What do you think?
Rate this book
Return to the Enchanted Island
In this exhilarating prize-winning novel—only the second to be published in English from Madagascar—a young man comes of age amidst the enchanted origin myths of his island country.
Named after the first man at the creation of the world in Malagasy mythology, Ietsy Razak was raised to perpetuate the glory of his namesake and expected to be as illuminated as his Great Ancestor. But in the chaos of modernity, his young life is marked only by restlessness, maddening insomnia, and an adolescent apathy.
When an unexpected tragedy ships him off to a boarding school in France, his trip to the big city is no hero’s journey. Ietsy loses himself in the immediate pleasures of body and mind. Weighed down by his privilege and the legacy of his name, Ietsy struggles to find a foothold.
Only a return to the “Enchanted Island,” as Madagascar is lovingly known, helps Ietsy stumble toward his destiny. This award-winning retelling of Madagascar’s origin story offers a distinctly twenty-first-century perspective on the country’s place in an ever-more-connected world.
172 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 3, 2013
1163 people are currently reading
2660 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
September 22, 2019
I was eager to read this book - my first set in Madagascar, winner of the Grand Prix de l’Océan Indien, apparently only the second to be published in English from Madagascar. The book is about Ietsy Razak, namesake of the first man created in the world according to Malagasy mythology. The scion of a well-to-do family, Ietsy is steeped in his privileged upbringing, focused on himself, and lackadaisical in his approach. Spoiled as a young child, following a tragedy, he is sent off to France and continues his foray into living a life bereft of any optic into others, except his own narcissistic self, followed by bouts of depression as Ninon eludes his desire to “own” her. His return to the enchanted island of Madagascar and his subsequent marriage to Lea-Nour doesn’t change him much…making him a rather unlikeable character. I found the parts of the book that covered Malagasy mythology and culture interesting and informative. But the storyline meandered, I had to work on keeping track of where i was, and the transitions were “muddy.” Overall, i consider this an okay read, with a suggestion for folks to read the book, if not for the storyline but for the opportunity to learn more about Madagascar and its mythology and culture and expand our global view into countries we don’t get much of an opportunity to read about in the English language. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
dnf
August 6, 2019DNF 20%
I'm not sure if I should blame the format I've been reading but I'm finding that each paragraph of this novella is very dense, so much so that I often could not make sense of what I was being told. The writing also uses a lot of terms that don't really fit with what is being addressed or described.
The somewhat disjointed yet impenetrable prose also implemented brackets in an incorrect way: for example at 11% there are about 100 words between two bracket...this didn't really add anything to the style or the story.
Maybe other readers will find it easier to navigate this heavy narrative but I'm going to give this a hard pass.
I'm not sure if I should blame the format I've been reading but I'm finding that each paragraph of this novella is very dense, so much so that I often could not make sense of what I was being told. The writing also uses a lot of terms that don't really fit with what is being addressed or described.
The somewhat disjointed yet impenetrable prose also implemented brackets in an incorrect way: for example at 11% there are about 100 words between two bracket...this didn't really add anything to the style or the story.
Maybe other readers will find it easier to navigate this heavy narrative but I'm going to give this a hard pass.
May 1, 2021
Return.to.the Enchanted.Island: A.Novel
This book was alright to read. It kept my interest enough to keep reading and I love books about ilands
This book was alright to read. It kept my interest enough to keep reading and I love books about ilands
April 11, 2022
DNF at 30% - I attempted to wade through this, but either the translation is poor, or the writing is, but I simply could not get much from this. It got to the point that I was reading words without understanding what they meant in the context of the story. Time to call this. It may be a wonderful tale of Madagascar - but it's not for me.
April 29, 2023
Got to 65% DNF.
December 18, 2023
3.5 stars
April 29, 2023
⭐️ ⭐️I read one of the few books translated into English by an author from Madagascar. The book introduced me to Madagascar’s Creation Mythology. I enjoyed reading parts of the storytelling of the book such as the life of the teen Ietsy.
However, after I read an interview of the author’s intent for the novel I realised I failed to get the love story he tried to tell. In addition, I failed to get the sense that the goal to share myths and fables through the modern story of Ietsy had been accomplished.
Perhaps it was me or perhaps the translation or perhaps the author trying too much make a story out of the fables
“ I did not have a story to tell at first; just some scenes and songs. One from the original sound track of Paris, Texas, the Wim Wenders film, by Ry Cooder, was stuck in my head, a melancholy Mexican guitar as Travis, the main character, finds his wife (Nastassja Kinski), in a peep-show club and starts telling her their story over the phone, without her knowing it’s him. “I knew these people…”
I loved Travis’ tone, and I wanted to use that tone in my novel. Eventually I realized that what he did was also how I wanted to write: telling a story to people who have lived it. A kind of search for what we have in common.
I did not know it consciously at the time but that was, and still is, my way of writing, my sense of writing itself: to tell myself a story that I’ve lived through, which I discover by writing.
Of course, using the myth of Ietsy searching for other humans inevitably leads to a search for identity, history, and relationships with others.”
However, after I read an interview of the author’s intent for the novel I realised I failed to get the love story he tried to tell. In addition, I failed to get the sense that the goal to share myths and fables through the modern story of Ietsy had been accomplished.
Perhaps it was me or perhaps the translation or perhaps the author trying too much make a story out of the fables
“ I did not have a story to tell at first; just some scenes and songs. One from the original sound track of Paris, Texas, the Wim Wenders film, by Ry Cooder, was stuck in my head, a melancholy Mexican guitar as Travis, the main character, finds his wife (Nastassja Kinski), in a peep-show club and starts telling her their story over the phone, without her knowing it’s him. “I knew these people…”
I loved Travis’ tone, and I wanted to use that tone in my novel. Eventually I realized that what he did was also how I wanted to write: telling a story to people who have lived it. A kind of search for what we have in common.
I did not know it consciously at the time but that was, and still is, my way of writing, my sense of writing itself: to tell myself a story that I’ve lived through, which I discover by writing.
Of course, using the myth of Ietsy searching for other humans inevitably leads to a search for identity, history, and relationships with others.”
November 11, 2019
Return to the Enchanted Island by Johary Ravaloson, translated by Allison M. Charette, offers a glimpse into Madagascar’s past and present in this origin and coming-of-age story.
Protagonist Ietsy Razak is “blessed by the Gods and Ancestors.” A member of the ruling elite, he wants for nothing—except love and a sense of purpose. Ietsy is not an entirely likeable character, but perhaps that only makes him more real.
The story is told as a series of flashbacks through Ietsy’s life in Madagascar and France, interspersed with lore. This non-linear approach casts a hazy pall, much like the insomnia he suffers from.
Full of cultural references, translator Allison Charette drops clues to ensure we understand things like “the lambamena, shrouds of wild silks, of those resting in their vaults” and “vodiondry, the ritual offering of a sheep’s hindquarters to [the bride’s] parents.”
“Rasarotrafoitoavary, She-Who-Is-as-Difficult-to-Leave-Behind-as-Rice” and other poetic place names remind us we’ve traveled to a far-away land. Yet it’s not all exotic enchantment. Author Ravaloson paints a complex picture of a nation coping with the after-effects of colonialization.
Stylistically interesting yet readable, Return to the Enchanted Island is only the second work of fiction from Madagascar ever published in English, and sure to hold a place in literary history.
Review copy provided by Amazon Crossing.
Protagonist Ietsy Razak is “blessed by the Gods and Ancestors.” A member of the ruling elite, he wants for nothing—except love and a sense of purpose. Ietsy is not an entirely likeable character, but perhaps that only makes him more real.
The story is told as a series of flashbacks through Ietsy’s life in Madagascar and France, interspersed with lore. This non-linear approach casts a hazy pall, much like the insomnia he suffers from.
Full of cultural references, translator Allison Charette drops clues to ensure we understand things like “the lambamena, shrouds of wild silks, of those resting in their vaults” and “vodiondry, the ritual offering of a sheep’s hindquarters to [the bride’s] parents.”
“Rasarotrafoitoavary, She-Who-Is-as-Difficult-to-Leave-Behind-as-Rice” and other poetic place names remind us we’ve traveled to a far-away land. Yet it’s not all exotic enchantment. Author Ravaloson paints a complex picture of a nation coping with the after-effects of colonialization.
Stylistically interesting yet readable, Return to the Enchanted Island is only the second work of fiction from Madagascar ever published in English, and sure to hold a place in literary history.
Review copy provided by Amazon Crossing.
October 18, 2023
The novel slips between the main character's present, his childhood and young adulthood, and Malagasi history and mythology. It's not always clear (to me at least) what parallels or meaning one is intended to draw between these parts, which sit somewhat separately above the surface, presumably joined beneath it. Which is to say, I suppose, that this is a book which requires some work of the reader, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Water, its ebb and flow, its concealing and guarding nature, and its ability to be both a barrier and a facilitator of journeying is something of a theme, particularly in the mythological sections, and which must (I again presume) have meaning in the main character's life story, named as he is, Ietsy, after the first created human.
What I took from it was that our birth culture shapes us, and that while we can rebel and turn from that, to recreate ourselves in our own imagined image, or in the image we absorb from the wider world, we will find more peace in accepting ourselves as formed from that earlier cultural matrix, that we can take responsibility for what it has given to and taken #from us and those around us with a guiltless acceptance. 3.5 stars
Water, its ebb and flow, its concealing and guarding nature, and its ability to be both a barrier and a facilitator of journeying is something of a theme, particularly in the mythological sections, and which must (I again presume) have meaning in the main character's life story, named as he is, Ietsy, after the first created human.
What I took from it was that our birth culture shapes us, and that while we can rebel and turn from that, to recreate ourselves in our own imagined image, or in the image we absorb from the wider world, we will find more peace in accepting ourselves as formed from that earlier cultural matrix, that we can take responsibility for what it has given to and taken #from us and those around us with a guiltless acceptance. 3.5 stars
September 12, 2019
"Return to the Enchanted Island" by Johary Ravaloson and translated by Allison Charette.
This books is only the second book to be translated from Madagascar to English, and has won the Prix du Roman de l'Ocean Indien prize.
The book is divided into three massive chapters- Ietsy Razak's early life in Madagascar, his life in a boarding school in France and then his return to the "enchanted island", as Madagascar is also lovingly named. The story was okay for me, I pushed through almost did not finish but I wanted to know what the life of a privileged boy was like for "The Blessed One, The Great Ancestor". The writing style was really not for me. I enjoy a story line that is less complex and a lot easier to follow. There is also a lack of a solid plot and the prose so dense and complex that I get lost in the story line. I am certain there would be others that would really enjoy the complexity of the Madagascar ancestral stories intermingled with current day juxtaposition.
Thank you Netgalley and Amazon for the ARC ebook for an objective review.
This books is only the second book to be translated from Madagascar to English, and has won the Prix du Roman de l'Ocean Indien prize.
The book is divided into three massive chapters- Ietsy Razak's early life in Madagascar, his life in a boarding school in France and then his return to the "enchanted island", as Madagascar is also lovingly named. The story was okay for me, I pushed through almost did not finish but I wanted to know what the life of a privileged boy was like for "The Blessed One, The Great Ancestor". The writing style was really not for me. I enjoy a story line that is less complex and a lot easier to follow. There is also a lack of a solid plot and the prose so dense and complex that I get lost in the story line. I am certain there would be others that would really enjoy the complexity of the Madagascar ancestral stories intermingled with current day juxtaposition.
Thank you Netgalley and Amazon for the ARC ebook for an objective review.
May 2, 2021
A very interesting read - not because of the protagonist's story, but much rather due to the mythological threads that are woven into the novel. It gives you a glimpse into Madagascar's myths and a bit of history. The strong attachment of the island's people to nature is also reflected by the language, which is beautiful at some places (and pretty hard to follow at others).
"His mother, as she threw him into the river of life, left via the East, the shore of origins and death." This sounds much better than "his mother died in childbirth", doesn't it?
A literary gem, which definitely needs a second read.
"His mother, as she threw him into the river of life, left via the East, the shore of origins and death." This sounds much better than "his mother died in childbirth", doesn't it?
A literary gem, which definitely needs a second read.
November 17, 2019
I got this book as a Goodreads Giveaway. I've tried twice to finish reading, but I just couldn't take it past the halfway point. I got bogged down by the complexities and having to backtrack often.
I'm sure there are some that will enjoy this book, but this one was not meant to be for me.
I'm sure there are some that will enjoy this book, but this one was not meant to be for me.
April 29, 2021
I really wanted to like this book. I know little of Madagascar and found this on a list of recommended international reads. I was lost much of the time. The book shifts from current day to mythology about the island and I stayed lost. 2.5 rounded to 3.
December 9, 2022
Return to the Enchanted Island has a narrative that winds back and forth through the life of its protagonist, a man named Ietsy; it drifts from his present, when he’s a middle-aged man, married and a father of three, to his childhood, his years growing up in Madagascar, and then further, after he’s sent to Paris to study at a university. Interspersed with the story of Ietsy is a telling of various (rather confusing) legends and myths about the Enchanted Island, aka Madagascar.
I was very confused for a good bit of this book; perhaps it had to do with the fact that I had absolutely no previous knowledge of the origin stories of Madagascar (and Johary Ravoloson, to be honest, doesn’t do a good job of telling those stories: they’re lyrical, but they don’t explain things too well). I couldn’t see how those legends fit (were they an allegory?) with Ietsy’s life, or what was the significance of them. Perhaps it was just Ravoloson’s way of driving home the idea of an ‘enchanted’ land, a land sunk deep in the myths that surround it.
Perhaps that’s why Ietsy’s stint in France made more sense to me: away from all that enchantment and the corresponding obfuscations, the narrative became easier to relate to, easier to understand.
Despite that respite, though, this wasn’t a book I enjoyed. The bits I liked or even found slightly interesting were few and far between, and not enough to want me to come back to this book. One read is enough.
I was very confused for a good bit of this book; perhaps it had to do with the fact that I had absolutely no previous knowledge of the origin stories of Madagascar (and Johary Ravoloson, to be honest, doesn’t do a good job of telling those stories: they’re lyrical, but they don’t explain things too well). I couldn’t see how those legends fit (were they an allegory?) with Ietsy’s life, or what was the significance of them. Perhaps it was just Ravoloson’s way of driving home the idea of an ‘enchanted’ land, a land sunk deep in the myths that surround it.
Perhaps that’s why Ietsy’s stint in France made more sense to me: away from all that enchantment and the corresponding obfuscations, the narrative became easier to relate to, easier to understand.
Despite that respite, though, this wasn’t a book I enjoyed. The bits I liked or even found slightly interesting were few and far between, and not enough to want me to come back to this book. One read is enough.
February 6, 2025
What can I say except that it was painful? Was it the translation or the writing? I think a bit of both. Had this not been for a challenge I most likely would have thrown it back. To say I was confused is an understatement
This is somewhat of a coming-of-age story about a boy from Madagascar. A lot of it was the story of the mythology of the Island, but a lot of it was about this privileged child that I absolutely hated. Not being able to connect with the main character, I found myself reading just words and not absorbing much of it.
It took me out of my box, not on my TBR at the start so it served its purpose for the challenge. I am happy I know longer have to give it space on my nightstand.
This is somewhat of a coming-of-age story about a boy from Madagascar. A lot of it was the story of the mythology of the Island, but a lot of it was about this privileged child that I absolutely hated. Not being able to connect with the main character, I found myself reading just words and not absorbing much of it.
It took me out of my box, not on my TBR at the start so it served its purpose for the challenge. I am happy I know longer have to give it space on my nightstand.
March 8, 2025
There were some quite confusing elements to this story. It jumped back and forth in time several times and it took me a couple of paragraphs to realise what had happened. There are some interesting magical realism elements that are something of a mythology. Not knowing anything about Madagascan mythology I have no idea whether they are established mythology or an invention of the author. I didn’t love the book but I did get absorbed in the story and am glad to have read it.
January 12, 2022
I am so confused. Maybe they not have translated!
December 4, 2024
Ratings:
Writing 3
Story line 2
Characters 3
Impact/enjoyment 3
Overall rating 2.75
Writing 3
Story line 2
Characters 3
Impact/enjoyment 3
Overall rating 2.75
June 5, 2020
You open this book with lots of questions...and close it with just as many. It is engrossing at parts. The author’s imagery is rich and captivating. Prepare to take a ride of flashback to present to flashback again. As someone who loves the Malagasy culture, this take on it’s origin story is fascinating and unique. The elements, the language, the storytelling—is excellent. It is certainly a coming-of-age novel, one that is filled with historically accurate events, magical elements, love, sex, culture, humor... basically, everything you could want. It’s a quick, but delightful read for anyone.
This book, as you’ll find, is “blessed by the Gods and Ancestors.”
This book, as you’ll find, is “blessed by the Gods and Ancestors.”
November 9, 2019
I won this ebook on Goodreads but I couldn't get a quarter way through. Too many names of everything...I struggled to get as far as I did.
June 17, 2021
Sort of rambling but interesting
The emphasis on the Malagay pantheon and creation story was quite interesting. Ancestor worship is antrong component, something I learned once from watching.some documentaries, the elders in many areas being the intermediaries who decide what the will of the ancestors is. I found a quasi-parallel - Ietsy, who created people via wood carvings that later received the breath of life from another diety compares somewhat to the Abrahamic religions account that God created man from the dirt and breathed the breath of life into him, had him name all the animals, during which he notices each animal has a companion but he doesn't. Then God creates the first surgery under anesthesia, putting Adam to sleep, removing a rib, and creating a woman. In most of the religions I have studied over time, I note that some deity created humans and imbues them with life, and it fascinates me to see how each religion tells this seemingly central tale.
The central character is an easy going son of a wealthy man, namednfornthe god who xarved the figures - Ietsy. He is aimless and likes it that way. An experiment with pills added to cannabis on school grounds leaves his group of friends and he, for lack of a better term, "streaking" around the grounds, and none of them remember much except snips of what happened after the pill, and all of them are in a lot of trouble at school and at home.
Before he can think about when his punishment will end, locked in his room, no clothes, a chamber pot that is emptied at intervals, meals slid into the room 3 times a day, he is handed clothing, told to clean up, dress, and go to his father's office. The next thing he knows, he is on his way to a boarding school in France. While he is there, though he has vowed to eschew drugs, he seems not to consider alcohol a drug. He meets a girl who enchants him, but he hasn't been fully accepted because of his foreign background and his darker skin, but she seems not to mind. He becomes obsessed with her, needy at times, and doscovers she believes in open relationships, with sex with multiple partners not an issue. He realizes she will never be exclusive and becomes severely depressed. He can't bring himself to enroll in classes, so he hasn't the paperwork for the student visa renewal, so becomes an illegal alien by default. When he finally climbs out of the slump, he realizes he can't get the PhD intended because of the gap year and his illegal status, so he enrolls in a different masters program and calls someone in the family who can fix the visa issue for him.
The fact that he can pass his law courses when he's spending his time boozing, partying, and having casual sex tells me that among this young man's latent talents is a sharp mind he employs only sporadically. Either that, or the school he attends has very low academic standards.
He returns home, likely more educated in hedonism than in law, and continues womanizing, a different girl constantly, apparently deciding to adopt the attutide of the girl for whom he fell so hard and not be exclusive to anyone.
At some point, he is not paying attention to his driving when he crashes into a lot of people, ending up badly injured, and causing a death. It is years before he works up the nerve to apologize to the family, but at least while he is there, he manages to arrange for a scholarship for the boy he orphaned. Most countries don't have a system like the US; most schools have to charge tuition (school fees) plus the family has to purchase uniforms and their school supplies. Wealthy patrons will sometimes set up schools that do give a scholarship based education, or finance scholarships at existing schools.
Eventually, a girl who was a playmate in his childhood is reintroduced as an ideal wife. He gets reacquainted in more ways than one, and decides to marry her and be exclusive to her. She is ambitious, and has her PhD in literature. She is pregnant when they marry, but not showing. When Ietsy's mother died when he was very young, she was buried in her family's burial chambers, not allowed to be buried in her husband's chambers. Part of the reason given was so that Ietsy's father would feel free to remarry at some point, which he never did. This bothers Ietsy, so his dad and the bride's family agree to allow burial for both in Iersy's family's burial chambers, which seems to ease the minds of bith bride and groom
As the story draws to a conclusion, we see a mystic encounter by an older woman, a horrible nightmare Ietsy has, and Ietsy, having had severe insomnia for ages, finally sleeps.
This is kind of a coming of age/slice of life/lifestyles of the rich and famous blend that at one point shows the vast difference between Ietsy's privileged life and thenlives of those in what are called "under-neighborhoods" created woth wooden palettes, sheet metal, rocks, bricks, whatever can be scrounged, with no electricity available, and with no social safety net, and no paid public schools.
The emphasis on the Malagay pantheon and creation story was quite interesting. Ancestor worship is antrong component, something I learned once from watching.some documentaries, the elders in many areas being the intermediaries who decide what the will of the ancestors is. I found a quasi-parallel - Ietsy, who created people via wood carvings that later received the breath of life from another diety compares somewhat to the Abrahamic religions account that God created man from the dirt and breathed the breath of life into him, had him name all the animals, during which he notices each animal has a companion but he doesn't. Then God creates the first surgery under anesthesia, putting Adam to sleep, removing a rib, and creating a woman. In most of the religions I have studied over time, I note that some deity created humans and imbues them with life, and it fascinates me to see how each religion tells this seemingly central tale.
The central character is an easy going son of a wealthy man, namednfornthe god who xarved the figures - Ietsy. He is aimless and likes it that way. An experiment with pills added to cannabis on school grounds leaves his group of friends and he, for lack of a better term, "streaking" around the grounds, and none of them remember much except snips of what happened after the pill, and all of them are in a lot of trouble at school and at home.
Before he can think about when his punishment will end, locked in his room, no clothes, a chamber pot that is emptied at intervals, meals slid into the room 3 times a day, he is handed clothing, told to clean up, dress, and go to his father's office. The next thing he knows, he is on his way to a boarding school in France. While he is there, though he has vowed to eschew drugs, he seems not to consider alcohol a drug. He meets a girl who enchants him, but he hasn't been fully accepted because of his foreign background and his darker skin, but she seems not to mind. He becomes obsessed with her, needy at times, and doscovers she believes in open relationships, with sex with multiple partners not an issue. He realizes she will never be exclusive and becomes severely depressed. He can't bring himself to enroll in classes, so he hasn't the paperwork for the student visa renewal, so becomes an illegal alien by default. When he finally climbs out of the slump, he realizes he can't get the PhD intended because of the gap year and his illegal status, so he enrolls in a different masters program and calls someone in the family who can fix the visa issue for him.
The fact that he can pass his law courses when he's spending his time boozing, partying, and having casual sex tells me that among this young man's latent talents is a sharp mind he employs only sporadically. Either that, or the school he attends has very low academic standards.
He returns home, likely more educated in hedonism than in law, and continues womanizing, a different girl constantly, apparently deciding to adopt the attutide of the girl for whom he fell so hard and not be exclusive to anyone.
At some point, he is not paying attention to his driving when he crashes into a lot of people, ending up badly injured, and causing a death. It is years before he works up the nerve to apologize to the family, but at least while he is there, he manages to arrange for a scholarship for the boy he orphaned. Most countries don't have a system like the US; most schools have to charge tuition (school fees) plus the family has to purchase uniforms and their school supplies. Wealthy patrons will sometimes set up schools that do give a scholarship based education, or finance scholarships at existing schools.
Eventually, a girl who was a playmate in his childhood is reintroduced as an ideal wife. He gets reacquainted in more ways than one, and decides to marry her and be exclusive to her. She is ambitious, and has her PhD in literature. She is pregnant when they marry, but not showing. When Ietsy's mother died when he was very young, she was buried in her family's burial chambers, not allowed to be buried in her husband's chambers. Part of the reason given was so that Ietsy's father would feel free to remarry at some point, which he never did. This bothers Ietsy, so his dad and the bride's family agree to allow burial for both in Iersy's family's burial chambers, which seems to ease the minds of bith bride and groom
As the story draws to a conclusion, we see a mystic encounter by an older woman, a horrible nightmare Ietsy has, and Ietsy, having had severe insomnia for ages, finally sleeps.
This is kind of a coming of age/slice of life/lifestyles of the rich and famous blend that at one point shows the vast difference between Ietsy's privileged life and thenlives of those in what are called "under-neighborhoods" created woth wooden palettes, sheet metal, rocks, bricks, whatever can be scrounged, with no electricity available, and with no social safety net, and no paid public schools.
August 13, 2021
This beautiful novel weaves together three disparate strands: Ietsy, a mythical figure, the first man of Madagascar according to legend; Ietsy as a youth, privileged and spoiled and hedonistic; and Ietsy as an elder, afflicted with insomnia and reliving his life. The repetition of these names and the parallels in their stories reflect, I think, the way memories become our honored ancestors.
Ravaloson also subtly deals with class and racism throughout the novel. He describes Ietsy's youth as a rich man in Madagascar, in contrast to the poverty-stricken people around him. But when Ietsy visits Paris, he discovers that he's treated as an exhibit and experiences the racism of a predominantly-white country towards a black man.
I was also fascinated by his approach to women. At the beginning of the novel, Ietsy describes how his mother was not allowed to be buried in the family vault, part of a tradition that only male children, not mere daughters-in-law, would achieve that privilege. Ietsy struggles through his relationships with women, from his aunt to his Parisian girlfriend. When he eventually returns to Madagascar and rediscovers the woman he will marry, one of the conditions of the marriage is that she will be buried in the family vault. I thought that showed his growth in respect for women and his appreciation as well for the strength of the traditions of his homeland.
The novel also incorporates some stories of Malagasy mythology and folklore, like the first man (Ietsy) and how people were created, but also there are mermaids and serpents and other stories. Interestingly, I couldn't find reference to Ietsy-the-legend in any of the sources I read on this subject. I wonder if the name was changed to make it more palatable for an English-reading audience (perhaps Andriambahomanana, the first man according to Wikipedia, would be too hard to track as a main character!).
Speaking of English-reading audiences: this book is only the second novel from Madagascar ever published in English. As another reviewer has pointed out, the translator does a great job in both conveying the story but also providing context and explanation for some of the culturally-specific concepts. For example, she describes "the lambamena, shrouds of wild silks" used to wrap and re-wrap the dead. For those of us not acquainted with the practice, it's useful to get those explanatory asides.
And like, listen, this is a complex story. It's not an easy read! The strands of the story weave together and overlap until Ravaloson reveals the tapestry he has been creating. It's not a beach read, but it is well worth savoring.
Ravaloson also subtly deals with class and racism throughout the novel. He describes Ietsy's youth as a rich man in Madagascar, in contrast to the poverty-stricken people around him. But when Ietsy visits Paris, he discovers that he's treated as an exhibit and experiences the racism of a predominantly-white country towards a black man.
I was also fascinated by his approach to women. At the beginning of the novel, Ietsy describes how his mother was not allowed to be buried in the family vault, part of a tradition that only male children, not mere daughters-in-law, would achieve that privilege. Ietsy struggles through his relationships with women, from his aunt to his Parisian girlfriend. When he eventually returns to Madagascar and rediscovers the woman he will marry, one of the conditions of the marriage is that she will be buried in the family vault. I thought that showed his growth in respect for women and his appreciation as well for the strength of the traditions of his homeland.
The novel also incorporates some stories of Malagasy mythology and folklore, like the first man (Ietsy) and how people were created, but also there are mermaids and serpents and other stories. Interestingly, I couldn't find reference to Ietsy-the-legend in any of the sources I read on this subject. I wonder if the name was changed to make it more palatable for an English-reading audience (perhaps Andriambahomanana, the first man according to Wikipedia, would be too hard to track as a main character!).
Speaking of English-reading audiences: this book is only the second novel from Madagascar ever published in English. As another reviewer has pointed out, the translator does a great job in both conveying the story but also providing context and explanation for some of the culturally-specific concepts. For example, she describes "the lambamena, shrouds of wild silks" used to wrap and re-wrap the dead. For those of us not acquainted with the practice, it's useful to get those explanatory asides.
And like, listen, this is a complex story. It's not an easy read! The strands of the story weave together and overlap until Ravaloson reveals the tapestry he has been creating. It's not a beach read, but it is well worth savoring.
May 18, 2021
“Azafady tompoko!”
It was interesting to read a book set mostly in Madagascar. This is a coming of age story. Our protagonist is a bit of a priviledged slacker, Ietsy, named after the Adam of Malagasy mythology, the son of one of the richest men on the island and as a teen he enjoys smoking cannabis The cannabis caused Ietsy, already a naturally contemplative person, to be so engrossed that he could watch flies mating for centuries. and crazy parties. After one such party his father grounds him, only letting him out to attend the sobering funeral of a co-reveller.
Ietsy, doesn't learn his lesson and after accidentally killing a man in a street race, he is shipped off to France. In France he starts dating a model, but his possessiveness is too much and he find his island ways are an ill-fit in modern France.
“Yeah, you’re definitely a daddy’s boy, huh?”
Her words utterly crucified him.
So, he returns to Madagascar and Anosisoa, the return to the enchanted island of the title, and tries to make amends for the errors of his youth.
There are few books from Madagascar translated into English. There were some great evocative scenes in this book but the transitions between the various episodes are muddy. Ietsy the protagonist is not a likeable character, he is spoilt by wealth and often lost in his own thoughts. There is one scene where he takes his childhood sweetheart Lea-Nour on the back of his motorbike and after a stop rides off forgetting about her.
Ietsy started it but, lost in his thoughts, gave it gas and left without a backward glance. Incredulous, Lea-Nour couldn’t say a word before he disappeared.
July 21, 2025
He got sent to a cell... went before the judge, did three months of community service at the Garches hospital, was all the same spared extradition—a random impulse would never extinguish his luck.[p. 96]
Translated from the French, this novel is the first I have read by a Malagasy author. It interweaves Malagasy heritage and history with the story of Ietsy Razak, privileged son of a wealthy family, named after the 'first man' in Malagasy myth. Ietsy is sent to France to 'continue his education' after a misadventure with drugs in which a schoolmate dies. There, he meets and falls in love with Ninon, and is devastated at the end of their affair. He becomes an illegal alien when he forgets to renew his visa.
Despite being lazy and prone to depression, Ietsy tends to fall on his feet. He has good (and patient) friends, and seems to get away with a great deal. It's a clash of cultures -- Madagascan nobility versus modern, democratic France -- and only by returning to Madagascar can he find peace and happiness.
I don't think the audiobook -- capably narrated by Ron Butler -- was the best way to appreciate this novel. I found it difficult to understand the parallels between the mythic and the real Ietsys, and I didn't really warm to the protagonist, a spoilt slacker exploiting his social status to get away with ... well, with causing the deaths of others. But Return to the Enchanted Island did offer a portrait of Malagasy life, culture and history, and in that respect was interesting.
I note that the original title, Les larmes d’Ietsé, translates as 'The Tears of Ietsy': perhaps a more descriptive and less generic title than the rather vague Return to the Enchanted Island.
May 12, 2021
Angano angano, arira arira, a legend is a legend, the truth is another, it is not I who lie but those who transmitted it to me.
The book starts off jumping between three different points in time: Ietsy as a teen, Ietsy as an adult and a few Madagascar creation myths. As the book goes on, teen Ietsy grows older and more context is given to make it a single timeline. I think this was a good thing since we readers would’ve lacked information to properly understand some scenes if they were told in a linear order.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Ietsy is definitely an engaging character to follow along, the characters in general are all well-written, and I actively laughed out loud at the humorous way the author writes some things. It’s not a humor book, it’s just written in a quite straightforward way which can be surprisingly dry in mentioning certain events or even come off as ironic.
As an introduction to a country I knew little about, some of the myths were a little difficult to understand, mostly because I accidentally confused some terminology and I was a bit slow in understanding what was what. For reference, vazimba are the first inhabitants of Madagascar and vazaha are the white minority (mostly French). I failed to realize they were two separate words until I was nearing the end of the story! Upon completing the book I think I have an understanding of the legends explained, and the wikipedia page on vazimbas helped round it out (actually, you might want to do a quick read of that wiki page before reading the book).
Recommended for those looking to read something fresh!
November 8, 2021
I read this book as part of my quest to read a book written by an author from every country in the world. The author of this book is from Madagascar.
I usually do some research on a country prior to reading the book. Madagascar is an island country in the Indian Ocean, off the eastern coast of Africa. Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot; over 90% of its wildlife is found nowhere else on Earth. The earliest settlers were from Indonesia, not Africa as I assumed. They were later joined by Bantus from Africa and other ethnic groups. The Malagasy ethnic group forms over 90 percent of Madagascar's population and is typically divided into 18 ethnic subgroups. In the late 1890's, Madagascar became part of the French colonial empire, from which the island gained independence in 1960.
I found this book very disjointed and confusing. It is actually the telling of 3 stories. Ietsy, a mythical figure who was the first man of Madagascar according to their legend, Ietsy as a privileged youth growing up on the island and later in France, and Ietsy as an elder, married to his wife Lea-Nour, afflicted with insomnia and reflecting back on his life.
I did learn about their religious traditions, especially their veneration of their ancestors. There is a tradition of tomb building for their deceased. They also practice famadihana, whereby a deceased family member's remains are exhumed and re-wrapped in fresh silk shrouds, before being replaced in the tomb. In the story, Ietsy's father and mother were buried in separate cities, because the father's tomb was reserved for men only.
I usually do some research on a country prior to reading the book. Madagascar is an island country in the Indian Ocean, off the eastern coast of Africa. Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot; over 90% of its wildlife is found nowhere else on Earth. The earliest settlers were from Indonesia, not Africa as I assumed. They were later joined by Bantus from Africa and other ethnic groups. The Malagasy ethnic group forms over 90 percent of Madagascar's population and is typically divided into 18 ethnic subgroups. In the late 1890's, Madagascar became part of the French colonial empire, from which the island gained independence in 1960.
I found this book very disjointed and confusing. It is actually the telling of 3 stories. Ietsy, a mythical figure who was the first man of Madagascar according to their legend, Ietsy as a privileged youth growing up on the island and later in France, and Ietsy as an elder, married to his wife Lea-Nour, afflicted with insomnia and reflecting back on his life.
I did learn about their religious traditions, especially their veneration of their ancestors. There is a tradition of tomb building for their deceased. They also practice famadihana, whereby a deceased family member's remains are exhumed and re-wrapped in fresh silk shrouds, before being replaced in the tomb. In the story, Ietsy's father and mother were buried in separate cities, because the father's tomb was reserved for men only.
May 27, 2023
A long time ago, even before the era of Gola, at the very beginning, it is said a man accidentally fell from the sky. His name was Ietsy. Some of the poets sing that he tumbled down as he beheld the beauty of this land, trusted by the sea. As he had fainted, Breath dispatched the rainbow to go down and revive him. He was the first. The first to swoon at the sight of this island—it was already solid back then, and enchanted—and, once he’d come to again, the first to fall for it. There was no one on the island besides him. He was quite happy to be there, although he felt a little alone.
Breath could not have children but found Ietsy’s breathless statues beautiful enough to fill them with her breath of life. If, and only if, Ietsy would agree to be a father to them. Breath breathed into the statues, and they became alive. Thus, the only unearthly part of the island’s first people was their breath, their soul. That’s what makes humans human, they say—before, we were just wooden statues!
This is what a novel should be, filled with the tangible and intangible, the sacred and profane, evil and redemption. Madagascar is beautiful, tantalizingly portrayed, and the colonialism of France treated clearly yet realistically. Madagascar has always fascinated, lying so close to Africa but more closely related genetically and linguistically to Austronesia. This novel evokes this mystery…
Breath could not have children but found Ietsy’s breathless statues beautiful enough to fill them with her breath of life. If, and only if, Ietsy would agree to be a father to them. Breath breathed into the statues, and they became alive. Thus, the only unearthly part of the island’s first people was their breath, their soul. That’s what makes humans human, they say—before, we were just wooden statues!
This is what a novel should be, filled with the tangible and intangible, the sacred and profane, evil and redemption. Madagascar is beautiful, tantalizingly portrayed, and the colonialism of France treated clearly yet realistically. Madagascar has always fascinated, lying so close to Africa but more closely related genetically and linguistically to Austronesia. This novel evokes this mystery…
May 24, 2021
I have very mixed feelings about this book.
On the one hand, I found the mythology behind everything and the author’s descriptions absolutely beautiful. The book shined the most in the moments related to the mythology surrounding Ietsy.
Where I found it less enjoyable were the moments following our main character as he went through life and basically only lamented a girl not liking him back after he put her on a pedestal and then continued to lust after his friend’s mom when he got back home from France which unfortunately included a very uncomfortable and not super consensual sexual fantasy surrounding her. I felt as though the story being told got lost in a lot of these moments with him and while it was clear what the flaws of the character were, they weren’t necessarily framed in a way that made them as effective as they could have been. Our characters has multiple tragedies occur in the book and less time is spent on those moments and his response to them then is spent on him talking about women (in a weird way). I think a lot of the beauty of this book gets lost, which is unfortunate. There is a lot to enjoy about it if you can ignore how muddled it can get. On the whole, I would recommend giving it a try but I think this book could have used some more work.
On the one hand, I found the mythology behind everything and the author’s descriptions absolutely beautiful. The book shined the most in the moments related to the mythology surrounding Ietsy.
Where I found it less enjoyable were the moments following our main character as he went through life and basically only lamented a girl not liking him back after he put her on a pedestal and then continued to lust after his friend’s mom when he got back home from France which unfortunately included a very uncomfortable and not super consensual sexual fantasy surrounding her. I felt as though the story being told got lost in a lot of these moments with him and while it was clear what the flaws of the character were, they weren’t necessarily framed in a way that made them as effective as they could have been. Our characters has multiple tragedies occur in the book and less time is spent on those moments and his response to them then is spent on him talking about women (in a weird way). I think a lot of the beauty of this book gets lost, which is unfortunate. There is a lot to enjoy about it if you can ignore how muddled it can get. On the whole, I would recommend giving it a try but I think this book could have used some more work.
April 20, 2021
I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this book.
The sections of this book that are focused on the mythology and history of Madagascar I found really interesting. The more poetic writing style the book has also works best in these sections in my opinion.
On the other hand, I didn't really care for the sections focusing on Ietsy which is a majority of the book. I think this might just be because I had trouble relating to him because he's very rich and privileged. A lot of his story is illustrated through his romances with various women too, which is a method of storytelling I don't care for.
I finished the book anyway though because it's not that long and it's not as dense as it feels like it will be from the first few pages. Once you're in it, it's fairly easy to understand except for a few instances where I wasn't sure what time period it was skipping to.
I also feel like someone who already knows a little bit about Madagascar would probably be able to get more out of this than I did. I think there was probably some meaning to the story that went a little over my head.
The sections of this book that are focused on the mythology and history of Madagascar I found really interesting. The more poetic writing style the book has also works best in these sections in my opinion.
On the other hand, I didn't really care for the sections focusing on Ietsy which is a majority of the book. I think this might just be because I had trouble relating to him because he's very rich and privileged. A lot of his story is illustrated through his romances with various women too, which is a method of storytelling I don't care for.
I finished the book anyway though because it's not that long and it's not as dense as it feels like it will be from the first few pages. Once you're in it, it's fairly easy to understand except for a few instances where I wasn't sure what time period it was skipping to.
I also feel like someone who already knows a little bit about Madagascar would probably be able to get more out of this than I did. I think there was probably some meaning to the story that went a little over my head.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews