Pandora In The Congo

A thrilling tale of adventure and survival

Albert Sanchez Pinol author Mara Faye Lethem translator

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Canongate Books

Published:16th Apr '09

Should be back in stock very soon

Pandora In The Congo cover

In Pandora In The Congo, a British manservant recounts his survival story from a mining expedition gone wrong, revealing deep mysteries.

Set against the backdrop of the Belgian Congo in 1914, Pandora In The Congo follows the harrowing journey of Garvey, a British manservant who emerges as the sole survivor of a disastrous mining expedition. With the weight of two enormous diamonds in his possession, Garvey's story unfolds from the confines of a London prison cell, where he recounts the terrifying events that led to the death of his masters and the flight of their African porters. His tale is one of survival, betrayal, and the haunting memories of a jungle that has changed him forever.

As Garvey narrates his experiences, young Tommy Thomson is tasked with transcribing this incredible account. Through Tommy's eyes, readers are drawn into the depths of the Congo's treachery and beauty, as he seeks to untangle the web of mysteries surrounding the Garvey case. The narrative is rich with vivid imagery and poignant reflections, inviting readers to explore themes of adventure, loss, and the human spirit's resilience in the face of overwhelming odds.

Pandora In The Congo is a gripping literary adventure that combines elements of classic exploration tales with profound philosophical questions. The juxtaposition of Garvey's thrilling escapades against the stark realities of colonialism and survival creates a narrative that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, leaving readers to ponder the true cost of adventure and the nature of humanity itself.

A literary dynamite charge. * * Independent on Sunday * *
Albert Sánchez Piñol is possessed of an exceptional, fecund and devious imagination. -- David Mitchell
Wonderful. * * The Times * *
An action-packed adventure story in the best Rider Haggard tradition and a sophisticated reflection on the imaginative power of literature. Impressive and most unusual. * * Independent * *
Going into that realm of hyperbolic fabulation where Umberto Eco has long made safari, Pandora in the Congo marks Sanchez Pinol's emergence as a significant European writer. -- Giles Foden * * Guardian * *
A rip-roaring historical adventure. * * Scotland on Sunday * *
An African brew with a dash of derring-do. Laced with a heady post-modern investigation into the dark art of telling tales. -- Christian House * * Independent * *

Free of the sometimes stilted quality that dogs translated novels, this is simultaneously a gripping yarn and a genre-bending re-examination of the fiction of a bygone age.

-- Alex Larman * * Observer * *
Pandora in the Congo is a wonderful book on so many levels - the story within a story of Garvey's time in Africa, as recounted by Thomson, is thrilling and compulsive . . . Pinol deftly weaves his theme of deception into all strands of the story . . . this is a cracking story on so many levels - and one of which any master of magical realism would be just as proud as a teller of tales of derring do. -- Simon Appleby * * Bookgeeks.co.uk * *

ISBN: 9781847671240

Dimensions: 200mm x 130mm x 25mm

Weight: 320g

448 pages

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