The Viceroy of Ouidah - Bruce Chatwin • BookLikes (ISBN:0140112901)

The Viceroy of Ouidah

by: Bruce Chatwin (author)

4.00 10

In this vivid, powerful novel, Chatwin tells of Francisco Manoel de Silva, a poor Brazilian adventurer who sails to Dahomey in West Africa to trade for slaves and amass his fortune. His plans exceed his dreams, and soon he is the Viceroy of Ouidah, master of all slave trading in Dahomey. But the ghastly business of slave trading and the open savagery of life in Dahomey slowly consume Manoel's wealth and sanity."This is Conrad's Heart of Darkness seen through a microscope." --The Atlantic Monthly"Dazzles and mystifies, with its lush anger, its impacted memory, its gorgeous desolation." --The New York Times

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Format: paperback

ISBN: 9780140112900 (0140112901)

Publish date: June 7th 1988

Publisher: Penguin

Pages no: 160

Edition language: English

Category:

Classics, Novels, Travel, Literature, European Literature, British Literature, Cultural, Africa, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, 20th Century, Modern Classics

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Community Reviews

The better to see you, my dear rated it

9 years ago

http://Zanahoria.booklikes.com The better to see you, my dear 5.0 The local spirit in the outsider's eyes

text The local spirit in the outsider's eyes

This was a surprising little thing. It was was a beautifully written account of the history of a family, of a time, of two places, of tragedy on the heels of fortune or more tragedy. Beyond the exquisite evocative quality, what came as a surprise was how it reminded me of Latin-american writing i...

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Books Over TV rated it

10 years ago

http://BookOverTV.booklikes.com Books Over TV 3.0 I'm sure I missed a lot

text I'm sure I missed a lot

This book was complex, hard to understand and grim. It wasn't what I had expected. I'm sure if I understood the language I would've had a better understanding. However, the parts I did understand were good. Francisco had a very diverse and interesting life encountering many strange and appalling cha...

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riley rated it

11 years ago

http://riley.booklikes.com riley 4.0

text

Is this mythology as history? Or maybe narrative journalism as history? I saw Cobra Verde ages ago and I didn't know this was the source material. If memory serves, it was very liberally adapted. This is an absolutely crazy story, and at this remove I'm not sure if it matters what is true and what i...

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tmwstw rated it

12 years ago

http://tmwstw.booklikes.com tmwstw 4.0 The Viceroy of Ouidah

text The Viceroy of Ouidah

Lovely book, dazzling writing, colourful images, and great use of descriptive language.The story moves at a very swift pace, with no superfluous scenes or loose ends.Need to read it again soon to pick up on all the imagery.

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