Once in a while, I am possessed by the desire to read something truly bizarre, brilliant and yet slightly inscrutable, a book that is so … creative and unique that it cannot help but expand one’s consciousness. I’ve found it quite difficult to come across such books –first, there’s just not that many of them written, and those that are, usually exist as hidden gems that rarely surface on my media feeds.

It is in this spirit that I one day came across and acquired Pandora in the Congo. The cover [retro mock-(post)-colonial?], the description [a story written by a ghostwriter of a ghostwriter of a ghostwriter], even the original language [Catalan]—suggested a humorous political critique, a dazzling adventure story, quirky worlds/characters and strange twists of plot.

To my absolute delight, Sánchez Piñol trippy novel proved as off-beat and as Daliesque as I had been craving. Pandora in the Congo is:

* an absurdist critique of race and colonialism by way of a parody of ‘traditional’ narratives (such as The Heart of Darkness)

* an homage to classic science fiction and a playful but also subtly mocking imitation of Wells and Verne

* an adventure story, a love story, a mystery, a sci-fi/fantasy tale, or perhaps just a pretense at being a bit of each of these

* a uniquely inventive meta-narrative that in the form of a story that questions itself as a story. The book is (a supposedly true) account of an accused murderer told by a ghostwriter of a ghostwriter of a ghostwriter hired by the lawyer of the accused. And that is just the beginning of a mind-bending ride through a fabulously confabulated tale that blurs boundaries between “reality” and other realms.

Pandora is sadly probably not for everyone, which is why, I imagine, it remains relatively under-appreciated. Still, I highly recommend it to anyone in the mood for a strange, unsettling, thought-provoking, smart and humorous post-colonial sci-fish epic that mocks colonial epics and the constructs to which they adhere. Because, perhaps you will be in that mood someday.
fantasy fiction post-colonialism ...more31 s Diana Stoyanova607 138

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23 s Carmo690 520

Eis o que este livro me ensinou: as mentiras são tão mais credíveis quanto mais elaboradas e estapafúrdias forem.
Levou-me de volta às gloriosas aventuras Vernianas ( vem de Júlio Verne para quem é deste século), recordou-me os tempos em que acreditava piamente que bastava dar um pontapé numa pedra para desencantar um homenzinho verde.
Demorei tanto tempo a ler as últimas vinte páginas, como as quatrocentas que haviam ficado para trás. É que a dada altura começa a subir o pano sob este convincente cenário... e as nossas ilusões ... uma a uma...pof, pof, pof...

Mesmo assim, é do melhor que há para entreter.
espanha12 s Jess66 6

I'll be honest. When I first picked this up, I was intrigued but not overwhelmingly excited about reading it.

And then I started. Within seconds, I was hooked. The protagonist's name is Thomas Thomson, which immediately sets up a tone of whimsy and sort of naivety, which is exactly how the protagonist portrays himself. All one needs to know is Mr. Thomson was the ghostwriter of a ghostwriter of a ghostwriter and that leads him to a position working for a barrister writing the story of a prisoner awaiting trial.

Throughout the course of the story, the reader begins to wonder who is telling the truth and questioning the outrageousness of the story the prisoner tells and Mr. Thomson relays. By the time I reached the middle of the book, I was completely absorbed in the story taking place both in the Congo and England.

Strangely enough, Mr. Thomson's story evokes a bit of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness - whether or not that was intentional, I do not know, but I certainly saw some parallels.

All in all, I was completely absorbed by this book. Upon completion, I put it down and simply sat there, digesting everything I had read. It's rare that I experience that sort of "Wow" moment, but Pandora in the Congo certainly does that much and more. I'm surprised it's not all over the New York Times Best Seller list - though I look forward to reading more from this author for sure. 14 s ???? ????????1,004 62

???? ????? ???????? ?????? ???? ???????? ?? ??????. ???? ????-??? ????????? (???????? ??????????? ??????? ?? ????? ????? ? ??????? ? ?????? ????), ?? ?????????? ??????? ?? ???????????-?????????????? ??? ??????.
????? ??? ??????. ????????? ?? ?????????? ???????????? ??????, ???????? ????????????? ?? ??????, ???????????? ?????????? ?? ??????????? ??????,????????????? ????????? ?? ???????????? ? ??????????? ??????????? ?? ??????????? ??????.
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????? ??????? ? ????????????? ???????-???, ????? ???????? ???????? ?? ?????? ??. ??? ?????? ?? ??????? ????????? ?? ?????????, ????? ???-??????? ?????????. ?????? ??????? ?? ?????? ??????????? ? ??????? ??????? ?? ??????? ?????, ? ???????????... ?? ???? ?? ?? ?????????, ???? ?? ??????, ?? ???????? ?? ????????, ?? ?????, ? ???? ??????????? ??????? ?? ??????? ???????? ?????, ????? ? ??? ?????????? ????????? ?? ???????. ???, ?? ?????? ? ?? ?? ?????????, ????? ?????????? ???.
? ??? ????: ?????? ??.
???????13 s ??????? M.140 12

9,5/10. ?????????? ??????? ????? ??????????? ???? ????? ?? ????????. ??? ?????? ?????? ???? ??? ?.??.?????? ???? ?? ???? ????? ?????????. ??????????? ???? ??? ??????? ????????? ????? ?? ?????. ?? ??????? ???????????? ?? ?????????? ??? ???? ??????? ?? ???????????? ??? ?????????? ???????????.fantasy favorites historical-fiction ...more9 s Kaloyana698 2

"?????. ?? ?? ?????????? ????, ?????? ??????? ??????, ??????? ? ??????? ????? ??????. ???? ?? ?? ?????????? ?????? ???? ???? ??????? ? ???????, ?????? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ?????. ? ??? ????????? - ????"


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8 s Rowland Pasaribu376 79

Pandora in the Congo is narrated by Thomas 'Tommy' Thomson, writing what he says is the same book yet again -- some sixty years after he first wrote it. It's a bit different this time, as he writes the story behind (and around) the story as well, but still .....

Thomson grew up in an orphanage, so well-d there that they let him stay another four years after they were supposed to send him out into the wild world at fifteen. He developed a love of reading there, and the ambition to become a writer. When he left the orphanage he moved into Mrs. Pinkerton's boarding house, set to embark on his writing career, his most prized possession his typewriter. And one early opportunity comes his way when a writer offers him a gig helping to churn out the books in the 'Doctor Flag'-series.

For twenty years three Doctor Flag titles, each eighty pages long, appeared each week. Doctor Flag didn't write them, of course, he had a ghost-writer -- and in 1914 the then nineteen-year-old Thomson becomes the ghost to the ghost (and, it turns out, not even quite that ...). It wasn't great money, but it was an opportunity, and though Thomson was being taken advantage of (even if he didn't know how much ...) he was at least writing.

For his first project he gets the outline to a novel to be called 'Pandora in the Congo'. He's told to stick to the script, wildly improbable and unrealistic though it is (just all the Doctor Flag books), and despite some reservations he does as he's told.

This particular meal ticket only lasts so long -- but there's someone who is impressed by Thomson's work, the lawyer Edward Norton. And Norton has a proposition for the newly unemployed would-be author, a different kind of ghost-writing. Norton has a client named Marcus Garvey who is to be tried for the murder of two young noblemen, Richard and William Craver, while serving them on an expedition to the Congo. Garvey is to tell his side of the story to Thomson, who is then to write it in book form. Thomson doesn't understand what good it will do, but Norton says he's run out of other ideas and hopes that something might come of it.

The money is better than what he got for the Doctor Flag novels, so Thomson takes the job. Garvey is locked up until his trial, and he's only allowed to receive visitors occasionally, so it takes quite a while for Thomson to get the whole story. And in this version he also describes some of what happened in his own life in that period, from life at the boarding house to, eventually, his getting called up to fight in World War I (which helps delay the trial itself for years), so everything drags on for quite a while.

Garvey's story is a pretty sensational one. From lowly helper on the family estate, he gets roped into joining the spoiled and crude brothers on their grand African adventure. They head into darkest Congo, searching for gold, and Garvey tells a horror-story of their exploitation of the natives along the way -- first chaining them together to carry the supplies deep into the jungle (and replacing those who die off with those they grab in the villages they pass through), then forcing them to dig a hole in the ground that becomes their goldmine, and in which their slave-labourers are kept, in a cage. There is gold here, but soon there are also odd sounds to be heard down there .....

As in Cold Skin, Sánchez Piñol has a thing for otherworldly creatures. Here they are 'tectons', tall, pale not-quite-human creatures who come up through tunnels in the ground. One of the Africans on the expedition tells Garvey that it's exactly what his grand-father said about the whites: first they send the missionaries, who threaten them with hell, then come the thieving traders, and finally come the soldiers -- and it looks it's much the same with the tectons.

There is, however, also a love interest: Amgam, one of the tectons they capture and whom Garvey falls for -- but who one of the brothers takes (and closely watches) as his own property.

Despite the threat of the tectons, the brothers are blinded by the thought of the great riches they are mining daily, and they refuse to give up the place -- even after their labourers flee. The tectons, on the other hand, keep coming back for more, and it comes to some serious confrontations. Ultimately, Garvey is the only survivor .....

The book Thomson writes is an heroic tale; when it's published it also serves its purpose in helping at Garvey's trial. But Thomson has a few doubts and concerns. There's that tall, veiled woman he sees waiting to visit the jail, for example .....

Thomson (and the reader) know he's being manipulated -- the question is, of course, to what extent. Sánchez Piñol has some fun with this, but it's not quite as much fun as one might have hoped for.

Classic adventure yarn and metafictional game -- Sánchez Piñol aims high but only makes it halfway there. The adventure story is decent but not exceptional enough by itself (and it does get fairly drawn out). The local and more domestic parts are often even rougher -- Mr. MacMahon's farting at the boarding house and Mrs Pinkerton's shell-less turtle, Marie Antoinette, both seem fairly desperate attempts to add some humour and colour, and they're far from the only examples. Sánchez Piñol tries hard, but he doesn't seem to have the right feel for this specifically English kind of tale of colonial adventure of that time -- it's close, but simply not right.

The final twists and explanations are clever enough in the abstract, but as told come across as a bit of a let down, especially since it's taken so long to get there. Indeed, the whole novel (and the many good ideas behind it -- from the social commentary and allegories to the take on both reading and writing) do better in summary form than in what Sánchez Piñol does with them. Not that it's a bad read, it's just not nearly as fun (or exciting) as it should be.
7 s ??????????85 35

????????? ???????, ????????? ????, ???????? ? ?? ???? ???! my-own-books7 s David NickleAuthor 57 books172

On one level, itÂ’s an African adventure novel of the kind that Edgar Rice Burroughs used to pen. On another level, itÂ’s a wry critique of those stories from a post-Colonial perspective. Tommy Thomson (not the painter) is a hack pulp writer at the turn of the last century, hired to retell the story of Marcus Garvey (not the one who inspired the Rastafarians), a servant who is accused of murdering two well-to-do explorers in the depths of the Congo.

The story that emerges runs deeper than that: into a hollow Earth populated by pale, war- giants and deeper still into strange and monstrous eroticism that echoes the grim perversity of PinolÂ’s previous novel Cold Skin. There is also a turtle, who copes with the loss of her shell the way any of us would. In short: ItÂ’s a beautiful book, and its Amazon numbers are lower than it deserves.6 s Kitty-Wu570 287

Ull! (Oju!), parlo de l'argument!!!!

Estic impressionada amb el llibre. M'ha encantat. M'ha fet submergir-me en un món fantàstic d'aventures que feia temps que no trobava (a excepció de La Princesa Promesa, llegida fa poc). És d'aquells llibres que enganxen totalment, absorbents... a mi no se m'ha fet llarg en absolut, ha estat una delícia. Sánchez Piñol m'ha sorprés molt i molt; ja m'havia agradat La Pell Freda, però allà l'ambient era més dens, més obscur, més angoixant... a Pandora he descobert que a més d'escriure fantàsticament bé, té sentit de l'humor. Sens dubte l'aventura, el misteri... i ara he descobert que l'amor (quina gran història d'amor, per cert, tot i que sigui mentida, ja passa ja...) són el seu gènere.

Voldria comentar una cosa que no he pogut evitar pensar mentre llegia el llibre. De m'apareixia la versió cinematogràfica mentre l'anava llegint, i com a en MacMahon, també hi havia detalls que em sobtaven i que no m'explicava, però que perdonava per la immensa atracció que el llibre exercia sobre meu. Conjugant tot això, pregunto: no us recorda la història de la trama jurídica a "Las dos caras de la verdad", on curiosament, el prota és en Edward Norton????? I aquesta coixera que arrossega Marcus, a més de caracteritzar al personatge, no us ha fet pensar en el personatge de Kevin Spacey a "Sospechosos Habituales", en Keyser Sozé???? A més totes dues són històries d'assassinats on un únic (en principi, sempre hi ha un altre "único testigo") personatge ha pogut sobreviure i reconstruir la història per al món???? No sé, no sé, potser sóc jo, però crec veure moltes referències i "ullets" cinematogràfics....

Tindria un 10 sinó fos per una única escena "musical" del llibre que ha pogut amb mi: el final del judici ha estat massa ianqui, massa patriòtic pel meu estòmac, però segur que a Hollywood els entusiasma.... jo diria que Sánchez Piñol ha pensat en tot.... :)

Proposo com a candidats per a la versió cinematogràfica:

Marcus Garvey= L'actor francès Patrick Bruel estaria bé, però crec que és massa gran. Què tal el mexicà Gael García Bernal: impressionants ulls verds, jove, morenet... i a més bon actor, amb "charm". Podria estar bé.
Tommy Thompson = voto per Daniel Brühl. Ha d'aparentar 20 anys, i tenir una cara tímida, però que destil·li caràcter.
Edward Norton = parlen de calbs i a mi sempre m'apareix en John Malkovich, però em sembla que potser està una mica gran pel paper (no per aixó menys encisador). Què tal si rapem al propi Norton actor per a una prova a veure si dóna el pego....
Pepe = Forest Whitaker o inclús Reginald VelJohnson
Amgam = Milla Jovovich, la més andrògina i bella de les dones....
Duc de Craver =Sir Anthony Hopkins, és que té aquella cara aristocràtica...
Richard Craver = Stephen Fry
William Craver= Ralph Fiennes, mmmm no sé no sé
.... seguiré estudiant el tema....5 s Kiara Entelecheia31 36

?? ??????? ?? ??????? ????? ?? ??????, ? ????? ?????? ? ?????? ?? ?? ????? ?????? ????? ??????????? ?????????? ????, ?????? ?? ???????? ? ?????? ?? ?????????? ???? ? ?????????? ??????? ????, ??? ?????? ? ?????? ?? ?? ????? ?????? ????? ??????????? ???????? ????, ?????? ?? ???????? ? ?????? ?? ?????????? ???? ? ?????????? ????? ????. ? ????? ?? ? ?????? ?????? ??????? ????? ?? ?????????, ??????? ?? ??????? ?? ?? ???? ??????? ??????? irl, ?? ????, ?? ????? ??????.
?????? ???????? ?????, ?????? ?????? ? ???? ?? ???-????? ???????? ?????????? ?????, ?? ?????? ??? ????????. ??? ???? ? ????? ?? ???????? ??????, ????? ??????? ?? ??????? ?????? ?? ??????? ? ??? ? ?? ??????? ?? ?? ???? ???????????? ??? ?????????? ???? ???? ????? ?? ????? ? ????, ?? ?????? ??? ?? ????????? ?? ?? ??????????. ????? ????, ?? ?? ?? ?????. :D
?, ?????? ?? ? „?????? ????“ ?? ?????? ??????, ?? ??? ??? ??????? (??????? ? ?????????) ????????????? ??? ??-????? ????????? ?? ??????.
???? ???? ???? ?? ???? ?? ?? ??????? ?????, ??????? ? ?? ? ????? ????????, ????? ???? ??? ?? ?? ?????? ??? ???????. ????????: ??? ????, ?? ????? ????? ???? ?? ?? ????????? ????????? ? ??????, ?? ????? ?? ????. ???????? ???? ???????? ? ????. ????, ????? ??????????? ???????? ?? ??????, ?? ?????? ???? ?????????? ???? ?????? ?? ?? ??????? ? ?????, ?? ? ????. ??????????? ?? ????? ?????? ????? ??????? ????? ??? ? ??????? ?? ????, ?? ?? ???? ????? ?? ??????? ???? ?? ???? ????????? ?? J'accuse ?? ????...5 s ?????? ??????2,342 1,585

?????? ?????? ??????? ???? ??????????? ?? ???????????? ??????? ?Â… ??????? ?? ???????: http://www.knigolandia.info/2010/01/b...

“??????? ? ?????” ? ????? ???????? ?????. ?????? ?????? ?????? ? ?????? ???? ??????? ?????, ? ????? ? ???????? ???????????? ?????, ??????????, ?????????? ?????, ?????????? ??????, ??? ??????? ??????? ??????? ? ????? ?? ??? ??.

????????? ?????? ??? ??????? ?????? ?? ???????? ??????? ??????, ????? ? ???????, ?? ??? ????????? ?? ? ?????????? ?? ????? ????????? ???????????? ? ????????? ?? ????? ?? ? ???? ?? ???????. ?????? ?????? ?? ???????? ?????? ?? ??????? ? ??????? ?? ???????????? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ????? ?? ??????? ?? ????????????? ?? ??????. ? ??? ???????? ????????.5 s EmBe957 25

Der Roman Beginnt wie eine wilde Melange von "Das Herz der Finsternis" und den Expeditionsromanen von H.G.Wells, angesiedelt um 1900. Doch gibt es dieses unterirdische Reich unter dem Kongo wirklich? Ist der Expedtionsbericht des einzigen Überlebenden Marcus Garvey wahr? Er wird nämlich angeklagt, am Tod von Aristokratin in Afrika schuld zu sein. Der Ich-Erzähler muss seine Geschichte aufschreiben, als Ghostwriter, um dessen Unschuld zu untermauern.
Augenzwinkernde Hommage an H.G. Wells und Joseph Conrad, doch das menschenverachtende Wirken der Kolonialherren bleibt nicht ausgespart. Der Erzähler arbeitet für einen Schriftsteller, der wiederum für einen Bestseller-Autor arbeitet. Dadurch hat der Autor auch Gelegenheit, Abenteuerliteratur zu persiflieren und ein paar Spitzen gegen die Unterhaltungsindustrie und die Lust an der Exotik zu richten. Spannend zu lesen und sehr anschaulich, aber nicht ganz so überzeugend wie "Der Rausch der Stille".fantastic-fiction4 s Galina160 138

???! ???? ?? ???-???????????? ? ??????????? ????????? ??????!
??????? ????? - ????? ?? ?? ????? ????, ?? ?????????, ?? ????????, ???? ??????? ????????? ? ????? ? ??????? ?? ???????? ???????? ?? ????????? - ?????? ??????? ???????? ????????, ???????????? ?? ????????????? ????. ??? ????? ????? ?? ?????? ???? ???: ???? ???????????? ??????? ??????? (?? ??? ?? ? ?????????? ??...), ????? ?????????, ????? ? ?? ??? ??????? ??????? ?????????, ?????????? ?????? ?????, ??????? ?????, ?????????? ??????????, ???????? ????, ?????????, ??????????????? ??????, ??????? ? ?.?. ? ?.?. ? ?.?....
? ?????????? - ??? ????????? ?????? ?? ??????? "?????? ????"!????????-?????? ??????????-?????4 s Cheryl1,026

A story within a story within a story. Set in 1914 London, a ghostwriter of African adventure stories is approached by the attorney of a man arrested for murder to write the story of his client's true expedition in the Congo. The attorney hopes that when the public read what really happened to his client there, he would never be convicted of murder. The ghostwriter agrees, and after daily visits to hear the prisoner's story, begins to write a tale worthy of H. Rider Haggard and Edgar Rice Burroughs. Will this fantastic but true tale prevent a murder conviction?

I d this book because it was a bit different and I love stories within stories. There was a bit of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness in it, too, as the themes of racism and imperialism were shown honestly and condemned. I did think the story the ghostwriter was writing went on too long in too much detail at times, slowing down the plot. A bit of editing would've made this into a better novel. An interesting read.3 s ??? ????897 79

???? ? ???? ??????? ?????, ????? ??????? ?????. ??? ?? ????????? ?? ?????? ? ????, ?? ??? ????? ?? ?????????, ??????? ?????????? ?????? ? ??????? ?? ??????. ??????????? ?????? ??, ??? ??? ????? ??????? ????? ??????? ???????? ?????. ??????? ??? ??????????? ?????? ???, ??, ??, ????? ???? ?? ???????, ????? ?? ????????? ?????? ????????, ?? ? ?????? ?????? ?? ? ????? ?? ???????????????. ?????????? ?????? ???? ??, ??? ??????, ???????? ? ????????? ???????, ???? ??? ??. ?? ??, ??, ???? ?? ? ?????? ??????, ??????? ?? ?? ???? ?? ???????? ?? ???? ??????. ???? ???????? ?? ?????? ??????. ???? ? ????? ?? ???????, ?? ????????? ?? ????????, ???????? ? ???????, ???? ???? ????? ??-???? ? ??????? ?????, ????? ?? ????????? ?? ???? ?? ?? ????? ? ?????? ???????? ?????. ?? ???? ??????, ???? ??, ?????, ???

?????????? ?? ? ??????????? ?? ????????? ?? ?????????? ????????, ????????? ????? ?? ???? ????????????, ???? ???????, ? ????? ? ???????????, ????? ? ????? ????? ? ???? ??????? ????????? ?? ????? ??????????? ???? ?????????? ? ?????????????-??????????? ???????. ??????? ????????????? ??, ??????? ??????????? ?????? ?? ?????, ? ?? ???-?????? ?????????? ????????? ?? ??????? ????, ?????? ????????????? ???????????? ??????????? ???? ???? ????????, ???? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? ????? ??????? ??? ????? ????????? ????. ? ???? ?????? ?????, ??? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ?? ??????? ? ??????? ?????????? ???????????? – ??????? ?? ??????? ?????????? ?? ???????? ?? ???????????? ? ???, ?? ?? ????? ?? ??????? ?? ???????? ??, ? ?? ???????? ? ?????, ?????? ???? ????? ?????????????????? ???????? ?????. ???? ?? ?????? ?? ??????? ?? ???? ?????, ???? ?? ???? ???? ?????, ? ???? ??????? ?? ??????? ?? ??????? ??????? ?????? ????????? ??????? ?? ?????????? ?????? ?? ??????????? ??????????. ????? ? ??????? ????? ?? ??????, ??????? – ????? ?? ???????? ????, ????? ?????? ?? ?? ????? ??????? ? ?? ???????? ?? ??????????????? ?????? ???????? ?? ???????????-????? ?? ??-????? ???? ??????, ? ?? ??????? ???????-????????????, ???????????? ???????? ???? ?? ????? ???????, ? ???? ?? ?? ?? ??????, ?? ?????? ????? ?? ???? ????, ? ????? ?????????? ?????????????? ?? ?????????? ??????????? ???????.

???????? ? ?????? ?? ????? ???????????? ??????? ????????????? ?? ??????, ?????? ?????? ???? ???????? ?? ??????????? ???????, ??????? ?? ??????? ?????, ??????? ? ?????????? ?? ????? ?????????? ????????? ???????????? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? ?????. ???????? ?? ? ??? ??-??????? – ?? ?????? ? ????? ??????? ??????? ?? ?????????????? ?????, ?????? ? ?????, ????? ???? ??? ????? ?????????? ????????? ???????. ????? ???????? ??? ???????? ?? ???, ?????? ????????-??????? ?? ?????? ?????? ?? ??????? ??????? ? ??? ??-??????? ???????, ????????? ???????? ??????? ? ?????, ??????????????? ?????????????, ??????????? ??????? ?? ?????????? ? ?? ?????? – ?????????? ???? ?? ???????????? ???? ?? ??????????? ???????, ??????? ??? ?????? ?? ????????? ??? ????? ? ???????? ?????. ?????? ???? ?????????? ???? ?? ?????????? ????????? ????????????? ???? ? ????????, ???????? ??????? ????????? ?? ?????? ?? ??????? ???????, ????? ???? ?? ???????? ?????????? ?? ?????? ?? ?????? ???? ??????????? ???? ???????? ?????? ????????? ???????? ?? ??????? ?? ???????? ?? ???? ?????, ???????? ? ?????? ?????? ? ??????????? ????????, ? ?? ??????? ? ????????? ?? ???????? ??????? ?? ??. ???????????, ?? ????????? ?????????. ? ???? ???? ???? ?? ? ??????. ??? ???????????? ??????? ???? ??? ????????, ???? ???? ????? ?? ????.

??????????? ?????, ???????? ? ????? ?? ?????????? ???????? ?????????? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ???????, ??? ????? ?? ?????? ?? ? ?????? ???????? ?????????????? ?? ??????? ?????????. ?????? ?? ???????? ????? ?????????? ????? ??????????? ?????, ?????????? ?? ?? ??????? ???? ??????? ???? ? ????? ??????, ?????????? ????? ?? ????? ?? ???? ? ?????????, ??? ??????????? ????? ?? ?????? ???????, ?????? ?????? ? ???? ???????? ?? ?????, ???????? ??????? ??????? ? ???????????? ?? ???????. ??????? ??? ??????, ???????? ??? ???????? ??????????? ???????, ?????????, ?????????? ??? ???????? ?? ????????? ??????? – ??????? ????? ????????, ? ???? ???? ??????. ??? ??? ??. ?????? ?????? ???????, ? ?????????? ????? ?? ????? ??????, ????????? ? ??? ? ????????…3 s Angel ???830 52

Edit. Authors should remember this word every time they write a novel. They may be in love with what they have written, but that doesn’t mean a shorter and more compact novel wouldn’t be better. That is the biggest problem “Pandora al Congo” has.

And it is a pity because the novel has a great beginning, funny and mysterious, some flashes of brilliance, and some interesting ideas (how we romanticize other cultures, twisting some of their cultural aspects to fit our views of the others or how some kinds of violence are legitimized and others not). But all those points get drown in an overwrought, convoluted, too much in love with itself plot, with so many twists and turns you will get a headache. Some of them are nice (there is one that makes reference to a character that I saw from the very first moment because it makes reference to a movie; if the reader has watched the movie they will also see it coming), but most of them fall into the deux ex machina mold and get tiring around the page 50.

If that was not enough, our friend Sánchez Piñol has decided to use as many adjectives, metaphors and similes as one of the characters of the novel asks from another at the beginning of the story. And really, one or two can be funny, but at the umpteenth one, you will feel throwing the book to the wall. It gives the feeling the author loves too much the sound of his own fingers on the keyboard.

Too long, too repetitive, with too many obvious turns and twists, “Pandora al Congo” ends up being a disappointment and a lost opportunity. Maybe if it had clocked at around 80 pages…

1.5/10

(Original Catalan version)3 s Elena159 66



?????? ??????????. ?? ???? ???????. ?? ?????????? ?????? ?????? ???????, ??????? ? ??????????? ?? ??? ?????, ? ???? ?????? ????????? (???????????? ???????) ??????, ??? ??? ???????? ? ?????????? ????????? ??? ??????????? ??????????? ????? - ???????? ???????, ????? ?????????? ?? ??????????. ?? ???.

??????-?????, ????? ??? ??? ?????? ????? ?????????? ? ???????? ??????? ????, ???-??? ??????? ?????????? ??????? ????? ??????, ??????? ????? ?? ???? ????? ?? ??????? ????? ???????? ???? ???????????? ???????? ???? ????? ???? ? ???????? ...????????. ?????????? ?? ???? ????? ??????? ??????? ? *? ???? ?????, ??????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ?????*?? ?????????? ???????? ?????? ? ???????????? ???????, ??????? ???????? ?????-?? ? ?????? ?????? ??????, ???????? ?????? ?????? ? ?????? ?????? ?????? ? ? ?????? ??????, ????? ??????????? ?? ?????? ?????????? ???????, ?????????? ????? ????????? ? ???, ??? ????? ????? ????? XX ????.

???????????? ?????, ???????????? ??????????, ??????? ???????? ??? ????????????? ??????????????? ????? ? ??????????? ? ????? ?????? ?? ???, ??? ???? ????????. ??? ??????? ????? ??????????? ????? (? ?????????? ? ????? ?????????? ? ???????? 60-?????? ????????)? ??????????, ???????????????? ????? ? ?????? ?????? ???????, ????? ? ??????? ? ?????????????? ?????????????, ? ??????? ????? ? ???????? ??????????? ???????? ?? ?? ? ???????? ????, ???????? ???, ?? ?? ? ???????? ?????? ??????? ?? ???, ????????? ?? ???????? ? ?????? ????????? ???? ?????????? ??? ??????? ? ???????.
3 s Bazarov8

This was fantastic. I'm not sure what I expected, but this was one of those rare books that met (or exceeded) the .
The modern cleverness and playfulness merged perfectly with the story-in-the-story rip-roaring H.R. Haggard adventure part.
Pinol does simultaneously tear those to pieces while exalting them.
He comments slyly on things racism which are endemic in the pulp novels while including hugely (and appropriately) racist characters. There are a host of villains and heroes, with many people performing double duty.

Pinol managed to surprise me near the end, and so his modernist twists/conceits are entirely forgivable.
The original opening sequence with the ghostwriter for a ghostwriter seem almost farcical, but once past that, it works across the board. And even that part is clever.3 s awesomatik.de340 13

I enjoyed reading this book a lot. It starts an old school adventure story but turns into something different. What makes it so interesting is, that the story is so unpredictable. Anything could happen. And the different levels of narration help to keep you busy guessing.
I also d the final revelation and the "moral" of the story. This book would make a great movie.
Actually his first book "Cold skin" is being adapted to the big screen right now. I will definitely check it out soon!3 s Santiago L. Moreno317 35

Tremenda decepción. La novela no interesa hasta pasados dos tercios, a partir de la descripción del viaje bajo tierra y el encuentro con esa civilización escondida. Hasta entonces, parece el plagio de esa obra maestra que es La piel fría (incluido el asunto conradiano), pero escrito por alguien sin el mismo talento. Sobra el sentido del humor y hay sentencias mal integradas en la voz del narrador. Sólo merece la pena la parte final.3 s Daniel Batista Dziekoñska6

Una historia muy entretenida y adictiva hasta el final.
Su forma de narrar hace que vivas con la misma intensidad situaciones tan distintas como una expedición hacia las profundidades de una tierra inexplorada o como un juicio de los más corriente en apariencia.
Estoy seguro de que seguiré leyendo más novelas de este autor aunque solo sea por la curiosidad de saber que saldrá de la cabeza de este señor.3 s Mariele453 3

The premise was interesting, and I really enjoyed the metafictional aspect – all those different levels, the frame narrative, the tale within the tale, the reference to historical characters (Roger Casement, Henry Morton Stanley), the colonial criticism, the distinction between the in-situ narrator and the recollecting narrator were all very well-written.

[Why are there no English expressions for “Erzählendes / Erlebendes Ich”?]

Also, I really d Piñol’s first novel (even though I have to say that it was much better the first time I read it…). In the African adventure that Marcus Garvey tells the narrator, many elements of “Cold Skin” resurface. It’s just that “Cold Skin” was short and succinct, whereas “Pandora” is a very long novel. This middle part drags on for quite a bit, and while it is a fantasy / adventure story which is not only highly implausible, it is also not very interesting.

After Garvey’s tale is told, the novel still goes on for a substantial length. It should have been much shorter, as the details of it all seem so redundant. I’m thinking of elements such as the shell-less turtle, the second time Tommy Thomson, our narrator, stays in Ms. Pinkerton’s bedsit, etc. – all this just adds unnecessary bulk to the story. I wish the narrator would have understood sooner how he has been manipulated, without making such a song and dance about it.

And why did Piñol name his character Marcus Garvey? What kind of analogy was he trying to create with this particular choice? Additionally, I wonder why a Spanish writer wants to occupy himself with a Victorian set-up, or the Irish struggle for independence.
3-passable other-languages2 s Giovanni Faga98 17

Questo libro è bellissimo.

Questo libro contiene una storia e una voce, che la racconta con l'amore e la passione con cui le storie vanno raccontate.

Non mi accadeva da tempo. Entrare in libreria e prendere tra le mani uno scrigno magico, il tesoro nascosto di un abile condottiero che ha navigato su una nave robusta, col vento a favore, ed è approdato dove pochi riescono ad arrivare. Albert Sánchez Piñol è uno scrittore. Punto.

Mi ha preso per mano, conducendomi dentro a un universo immaginario, dipinto con la maestria di chi ha dentro un unico, inderogabile bisogno: raccontarvi una straordinaria avventura di esseri umani e meno umani, di foreste vergini, pioggie tropicali, insetti ronzanti e alberi dal tronco troppo grande per essere vero; un mondo di uomini crudeli e sconfitti, di sangue versato per niente più di un capriccio della miseria umana.
In questo mondo, incontriamo l'amore e la sua inevitabile assurdità, la morte e la sua inevitabile aridità. E incontriamo personaggi indimenticabili.

Non lasciatevi ingannare, non è un libro di avventure per intrattenere gli stolti.

E' un libro che assolve al suo compito primario: raccontarvi una bugia, una menzogna così bella e incantata, che vorremmo fosse vera per sempre.2 s Kate Sergejeva252 20

??? ????? ????? ?? ????? ????????? ??????? ??????, ?????? ? ???????????. ??? ??? ?? ? ???????? speachless ????? ?????? ?????. ?????? ?????????????? ? ???????????, ?????? ????? ?????????? ???????? ? ?????? ? ? ???? ?? ??????? ??????. ??? ? ????????? ?????? ????? ???????? - ??? ?? ???????????? ???????? ??????????? ??? ?? ???? ?????, ?? ????? ?? ??? ???? ??????? ??????? ?? ????. ??????? ????? ??????? ? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ? ????, ?? ?? ?????? ?????? ???????? ????????????? ? ?????????? ? ????? ????????? ??? ??? ???? ?????.
?? ????? ? ???????? ??????????, ??????? ?????? ? ????? ?????????? ? ????? ? ??? ??? ????? ? ???? ??????? ?? ????? ????????. ????? ????? ? ??? ??????? ?? ?????? ?? ????????????.

??????????? ??? ???????? ????? ?????? ?????? ???? ???????????????, ???????? ??????, ?????? ??????? ??? ??????? - ?????? ??????????.
?????? ?????? ??-?? ???? ??? ???????? ????? ???? ? ????????????, ? ????????? ?????? 100 ????????? ?? ??? ??????????. read-20162 s Michael493 13

Well this was unexpectedly cool. A great and sometimes brilliant story. Early 1900's. A writer is taking down the story of a man returned from Africa. Where as the servant of two evil aristocrats he had amazing adventures, and fell in love with a woman from a race that lives in a tremendous cavern under the earth. Hah hah. It was good! The writer in the book had an interesting story as well that even though it happens after is wound up in with the Africa tale.2 s Sally891 10

Ughhh...I HATED this! It had me quite intrigued but I was not sure about it having read bad . How I wish I had gone with my instincts! This was painful. There are two narratives in this book only one of which is vaguely interesting and unfortunately that particular narrative is dealt with to a much lesser degree. This was a boring, over the top, irritating book that tries to be and say too much and doesn't end up saying anything of interest.
because-i-loved-the-cover nope passed-on ...more2 s Tara119 30

Creative, crazy and fun. I loved it.borrowed mystery translated2 s Maria111 17

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