesen nicht den Eindruck, ein in die Jahre gekommenes Buch in Händen zu halten. Gelegentlich fragte ich mich beim Lesen überrascht und wohl auch ein wenig schockiert, ob manches nicht vielleicht zu rassistisch geschildert und vielleicht sogar diskriminierend sein könnte.
Doch tatsächlich bin ich es einfach nicht gewöhnt, manches in dieser Deutlichkeit ausformuliert zu lesen. Mit fortschreitendem Lesen habe ich jedoch immer mehr die feine Beobachtungsgabe des Autors schätzen gelernt, dem es gelingt das Dilemma der Kolonialisierung und der späteren Ent-Kolonialisierung – Sambia wurde 1964 vom Vereinigten Königreich unabhängig – zu schildern. Die Denkweise der Schwarzen und der Weißen wird nicht als gut oder schlecht, besser oder schlechter beurteilt. Doch die Andersartigkeit und in manchen Punkten auch die Unvereinbarkeit in diesem Land wird deutlich, unabhängig davon, ob Gutes oder Schlechtes im Schilde geführt wird und welche Beweggründe hinter dem Handeln auch stecken mögen.
„Aber der schwarze Kontinent als Ganzes wird immer ungreifbarer, je mehr er zu verstehen glaubt. Er spürt, dass Afrika im Grunde kein Ganzes ist, jedenfalls nichts, was er mit seinen angestammten Vorstellungen begreifen oder sich zu eigen machen könnte. Hier gibt es keine einfachen Losungsworte. Hier sprechen hölzerne Götter und Ahnen ebenso deutlich wie die Lebenden. Die Wahrheit der Europäer verliert in der Savanne ihre Gültigkeit.“ (S. 185)
Insgesamt ein großartiger Roman, der viel Stoff zum Nachdenken bietet und auch den ein oder anderen Denkanstoß für unsere heutige Zeit mitbringt. Mit der auktorialen Erzählweise konnte ich mich anfangs nicht so recht anfreunden und auch der Protagonist ist niemand, der einem auf Anhieb sympathisch ist. Dennoch schafft es Mankell, dass man mit der verkorksten Figur mit fiebert und dessen Angst und Einsamkeit, aber auch Ziel- und Haltlosigkeit beim Lesen eindringlich spüren kann. „Das Auge des Leoparden“ ist mein erstes, wird aber sicherlich nicht das letzte Afrika-Buch bleiben, das ich von diesem Autor gelesen habe.
Doch zunächst nimmt dieser Roman mit nach Schweden zu Hans Olofson, der 1969 eigentlich nur eine kurze Reise nach Afrika machen wollte, dann aber neunzehn Jahre dort blieb. Statt in Uppsala sein Jurastudium zu beenden, übernimmt er in Lusaka die Hühnerfarm einer weißen Engländerin, deren Mann im Busch verschollen ist. Dabei verfolgt er ehrgeizige Reformpläne: Er will neue Häuser für die Schwarzen bauen, ihnen höhere Löhne bezahlen und ihren Kindern eine Schule einrichten. Doch bald mehren sich die Zeichen, dass sich die Zustände wohl nicht so rasch in seinem Sinne ändern lassen. Seine weißen Nachbarn werden massakriert, sein Schäferhund brutal getötet. Und der Mann, den er für seinen einzigen schwarzen Freund hält, rät ihm, für immer wegzugehen.
Schon als Kind träumte Henning Mankell davon, den Afrikanischen Kontinent zu bereisen, 1972 erfüllte er sich erstmals diesen Wunsch und fand in Afrika seine wahre Heimat. Abwechselnd lebte er in seinem Heimatland Schweden und seiner Wahlheimat Afrika. Erstmals erschien dieser Roman 1990 in Schweden und es ist 1988 als der Protagonist dabei ist, Sambia wieder zu verlassen. Viel Zeit ist seit dem vergangen und doch hatte ich beim Lesen nicht den Eindruck, ein in die Jahre gekommenes Buch in Händen zu halten. Gelegentlich fragte ich mich beim Lesen überrascht und wohl auch ein wenig schockiert, ob manches nicht vielleicht zu rassistisch geschildert und vielleicht sogar diskriminierend sein könnte.
Doch tatsächlich bin ich es einfach nicht gewöhnt, manches in dieser Deutlichkeit ausformuliert zu lesen. Mit fortschreitendem Lesen habe ich jedoch immer mehr die feine Beobachtungsgabe des Autors schätzen gelernt, dem es gelingt das Dilemma der Kolonialisierung und der späteren Ent-Kolonialisierung – Sambia wurde 1964 vom Vereinigten Königreich unabhängig – zu schildern. Die Denkweise der Schwarzen und der Weißen wird nicht als gut oder schlecht, besser oder schlechter beurteilt. Doch die Andersartigkeit und in manchen Punkten auch die Unvereinbarkeit in diesem Land wird deutlich, unabhängig davon, ob Gutes oder Schlechtes im Schilde geführt wird und welche Beweggründe hinter dem Handeln auch stecken mögen.
„Aber der schwarze Kontinent als Ganzes wird immer ungreifbarer, je mehr er zu verstehen glaubt. Er spürt, dass Afrika im Grunde kein Ganzes ist, jedenfalls nichts, was er mit seinen angestammten Vorstellungen begreifen oder sich zu eigen machen könnte. Hier gibt es keine einfachen Losungsworte. Hier sprechen hölzerne Götter und Ahnen ebenso deutlich wie die Lebenden. Die Wahrheit der Europäer verliert in der Savanne ihre Gültigkeit.“ (S. 185)
Insgesamt ein großartiger Roman, der viel Stoff zum Nachdenken bietet und auch den ein oder anderen Denkanstoß für unsere heutige Zeit mitbringt. Mit der auktorialen Erzählweise konnte ich mich anfangs nicht so recht anfreunden und auch der Protagonist ist niemand, der einem auf Anhieb sympathisch ist. Dennoch schafft es Mankell, dass man mit der verkorksten Figur mit fiebert und dessen Angst und Einsamkeit, aber auch Ziel- und Haltlosigkeit beim Lesen eindringlich spüren kann. „Das Auge des Leoparden“ ist mein erstes, wird aber sicherlich nicht das letzte Afrika-Buch bleiben, das ich von diesem Autor gelesen habe.
May 18, 2008
The Eye of the Leopard is a book that will stay with you to ponder long after you have read the last page. The life of Hans Olafson, both in Sweden and later in Africa, is one to be envied as well as pitied. Hans lived with his father in Sweden and suffered through his father’s drunken bouts. His good friend Janine he treated with both love and scorn. His best friend leaves him due to an accident that haunts Hans. His decision to leave Sweden and follow the goal of his friend Janine in Africa was made without a lot of thought but the months in Africa turned into years.
Hans meets a white couple when he arrives in Africa and through this couple he meets a woman who is running an egg farm who is need of a manager. Hans agrees but insists that it will only be temporary. His temporary position as manager of the egg farm in Zambia, South Africa eventually leads to his ownership of the farm. He finds himself in charge of 200 workers and at the mercy of the local authorities since he has no permanent legal status in Africa. The efforts that he makes to improve the well being of his workers are for the most part fruitless. He cannot turn an African away from the ways that he grew up with anymore than he can suddenly adopt the African way.
The author describes life in Africa in such a way that you almost feel you are there with Hans, locking the doors every night and listening to the dogs turned lose to guard their owner. As violence breaks out around the area Hans begins to fear for his own life and cannot decide who to trust.
The differences between life in Sweden and life in Africa are startling different and Hans cannot decide where he really belongs. He has women in his life but no lasting love or commitment. He has no family left. His friends begin to disappear. The Eye of the Leopard is a sad book but well worth reading.
Hans meets a white couple when he arrives in Africa and through this couple he meets a woman who is running an egg farm who is need of a manager. Hans agrees but insists that it will only be temporary. His temporary position as manager of the egg farm in Zambia, South Africa eventually leads to his ownership of the farm. He finds himself in charge of 200 workers and at the mercy of the local authorities since he has no permanent legal status in Africa. The efforts that he makes to improve the well being of his workers are for the most part fruitless. He cannot turn an African away from the ways that he grew up with anymore than he can suddenly adopt the African way.
The author describes life in Africa in such a way that you almost feel you are there with Hans, locking the doors every night and listening to the dogs turned lose to guard their owner. As violence breaks out around the area Hans begins to fear for his own life and cannot decide who to trust.
The differences between life in Sweden and life in Africa are startling different and Hans cannot decide where he really belongs. He has women in his life but no lasting love or commitment. He has no family left. His friends begin to disappear. The Eye of the Leopard is a sad book but well worth reading.
December 15, 2020
Eye of the Leopard is the story of a Swedish man. The story is told in parallel, skipping back and forth between his teen years in Sweden and his mid-20s, early 30s as he arrives in Zambia initially for a short visit but ends up staying many years.
I have mixed feelings about this book. It was great to have a book set in Zambia as so few are. It was a fascinating dive into the expat culture here in Africa. Also, there are many gems of insight into what was going on in the 70s and 80s in Zambia, which I appreciated, as well as observations about the interrelation of Zambian residence and whites living in the area.
However, the book was rather bleak and a little disjointed. I have appreciated other Mankell books much more than this one for their engaging narratives. But, it's still worth reading, especially for those in the region.
I have mixed feelings about this book. It was great to have a book set in Zambia as so few are. It was a fascinating dive into the expat culture here in Africa. Also, there are many gems of insight into what was going on in the 70s and 80s in Zambia, which I appreciated, as well as observations about the interrelation of Zambian residence and whites living in the area.
However, the book was rather bleak and a little disjointed. I have appreciated other Mankell books much more than this one for their engaging narratives. But, it's still worth reading, especially for those in the region.
February 4, 2014
A modern-day Joseph Conrad as far as I'm concerned--a masterpiece. I'm surprised he hasn't received an award for this work.
Most of Henning Mankell’s books take place in Sweden and Europe. The Eye of the Leopard, in contrast, is one of the few where most of the action occurs in Africa, a continent that Mankell travelled to frequently and knew well. First published in Sweden in 1990, it wasn’t until 18 years later that the book reached the english reading public.
It’s the story about protagonist Hans Olofson’s struggle to vanquish his own demons of guilt for being responsible for the crippling of his friend and death of his lover by visiting a mission in Zambia that his girlfriend had always talked about and wanted to visit. The action swings back and forth in time during the 1960s ands 70s between Olofson’s small hometown in Sweden and northern Zambia, but the bulk of it occurs in Zambia where Olofson gradually rediscovers himself and in the process rediscovers the changing role of Africa in the world.
In this psycho political thriller Mankell deals beautifully with the issues of modern day post-colonial development in Africa: lofty ambitions coupled with corruption, violence and racism better than any other novel that I’ve read on the topic. I’ve traveled and worked in East Africa during the 1980s and 90s, have watched the region change and fully understand the uncertain future that its small, relatively affluent and well-rooted white settler community now faces under black majority rule. Are they still wanted? Should they stay and continue to contribute to the region’s development? or should they leave?
African readers may find that Mankell’s story paints too negative a picture of independent Africa, filled with high hopes crippled by corruption and reactive racism, but he ends his story on a very positive and hopeful note. Anyone interested in understanding how things work in Africa today should find his story interesting and enlightening.
Most of Henning Mankell’s books take place in Sweden and Europe. The Eye of the Leopard, in contrast, is one of the few where most of the action occurs in Africa, a continent that Mankell travelled to frequently and knew well. First published in Sweden in 1990, it wasn’t until 18 years later that the book reached the english reading public.
It’s the story about protagonist Hans Olofson’s struggle to vanquish his own demons of guilt for being responsible for the crippling of his friend and death of his lover by visiting a mission in Zambia that his girlfriend had always talked about and wanted to visit. The action swings back and forth in time during the 1960s ands 70s between Olofson’s small hometown in Sweden and northern Zambia, but the bulk of it occurs in Zambia where Olofson gradually rediscovers himself and in the process rediscovers the changing role of Africa in the world.
In this psycho political thriller Mankell deals beautifully with the issues of modern day post-colonial development in Africa: lofty ambitions coupled with corruption, violence and racism better than any other novel that I’ve read on the topic. I’ve traveled and worked in East Africa during the 1980s and 90s, have watched the region change and fully understand the uncertain future that its small, relatively affluent and well-rooted white settler community now faces under black majority rule. Are they still wanted? Should they stay and continue to contribute to the region’s development? or should they leave?
African readers may find that Mankell’s story paints too negative a picture of independent Africa, filled with high hopes crippled by corruption and reactive racism, but he ends his story on a very positive and hopeful note. Anyone interested in understanding how things work in Africa today should find his story interesting and enlightening.
January 3, 2016
There's a deep story in this book that unfortunately suffers from the personality, or lack of it, of the central character, Hans Olofson. Additionally the prose is dry, somehow always setting the action at a distance. The exception was the dialogue..it was refreshingly engaging.
The historical elements, the natural environment, the tension of the political drama are all there, but fail to engage through the thoughts and experiences of Hans Olofson. I found him to be an uninteresting pathetically weak person prone to recycling the same internal questions without reaching resolution. For mine, this lack of resolution undermines the power of all that he has experienced that would normally cultivate internal change. If not the trauma of his life in Africa, what then would bring transformation?
So there's an undermining of the whole story for me, leaving a flatness. It could have been so much more.
The historical elements, the natural environment, the tension of the political drama are all there, but fail to engage through the thoughts and experiences of Hans Olofson. I found him to be an uninteresting pathetically weak person prone to recycling the same internal questions without reaching resolution. For mine, this lack of resolution undermines the power of all that he has experienced that would normally cultivate internal change. If not the trauma of his life in Africa, what then would bring transformation?
So there's an undermining of the whole story for me, leaving a flatness. It could have been so much more.
August 7, 2024
M’ha costat un rato acabar-lo, més que res perquè durant gran part el llibre m’ha semblat que no arribava enlloc. El personatge en si no evoluciona, i el llibre acaba presentant una vegada i una altra la mateixa idea d’una Àfrica salvatge, misteriosa i supersticiosa que és invencible als desitjos de modernitat i valors dels europeus que l’havien dominat.
Entre tot hi ha un home que entèn aquest poder, i tot i intentar combatre’l i construïr un nou futur, acaba adonant-se de que aquest futur no li correspon a ell, ni als que s’aprofiten del present, sinó a aquells que no tenen res i ho volen tot. La corrupció, els grans desitgos i el racisme vertebren aquesta Àfrica post-colonial que el protagonista viu des de la distància i amb una eterna por, però que acaba veient un bri d’esperança que el fa renunciar.
Entre tot hi ha un home que entèn aquest poder, i tot i intentar combatre’l i construïr un nou futur, acaba adonant-se de que aquest futur no li correspon a ell, ni als que s’aprofiten del present, sinó a aquells que no tenen res i ho volen tot. La corrupció, els grans desitgos i el racisme vertebren aquesta Àfrica post-colonial que el protagonista viu des de la distància i amb una eterna por, però que acaba veient un bri d’esperança que el fa renunciar.
June 26, 2021
Twee stappen vooruit is er ook minimaal één achteruit in Afrika. De verhoudingen en het verschil in cultuur worden goed beschreven in dit boek. De afwisseling van tijd in het verhaal houdt het boeiend. De pessimistische hoofdpersoon vond ik wel wat vermoeiend, zeker in het begin van het boek.
March 14, 2010
I believe this is the first novel I ever read by a Swedish writer. If you ever wonder why Africa is what it is now this book really gives a lot of insight to the complex issues Africa faces. I don't think there will ever be an easy solution for the problems Africa faces. Povery, corruption, superstition, racism, hypocricy of missionaries and aid programs, and the terrible misunderstanding between the blacks and the whites who colonized the continent all play a part in the terrible situation Africa is in nowadays. This novel basically consists of two parallel stories, a young Swedish native looking back on his first 25 years in Sweden and his subsequent years in Africa as an egg farmer. Though there was a lot of despair in both parts of his lives, the novel itself wasn't terribly depressing. A well crafted novel.
April 1, 2012
I couldn’t help but feel smothered by the sense of helplessness and hopelessness of the characters and their lives. Granted the main character brought this in his personal life, but it was a situation that was all pervading. Add to that the underlying fear and anger, the arrogance and resentment. Such a toxic environment for all. I won’t open up the can of worms regarding colonialism and its effects any further. All I could think of was “Just leave!” but time and again he would be sucked back into the vortex. There are no easy solutions.
August 4, 2021
Avevo già letto altri libri di Mankell, anche se di genere differente, per cui pensavo di andare abbastanza sul sicuro con questo romanzo. Inoltre, il fatto che ultimamente ne avessi sentito parlare molto bene aveva alzato di molto le mie aspettative.
E invece… Niente, proprio non mi ha preso.
Non so se sia stato il fatto che abbia deciso di leggerlo in vacanza, quindi con pochissimo tempo a disposizione e moltissimo sonno arretrato, o se sia stato il romanzo di sè, però la storia proprio non mi ha preso, anzi.
Per tutto il libro non sono riuscita a capire di che cosa si parlasse realmente e dove l’autore voleva andare a parare. Anzi, devo ammetterlo che anche adesso che l’ho finito continuo a non saperlo.
L’unico aspetto che mi è piaciuto dell’intero romanzo è stata l’ambientazione africana, comunque molto affascinante, con tutta la questione della lotta tra neri e bianchi e dell’oppressione dei primi. Il fatto è che questo tema, l’ho trovato spesso schiacciato dal nulla che era il resto, tant’è che quasi sempre mi è sembrato di doverlo quasi tirare fuori con le pinze. Anzi, per essere più precisi, non sono nemmeno così sicura che l’autore volesse parlarne e che non l’abbia trovato io più che altro per trovare un aspetto positivo in tutto il romanzo.
Nel complesso un libro davvero negativo, di cui si salva poco o niente. Ottimo principalmente per addormentarsi in breve tempo e per avere le idee confuse durante tutta la lettura. Ancora mi chiedo come abbia fatto ad arrivare alla fine…
E invece… Niente, proprio non mi ha preso.
Non so se sia stato il fatto che abbia deciso di leggerlo in vacanza, quindi con pochissimo tempo a disposizione e moltissimo sonno arretrato, o se sia stato il romanzo di sè, però la storia proprio non mi ha preso, anzi.
Per tutto il libro non sono riuscita a capire di che cosa si parlasse realmente e dove l’autore voleva andare a parare. Anzi, devo ammetterlo che anche adesso che l’ho finito continuo a non saperlo.
L’unico aspetto che mi è piaciuto dell’intero romanzo è stata l’ambientazione africana, comunque molto affascinante, con tutta la questione della lotta tra neri e bianchi e dell’oppressione dei primi. Il fatto è che questo tema, l’ho trovato spesso schiacciato dal nulla che era il resto, tant’è che quasi sempre mi è sembrato di doverlo quasi tirare fuori con le pinze. Anzi, per essere più precisi, non sono nemmeno così sicura che l’autore volesse parlarne e che non l’abbia trovato io più che altro per trovare un aspetto positivo in tutto il romanzo.
Nel complesso un libro davvero negativo, di cui si salva poco o niente. Ottimo principalmente per addormentarsi in breve tempo e per avere le idee confuse durante tutta la lettura. Ancora mi chiedo come abbia fatto ad arrivare alla fine…
August 22, 2023
Skickligt skriven, det kan jag väl tycka. Men någon blurb jag såg sa att det var en modern Mörkrets Hjärta, och det är det sannerligen inte. Det är en huvudkaraktär som är blek och dötrist, en handling som är spretig och ointressant. Relationer som aldrig riktigt känns äkta eller levande.
Den bästa delen var med barndomskompisen som blev handikappad. Och det utgjorde kanske 10%,
Du kan (kunde) bättre Henning.
Den bästa delen var med barndomskompisen som blev handikappad. Och det utgjorde kanske 10%,
Du kan (kunde) bättre Henning.
February 18, 2025
Read 2013
August 7, 2019
It's the most depressing and pointless book I've ever read.
November 10, 2018
In Zambia al zes jaar lang wonend en werkend en een kippenboerderij bestieren... hoe herkenbaar kan een boek zijn. Het eerste deel van zijn leven dat zich afspeelt in Zweden kon mij dan ook niet bekoren maar de delen over Zambia waren super interessant. Leuk om iemand anders zijn perspectief te lezen en het geeft een mooi beeld hoe Zambia er vroeger uitzag. En ja hoor, er is evolutie en al heel veel veranderend. En toch ook nog heeel veel onveranderende zaken.... Mooi boek al vraag ik me wel af als je niet in Zambia woont of het je ook zo kan bekoren..
August 18, 2023
This was on a suggested reading list prior to a trip to Africa. The portrayal of life in colonial Africa was interesting. Didn't care for the backstory as much - maybe I didn't get the point about the girl without a nose.
April 1, 2024
The Eye of the Leopard by Henning Mankell is a bleak tale of a man's life, and an educational description of Zambia shortly after independence. Hans Olofson was born in Sweden, emigrated to Zambia as a young man. A short stay became 18 years. At age 43, he's delirious with malaria, in fear for his life from bandits. His thoughts veer back and forth in time; his life in either country was grim.
With a child's intuition he can see that a man who has been to sea [his father] can never thrive where the dense, frozen grey forest conceals the open horizons. It's never explained why Erik gave up the sea to be a woodcutter; why Hans' mother left them when he was a baby.
The answers are always found in the past.
As a schoolchild, young Hans befriends Sture, son of a judge (considered a "nobleman"). Perhaps they both have an inkling that their friendship is an impossibility. How long can the camaraderie be stretched before it snaps? The abyss is there, they both sense how close it is, but neither wants to confront the catastrophe.
Immediately upon arrival in Zambia, its filth and chaos shock Hans to the core. Werner and Ruth Masterson befriend him and take him to Matshutsha, a mission that Janine dreamed of visiting.
Werner explains what happened at the end of colonialism in Zambia: Independence was a catastrophe. For the Africans, freedom meant that no one had to work anymore. No one gave orders, no one considered they might have to do something that wasn't demanded of them.
Hans' secret childhood dream: somehow Janine (the "Noseless One") would be cured, become his vicarious mother. A piece of crucial wisdom on life's arduous path is to learn which dreams can be shared and which must be kept inside one's own secret rooms.
It's clear to Hans that the whites in Africa now live in constant fear. Werner explains why: Nowadays you never know what's going to happen next. Maybe they'll confiscate all the farms from the whites. Out of jealousy, or displeasure at the fact that we're so infinitely more skilled than the black farmers who started after independence. They hate us for our skill, our ability to organize, our ability to make things work. They hate us because we make money, because our health is better and we live longer. Envy is an African inheritance. But the reason they hate us most is that magic doesn't work on us. An African who is successful always risks being the target of magic. The witchcraft that is practiced here can be extremely effective. If there's one thing that the Africans can do, it's mixing up deadly poisons. Salves that are spread on a body, herbs that are camouflaged as common vegetables. An African spends more time cultivating his envy than cultivating his fields.
Hans soon feels the fear himself. He reflects: I have a feeling that my normal judgements and thoughts are insufficient or perhaps not even valid out here. Another kind of seeing is required...
Hans agrees to work for a short time on an egg-producing farm. Years pass. He installs a variety of reforms, intending to create a model farm. His efforts to empower the 200 workers all backfire. Meanwhile racial hatreds flare up across the country. Whites are targeted for massacre. Can he escape?
Even back in Sweden as a young man, Hans had been desperately unhappy. Why is life so damned hard? Bare ice to slip on wherever you turn... Sickened by a horse dealer's cruelty, he wonders what to do, where to go. Are there really any answers in life? Who can whisper the password in his ear?
Looking back on his life, Hans still has no answers. Isn't life, which is so difficult to manage, nothing but a series of incomprehensible events lurking behind the corners as one passes?
We all have a lonesome, abandoned dog sitting and barking inside us, he thinks. It paws are different colours, its tail may be cut off. But we all have that dog inside us.
A gripping story masterfully told, educational and thought-provoking rather than entertaining.
With a child's intuition he can see that a man who has been to sea [his father] can never thrive where the dense, frozen grey forest conceals the open horizons. It's never explained why Erik gave up the sea to be a woodcutter; why Hans' mother left them when he was a baby.
The answers are always found in the past.
As a schoolchild, young Hans befriends Sture, son of a judge (considered a "nobleman"). Perhaps they both have an inkling that their friendship is an impossibility. How long can the camaraderie be stretched before it snaps? The abyss is there, they both sense how close it is, but neither wants to confront the catastrophe.
Immediately upon arrival in Zambia, its filth and chaos shock Hans to the core. Werner and Ruth Masterson befriend him and take him to Matshutsha, a mission that Janine dreamed of visiting.
Werner explains what happened at the end of colonialism in Zambia: Independence was a catastrophe. For the Africans, freedom meant that no one had to work anymore. No one gave orders, no one considered they might have to do something that wasn't demanded of them.
Hans' secret childhood dream: somehow Janine (the "Noseless One") would be cured, become his vicarious mother. A piece of crucial wisdom on life's arduous path is to learn which dreams can be shared and which must be kept inside one's own secret rooms.
It's clear to Hans that the whites in Africa now live in constant fear. Werner explains why: Nowadays you never know what's going to happen next. Maybe they'll confiscate all the farms from the whites. Out of jealousy, or displeasure at the fact that we're so infinitely more skilled than the black farmers who started after independence. They hate us for our skill, our ability to organize, our ability to make things work. They hate us because we make money, because our health is better and we live longer. Envy is an African inheritance. But the reason they hate us most is that magic doesn't work on us. An African who is successful always risks being the target of magic. The witchcraft that is practiced here can be extremely effective. If there's one thing that the Africans can do, it's mixing up deadly poisons. Salves that are spread on a body, herbs that are camouflaged as common vegetables. An African spends more time cultivating his envy than cultivating his fields.
Hans soon feels the fear himself. He reflects: I have a feeling that my normal judgements and thoughts are insufficient or perhaps not even valid out here. Another kind of seeing is required...
Hans agrees to work for a short time on an egg-producing farm. Years pass. He installs a variety of reforms, intending to create a model farm. His efforts to empower the 200 workers all backfire. Meanwhile racial hatreds flare up across the country. Whites are targeted for massacre. Can he escape?
Even back in Sweden as a young man, Hans had been desperately unhappy. Why is life so damned hard? Bare ice to slip on wherever you turn... Sickened by a horse dealer's cruelty, he wonders what to do, where to go. Are there really any answers in life? Who can whisper the password in his ear?
Looking back on his life, Hans still has no answers. Isn't life, which is so difficult to manage, nothing but a series of incomprehensible events lurking behind the corners as one passes?
We all have a lonesome, abandoned dog sitting and barking inside us, he thinks. It paws are different colours, its tail may be cut off. But we all have that dog inside us.
A gripping story masterfully told, educational and thought-provoking rather than entertaining.
December 29, 2021
Siempre intento buscar todo lo que escribió Mankell, porque es un autor que disfruto mucho, mas allá de su magnifica serie de novelas policiales del inspector Wallander. Creo que es un gran narrador, sin importar la historia que cuente.
Y sigue sin defraudarme, este es otra de esas novelas que tiene como escenografía, el África subsahariana, a la que conoce muy bien, porque tengo entendido que era el director del teatro en Maputo y pasaba 6 meses del año ahí y los otros 6 meses en su Suecia notal.
Creo audazmente sostener que es una novela autobiográfica, donde da su visión personal del continente, agrega ficción solo en las partes necesarias para que la historia fluya.
Porque la historia trata sobre un joven sueco que llega a África, básicamente porque no lo retiene nada en su pais, y porque le hizo una promesa a un amiga suya que ya falleció. El intenta llevar a cabo la misión que su amigo no pudo. Pero lo que iba a ser un viaje de algunos meses termino siendo de 18 años.
El libro intenta mostrar el enfrentamiento permanente entre blancos y negros, como conflictos entre culturas muy disimiles e inintegrables. Me gusta su critica sin concesiones, no cae en lugares comunes hacia ninguno de los dos bandos. Refleja que el problema que esto persista es culpa de ambos. Los europeos no dejan de ver África como una colonia, siempre subestimándolos desde un pedestal moral, e intentando integrar a los negros pero siempre y cunado se europeícen.
Sin lograr nunca un conocimiento profundo de la idiosincrasia de ese continente.
Pero también hay una mirada feroz a lo primitivo de los africanos, siguen luchando entre tribus por razones banales, y también siguen creyendo en supercherías, muchas veces por conveniencias de poder, como si todos los siglos que pasaron fueron en vano, el progreso quedo estancado.
La conclusión a la que llega el autor es que el estado deplorable de África es una culpa compartida. Ni los blancos entendieron nunca ese continente, ni los negros son capaces de transformar su realidad para mejora su calidad de vida.
Interesante novela, muestra otra faceta de este gran escritor sueco.
Y sigue sin defraudarme, este es otra de esas novelas que tiene como escenografía, el África subsahariana, a la que conoce muy bien, porque tengo entendido que era el director del teatro en Maputo y pasaba 6 meses del año ahí y los otros 6 meses en su Suecia notal.
Creo audazmente sostener que es una novela autobiográfica, donde da su visión personal del continente, agrega ficción solo en las partes necesarias para que la historia fluya.
Porque la historia trata sobre un joven sueco que llega a África, básicamente porque no lo retiene nada en su pais, y porque le hizo una promesa a un amiga suya que ya falleció. El intenta llevar a cabo la misión que su amigo no pudo. Pero lo que iba a ser un viaje de algunos meses termino siendo de 18 años.
El libro intenta mostrar el enfrentamiento permanente entre blancos y negros, como conflictos entre culturas muy disimiles e inintegrables. Me gusta su critica sin concesiones, no cae en lugares comunes hacia ninguno de los dos bandos. Refleja que el problema que esto persista es culpa de ambos. Los europeos no dejan de ver África como una colonia, siempre subestimándolos desde un pedestal moral, e intentando integrar a los negros pero siempre y cunado se europeícen.
Sin lograr nunca un conocimiento profundo de la idiosincrasia de ese continente.
Pero también hay una mirada feroz a lo primitivo de los africanos, siguen luchando entre tribus por razones banales, y también siguen creyendo en supercherías, muchas veces por conveniencias de poder, como si todos los siglos que pasaron fueron en vano, el progreso quedo estancado.
La conclusión a la que llega el autor es que el estado deplorable de África es una culpa compartida. Ni los blancos entendieron nunca ese continente, ni los negros son capaces de transformar su realidad para mejora su calidad de vida.
Interesante novela, muestra otra faceta de este gran escritor sueco.
March 21, 2017
Henning Markell wrote The Eye of the Leopard in 1990 and it was translated from Swedish to English in 2008. The novel's alternates between Hans Olofson as a child in rural Sweden and as an adult in Zambia. The child was deserted by his mother (as was the author) and there is little emotional connection with his disillusioned alcoholic father. The adult has little sense of who he is and why he stays in Africa. The author presents the ugly realities of Zambia shortly after independence - the whites owned the land that the Africans worked, violence was common, and the black government was corrupt.
While the novel is a searing condemnation of this period of post colonial Africa, the focus on the Swedish protagonist lessens the clarity of the message. Hans Olofson is a strange character. As a child, it was a major discovery that he was himself and no one else. Before he leaves Sweden for Africa, he says "an incessant struggle is going on between belief in the future and resignation". Inertia appears to be the main reason he stays in Africa and he frequently ponders who he is with no conclusion. When he takes over the egg farm, he tries to make changes to improve the African's lives, but when they do not succeed, he gives up easily. He admits that he never questions white assumptions or has any real knowledge about Zambia even after 20 years. The longer he stays, the less agency he has. The bad decisions that he makes are a reflection of his lack of character.
The writing is good and Mankell does a very good job with dialogue, especially between Olofson and his workers. He also handles suspense, fear and malarial attacks well. Unfortunately, my enjoyment was lessened because I wasn't interested in reading about colonial Africa (it was a book group pick). I'm more interested in modern African writers or books that have an unusual structure or something new to tell. However, that said, the book group had a good discussion.
While the novel is a searing condemnation of this period of post colonial Africa, the focus on the Swedish protagonist lessens the clarity of the message. Hans Olofson is a strange character. As a child, it was a major discovery that he was himself and no one else. Before he leaves Sweden for Africa, he says "an incessant struggle is going on between belief in the future and resignation". Inertia appears to be the main reason he stays in Africa and he frequently ponders who he is with no conclusion. When he takes over the egg farm, he tries to make changes to improve the African's lives, but when they do not succeed, he gives up easily. He admits that he never questions white assumptions or has any real knowledge about Zambia even after 20 years. The longer he stays, the less agency he has. The bad decisions that he makes are a reflection of his lack of character.
The writing is good and Mankell does a very good job with dialogue, especially between Olofson and his workers. He also handles suspense, fear and malarial attacks well. Unfortunately, my enjoyment was lessened because I wasn't interested in reading about colonial Africa (it was a book group pick). I'm more interested in modern African writers or books that have an unusual structure or something new to tell. However, that said, the book group had a good discussion.
May 18, 2018
This author came highly recommended to me, so I went to the library. None of his mystery books were on the shelf. No surprise there. Rarely do I find what I want at the public library, though I am still a strong believer in public libraries. Instead of one of Mr. Mankell's mystery stories, I picked up the one lone Mankell book on the shelf, The Eye of the Leopard. I was treated to a very well-written semi-autobiographical, fictional account of a Swedish man's experiences in Zambia in the 1970's and 1980's. Though somewhat outdated by now, I think the message is still relevant. Black Africans and white Africans do not understand each other. They come from different cultures and thereby view the world differently. This is not meant to be rascist just a fact. (There are rascist characters in the book.) Unfortunately, the most common traits that the people from other cultures share are dishonety, violence, rage, and corruptability. The main character, Hans, begins his Africa journey as an idealistic, young liberal and ends it as a realistic, middle aged man, probably still liberal but certainly jaded. It is a common coming of age tale, set in the newly independent nation of Zambia, complete with broken down cars, decrepit old buildings, wild weather, and the rustle of creatures, both large and small, dangerous and benign. Of course, I am sure there are other viewpoints about living in Africa, but based on my experiences in different cultures, this one seems quite true.
May 14, 2015
This was definitely another masterpiece by the best selling author Henning Mankell. From time to time the novel almost came across as poetry, just the way he used certain words. I was truly intrigued by this because I love poetry. Everyone has different perceptions but I’d say if you're into poetry this is a really good book. Not only does it encompass the rhythm of poetry but it’s very informative. With the specific details Mankell gave I almost felt like I was there with him. His frequent visits to Africa really help this book because he’s able to describe more in depth its landscape, the people, their customs etc. Even after I was done reading the novel my mind was still trying to contemplate certain things about it.
December 26, 2019
Ksiazka jest swego rodzaju fikcyjna biografia szweda Hansa Olofsona. Hans wychowuje sie w polnocnej Szwecji. W dziecinstwie jego najlepszym przyjacielem jest syn sedziego. W miasteczku gdzie obaj chlopcy dorastaja pewnego dnia pojawia sie dziewczyna o imieniu Janine, kilka lat starsza, pochodzaca z Afryki, ktora zamiast nosa ma dziure w glowie. Poniewaz ma oszpecona twarz na poczatku staje sie obiektem drwin i nieprzyjemnych kawalow ze strony chlopakow. Janin jednak nie przejmuje sie tym, ze jest przesladowana, wrecz nawet probuje nawiazac kontakt z chlopcami. W koncu zaprzyjazniaja sie. Janin opowiada chlopcom o Afryce. Jej opowiesci dosc mocno zakorzeniaja sie w pamieci Hansa. Kiedy dorasta i kiedy losy jego Janin i jego przyjaciela rozchodza sie, Hans postanawia wyruszyc w podroz do Afryki. Jego celem jest osrodek misyjny znajdujacy sie w Zambii.
Hans trafia do Zambii. Tam najpierw nawiazuje kontakt z bialymi kolonistami, ktorzy juz mieszkaja tam od pokolen. Szybko zauwaza, ze bialy kolonisci z pogarda traktuja rdzennych mieszkancow Afryki. Biali ludzie sa pelni uprzedzen rasistowskich i Hansowi trudno to zrozumiec. Blizszy kontakt nawiazuje z malzenstwem o korzeniach niemieckich. Sa oni wlascicielami wielkiej plantacji. Sam Hans trafia na sasiadujaca ferme drobiu. Pracuje dla wlascicielki, pochodzacej z Anglii. Po jakims czasie wlascicielka daje mu mozliwosc przejecia fermy. Gdy Hans juz prawie nosi sie z zamierem opuszczenia Afryki, dostaje mozliwosc przejecia fermy. Musi podjac decyzje. Ma na nia duzo czasu. Postanawia jednak pozostac dalej w Afryce. Prowadzenie fermy to dosc lukratywne zajecie. Po przejeciu fermy postanawia wprowadzic nowe porzadki. Stara sie dobrze traktowac i godnie wynagradzac pracownikow. Sponsoruje budowe szkoly dla dzieci pracownikow. Nie zawsze jednak jego dobre intencje sa przyjmowane otwarcie i z wdziecznoscia. Kradzieze sprzetu oraz rozkradanie jaj sa na porzadku dziennym. Trudno Hansowi to zrozumiec. Jednak im wiecej czasu spedza w Afryce, tym lepiej zaczyna rozumiec kulture i mentalnosc swoich pracownikow i ludnosci Afrykanskiej.
Po kilkunastu latach pobytu w Afryce napiecie pomiedzy bialymi a czarnymi mieszkancami Zambii narasta. Okazuje sie, ze Zambia ktora rzadzona jest przez czarnych jest bardzo skorumpowanym panstwem. Istnieje opozycja polityczna, ktora jest przesladowana. Rzad ma swoich informatorow wszedzie. Panstwowa maszyna biurokratyczna z jednej strony pozwala prowadzic bialym swoje wielkie plantacje i fermy, z drugiej strony naklada coraz to nowe podatki, utrudnienia prowadzenie interesow uniemozliwiajace na przyklad transfer dewiz sa granice. Hans nawiazuje kilka kluczowych znajomosci. Regularnie spotyka sie z urzednikiem, ktory pomaga Hansowi bezproblemowo zalatwiac wszystkie formalnosci biurokratyczne, jednak nie za darmo, lecz za oplate w naturze lub w gotowce. Po kilkunastu latach Hans uswiadamia sobie, ze ten skorumpowany urzednik musial na nim zbic fortune. Kolejna kluczowa znajomoscia Hansa jest lokalny dziennikarz. Posiada on wielka wiedze na temat sytuacji politycznej w Zambii. Pozniej dowiadujemy sie, ze jest jednym z aktywnych radykalnych dzialaczy opozycyjnych Zambii. Od niego Hans czerpie niezbedna wiedze na temat zwyczajow, przesadow oraz sytuacji politycznej Zambii. Dla mnie ciekawostka bylo to, ze Zambia posiada rowniez mniejszosc hinduska, ktora dosc aktywnie dziala w handlu i na rynkow uslug finansowych. Hans poznaje hinduskiego handlarza-finansiste, przez ktorego udaje mu sie potem przelewac waluty na zagraniczne konta, po tym, jak rzad zambijski wprowadzil wielkie utrudnienia w transferach pieniedzy za granice. Ciekawa postacia, ktora spotyka Hans jest szwedzki inzynier, specjalista od telekomunikacji, ktory pracuje dla szwedzkiej agencji rzadowej zajmujacej sie pomoca dla krajow rozwijajacych sie. Szwecja wydaje grube pieniadze na pomoc dla panstw w Afryce. Znajomy Szwed zajmuje sie instalowaniem sprzetu telekomunikacyjnego w roznych krajach Afryki, miedzy innymi Zambii. Sprzet ten jest darem Szwecji dla krajow rozwijajacych sie. Niestety interesy prowadzone przez szwedzkiego znajomego Hansa nie sa czyste. Czesto wspolpracuje ze skorumpowanymi urzednikami pasntwowymi, albo skorumpowana generalicja armii roznych panstw afrykanskich.
Dlugoletni pobyt w Afryce zmienia Hansa. Sytuacja osobista Hansa z biegiem lat pogarsza sie. Zyje on w ciaglym strachu. Cierpi na bezsennosc, ma napady lekowe. Barykaduje sie na noc w swoim domu zastawiajac meblami drzwi do pokoju. Wstawia kraty w okna. I tak dalej. Jego sasiedzi, niemiecka para ktora poznal na samym poczatku pobytu w Afryce zostaje brutalnie zamordowana. Hans zaczyna obawiac sie o swoje zycie. W samoobrodnie w koncu morduje czlowieka. Okazuje sie nim byc znajomy czlowiek.
Hans nie ma rodziny. Nie ma dzieci. W pewnym momencie postanawia zaopiekowac sie corkami pracownicy jego fermy. Organizuje im miejsce zamieszkania w stolicy Zambii, Lusace. Traktuje te dziewczyny jak swoje corki. Chce zagwarantowac im przyszlosc. Zreszta kobiety sa prawdziwa przyszloscia Afryki. Nawiasem mowiac, wywod autora na temat kobiet w Afryce uwazam za jedna z najlepszych refleksji autora. Jest to swego rodzaju manifest Afryki. Przyszlosc Afryki spoczywa na barkach i glowach kobiet Afryki. Jesli sytuacja w Afryce ma sie polepszyc, to tylko bedzie to mozliwe dzieki ciezkiej pracy i zaangazowaniu kobiet. Nikt nie pracuje tak ciezko jak kobieta afrykanska. Mankell pieknie podsumowal przyszlosc Afryki i role kobiet w spoleczenstwie afrykanskim.
Niesamowita ksiazka. Odbiega calkowicie od serii o komisarzu Wallanderze. Mam nadzieje, ze pojawi sie kiedy polskie tlumaczenie. Mysle, ze milosnikom Mankella na pewno sie spodoba.
Hans trafia do Zambii. Tam najpierw nawiazuje kontakt z bialymi kolonistami, ktorzy juz mieszkaja tam od pokolen. Szybko zauwaza, ze bialy kolonisci z pogarda traktuja rdzennych mieszkancow Afryki. Biali ludzie sa pelni uprzedzen rasistowskich i Hansowi trudno to zrozumiec. Blizszy kontakt nawiazuje z malzenstwem o korzeniach niemieckich. Sa oni wlascicielami wielkiej plantacji. Sam Hans trafia na sasiadujaca ferme drobiu. Pracuje dla wlascicielki, pochodzacej z Anglii. Po jakims czasie wlascicielka daje mu mozliwosc przejecia fermy. Gdy Hans juz prawie nosi sie z zamierem opuszczenia Afryki, dostaje mozliwosc przejecia fermy. Musi podjac decyzje. Ma na nia duzo czasu. Postanawia jednak pozostac dalej w Afryce. Prowadzenie fermy to dosc lukratywne zajecie. Po przejeciu fermy postanawia wprowadzic nowe porzadki. Stara sie dobrze traktowac i godnie wynagradzac pracownikow. Sponsoruje budowe szkoly dla dzieci pracownikow. Nie zawsze jednak jego dobre intencje sa przyjmowane otwarcie i z wdziecznoscia. Kradzieze sprzetu oraz rozkradanie jaj sa na porzadku dziennym. Trudno Hansowi to zrozumiec. Jednak im wiecej czasu spedza w Afryce, tym lepiej zaczyna rozumiec kulture i mentalnosc swoich pracownikow i ludnosci Afrykanskiej.
Po kilkunastu latach pobytu w Afryce napiecie pomiedzy bialymi a czarnymi mieszkancami Zambii narasta. Okazuje sie, ze Zambia ktora rzadzona jest przez czarnych jest bardzo skorumpowanym panstwem. Istnieje opozycja polityczna, ktora jest przesladowana. Rzad ma swoich informatorow wszedzie. Panstwowa maszyna biurokratyczna z jednej strony pozwala prowadzic bialym swoje wielkie plantacje i fermy, z drugiej strony naklada coraz to nowe podatki, utrudnienia prowadzenie interesow uniemozliwiajace na przyklad transfer dewiz sa granice. Hans nawiazuje kilka kluczowych znajomosci. Regularnie spotyka sie z urzednikiem, ktory pomaga Hansowi bezproblemowo zalatwiac wszystkie formalnosci biurokratyczne, jednak nie za darmo, lecz za oplate w naturze lub w gotowce. Po kilkunastu latach Hans uswiadamia sobie, ze ten skorumpowany urzednik musial na nim zbic fortune. Kolejna kluczowa znajomoscia Hansa jest lokalny dziennikarz. Posiada on wielka wiedze na temat sytuacji politycznej w Zambii. Pozniej dowiadujemy sie, ze jest jednym z aktywnych radykalnych dzialaczy opozycyjnych Zambii. Od niego Hans czerpie niezbedna wiedze na temat zwyczajow, przesadow oraz sytuacji politycznej Zambii. Dla mnie ciekawostka bylo to, ze Zambia posiada rowniez mniejszosc hinduska, ktora dosc aktywnie dziala w handlu i na rynkow uslug finansowych. Hans poznaje hinduskiego handlarza-finansiste, przez ktorego udaje mu sie potem przelewac waluty na zagraniczne konta, po tym, jak rzad zambijski wprowadzil wielkie utrudnienia w transferach pieniedzy za granice. Ciekawa postacia, ktora spotyka Hans jest szwedzki inzynier, specjalista od telekomunikacji, ktory pracuje dla szwedzkiej agencji rzadowej zajmujacej sie pomoca dla krajow rozwijajacych sie. Szwecja wydaje grube pieniadze na pomoc dla panstw w Afryce. Znajomy Szwed zajmuje sie instalowaniem sprzetu telekomunikacyjnego w roznych krajach Afryki, miedzy innymi Zambii. Sprzet ten jest darem Szwecji dla krajow rozwijajacych sie. Niestety interesy prowadzone przez szwedzkiego znajomego Hansa nie sa czyste. Czesto wspolpracuje ze skorumpowanymi urzednikami pasntwowymi, albo skorumpowana generalicja armii roznych panstw afrykanskich.
Dlugoletni pobyt w Afryce zmienia Hansa. Sytuacja osobista Hansa z biegiem lat pogarsza sie. Zyje on w ciaglym strachu. Cierpi na bezsennosc, ma napady lekowe. Barykaduje sie na noc w swoim domu zastawiajac meblami drzwi do pokoju. Wstawia kraty w okna. I tak dalej. Jego sasiedzi, niemiecka para ktora poznal na samym poczatku pobytu w Afryce zostaje brutalnie zamordowana. Hans zaczyna obawiac sie o swoje zycie. W samoobrodnie w koncu morduje czlowieka. Okazuje sie nim byc znajomy czlowiek.
Hans nie ma rodziny. Nie ma dzieci. W pewnym momencie postanawia zaopiekowac sie corkami pracownicy jego fermy. Organizuje im miejsce zamieszkania w stolicy Zambii, Lusace. Traktuje te dziewczyny jak swoje corki. Chce zagwarantowac im przyszlosc. Zreszta kobiety sa prawdziwa przyszloscia Afryki. Nawiasem mowiac, wywod autora na temat kobiet w Afryce uwazam za jedna z najlepszych refleksji autora. Jest to swego rodzaju manifest Afryki. Przyszlosc Afryki spoczywa na barkach i glowach kobiet Afryki. Jesli sytuacja w Afryce ma sie polepszyc, to tylko bedzie to mozliwe dzieki ciezkiej pracy i zaangazowaniu kobiet. Nikt nie pracuje tak ciezko jak kobieta afrykanska. Mankell pieknie podsumowal przyszlosc Afryki i role kobiet w spoleczenstwie afrykanskim.
Niesamowita ksiazka. Odbiega calkowicie od serii o komisarzu Wallanderze. Mam nadzieje, ze pojawi sie kiedy polskie tlumaczenie. Mysle, ze milosnikom Mankella na pewno sie spodoba.
April 24, 2025
Ein Buch, welches unterhält, bewegt, unter die Haut geht und auch zum Nachdenken anregt.
["..."] 'Mister Pihri hat meinen Stift behalten', meint der Rechtsanwalt düster, als er aufbricht.
'Den sehen Sie wieder', meint Herr Olofson.
'Ich weiß', erwidert der Rechtsanwalt, 'aber es war ein guter Stift.' ["..."]
Ich musste auch oftmals schmunzeln, als Beispiel der obige Ausschnitt aus dem Roman.
Ich bin neugierig geworden. Neugierig über das Leben in Afrika, die Geschichte Sambias, aber auch die Historie des kompletten Kontinents.
["..."] 'Mister Pihri hat meinen Stift behalten', meint der Rechtsanwalt düster, als er aufbricht.
'Den sehen Sie wieder', meint Herr Olofson.
'Ich weiß', erwidert der Rechtsanwalt, 'aber es war ein guter Stift.' ["..."]
Ich musste auch oftmals schmunzeln, als Beispiel der obige Ausschnitt aus dem Roman.
Ich bin neugierig geworden. Neugierig über das Leben in Afrika, die Geschichte Sambias, aber auch die Historie des kompletten Kontinents.
May 12, 2015
I think this book kinda dragged for little bit but as you read the book you start realize why the main character behaves in certain ways. This book also tells about the flashbacks of when he was a kid and that really mad the book a little more interesting because you get to see why he's on his journey and who he needs to talk to accomplish a certain task and also how he over comes certain obstacles in th way.
December 20, 2017
A little hard to know how many stars to give. This is well-written with a certain fascination but the story itself is so bleak and merciless with no real resolution. Mankell is the author of the Wallander mysteries which are also a TV series, which is excellent, but again, very dark. But I still will read more by this author as he certainly has a way with words.
January 4, 2017
This was a rather gloomy work. I finally abandoned the struggle after reading three-fourths of it.
May 8, 2020
Besonders im Vergleich zu Mankells Frischlingswerk "Der Sandmaler", das ebenfalls in Afrika spielt, ist dieses, rund 20 Jahre später entstandene Buch sehr aufschlussreich. War der Roman aus den Siebzigern zwar interessant, aber doch eher einfach gestrickt und teilweise sehr belehrend, ist "Das Auge des Leoparden" viel stärker von der Komplexität und Undurchschaubarkeit Afrikas geprägt. Zwar kann sich Mankell auch in diesem Buch die eine oder andere Belehrung nicht verkneifen, insgesamt ist das Portrait der Hauptfigur aber deutlich präziser ausgefallen als in seinem Afrika-Erstlingswerk.
Das Buch unterteilt sich in Rückblicke in eine Jugend in der schwedischen Provinz und den Jetzt-Zustand eines recht ziellosen jungen Mannes, der nach der Entkolonialisierung eher durch Zufall als durch Plan als Hühnerfarmer in Sambia landet. Dort sieht er sich dann mit all den Problemlagen konfrontiert, die Afrika zum Teil noch heute zu schaffen machen: Paternalismus, Bestechung, gewalttätige Auseinandersetzungen zwischen den Ethnien und weißen Farmern gegenüber, Misswirtschaft und Armut. Das Schöne ist, dass der Autor eigentlich nie wertet (außer vielleicht in seiner Ablehnung des Kapitalismus) und gekonnt aufs Papier bringt, dass die Uhren in Afrika eben ganz anders gehen als in Europa.
Interessant auch, dass der Protagonist (und in diesem Punkt wohl auch das Alter Ego von Mankell) davon überzeugt ist, dass die Zukunft Afrikas in den Händen der Frauen liegt. Anfang der Neunziger war das noch eine recht revolutionäre Idee, die heute, unter anderem durch die Vergabe durch Kleinkredite an Frauen, zu einem der Hauptinstrumente einer wirksamen "Entwicklungspolitik" geworden ist. Doch das soll nicht vom Roman abschrecken, es ist kein Sachbuch, sondern ein sehr dichter, teilweise auch äußerst deprimierender Roman, der gerade Menschen, die schon einmal in Afrika waren, nachhaltig beeindrucken sollte: "Ich trage Afrika in mir wie Trommeln, die nachts in der Ferne geschlagen werden".
Das Buch unterteilt sich in Rückblicke in eine Jugend in der schwedischen Provinz und den Jetzt-Zustand eines recht ziellosen jungen Mannes, der nach der Entkolonialisierung eher durch Zufall als durch Plan als Hühnerfarmer in Sambia landet. Dort sieht er sich dann mit all den Problemlagen konfrontiert, die Afrika zum Teil noch heute zu schaffen machen: Paternalismus, Bestechung, gewalttätige Auseinandersetzungen zwischen den Ethnien und weißen Farmern gegenüber, Misswirtschaft und Armut. Das Schöne ist, dass der Autor eigentlich nie wertet (außer vielleicht in seiner Ablehnung des Kapitalismus) und gekonnt aufs Papier bringt, dass die Uhren in Afrika eben ganz anders gehen als in Europa.
Interessant auch, dass der Protagonist (und in diesem Punkt wohl auch das Alter Ego von Mankell) davon überzeugt ist, dass die Zukunft Afrikas in den Händen der Frauen liegt. Anfang der Neunziger war das noch eine recht revolutionäre Idee, die heute, unter anderem durch die Vergabe durch Kleinkredite an Frauen, zu einem der Hauptinstrumente einer wirksamen "Entwicklungspolitik" geworden ist. Doch das soll nicht vom Roman abschrecken, es ist kein Sachbuch, sondern ein sehr dichter, teilweise auch äußerst deprimierender Roman, der gerade Menschen, die schon einmal in Afrika waren, nachhaltig beeindrucken sollte: "Ich trage Afrika in mir wie Trommeln, die nachts in der Ferne geschlagen werden".
September 21, 2020
Two books for the price of one. The interesting, incident filled life of Hans Olofson's boyhood and youth in his native Sweden, and his one-track adulthood as the white man in Africa filled with guilt and remorse over the thoughts and actions of the white elite he joins, which is deepened by more guilt and remorse because he is earning himself a small fortune while the Africans he exploits directly and those others that surround him live in poverty.
The novel switches continually between the two until I found myself thinking, after a spell of lively life in the Swedish backwoods with Hans combatting an alcoholic father, a stifling education, a wealthy friend who is growing up more quickly than he, a swelling sex life that comes to reject the local girls and the embarrassment they cause him in favour of the adult Janine who is frustrated and noseless: “Oh no, we're back in Africa.”
How accurate that Africa is I don't know. To me it seems too full of stereotypes: the racist planters Werner and Ruth who meet a grisly end at the hands of the leopard men – yes, leopard men - somewhere in the background I thought I caught the echo of Johnny Weissmuller's strangulated yodel – and definitely in the foreground Eisenhower Mudenda, local witch-doctor, shaman, government spy, superannuated leopard man; local officials and police officers willing to bend any rule for a crate of eggs; Peter Motombwane, the European-educated journalist with his own agenda, part revolutionary, part delving into a supposedly primitive African past; Lars Hakansson, the totally liberal-minded and totally corrupt Swedish aid expert, who has a fondness for young African girls and a lucrative side-line in paedophilic pornography. Add violence, excessive alcohol consumption, and racial arrogance and you wonder why the African segments in the story are so comparatively bland.
It's not surprising Hans sells up, throws his revolver into the nearest crocodile infested river, and goes back home. He seems to be a wealthy man, rich in experience, and yet I struggle to think of him as being much wiser than the troubled teenager he had been.
The novel switches continually between the two until I found myself thinking, after a spell of lively life in the Swedish backwoods with Hans combatting an alcoholic father, a stifling education, a wealthy friend who is growing up more quickly than he, a swelling sex life that comes to reject the local girls and the embarrassment they cause him in favour of the adult Janine who is frustrated and noseless: “Oh no, we're back in Africa.”
How accurate that Africa is I don't know. To me it seems too full of stereotypes: the racist planters Werner and Ruth who meet a grisly end at the hands of the leopard men – yes, leopard men - somewhere in the background I thought I caught the echo of Johnny Weissmuller's strangulated yodel – and definitely in the foreground Eisenhower Mudenda, local witch-doctor, shaman, government spy, superannuated leopard man; local officials and police officers willing to bend any rule for a crate of eggs; Peter Motombwane, the European-educated journalist with his own agenda, part revolutionary, part delving into a supposedly primitive African past; Lars Hakansson, the totally liberal-minded and totally corrupt Swedish aid expert, who has a fondness for young African girls and a lucrative side-line in paedophilic pornography. Add violence, excessive alcohol consumption, and racial arrogance and you wonder why the African segments in the story are so comparatively bland.
It's not surprising Hans sells up, throws his revolver into the nearest crocodile infested river, and goes back home. He seems to be a wealthy man, rich in experience, and yet I struggle to think of him as being much wiser than the troubled teenager he had been.
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