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Publish Date: January 30, 2023
Publisher: Iskanchi Press
Genre: Literary Fiction, Humor, African Post-Modernism, Short Stories
Page Count: 240
Description
In this collection of eighteen humorous absurdist stories, Melo weaves together postmodernism, postcolonial realities and Angolan history, through an intrusive narrator and author. Angola is Wherever I Plant My Field will make the readers laugh as they reflect on life and society through stories set in Luanda, Haifa, America, and North-Korea.
Book Reaction Navigation
What Did Not Work For Me (for now)
The Gist
Although I have not read much postmodern fiction, I have started and taken a reprieve from Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore and Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves. Noncompletion aside, I have read enough of both novels to know that how the collection of stories written in Angola is Wherever I Plant My Field is reminiscent of the writing style of these two books.
Angola is Wherever I Plant My Field will challenge you. In a writing style that may be unfamiliar to most that have not read postmodern fiction, Angola is Wherever I Plant My Field requires careful and close reading. As the book’s description accurately states, it is a “collection of eighteen humorous absurdist stories” about Angolan History and Postcolonial Realities, told “through an intrusive narrator and author” in the postmodern style of writing.
Hopefully, this review will encourage you to challenge yourself and choose Angola is Wherever I Plant My Field for your next short story selection.
What Worked For Me
Individual Stories Stylistically Written as a Run-on Sentence
The most engaging stories for me are the ones that are stylistically written as a single run-on sentence. Utilizing this literary device required focus and somehow made the story face paced. I had never experienced this before and was amazed at the author’s ability to write one sentence, spliced by commas and semicolons, and the story continue to be understandable. I had a lot of fun reading this aloud, as it felt more comfortable doing so.
I wonder which rhetorical/literary device this could be. I’m leaning toward identifying it as asyndeton, but I’m still unsure. If you know, please leave a comment below and let me know if you know of any other books that use this device. I’d appreciate it.
Below are the stories that showcased this literary device. I suggest that you read them aloud to facilitate cadence and flow.
- Just a Fiver, Sir
- Canivet Has Gone White
- Angola Is Wherever I Plant My Field
The Translator
To make me chuckle and annotate this collection of stories is a feat in itself and I truly believe the translation is responsible for that. Luísa Venturini’s translation of João Melo’s work is two thumbs up. Regardless of Luísa’s translation from Portuguese to English being literal, I enjoyed it.
Postmodern Fiction
This is my first time dipping my entire toe in the Postmodern Fiction genre. Yes, the writing is meandering, but that is the best part. It forces you to ‘think and consider.’ I aim to read more books in this genre because it demands slow reading with its details and it mirrors a brain exercise.
Stories I Enjoyed
Just a Fiver, Sir
Why Aunt Lourdes Still Has No Teeth
Sheesh
The Secret
Violence
Portrait of a Character in Search of a Writer
Maria
The Nordic Engineer
Death is Punctual
Canivet Has Gone White
Aunt Holy
The Baptism
Angola Is Wherever I Plant My Field
What Didn’t Work For Me (for now)
Meandering is one thing, to be completely lost is another. Although I was able to find ‘a way’ in the stories I listed in the previous section of this blog post, there were some that left me in the middle of a labyrinth and ‘no way’ after trying. I’m pretty sure it’s because of my lack of knowledge about some subjects and possibly my maturity level and education. Listed are the stories that missed my mark and left me with new vocabulary and confusion.
Stories That Went Over My Head
The Revolutionary and Counter-Revolutionary Duck
The Portuguese Women are Coming
Three Endings
Caricature of the Author as a Young Man
Charlatan
Content Warnings
In my reading of Angola is Wherever I Plant My Field, I did not find any “glaring” content warnings that I can recall. The only one that I can pinpoint is War. Written into most of the stories from this collection are the act of War and its lingering effects.
If I had to give it a spice level, it would be “mild to medium.” Far from being heavy-handed, but just enough to remind you of its presence in this short story collection.
Final Verdict
I toggled between a rating of 3 and 3.5 for this first read of Angola is Wherever I Plant My Field. Despite my enjoyment of the writing, and the ability of the subject matter to inform and challenge me to ‘think and consider,’ the content of many of the stories was immemorable and did not impact me further than an occasional laugh or nod of agreement. My understanding of the subject material disproportionately influenced my rating. Thus, I landed on a 3 and not a 3.5.
Self-study and exploration of Angolan History would make for a more introspective reading experience. If I am to consider rereading it, that knowledge would be required, as it is the foundation upon which a better understanding of the political and historical attributes of these stories is built.
I will be the first (and only one in my case) to say that I did not know what I was getting myself into when I requested the NetGalley ARC of this title, but I was willing and excited to try. I feel accomplished in challenging myself and completing this translated short story collection. It evoked laughter, inspiration, and reflection, and cause pause and ponder as I considered conjuring the sheer amount of drive needed to emphatically say Angola is Wherever I Plant My Field.
Many thanks to Iskanchi Press, João Melo, and NetGalley for an Advanced Review Copy in exchange for an honest review. My review/reaction is voluntary, all thoughts are mine and unbiased, and receiving the Advanced Review Copy does not influence my rating and/or recommendation.
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