21st Century Literature discussion

This is the background topic for by Ananda Devi translated by John Zuckerman and foreword by J.M.G. Clezio.

"Devi writes about terrible and bitter events with a soft, delicate voice."—Le Figaro

With brutal honesty and poetic urgency, Ananda Devi relates the tale of four young Mauritians trapped in their country's endless cycle of fear and violence: Eve, whose body is her only weapon and source of power; Savita, Eve's best friend, the only one who loves Eve without self-interest, who has plans to leave but will not go alone; Saadiq, gifted would-be poet, inspired by Rimbaud, in love with Eve; Clélio, belligerent rebel, waiting without hope for his brother to send for him from France.

Eve out of Her Ruins is a heartbreaking look at the dark corners of the island nation of Mauritius that tourists never see, and a poignant exploration of the construction of personhood at the margins of society. Awarded the prestigious Prix des cinq continents upon publication as the best book written in French outside of France, Eve Out of her Ruins is a harrowing account of the violent reality of life in her native country by the figurehead of Mauritian literature.

The book featurues an original introduction by Nobel Prize winner J.M.G. Le Clézio, who declares Devi "a truly great writer."

Ananda Devi (b. 1957, Trois-Boutiques, Mauritius) is a novelist and scholar. She has published eight novels as well as short stories and poetry, and was featured at the PEN World Voices Festival in New York in 2015. She was made a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government in 2010.

Reviews:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...

https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book...

https://medium.com/@IWriteAboutBooks/...

Interviews:

https://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/...

https://youtu.be/nyo66ZUuFAU?si=i8tdZ...

On writing:

https://pentransmissions.com/2020/02/...

Welcome to the discussion for Ananda Devi's Eve out of Her Ruins. I nominated this book because Anada Devi was the recipient of the 2024 Neustadt Prize and is considered by some a future Nobel contender. I had not previously read anything by this or any Mauritian author, and thought with the Nobel selection upcoming it might be in the spirit to read a Nobel potential contender. The novel is short, memorable, and worth the time. Devi uses a young adult approach to her very adult material which IMO, increases the emotional impact upon reader. Hope you join and share your thoughts.