The Catastrophist

by Ronan Bennett

Heart of Darkness

Few literary works have achieved the sustained, unflinching pessimism of Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad's haunting tale of one man's journey into the African subcontinent. One new novel that can justly make that claim is The Catastrophist, by the talented Irish writer/activist Ronan Bennett. Here, Conrad's classic tale is transmogrified by a century of irony, Westernization, and a tip of the hat to Graham Greene and John le Carré. Benett's Marlow is James Gillespie, an Irish historian turned novelist who travels to the Congo in 1959. Set against the death throes of the age of imperialism, the new nation's violent struggle for independence from Belgium provides ample opportunity for Gillespie to explore the dark territory of political and emotional engagement.

Gillespie's Kurtz, the figure who draws him to the Congo and whose maddening attachment to the place both fascinates and repulses him, is Inès, a fiery Italian journalist, who pens fiercely pro-Congolese articles for a radical newspaper. Inès and Gillespie met in London at the house of Gillespie's publisher, and soon after, were heading to Ireland for a romantic getaway. Inès was smitten instantly ("I am already loving you" she whispers as they first make love), but Gillespie, considerably less headstrong, was slower to recognize his feelings. Following Inès to Léopoldville (Kinshasa), the Congolese capital, was his emotional plunge, his gesture toward commitment. But soon after his arrival, Gillespie realizes that he has been displaced from Inès's attentions by her devotion to Patrice Lumumba, the charismatic Congolese independence leader. Gillespie, on the other hand, is incapable of viewing the disorganized independence movement as anything more than an unfortunate farce; nor does he sympathize with the Belgians in Léopoldville, who live in cloistered luxury, walled off from the cité indigène -- "where the blacks live" -- by well-patrolled walls and their own willful obliviousness.

Despairing over Inès's increasingly distant air, Gillespie befriends an American named Stipe, who is in the Congo to promote American security interests, as well as Stipe's loyal, ambitious driver, Auguste. Stipe feeds Gillespie information about the imminence of an uprising, allowing him to complete some lucrative freelance pieces, while Auguste shares his dreams about having an office on Fifth Avenue.

These bonds prove fragile, however, and dissolve once the independence movement comes to a violent, chaotic boil. Inès's partisanship becomes even more pronounced, and she spends all her time at Lumumba's camp. Gillespie's articles alienate him from many of the Belgians, who refuse to consider the Congolese other than as mischievous children. Stipe and his Belgian companions, meanwhile, become fearful of Lumumba's Communist sympathies and begin unsavory efforts to undermine his authority, supporting the right-wing party of the pro-Western Mobutu Sese Seko instead. Auguste, who has become active in Lumumba's youth movement, dissociates himself from Stipe; entering into Lumumba's inner circle, he soon meets Inès. Inès and Auguste become lovers and Gillespie, after countless efforts to win her back, is forced to contemplate a world breaking up around him.

The Catastrophist is primarily a story of failure, both of a crumbling political movement and of a doomed relationship. (There is little surprise about the former, even for those unfamiliar with Congolese history; in the opening scene of the book, Lumumba is captured by Mobutu after attempting to escape the country). Inès once charged Gillespie with being a "catastrophist," one who believes "it is always the end." He countered by claiming that "if the problem is big&the only thing to do is leave it behind." As the events of the book lead inexorably to a series of personal and political catastrophes, Gillespie's pessimism seems only to be confirmed; and yet, tethered by his love for Inès, he cannot leave these catastrophes behind.

Thus, surrounded by zealots, but insulated by a carapace of solipsism, Gillespie struggles futilely to maintain his position on the sidelines. Once embarrassed by melodrama and maudlin displays of affection, he finds himself begging Inès to take him back. And once so bitterly skeptical of Lumumba's efforts, he finds himself drawn into the struggle, forced to make a sacrifice for a cause he doubts, a self-consciously doomed gesture to win back Inès's love. For much of the book, Gillespie's presiding motto is a quote from Pushkin, "Does a man die at your feet, your business is not to help him, but to note the color of his lips." But when he has an opportunity to enact that dictum, its guidance seems woefully inadequate. Gillespie's policy of detachment becomes the ultimate catastrophe.

"I was alway...

Genres: Fiction, Africa, Historical Fiction, Irish Literature, Book Club, Literary Fiction, Contemporary

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Ronan Bennett is a novelist and screenwriter who was born and brought up in Northern Ireland and now lives in London. His third novel, The Catastrophist, was nominated for the Whibread award in 1998. Havoc, in Its Third Year (2004) was listed for the Booker prize. Havoc has been adapted into a motion picture to be released later in 2012. His latest novel is Zugzwang. His television drama Top Boy will be broadcast by Channel 4 in November 2011.

In addition to Havoc and Top Boy, Ronan has an excessive amount of work writing and creating for both television and the screen.

Long before Ronan ever thought of becoming a writer, he did a brief stint in prison for crimes perpetrated by the Irish Republican Army, crimes he was wrongly accused for.

Reviews

[Haytham ⚜️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

على طريقة جراهام جرين وكونراد، وأدب الأحداث التاريخية المرتبطة بمصير الشعوب والدسائس؛ تدور الأحداث في الكونجو في عهد الاستعمار البلجيكي، وبالتحديد 1959/1960 وتهاوي المستعمر البلجيكي وتحول البلاد إلى ساحة صراع للمخابرات العالمية وخاصة الأمريكية؛ ودورها البارز في إنقلاب موبوتو المدعوم منها على زعيم حركة الاستقلال لومومبا، الثائر والمدعوم من السوڤييت وعبد الناصر في أفريقيا.

"حين جاء البلجيكيون إلى القرى، كان الرجال يختبئون في الغابات. وهكذا كانوا يعتقلون النساء والأطفال كرهائن ويغتصبون الفتيات ويهددون بقتل الجميع إذا لم يعد الرجال. حين يعود الرجال يأخذهم البلجيكيون بعيدًا إلى العمل في مزارع المطاط وسكك الحديد. كانوا يجلدون ويضربون. وكانت أيديهم تقطع كعقوبة على عدم إنتاج ما يكفي من المطاط أو العاج".

إنيس صحفية شيوعية إيطالية، تناضل في الكونجو وتساند الشعوب المستعمرة. ترتبط بعلاقة حب مع روائي وصحفي من أيرلندا الشمالية يدعى جيمس، وهو راوي الأحداث في الرواية. بعد علاقتهم العاطفية قبل سنة في أوروبا، تسافر إنيس إلى الكونجو لتغطية أحداث المظاهرات الداعية للاستقلال ودحر المستعمر البلجيكي البغيض، يقوم بالسفر إليها كمراسل صحفي لجريدة بريطانية. هناك نجد شخصية ستايب وهو يمثل المخابرات الأمريكية وتخفيه في دور موظف سفارة، ودوره في الانقلاب وصداقته المزعومة لجيمس، حتى أنه كان من الأسباب لتأثر العلاقة العاطفية بين جيمس وإنيس وإقناعها أنه ليس الشخص المناسب لها كثورية وعليها البحث عن الرجل المناسب لمعتقداتها السياسية.

"لا أقف في جانب أحد. أرى جميع الجوانب. ذلك أن صنعتي تتطلب هذا. أنا ضد الأشياء، نعم، أقر بهذا. أشياء التعصب واللاتحرر. أنا ضد العقائد القطعية واليقين والإيديولوجيا وكل الأشياء التي تغلق خياراتنا. أنا قلم. أعيش من أجل الكلمات، حياتي في الكلمات".

نرى الأحداث تتسارع وتلهث في الثلث الأخير من الرواية، والصراع بين موبوتو ولومومبا وأنصارهما وهل سيكتب نجاح لومومبا الثوري وقصة الحب المشتعل؟

تعد الرواية مهمة وتظهر صراع القوى الاستعمارية، ونهب الشعوب الفقيرة، مليئة بالتشويق وتذكير بحدث مهم للقارة المنهوبة أفريقيا وثرواتها الغنية، وتطلق التساؤلات والتأمل في ما يدور حولنا وإعادة التاريخ لنفسه. أديب رفيع ومتمكن من أدواته وأتطلع لقراءة أعماله الأخرى.

"حين تكون مع الجانب الخاسر في التاريخ، حين تكون فقيرًا وملعونًا كي تأكل خبزًا، أن تقبل وجهة نظر عدوك؛ هو أن تقبل المجاعة والعبودية".

[Oceana2602 · Rating 3 out of 5]

First I'm going to tell you what the Financial Times has to say about this book:

"Bennett's writing is as lush and sensual as ripe mangos... The tone, which is perfectly pitched, and the exotic setting collude to evoke an era of colonial decadence"

Remember this.
Now I'm going to tell you "What I learned from this book" (I always wondered who was stupid enough to put that on top of the review box, but now I know. That's not the learning experience I wanted to tell you about though.)

What I learned from this book is that when the Financial Times recommends a book and compares it to sweet, juicy fruits, it's most likely a "sensual tale about a man and a woman" written for desperate business men who know they can't exactly keep the playboy on their desk.

In other words: Bennett writes porn. Oh, right, it's not really porn because the people aren't naked when the story starts, so technically I guess it's erotica, though there's an awful lot of porny bits, so lets call the horse by its name.

It's tasteful porn, I give him that. The non-porny bits are good, too, the whole book is good, really. And you don't see me complaining about the porny bits either, no sir. It's just that I didn't expect it to be that porny. But see, those business men need something juicy to read in those long buiness class flights, and a book that pretends to be a love story set during the fight for the Congolese independence, with a cover that doesn't suggest porn at all and provides innocent, intellectual parts on every page that you can quote in case anyone asks you to, that's just the thing for those men. In other words, that's just the thing for Financial Times readers. There they are, in business class, imagining what it would be like to sleep with Ines, who doesn't like foreplay and gets "very wet very fast" (yes I'm quoting), settling the Financial Times a bit more securely down in their lap... and if somebody asks what they are reading: "Oh, it's this book about a writer (look what an understanding EMO man I am) who goes to the Congo because of a woman (look what a romantic I am) during the fight for Congolese independence (look what an intellectual I am).

I still call it porn. It's also very male porn, which made it quite interesting, because it is written entirely from a man's POV, a man who thinks he is in love. Girls, do you think Bennett realizes how accurate his description of love really is? Man thinks he is in love=thinks about his sex life all the time?
This is even cleverer than I thought.

So, I think we've established that it's an intellectual book for business men who like to read porn while flying. But then I get to the last page and whow, Mr. Bennett, is that you in that EMO pose with the schoolboyishly ruffled hair and are you really wearing a thick, woolen turtleneck sweater? You look like Angel's Wesley. Only with less leather (they don't like black leather in business class).

That totally makes me want to go out with you. But if I want to read about real men having sex, I go look for some good slash fiction on the internet. More leather, less of that pesky love stuff. Sorry.

Back to the book: I had some structural differences with it, mostly because it takes place in the past but is written in a present tense first person narrator POV, which was a bit confusing in the beginning. I also wasn't as drawn into the love part of the love story as I had hoped to be, but the historical part made up for that. So, should you read this? Why not. It's not a bad book, it's probably even a good book. Except, if you are a woman, you might want something with a bit more depth, cause I can't help thinking that the whole story was just an excuse to write about sex and violence, Mr. Bennett. I'd still go out with you, though.

Have I learned something else from this book?
Yes. I don't use enough fruit metaphors to ever be writing reviews for the Financial Times. "Ripe mangos"??? Were they being served in business class while the reviewer wrote his review?

[Amy Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Catastrophist is simply one of the finest books I've read in years. I intend to get back here and review it with the thought it deserves. But until I get out from under a pile of revisions, I just want to recommend this brilliant, complex, emotionally intelligent novel. It's rare to come across a writer as gifted with the language and its expression as Bennett, but what a marvelous joy to do so.

[Bunnydozer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written, the story haunts you years after you're through reading it.

[will]

The most interesting thing about this novel, set in the Belgian Congo at the cusp of independence, is the vulnerability and constant self-questioning of the narrator. He is relentless in tearing apart his own beliefs and emotions, and yet he still fails in many ways to understand his own position in relation to politics both national and personal. His character is not always likable and his emotional states often felt adolescent to me, despite his forty years of age, but he seemed well constructed. I can't say the same for the female lead who acted mostly as a device for the narrator to explore his angst and his lack of empathy. She seemed idealized even when acting against him, and in this her believability crumbled.
Bennett handles the complicated politics of the time fairly well, although at times it felt like too much, disintegrating into lecture and poorly disguised dialogue. And the ending was capped a little too neatly for my tastes, all the main characters appearing seemingly out of nowhere for the sake of wrapping up their individual trajectories. Overall a decent effort, but not excellent.

[Matze · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing tale of decolonization, violence, identity, love, letting go, and the biggest question of them all, at least for the pessimistic, disillusioned, selfish Irish writer through whose eyes we see the events around Patrice Lumumba's bid for an independent, colonizer-free Congo - whether or not standing up for what you believe is worth it. Well written, properly paced, with a fitting set of characters.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is set in late 1959 early 1960 in Belgian Congo which is lurching towards catastrophic independence "Depanda" when the narrator Irish/English author James Gillespie flies into Leopoldville to be reunited with his Italian lover Ines Sabiana, a journalist with L'Unita. And it was a catastrophe. Before independence the highest ranked black administrator was a mere clerk and the highest ranked black soldier was a NCO. When Belgium suddenly decides to give the Congo independence in six months there is no smooth handover of power instead all the whites jump ship and the country, despite being probably the most mineral rich country in Africa is left bankrupt. When Patrice Lumumba, the leader of the biggest political group and a unionist,is voted into power he makes the ill-judged decision to give all public workers, other than the Army, a large pay rise and is promptly overthrown in a coup by Joseph Mobutu. This leads to disintegration of the country with widespread petty and systematic brutality on both political and tribal grounds. Into this political vacuum steps the vying superpowers USSR and America to further muddy the waters.

Ines, despite being a journalist is passionate about independence and seems to have decided Communist leanings whereas James is indifferent or as he prefers 'objective' preferring to observe rather than really engage. James also becomes friendly with American Stipe who works for their consulate in some undefined capacity but the assumption that it is CIA or something of that ilk. This drives the two lovers apart and so James is left forlorn and desperate for things to revert to the way things were before. However, it seems IMHO a relationship based merely on sex rather than anything deeper.

In many respects this is what I find wrong with this book. I just never felt that James and in particular Ines never really rang true. In fact Ines seemed more like the dreams of a desperate middle aged man with her easy ability to orgasm and inability to have children. Both are writers of sorts but both use words in different ways. Ines uses her journalistic reports to promote her political zeal whereas James uses words as a barrier to hide from the events that are transpiring around him. Ultimately he is forced to face reality and take sides.

On the whole I liked the author's writing style with some fairly stereotypical minor characters and he gives a reasonable account of the madness taking place in the country both before and after independence, although personally I would have preferred a little more. Certainly I feel that the outside world and particularly Belgium come out of it very badly, being portrayed as 'fiddling whilst Rome burnt' beforehand and callously indifferent afterwards. Much the same can probably be said about the UN. However, there was certainly implied, actually it was openly stated at one point, bias within that Britain would have handled the situation better. Perhaps we would have but that is probably more to wider experience, ie more colonies vying for independence, rather than anything else.

I recently read 'A Sunday by the Pool in Kigali' and thoroughly enjoyed that. This was an enjoyable read but not up to that standard. That said if I spot any more of Ronan Bennett's books I will not shy away from picking them up.

[Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd read and really liked a later novel by Ronan Bennett called Havoc in Its Third Year, so I was quite excited about reading one of his earlier works, The Catastrophist. The plot is fairly simple: an Anglicized Irish novelist named James Gillespie follows his quondam girlfriend Ines Sabbiani, an Italian Communist journalist, to the Belgian Congo in 1959, just before independence. Gillespie's induction into the complex world of Congolese politics and the ill-fated tenure of Patrice Lumumba as Congo's elected Prime Minister is a harsh one but he stays because of his nigh-obsessive love for Ines (and is provoked into a singular act of courage because of that love.)

Bennett's description of the politics and the atmosphere of suspicion and betrayal is superb, and he's a very good writer in general, but this novel was fatally flawed by the character of Ines. First of all, she's incredibly annoying; complete moral certitude in a fictional character that is not only never changed but is ultimately endorsed by the author and the other characters is something I always find annoying, and Ines is a true-believing Communist (the daughter of a partisan etc., etc.) who never, for one single moment, expresses any doubt in her chosen ideology. I'm sure people like her existed (I know they did!) but it still grates on me that in 1959-1960 Ines can be so sure that Communism is the only path for Africa. (OK, I know this is before the secret XX Party Congress where Khruschev talked about Stalin, but jeebus, the Soviets invaded Hungary in 1956, so any thinking person had to be a little shaken in their belief in the equation of Marxism and freedom.) Secondly, I hate that Lumumba has to be given some kind of white woman "muse"; we mercifully never actually see Lumumba interact with Ines, but she's quite clearly the person who goads Auguste (a fictional native Congolese character) into political action, because apparently, he needed to have some Italian lady come tell him what he should be doing with his life. Thirdly, and perhaps most unforgiveably, Ines, annoying as she is, never rings true as a real character - she always seems to be half the product of Gillespie's (or the writer's) imagination, what with being always (ahem, how shall I say this tastefully?) primed and ready for the sexy times and never having to worry about getting pregnant and beautiful even though she's losing her hair and yadda yadda. Therefore, I never bought into Gillespie's consuming love for Ines, which basically made all of of his actions in the novel not ring true either. Oh well!

(Incidentally, Bennett has written a number of screenplays, most recently that of "Public Enemies" - so I guess I do generally like his writing! Just not Ines!)

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

is December, 1960. The Belgian Congo is on the verge of independence. James Gillispie, a journalist and minor novelist, is in Leopoldville planning to reunite with his lover, Inez. James is Irish and she is Italian. They had an affair in Ireland and London, his normal home.

The novel is an exotic foreign land politically based thriller and a story of unrequited love. Shortly after James reunites with Inez he meets Stipe, an intelligent, well-read American who works in a non-defined job at the U. S. Embassy. Still later James is introduced to Auguste, Stipe's driver. Auguste, a Congolese, is well educated and bears a card entitling him to privileges only enjoyed be whites including the right to eat in white restaurants.

James and Inez attend a party hosted by a wealthy Belgian where they witness the Belgium Army's murder of several Congolese independence demonstrators. They are horrified, but as both are reporters, they realize they must write about and report what they saw. Independence and the love story unfold from the massacre.

Both reporters have different relations with Patrice Lumumba, the short-lived Congolese prime minister following independence. James earnestly believes journalists should only report what they see and hear. Inez is a dedicated European liberal, perhaps a communist, and slants her stories to fit her political beliefs. Also, she becomes personally involved with the people she is writing about. These professional and personal differences lead to their estrangement. During an argument Inez calls James a catastrophist, Italian for someone who is totally objective, does not become involved and has no passion.

Independence quickly sinks into civil war. James and Inez are separated. Stipe and Auguste have hugely different agendas. The story ends several years later in a small Italian village where James now resides to write, but actually to unsuccessfully try to reconcile his beliefs and love for Inez an impossible undertaking.

Bennet was born in 1956 and raised in Belfast. After earning a doctorate in history, he turned to journalism. He has written several screenplays. The Catastrophist was chosen as a best book by the LAT in 1999.

[The Final Chapter · Rating 3 out of 5]

High 3. Bennett has captured brilliantly the atmosphere of false hopes of a new dawn which characterised the immediate post-colonial period. Moreover, the conflict between the realism of his protagonist and the idealism of the latter's ex-lover held great promise as a central storyline. However, the author's decision to focus too heavily on the romantic entanglement of these two characters was a misjudgement as the idealist has the propensity to grate on the reader's nerves, while the protagonist's infatuation with such a cold and intransigent character stretch believability too far. Still, the novel is a satisfactory read with some excellent passages, especially those dealing with the political machinations and intrigue.

[Juliette · Rating 3 out of 5]

an uneven book which has some great passages. Bennet is particularly good on sex scenes but the characters are distant and lack, well, life. I struggled to get why Ines was such a wonderful woman worth getting f*cked (in the language of the book) for and some of James' internal monologues rang false and out of character - too schmaltzy, too feminised. There's a middle section of back story which adds nothing to the narrative and only seems to be in there because it was previously published in LRB ... that said, there's some fascinating insight into the particular brutalities of Belgian colonialism and some beautiful writing that finishes the book and stays with you long after you've put it down

[Hannah Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

This caught my eye at the tip shop because a therapist once said i was a catastrophist. Even though there's a scene with the protagonist and his girlfriend where she accuses him of being a catastrophist, I'm not entirely sure that's what he was. Anyway it was a 'good in parts' read. I really liked it nearer the end where it turned into a bit of a gruesome thriller. And the politics of the Congo is really interesting. Made me want to find out more. But mostly it was just *classic* award winner/shortlister type novel of which I've read a million. I basically knew how it was going to read before I started. Not worst tip shop book I've ever bought though.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bennett reminds me a lot of Graham Greene, in a good way. In The Catastrophist as in many of Greene's novels, a middle-aged European man goes to Africa in the last days of colonialism trying to salvage a doomed romance. Unlike Greene, the object of desire here is actually a fully realized character, not just an idea of a woman. Bennett creates a strong sense of place in his depictions of the Congo in 1960, and the failure of the relationship nicely follows the failure of Lumumba's dream for a strong, independent Congo. Sad, but nicely written.

[Elina Salminen · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay book, but not quite what the reviews make it out to be. It's a love story that takes place in the shadow of the bloody struggle for independence by the Belgian Congo, between an Irish (but rather self-hating and apolitical) writer and an Italian idealistic journalist. The flow is pleasant enough, and one wants to find out what becomes of the writer, but there are easy features like bad sex scenes, pasted-on lectures on Congolese history, and an overall moralizing tone of a coming-of-age story, even if the main character is middle-aged.

[Anne Hawn Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Catastrophist by Ronan Bennett is set in the Belgian Congo in the early 1960's. The plot centers on two writers who are caught up in the rise and fall of the charismatic leader, Patrice Lamumba. I remember the headlines vaguely, but was never able to set the memories in a clear context. The story focuses on a writer, James, and his Italian correspondent lover, Inez. While the book focuses on the relationship between these two, the awful history of that era unfolds with a nice balance.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel is set in the Belgian Congo on the eve of independence in 1959/1960. James (Seamus) Gillespie has followed his Italian lover Ines there. This is an excellent read that provides much food for thought about colonialism, how the colonial powers manipulated situations. In this story it is not only the Belgian, but also Americans and Brits. Gillespie claims to be apolitical which is one of the central themes. He also seems to be a bit preoccupied by sex.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brilliant writing--every word is crucial. Clear and precise. Writing. Relationships. Belgian Congo. Patrice Lumumba. Global politics and economics.

[David Lester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent political novel set in the Congo, circa 1960.

[Glen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptionally good read, this novel is set primarily in the Congo during the ferocious struggle for independence from Belgium that led to the assassination of popular leader Patrice Lumumba and the ascendancy of the dictator Mobutu, with assistance from both Belgium and the U.S. Amidst the savagery of those world-historical events, the author manages to locate a wrenching and compelling love story between the narrator, an Irish writer named James Gillespie, and his romantic obsession, the leftist Italian journalist Ines Sabiani. While Bennett does a commendable job detailing the events and the feeling of the events of 1960-61, the real pulse of the novel is the narrator's love for Ines and his own inner demons and doubts about his own place in the world and worthiness of her love in return. Right alongside the blood-curdling brutality of the Congolese civil war are passages of extraordinary intimacy and tenderness, of sexual passion and jealousy, of longing and the tragedy of loss. Though the narrator's few comments about Ireland and the Irish conflict (the Troubles did not fully erupt in Northern Ireland until 1969) are dismissive and disparaging, one need only know that Bennett was himself imprisoned at the infamous Long Kesh prison (aka The Maze) in the early 1970s due to suspected republican activity to be convinced that it was a likely source for at least some of the depth of humanity in this fine novel, deserving of the many comparisons it has received to Conrad and to Graham Greene.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I have lived disguised from myself, in permanent doubt of my own emotional authenticity; and since I am never alone with myself, since I am always watching the character playing my part in the scene, there is no possibility of spontaneity."

I devoured this book. Deeply sad, simply but elegantly written, sexy (but not, as others here have suggested, pornographic), action-packed, and regrettably still relevant given Kabila's strongman hold on modern Congo. As much for fans of DRC's history à la In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz: Living on the Brink of Disaster in Mobutu's Congo as it is for those who fell for the romance of The Poisonwood Bible. The questions Bennett raises about how detached people can be from their surroundings and from one another is the dividing line between journalists and op-ed authors, historians and artists. It rings in your mind when the book is over and demands consideration.

"Like many middle-aged, professional, urban men we have developed a keen amateur interest in the natural world, an attempt at an antidote, I suppose, to our paper lives."

"Politics of that sort demands conviction, fiction demands doubt."

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable novel about a love story within the independence story of the Congo. As it was written more than 25 years ago, and set in late 1950s/1961, it has an old-fashioned, sometimes sexist sheen, but the characters are more or less believable and the story v dramatic. Written by an Irish writer, conflict in Ireland is often in the background, but you don't hear much about it. The story is about whether to take a side in revolution (if it doesn't directly affect you) and what are the costs if you do or don't.

[Penny de Vries · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book as much for the doomed love story as for the immediacy of the action, set in what was Belgian Congo. Some different angles compared to the usual narrative. Superb writing too, sharp, pointed yet passionate.

[Chris Waterford · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was engaged initially by the good writing, and then by the romance, and also by the political drama in the Congo. Then the romance dwindled and the politics got messier and even the writing seemed to go off a bit and the book lost some of its charm.
6.5/10

[Bram De longhi · Rating 3 out of 5]

er zaten wel spannende delen in

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

prachtig

[Gaby Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tormented love affair between two writers on the backdrop of the CIA backed murder of the first elected President of the Republic of Congo.

[asianbrownreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and sad book. Gives you a glimpse of the Belgian Congo era and its horrors.

[Belinda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a chore. Reading should be more enjoyable.

[Karen Briscoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our book club selected this book and it was too political for my preference. Karen Briscoe, author and podcast host 5 Minute Success

[Kieran Watkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the backdrop set in Congo during the fall of the Belgian empire, but I didn’t find James’ enduring love for Ines very convincing and felt the flashbacks to Ireland ruined the pace of the book