Yaka gives a panoramic view of the events that shaped Angola from 1890 through the next century as reflected in the life of the Semedo family. From the nineteenth century penal colony, through slavery, African uprisings, and land expropriation, Yaka charts the formation of a nation. Alexandre Semedo's father, convicted of murder, is transported from Portugal to Angola at the turn of the century. As time passes, the Semedo family becomes increasingly intertwined with Black Angola. Alexandre begins to see why the enigmatic Yaka statue, which he inherited from his father, is a symbol for his country.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Most contemporary African fiction known in the West is written in English: Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka and South African novelist Nadine Gordimer come to mind. Fiction in translation from non-English-speaking Africa, however, is scarce. For its attempt to bridge that gap, Heinemann is to be commended. Pepetela, nom de plume and nom de guerre of Angolan writer Arthur Carlos Mauricio Pesta?a, also deserves a nod for this richly detailed recounting of Angolan history (1890-1975) through the saga of the Semedo family. A Portuguese colony from the 15th century, Angola was the only African country used as a penal settlement. Portuguese-born residents were officially "first-class" whites; Angolan-born whites were given second- or third-class status. Their intermingling with Africans created a unique population mix. Against this background, Angolan-born Alexandre Semedo, a convict's son, seeks his identity. Over his lifetime, lives of black Africans and whites increasingly commingle, the two peoples uniting eventually to fight first for independence then against a new invader, South Africa. The novel promises but never delivers-the pace is slow; the characters creepy and largely unsympathetic, the transitions from first to second person are confusing, and the literary device of Alexandre's Yaka warrior statue as knowing observer throughout the epic is poorly woven into the narrative. It rather makes one wonder if this 1986 winner of Angola's National Prize for Literature didn't lose something in translation.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
Through the saga of the Semedo family, Yaka gives a panoramic view of events that shaped Angola from 1890 through the next century. From the 19th century penal colony, through slavery, African uprisings, and land expropriation, Yaka charts the formation of a nation. Alexandre Semedo's father, convicted of murder, is transported from Portugal to Angola at the turn of the century. At first there is wide-spread slavery and white settlers kill native Africans for land. As time passes, however, the Semedo family becomes increasingly intertwined with Black Angola. Alexandre begins to see why the enigmatic Yaka statue, which he inherited from his father, is a symbol for his country. Only a united Angola, strengthened by the meeting of different races and cultures, can bring peace to the statue, whose language Alexandre only begins to understand as his death approaches. Yaka is a sweeping testimony to a century of Angolan history. -- Midwest Book Review
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A marvellous journey through a tragic and confusing history,
By A Customer
This review is from: Yaka (African Writers Series) (Paperback)
This translation of Pepetela's Portuguese-original is marvellous. The story encompasses the beauty of Angola coupled with the tragedy of its history and the complex relationship of the Portuguese on the land. It is superbly written. The skill of the story and the language makes you want to eat up the pages in one setting. I would recommend it to any lover of novels or any lover of Angola. What a shame that more of Pepetela's work has not been translated.
4.0 out of 5 stars
The review,
By belle lis "b. lis" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Yaka (African Writers Series) (Paperback)
it was avery informatice book. good for people interest in the rpoblems of Africa or a view into what it is really like.
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