Rather than calling it a novel, I'd call it "post-modern travel notes". That's how Rogerio Miguel Puga described the book 'Um estranho em Goa' (A Stranger In Goa) by Jose Eduardo Agualusa.
Dr Puga, from the Centre for English, Translation and Anglo-Portuguese Studies of New University of Lisbon, was speaking on the Goa-related book of the Angolan journalist and writer whose books have been translated into twenty languages. Agualusa writes monthly for the Portuguese magazine LER and weekly for the Angolan newspaper A Capital. He hosts the radio program A Hora das Cigarras, about African music and poetry, on the channel RDP Africa. In 2006, he launched, with Conceição Lopes and Fatima Otero, the Brazilian publisher Língua Geral, dedicated exclusively to Portuguese-language authors. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Eduardo_Agualusa ) "Somebody termed it colonial archaeology," said Puga. He said of the book: "It starts with an image of the flowing Mandovi river, which reflects energy and history. There is also recurrence in these post-modern travelogues of the idea of a *soundscape* -- the sounds of Goa that complement the visual images of Goa. And the 'novel' starts with humour, warning the reader that he has fiction in his hands, not reality." If you'd like to hear the talk in full, even if you were not there, check out the link below http://www.archive.org/details/UmEstranhoEmGoaAndMacau There is also a subsequent talk on Portuguese in today's Macau. Ole Xac, please check it out! FN -- FN +91-832-2409490 or +91-9822122436 [email protected] Books from Goa,1556 http://scr.bi/Goa1556Books Audio recordings (mostly from Goa): http://bit.ly/GoaRecordings --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
