Harare Review of Books

245 pages.

First published in 2012.

Finished reading on 2 Aug 2020.

Genre: Fiction (/Speculative Fiction?)

Blurb: On the eve of Angolan independence an agoraphobic woman named Ludo bricks herself into her apartment for 30 years, living off vegetables and the pigeons she lures in with diamonds, burning her furniture and books to stay alive and writing her story on the apartment’s walls.

Almost as if we’re eavesdropping, the history of Angola unfolds through the stories of those she sees from her window. 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.

A General Theory of Oblivion is a perfectly crafted, wild patchwork of a novel, playing on a love of storytelling and fable.

Magical. And I suppose I may mean magical realism, but it was lightly done. I loved the connections between the characters, and the writer created a very atmospheric book, which made peri-Independence (is that a term?) Angola feel very atmospheric.

Very much recommend Agualusa’s writing; after reading this book, he is very high on my list of authors I’d like to read again. The structure of this book was perfect, and the story very beautifully done. Obviously, much is owed to the translator, who did a fantastic job. Maybe someday I will be proficient enough in Portuguese to read and appreciate the original.

Highly recommend this, with a rating of 8/10.