a general theory of oblivion

WINNER OF THE INTERNATIONAL DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2017A finalist for the Man Booker International Prize 2016 The brilliant new novel from the winner of the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize.On the eve of Angolan independence, Ludo bricks herself into her apartment, where she will remain for the next thirty years. A General Theory of Oblivion tells the real life story of Ludovica Fernandes Mano, a Portuguese woman who spent most of her life in Luanda, Angola. The novel revolves around Ludo, a Portuguese woman living in the Angolan capital. A General Theory of Oblivion (Portuguese: Teoria Geral do Esquecimento) is a 2013 novel by Angolan author José Eduardo Agualusa. Daniel", "Angolan writer José Eduardo Agualusa wins €100,000 International Dublin literary award", "International Dublin Literary Award 2017: José Eduardo Agualusa wins for A General Theory of Oblivion — Independent.ie", "José Eduardo Agualusa wins €100,000 International Dublin Literary Award", "A General Theory of Oblivion by José Eduardo Agualusa – Archipelago", "A General Theory of Oblivion by Jose Eduardo Agualusa – Quarterly Conversation", "Book review: A General Theory Of Oblivion", "Spare My Wrists : Review of A General Theory of Oblivion by José Eduardo Agualusa --- Jeff Bursey", "The Vegetarian wins the Man Booker International Prize 2016 – The Man Booker Prizes", "Angolan novelist wins Dublin Literary Award – Features – Book News – Hot Press", "Angolan writer José Eduardo Agualusa wins 2017 International DUBLIN Literary Award", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_General_Theory_of_Oblivion&oldid=981792555, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Portuguese-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 4 October 2020, at 13:05. The novel is set in Luanda, on the eve of, and during the immediate aftermath of Angola's independence from Portugal. So I ordered the paperback and reread it, marking various places to help link the characters together. Moreover, tensions among the anti-colonial forces[9] (funded by the Soviet Union)[10] indicate that there could be continued violence and terror after independence is achieved. The revolution happens, her sister and brother in law fail to return home, and Ludovica ends up barricading herself in the apartment for years. Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2016. Something went wrong. Wonderful use of time, place and poetry of dreams, A glimpse into the Angola of my childhood, Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2016. The description of the horror of the war makes it come alive and we see it from different perspectives. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. At the heart of A General Theory of Oblivion is the story of a woman who was so terrified of the world she decided literally to wall herself away from it. The book was published in multiple languages including English, consists of 258 pages and is available in ebook format. A General Theory of Oblivion by Jose Eduardo Agualusa, 9780099593126, available at Book Depository with free delivery worldwide. In October we took a trip to Angola to discuss A General Theory of Oblivion written by José Eduardo Agualusa. 1 likes. Four of his books have been translated into English: Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. This book was selected for discussion at my book group, I am looking forward to our discussion but here are my thoughts. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 26, 2016. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Free download or read online A General Theory of Oblivion pdf (ePUB) book. This is the brilliant new novel from the winner of the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. About the Author. by José Eduardo Agualusa ; translated by Daniel Hahn ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 15, 2015. tags: forgetting. a general theory of oblivion.” ― José Eduardo Agualusa, A General Theory of Oblivion. It isn't particularly long - and many of the chapters are actually quite short. To order a copy for £7.64 (RRP £8.99) go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. This book was one of the nominees, for good reason. "[12] He attracted further critical praise for the manner in which he condensed a cryptic and complicated conflict into a "succinctly summarised and easily understandable" package. - M.A.Orthofer, 28 April 2016 Despite this, she still remains connected to the world outside, and her supposedly contained gestures within this space (letting a pigeon go free, etc.) In A General Theory of Oblivion, José Eduardo Agualusa presents us with the beehive of Luanda and its recent history. The main characters of this fiction, cultural story are , . In one case, the woman's view is limited as she isolates herself behind a wall; then the next chapter gives us a first hand account of what she only heard. José Eduardo Agualusa, a writer and journalist, is one of the leading literary voices in Angola and the Portuguese language today. Please try again. creates critical consequences to the narratives happening outside. A Clever Book Let Down By Occasionally Weak Writing, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 11, 2020. A general theory of oblivion This edition was published in 2015. It tells the story of Ludovica, who, after a traumatic event, refuses to leave her sister's house, finding the open skies too scary. [1] The book is based on real-life events. This is the work of a seasoned novelist, deftly translated from Portuguese by the prominent British translator Daniel Hahn. On the eve of independence, Ludovica Fernandes Mano, a Portuguese émigré who followed her married sister to Angola, barricades herself within a high-rise penthouse with a terrace garden. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. She stays there for the next thirty years, living off vegetables and pigeons and writing her story on the walls of her home. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2021, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Visit Amazon's José Eduardo Agualusa Page. I make a habit of reading the Man Booker prize shortlist. For the next 30 years she lives off vegetables and pigeons, and burns her furniture to stay warm. Basing his new novel, "A General Theory of Oblivion," on the story of a woman named Ludo, who bricks herself into an 11th-floor apartment building on … A General Theory of Oblivion is a perfectly crafted, wild patchwork of a novel, playing on a love of storytelling and fable. Does this book contain inappropriate content? Does this book contain quality or formatting issues? The novel was the recipient of the 2017 International Dublin Literary Award,[4][5] one of the largest literary prizes in the world, with a prize of €100,000.[6]. It reads well with its short, well-crafted (and often eventful) chapters, too -- but it doesn't quite add up. “A General Theory of Oblivion is both more and less than its title; it certainly provides a kind of blueprint of the encroaching obscurity inherent to living and dying—at times bemoaning its certainty, at times celebrating the assured darkness—but it is also a general theory of … There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. From the Trade Paperback edition. A woman during a revolution decides to lock herself up in her home for decades with only her dog and books for company and the terrace garden and city pigeons for food. José Eduardo Agualusa presents a novel that turns self-preservation and fear into a prismatic exploration of survival. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. The short chapters tend to make it easy to rush through the story, but slowing down and savoring the tone and word choice in each chapter makes it an enjoyable experience. But when her sister meets and marries an Angolan man, she goes with her sister to Luanda. This worked well. The outside world slowly seeps into Ludo’s life through snippets on the radio, voices from next door, glimpses of a man fleeing his pursuers and a note attached to a bird’s foot. The English version of the novel received acclaim from Western audiences. 'A General Theory of Oblivion' is a clever book with a clever structure, but the writer (or perhaps the translator) has tried too hard to be too clever with the prose, and has not succeeded in this one respect. A General Theory of Oblivion : Jose Eduardo Agualusa : 9780099593126 We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. She lives off vegetables and pigeons, burns her furniture and books to stay alive and keeps herself busy by writing her story on the walls of her home. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading A General Theory of Oblivion. Despite its somber title and theme, A General Theory of Oblivion reads like a thriller. José Eduardo Agualusa’s 2012 novel, A General Theory of Oblivion (Teoria Geral do Esquecimento), reflects on this violent time. Like “Ahorro en la comida, en el agua, en el fuego y en los adjetivos.” ― José Eduardo Agualusa, A General Theory of Oblivion. a general theory of oblivion. [2], Written in the author's native language of Portuguese, it was translated into English by Daniel Hahn in 2015. About a sheltered young Portuguese woman caught up in the Angolan revolution where she's forced to fend for herself in the most unusual of ways. The novel marked the continuation of Hahn's long collaboration with Agualusa. 1 likes. Publication date 2015 Topics Women hermits -- Angola -- Luanda (Luanda) -- Fiction, Women hermits, Luanda (Luanda, Angola) -- Fiction, Angola -- Luanda (City) Publisher London : Harvill Secker Collection [7][8] The war for independence has left the area in a tumultuous and dangerous state, having raged for over twelve years. From the Trade Paperback edition. Unable to add item to List. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions. She attempts to cut herself off from the external world for three decades until she meets a young boy who informs her of the radical changes which have occurred in the country in the intervening years. To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. [14], The novel was also the recipient of the 2017 International Dublin Literary Award, which, with a monetary reward of €100,000, makes it the 21st largest literary award along with five other awards. Through their interactions, she uncovers the events which have shaken Angola since her self-ostracisation three decades earlier. The only information that she receives about the outside world and the political situation it faces comes from news reports on the radio, or the conversations of neighbours which she overhears.[1]. Please try again. A General Theory of Oblivion is ingeniously structured. Ludo's has never liked to be outside, she stays inside and cooks and cleans for her sister and her husband. Growing up in South Africa I was very much aware of the Angolan war, even though it was fought thousands of km away. As the country goes through various political upheavals from colony to socialist republic to civil war to peace and capitalism, the world outside seeps into Ludo's life through snippets on the radio, voices from next door, glimpses of someone peeing on a balcony, or a man fleeing his pursuers. The central anecdote provides barely enough material for a long short story. Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! Please try again. The novel recounts the story of a Portuguese woman who locks herself into her apartment with Angola on the brink of independence. There was a problem loading your book clubs. A General Theory of Oblivion - Kindle edition by Agualusa, Jose Eduardo, Hahn, Daniel. So the build up to Angolan Independence largely passes her by. 29 Aug [11], Critics praised Agualusa for his subject matter, stating that he was responsible for opening up "the world of Portuguese-speaking Africa to the English-speaking community. [4], "A General Theory Of Oblivion by José Eduardo Agualusa; trans. … As this book won the Dublin Literary Award, I ordered it on kindle. The award was eventually given to The Vegetarian. The book, owing to its concept of restricting a protagonist to a specific room, has been compared to Room by Emma Donoghue. "A General Theory of Oblivion is both more and less than its title; it certainly provides a kind of blueprint of the encroaching obscurity inherent to living and dying—at times bemoaning its certainty, at times celebrating the assured darkness—but it is also a general theory of love, of life, and, finally, of literature. When neither returns home on the eve of Angolan independence, she bricks herself into her apartment. Not even she is entirely cut off from the world, and a single of her gestures propels the narrative in an unexpected direction... while another gesture leaves it intact: Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2017. It's part mystery, part literary. A General Theory of Oblivion is a wild patchwork of a novel that tells the story of Angola through Ludo, a woman who bricks herself into her apartment on the eve of Angolan independence. A General Theory of Oblivion is a fine work, and insightful about what has happened in Angola over the past thirty-some years. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2016, Great depth of empathy for the people who are caught up in war and dislocation. For most of the novel, Ludo remains silent and immobile in her apartment. • A General Theory of Oblivion is published by Vintage. In the midst of all the violence and chaos caused by the anti-colonial movement's clashes with Portuguese authorities, she decides to isolate herself from society by bricking herself into her penthouse apartment. On the eve of Angolan independence, Ludo bricks herself into her apartment, where she will remain for the next thirty years. One-Hour Literature & Fiction Short Reads. [15] In accordance with the rules of the award, Agualusa and Hahn will share the award along a 75%:25% split respectively. It is a lovely book to read, very thought provoking. She incinerates her furniture to provide heat. The novel’s short chapters move at a rapid pace, with Ludo’s diary entries serving as occasional reprieves. His books have been translated into 25 languages. Please try your request again later. To Luanda self-preservation and fear into a prismatic exploration of Survival we see it from different perspectives anyone. The participants, showing that in the United States on August 25, 2017 the Independent fiction... Please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions through a window come alive and we it. Aug free download or read online a General Theory of Oblivion ( Portuguese: Geral! » a General Theory of Oblivion told from her perspective over the span 30... Of 258 pages and is available in ebook format fiction, cultural story,... And fable various places to help link the characters together, this book grips you and does n't add... Resourcefulness are explored in this entertaining cross section of life in Angola living off and! 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