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The Return of the Water Spirit (African Writers Series)
by Pepetela | Literature & Fiction
Registered by hobbit of Surabaya, Jawa Timur Indonesia on Monday, March 06, 2006
Average 7 star rating by BookCrossing Members 

status (set by katrinat): available


11 journalers for this copy...

Journal Entry 1 by hobbit from Surabaya, Jawa Timur Indonesia on Monday, March 06, 2006

This book has not been rated.


An excerpt from the back of the book:

Buildings in the city of Luanda baffle engineers as they fall down one by one. One man comes to believe that the explanation lies in a built-over lagoon, once home to a water spirit that has returned to reclaim the land.


I have to admit that I ordered this book only because its author is from Angola and I'm trying to read books by authors from different countries. However, the description does sound interesting, so I'm looking forward to it.

 


Journal Entry 2 by hobbit from Surabaya, Jawa Timur Indonesia on Wednesday, March 08, 2006

8 out of 10

It was interesting to contrast the little cultural differences from mine, like the fact that the main character seldom showed up at the office more than once a week, with those things that are similar across cultures like the human foibles and addiction to computer games.

The part that the water spirit played in the story was really almost an excuse for the rest of the story - I didn't feel that it centered around the water spirit, and I would have enjoyed a longer novel with a little more around that part.

Overall, this slim novel was a pretty quick read but was enjoyable. 


Journal Entry 3 by hobbit from Surabaya, Jawa Timur Indonesia on Wednesday, March 15, 2006

This book has not been rated.

I'm going to offer this book as a bookring, linked with another book: The Last Will & Testament of Senhor da Silva Araujo by Germano Almeida. Authors are from Angola and Cape Verde.



If you want to read just one, that's ok - sign up for the linked ring, read whichever you want, and send them on to the next person.



Bookring Guidelines:



  • Journal the books as soon as you get them. Contact the next person in the list for their mailing address.
  • Please try to read within a month so the ring keeps moving. I know there are two of them, but they're not long.
  • When done, take a minute to journal your impressions and note that you're sending them on. I love reading various people's feelings on the books - we're bound to have different viewpoints!
  • Yes, sometimes “life happens”. If you find yourself running behind or need to be skipped, etc., please PM me letting me know what’s up and we can work it out.
  • Please send these books on together - in the same package.

Participants (username /location/shipping):



  1. Hobbit /US/international (originator)
  2. Lunatum /Finland/Finland or Europe
  3. Katyan /Finland/Europe
  4. Piggeldy /Germany/Europe
  5. Sheepseeker /Germany/international
  6. Abecedarian /US
  7. Hendertuckian / US
  8. ffortsa /US
  9. bartonz /US
  10. Hobbit /US (back to originator)


Note: Books have returned home.
 


Journal Entry 4 by hobbit from Surabaya, Jawa Timur Indonesia on Saturday, March 25, 2006

This book has not been rated.

I went to the Post Office this morning, and these books are on their way to Lunatum. 


Journal Entry 5 by winglunatumwing from Savukoski, Lappi Finland on Monday, April 03, 2006

This book has not been rated.

Books arrived last week. I'm surprised that it didn't take more time to travel from USA to Finland. I have three ringbooks before these so it may take a while before I have time to read these, but I'll try to read these within a month. 


Journal Entry 6 by winglunatumwing from Savukoski, Lappi Finland on Wednesday, April 19, 2006

3 out of 10

I think that the plot was somehow empty. Maybe that is because of the language, I haven't read many books in English. I didn't really like this book. 


Journal Entry 7 by winglunatumwing from Savukoski, Lappi Finland on Wednesday, April 26, 2006

This book has not been rated.

Books are on their way to Katyan. 


Journal Entry 8 by katyan from Detroit, Michigan USA on Thursday, April 27, 2006

This book has not been rated.

This little book arrived here with its travelling friend! Thank you very much! 


Journal Entry 9 by katyan from Detroit, Michigan USA on Tuesday, May 09, 2006

9 out of 10

Oh, I really liked this little book. It was well written and the story was lovely. Somehow I also felt that I had a real treasure in my hands while reading this book; it was wonderfull to read a book from an author so far away. I think this must have been the first Angolian book that I've ever read in my life! I'm so happy that through bookcrossing I've met so many wonderfull books, including this one! Thank you so much for sharing it, hobbit!
In this book there was also many brilliant thoughts that made me laugh or think more about our lives. This is one of my favourite ones (maybe because I'm spending all my days with computer...:)):

"But hang on, a person who's so intelligent, who spends the whole day working with that complicated machine they call a computer, such a person really deserves the tittle doctor. I have a lot of respect for wisdom." 


Journal Entry 10 by katyan at Bookring in Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Monday, May 15, 2006

This book has not been rated.

Released 5 yrs ago (5/15/2006 UTC) at Bookring in Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Sent to Piggeldy this morning! 


Journal Entry 11 by Piggeldy from Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg Germany on Wednesday, May 31, 2006

7 out of 10

The books arrived here safely, and I already started reading this one :-)

Edit, June 5th: A very promising beginning and a very interesting ending - but the pages in between are a bit boring. Well, if it wasn't for the Challenge, I guess I'd have stopped reading somewhere in the middle and so would have missed the nice ending. 


Journal Entry 12 by Sheepseeker from Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen Germany on Tuesday, June 20, 2006

This book has not been rated.

Part 1 of this two-part ring has already arrived here - the other one will follow as soon as Piggeldy is done with it. Thanks for sending! 


Journal Entry 13 by Sheepseeker from Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen Germany on Sunday, June 25, 2006

9 out of 10

I absolutly enjoyed reading this book from Angola. I'm not an expert on Angolan history but I did some research on their recent history and Pepetela seems to have spun in quite a part of it into his story.

Thanks for sharing, hobbit! I'll now keep the book for awhile until I get the Cap Verdean book, so they can travel on together afterwards... 


Journal Entry 14 by Abecedarian from Clearwater, Kansas USA on Wednesday, July 12, 2006

This book has not been rated.

Came yesterday as part of a bookring. 


Journal Entry 15 by Abecedarian from Clearwater, Kansas USA on Thursday, August 24, 2006

4 out of 10

I didn't cre much for this book either. The plot was seriously lacking, but I can see where my lack of knowledge of Angola's history might hinder my understanding of the book. Will PM J-Emily to send on its way.. 


Journal Entry 16 by hendertuckian from Henderson, Nevada USA on Saturday, October 14, 2006

6 out of 10

Part of Olympic Challenge (Angola) - thanks Abecedarian quick read - ***plot spoiler *** I was suprize at how he was threatened by his wife's status and his unstatus. He didn't like being in her shadow so he conquered the ancient world (in computer game).

Mailing to ffortsa as part of bookring.

 


Journal Entry 17 by hendertuckian at -- By post or by hand/ in person, RABCK , bookring/ray in Henderson, Nevada USA on Monday, October 30, 2006

This book has not been rated.

RELEASE NOTES:

 


Journal Entry 18 by hendertuckian at -- By post or by hand/ in person, RABCK , bookring/ray in Henderson, Nevada USA on Monday, October 30, 2006

This book has not been rated.

Released 5 yrs ago (10/30/2006 UTC) at -- By post or by hand/ in person, RABCK , bookring/ray in Henderson, Nevada USA

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

 


Journal Entry 19 by ffortsa on Friday, November 03, 2006

8 out of 10

Received from Hendertuckian in support of the Olympic Challenge, just in time for my weekend away.

edited on 12/03/06: This fairy tale of the damage left by colonialism and social disruption defintely held my interest. I wish I knew a little more about African history in general, and Angolan history in particular, because I'm sure that many of the characters and events have great resonance in that history. The characters are richer than in the usual fairy tale, people very close to our own experience, and that allowed me to feel very close to the action of the story.

edited on 12/17/06: oops - meant to send this out last week but the holiday season got a little crazy. On its way to bartonz in tomorrow's mail. 


Journal Entry 20 by wingbartonzwing from Bellevue, Washington USA on Thursday, December 21, 2006

This book has not been rated.

I've got it! I have another book ring book to read first and then I'll read and send it back home to Hobbit. 


Journal Entry 21 by wingbartonzwing from Bellevue, Washington USA on Saturday, January 27, 2007

8 out of 10

I've read it and it's on its way home to Hobbit! Thanks so much for the book ring! This was such a fun book that I think I will remember it fondly for years. 


Journal Entry 22 by hobbit from Surabaya, Jawa Timur Indonesia on Wednesday, February 07, 2007

This book has not been rated.

Both the books in this ring have returned safely home. 


Journal Entry 23 by hobbit from Surabaya, Jawa Timur Indonesia on Thursday, August 13, 2009

This book has not been rated.

I'm sending some other books from various countries to soffitta1 who's also working on the Olympic Challenge. I'm including this one as a surprise because I found it on my bookshelf after I offered the rest on the forum.

This book is well-travelled with very mixed reviews. I'll be glad to see it continue its journeys to visit more people who enjoy international reading, and I'll be interested to see what happens to it and what future readers think.

Just for interest, its travelling companions at the moment are:

Homo Novus
Global Restructuring and Peripheral States: The Carrot and the Stick in Mauritania
Kisses in the Nederends
Ossobo Essays on the Literature of Sao Tome & Principe


 


Journal Entry 24 by soffitta1 from Ávila, Ávila Spain on Wednesday, September 02, 2009

8 out of 10

Thanks for the stack of books, they were waiting for me when I arrived back to work.

I enjoyed reading this short book, I am currently living in Portugal and so am interested in reading Portuguese-speaking authors. This is a good look at post-colonial Angola and its new politics, or is that old politics. The new order seems as bad as the old one, though, it seems as if no one is incorruptible.
Why are the buildings falling down, what is Luanda Syndrome, read the book to find out ;)

Going to pass this on soon. 


Journal Entry 25 by soffitta1 at Soffitta's Africa bookbox, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, July 08, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Released 1 yr ago (7/10/2010 UTC) at Soffitta's Africa bookbox, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

In the Africa Bookbox. 


Journal Entry 26 by katrinat at Chelmsford, Essex United Kingdom on Tuesday, August 03, 2010

This book has not been rated.

taken from soffitta1s bookbox 


Journal Entry 27 by katrinat at Chelmsford, Essex United Kingdom on Monday, November 22, 2010

8 out of 10

I really enjoyed this read, despite the very annoying couple - i'mpretry sure we were meant to dislike them. The water spirit sections were my favourites. I'm not sure what i'm going to do with this book yet, maybe a book ray, rabck or pop it into a bookbox, either way i'll probably be waiting till after xmas as money's tight at the moment. Thanks for sharing x 




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