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johnnyforeign's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
karinlib's review
3.0
A young Frenchman goes to Gabon (a French Colony in the 30s)to work in his family's company. He reaches Libreville, but is prevented from going further into the interior where the factory is located (at first) The book reminds me of Paul Bowles [b:The Sheltering Sky|243598|The Sheltering Sky|Paul Bowles|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347986956s/243598.jpg|2287950], where foreigners are irrevocably changed by spending time in Africa (in a bad way). What bothered me about the book is that he didn't care about the locals much, in fact didn't seem to really notice them.
tarp's review
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
_rusalka's review
2.0
You know that feeling when you are slightly hungover - clammy, mild smell of off spirits about you, small headache behind your eyes that's threatening to erupt - and you are stuck somewhere claustrophobic, overly warm, and inescapable. Such as a meeting room or a bus. No windows can be opened, the heating is too high, there are too many people in the space, you just have to make it through before you pass out or succumb to building nausea that wasn't there before you stepped into this space, and the panic of possibly breaking a social taboo is compounding any feeling you may have.
That was this book. An overwhelming haze of booze, a hot and oppressive atmosphere, and just being stuck. It wasn't pleasant. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
That was this book. An overwhelming haze of booze, a hot and oppressive atmosphere, and just being stuck. It wasn't pleasant. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
exdebris's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
booksieman's review against another edition
2.0
Manesteek is een boek dat een tijdje terug werd geschreven. Heel het boek lang had ik moeite om in het verhaal te komen. Eventjes dacht ik mee te zijn, maar dan verloor ik het terug. Volgens mij ligt dit aan de klassieke schrijfstijl die Simenon hanteerde in zijn tijd.
Het verhaal gaat over een man genaamd Timar die naar Afrika gaat en in een hotel terechtkomt waar een moord zal worden gepleegd. Hij zal nauw contact krijgen met de vrouw achter de bar genaamd Adèle, maar is zij wel te vertrouwen en wie heeft de moord op de 'onschuldige?!' werknemer van het hotel gepleegd?
Ik begreep het verhaal niet. Het was zodanig erg dat ik zelf niet zeker weet of de inhoud die ik zonet heb neergeschreven correct is. De schrijfstijl lag me totaal niet. Het vertelperspectief was me ook wat onduidelijk.
Meer kan ik jammergenoeg niet zeggen over dit boek. Het telt niet zoveel pagina's dus het is wel mogelijk om het uit te lezen, maar ik raad dit boek niet aan voor mensen/jongeren die niet zo thuis zijn in culturen en specifieker de Afrikaanse cultuur. Het verhaal greep me niet vast. Voor mensen die wel geïnteresseerd zijn hierin, het is niet zo moeilijk om dit boek uit te lezen, het telt maar een kleine 200 pagina's. Spijtig, maar op naar het volgende boek!
Het verhaal gaat over een man genaamd Timar die naar Afrika gaat en in een hotel terechtkomt waar een moord zal worden gepleegd. Hij zal nauw contact krijgen met de vrouw achter de bar genaamd Adèle, maar is zij wel te vertrouwen en wie heeft de moord op de 'onschuldige?!' werknemer van het hotel gepleegd?
Ik begreep het verhaal niet. Het was zodanig erg dat ik zelf niet zeker weet of de inhoud die ik zonet heb neergeschreven correct is. De schrijfstijl lag me totaal niet. Het vertelperspectief was me ook wat onduidelijk.
Meer kan ik jammergenoeg niet zeggen over dit boek. Het telt niet zoveel pagina's dus het is wel mogelijk om het uit te lezen, maar ik raad dit boek niet aan voor mensen/jongeren die niet zo thuis zijn in culturen en specifieker de Afrikaanse cultuur. Het verhaal greep me niet vast. Voor mensen die wel geïnteresseerd zijn hierin, het is niet zo moeilijk om dit boek uit te lezen, het telt maar een kleine 200 pagina's. Spijtig, maar op naar het volgende boek!
smokeyshouse's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This was a well written novella... hence more than a 3; but it was a typical "White male author" story, so less than a 4. A noir tale that looks at colonial behavior in Gabon, and examines the role of (hetero)sexual manipulation
adam_nie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Skimming the cover gave me entirely the wrong impression. This is a book about the tragedy of colonialism as told by the colonizers. Troubling throughout.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Sexism, and Sexual assault
beanie_bob's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Reading Around The World (1/199): Gabon
Spoiler Free Review: Dark and dramatic without being pulpy but it still retains a noir vibe. I feel like this would translate really well to film (and in fact, it has been but I can’t find it readily available anywhere). This book is exactly what it says on the tin; reading the introduction really does set a basis for how to approach the text and Simenon’s anti-colonialist views.
There are no heroes in this book. Once the plot is set in motion there is no stopping it and Timar’s feeble attempt at the end is only met with his own feverish demise - moonstroke.
I thought the final chapter was weak and more of an epilogue to the cliff hanger of chapter 12. I think that’s more reflective of the time period this was written. I think a contemporary author might have filled in the falling action between Timar’s outburst in the courthouse and his winding up on the boat. That’s my only issue with the writing/structure.
This anti-colonial book is written by a white Frenchman and is mostly about the mentality of white French colonizers. Adele, the antagonist and love interest, kills Thomas a black boy on her hotel staff when he tries to blackmail her (since she has taken Timar as a lover). And then frames a Gabonese villager for the murder.
So we see how the black people of Gabon are lesser in the eyes of the white colonizers; the white loggers abuse them, Adele lacks respect or compassion for her staff & vendors, and Timar sees them as interchangeable, dull, simplistic and childlike. When they laugh or joke he can’t imagine that it’s sincere or intentional, he thinks it’s babble for the sake of noise.
And the Gabonese have worked out their own limited hierarchy under French colonial rule; the men sacrifice their women to be raped or whored. The chief selects a man in his village to take the fall for Thomas’ murder -in exchange for what? Food, protection, work? It’s unknown.
This book is sad. There is no justice and the truth dies as Timar succumbs to fever and delirium. Timar transforms from a naive ‘promising young frenchman’ to an angry drunk to a mad man. He’s pitiable and hatable and as much a threat and disturbance to Gabon as any other colonizer or expat in the book.
Spoiler Free Review: Dark and dramatic without being pulpy but it still retains a noir vibe. I feel like this would translate really well to film (and in fact, it has been but I can’t find it readily available anywhere). This book is exactly what it says on the tin; reading the introduction really does set a basis for how to approach the text and Simenon’s anti-colonialist views.
I thought the final chapter was weak and more of an epilogue to the cliff hanger of chapter 12. I think that’s more reflective of the time period this was written. I think a contemporary author might have filled in the falling action between Timar’s outburst in the courthouse and his winding up on the boat. That’s my only issue with the writing/structure.
This anti-colonial book is written by a white Frenchman and is mostly about the mentality of white French colonizers. Adele, the antagonist and love interest, kills Thomas a black boy on her hotel staff when he tries to blackmail her (since she has taken Timar as a lover). And then frames a Gabonese villager for the murder.
So we see how the black people of Gabon are lesser in the eyes of the white colonizers; the white loggers abuse them, Adele lacks respect or compassion for her staff & vendors, and Timar sees them as interchangeable, dull, simplistic and childlike. When they laugh or joke he can’t imagine that it’s sincere or intentional, he thinks it’s babble for the sake of noise.
And the Gabonese have worked out their own limited hierarchy under French colonial rule; the men sacrifice their women to be raped or whored. The chief selects a man in his village to take the fall for Thomas’ murder -in exchange for what? Food, protection, work? It’s unknown.
This book is sad. There is no justice and the truth dies as Timar succumbs to fever and delirium. Timar transforms from a naive ‘promising young frenchman’ to an angry drunk to a mad man. He’s pitiable and hatable and as much a threat and disturbance to Gabon as any other colonizer or expat in the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Alcohol, and Racism
Minor: Rape