Roman (ili pre zbirka novela) za gutanje, sisanje, lizanje i druge operacije koje ne uklju?uju koriš?enje zuba. Ipak, minus (kao vrata) jeste predstava autorovog rodnog Haitija koja ?as zvu?i kao turisti?ka a ?as kao kuplerajska brošura. Zar bivšim gospodarima Hai?ani mogu da uzvrate samo nadmo?nom seksualnoš?u? (Srpsko izdanje: Ka jugu, Laguna, prev. Gordana Breberina)buvlja?ki-ulov5 s Orlando Fato139 17

It has been almost two years since I have taken an interest in Caribbean literature. I wanted to read a novel by a Haitian writer and Dany Laferrière was one of the few ones I found.

"Heading South" reminds me, in structure, to Mittelholzer's "A Morning at the Office", Naipaul's "Miguel Street", Selvon's "Lonely Londoners" and Condé's "Crossing the Mangrove". Laferrière's novel is made up several chapters that can be read, more or less, as single short stories, where new characters are introduced and come back in later chapters as the novel progresses. However, perhaps, I am to blame for not being fully satisfied with this novel. While I this structure, Mittelholzer's novel being my favorite so far, in "Heading South" I felt there was not enough character development or even physical descriptions. This led to being confused as to who was who, specially when a character came back into the novel several chapters later. If you ask me, all characters behaved pretty much the same way and had very similar personalities. I never had the opportunity to know a character really well, and the reason of this is that not one of them was the missing link that gave the novel unity.

I also had a problem with the sense of place in this novel. For me, a sense of place is not created by mentioning names of streets and areas in a country. This is where I am going to blame myself, because perhaps I was expecting Laferrière to be the typical Caribbean writer, where the sense of place is almost star in the Caribbean novels that I have read. In my opinion, this novel could have happened anywhere in the world. Except for brief descriptions here and there, I cannot really say I felt as if I was in Haiti, although there is brief historical context enough to let you know when the story happens

Nevertheless, the novel is fluent and it keeps you reading without wanting to stop. Foreigners are all in the search of wanting to fill the void in their lives, specially now that they are in their silver years, while locals are more than willing to fill that void with their youth and their strong personalities. Of course, nothing in life is for free, but, and this is something I d about "Heading South", not once locals behave as if deep inside they want to lead a different life. They are proud of who they are and what they can achieve with what God gave them. I d how the characters embrace who they are without caring about morality. The characters actually give their feelings the priority they deserve, and while this "sometimes" makes them look as amoral and self-centered, this book shows us how "sometimes" morality and selflessness also contribute to our unhappiness.

Had "Heading South" included more character development and offered a more thorough sense of place, it would have been, in my humble opinion, a five star novel.3 s BookOfCinz1,483 3,079

The thing about being a Reader of Caribbean Literature is that sometimes a book that’s not on your radar comes in and totally blows your mind. I was given this collection of interconnected stories by my friend. This book is written by a Haitian author and set in Haiti. My goal this year is to read more books written by Haitian author and I am happy I got around to this.

Heading South is solid, and expertly written. The book follows the lives of young men Haiti heading into adulthood and how they are navigating that. We meet expats coming to the island for the first time, returning residents, tourists looking for cheap thrills all on the island of Haiti.

I particularly d reading about the artist who can paint into the future, I felt it was dark and deeply impacting. So many things are happening in this book and it comes together expertly.

An unforgettable read.
2021-reads books-i-want-to-own-phyiscally caribbean-books ...more2 s Erica28 35

I read it in 3 hours in one sitting! A very fast-paced Nobel. I wanted to see how it compared to the film -very different. It could have used more character development. I will be assigning selected chapters in a course that deals with sex tourism. 2 s Eugène L.129 4

Voilà encore un cas où un film est plus profond que le livre sur lequel il se base.

Et pourtant, le livre est assez amusant. Il ressemble plutôt à un recueil de nouvelles placées en ordre chronologique et qui partagent certains personnages.

Le sujet est presque toujours pareil : une femme « occidentale » arrive en Haïti et, éventuellement, fait l’amour avec un Haïtien. Les détails se varient.

Par leur structure, ces histoires rappelles des nouvelles érotiques (toutefois, sans trop d’explicité) :
- Le problème principal : le sexe
- L’intrigue principale : le sexe
- Le sexe est toujours excellent, les partenaires sont toujours satisfaits, la femme a toujours un ou plusieurs orgasmes.

En outre, le livre est fort instructif. On apprend par exemple que :
1) Presque chaque femme qui vient en Haïti n’a qu’un seul problème : le manque du sexe. Aucun autre problème ne la dérange vraiment. Donc, elle rencontre un amant haïtien (bon, il y en a deux qui se marient avec des paysans haïtiens, mais elles sont plutôt des exceptions)

2) Des qu’un amant haïtien touche à une femme (haïtienne ou non), celle-ci commence à gémir et jouit plusieurs fois.

3) Les filles haïtiennes passent leur temps à courir après les gars haïtiens pour qu’ils les fassent l’amour. Les étrangères font de même.

4) Si un gars haïtien veut séduire une fille, il lui suffit de dire : « Je veux te faire gémir ». Dans quelques jours, elle commence à courir après lui. Une méthode sans faille.

5) Mais les mamans haïtiennes ne sont que les mamans et ne s’intéressent jamais de sexe (ce qui est étonnant, puisque tous les autres ne s’intéressent qu’à ça).

Il y a plusieurs lignes de sujet dont aucune n’est terminée. Les personnages n’évaluent pas, ils restent pareils qu’au début. Leurs motivations psychologiques (sauf quelques exceptions) restent obscures. Leurs préoccupations (en dehors du sexe) restent inconnues.

Toutefois, c’est une lecture amusante, facile et excellente pour les vacances. Donc, 4 étoiles.
caraibes éros francophonie1 Catherine Letendre410 12

Non pas une mais plusieurs histoires similaires éparpillées dans le livre, où le sexe guide tous et chacun. Du sexe fait de clichés où tous les hommes cherchent à baiser toutes les femmes, et toutes les femmes cherchent soit à baiser homme ou femme, soit tombent amoureuses du premier paysan qui passe dans leur champ de vision.
Passons.1 Jessica110 1 follower

was hoping the subject matter would get more into the politics and frustrations of poor young men in haiti trying to survive but was instead more of a superficial glimpse at young haitian men seducing old rich white ladies. fast read. 1 Mona Harrison175 3

Saucy and refreshing!cultural fiction1 Michelle S139 3

I wonder if this book would have been better in French. It’s a tale about Haiti in the 1970s when it was a holiday paradise. Middle aged women, feeling neglected in their every day lives end up falling for local men, many of whom are young gigolos. The story feels surreal, often dream. I had hoped for more around the political situation but it was an easy read and made me sad that it is not possible to visit Haiti these days, Bethania Pereira2 1 follower

Maravilhoso como tudo o que o Laferrière escreve. Interessante como ele relaciona o colonialism Frances com o turismo sexual de norte-americanos e americanas no Haiti. A estrutura é meio que de uma antologia mas não exatamente e pra mim deixou a narrativa ainda mais bacana. O tema da hiper sexualização do homem negro é um tema presente em outro livro dele e acho que se completa bem com esse. Adorei. Marie Vaillancourt195 1 follower

Nous n’avons pas le temps de nous attacher aux personnages puisque nous sautons trop rapidement d’un personnage à un autre. Dommage! Luis Rolando Durán VargasAuthor 7 books12

Haití en los 70, Duvalier todavía es presidente y el país es un paraíso turístico todavía. Un sitio de fiesta para quienes vienen con plata a buscar pasiones. Y de eso está llena la novela, de pasión, vaudou, transgresión y una serie de personas con destinos intrincados, conectados por la decisión de vivir a la mayor intensidad posible. Un fuerte retrato de una sociedad que hoy ya no existe y quizás por eso, una sociedad intrigante, de la que se quiere saber más.

Una novela de ritmo intenso y estable, pero que oscila entre la lujuria, el dolor y la pobreza, donde los blancos ocupan un país que se revuelve en su propia historia y que termina por ocuparles su vida, demasiado vacía para entender como vivirla. "ni franceses de América, ni exiliados africanos: haitianos!" como dice un personaje. Sheila3,140 47

Short chapters that almost read short stories follow the lives of people who live Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Some are natives, others moved there from other countries. Many of the stories focus on older women who cannot find what they need in their homes. They shed their inhibitions and find, for some, love, for others, sex and desirability. The young men are there to take their money and provide what they need. An interesting read. Makes you think about why the women need to move to find whatever they are searching for. My favorite story is about Becky because she finds a man who wants her, who doesn't take her for granted her husband and children. Jeanna43

have read one chapter too soon to tell. smile


Read because a good friend gifted it too me. Very cynical look at relationships between Hatiennes (ns) and white tourists - exploitation by both sides through the power of sex and money. Could be based on what happens but too graphic and nothing redeeming about human nature to find in this book. Makes me dubious about reading more books by this author Colin72 3

Though I enjoyed this book, it was not as beautiful as L'Enigme du Retour. I Laferrière switches so easily from narrator to narrator, covering a broad spectrum of people in order to tell the story of Westerners' relationship with Haitians, the West's relationship with Haiti. Mike 4 1 follower

Interesting...A series of linked "vignettes", set in Haiti. Depicts "repressed" white tourists, mainly women, becoming liberated by the heady mix of the Haitian tropics and young men and women B14

Quick read. Hard to follow at times but interesting none the less. Wish it was longer. Coulombelle4

Pas le meilleur de Laferrière. Ça sent le réchauffé à plein nez! Carrie694 2

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