Great African Reads discussion

NO SPOILERS
This thread is for discussions of our Nov/Dec 2019 read of Transparent City by Ondjaki - with NO SPOILERS (there is a thread with spoilers allowed too) - so feel free to discuss book editions, availability, expectations etc. - when you get into the book, please join us in the spoiler thread!

Just checking in to say that I've gotten a copy of Transparent City from the local library (surprised me that they had 1 copy) and will start reading it in the next couple days.
Angola will make the fourteenth African country of which I've read a writer, most of those since I joined this group a couple of years ago.

Excellent country count George!
I've read Agualusa from Angola, but never anything by Ondjaki - so I am looking forward to it. I've ended ud buying a Kindle version (hooray for newer titles available as e-books!), so I'm ready to read as well. Ijust have to finish an assignment by the 11th, so it may be a little delayed unless I need the distraction...

I will also join with some delay. Have the kindle of the original version in Portuguese, so it will take me a while to wrestle through it :)

Wim wrote: "I will also join with some delay. Have the kindle of the original version in Portuguese, so it will take me a while to wrestle through it :)"

Wow I am impressed - do you just read all the languages?

Anetq wrote: "Wow I am impressed - do you just read all the languages?"

I still have to work on my Danish ;)

Hadn't read anything in Portuguese for years, until last year's Agualusa novel that I really enjoyed. I do need kindle though, for the dictionary.

I tried learning some Portuguese, having heard that it was very similar to Spanish, and found out it's not really that similar. If I were really fluent in Spanish it would be easier I imagine.

Wim wrote: "I do need kindle though, for the dictionary..."

Oh yeah that is a great help! - I sometimes find myself tapping words in paper books, because I'm curious about the exact meaning... Doesn't work well on paper though :P

I'm approaching halfway, so I will say that I was concerned initially about the unorthodox writing style, if it would be difficult to follow. I have found it not difficult and it reads fairly quickly. Occasionally there is an ambiguous bit where I don't know which character is saying something, but not many of those. The style is pretty light and pleasant to read generally. Who agrees/disagrees?

Sounds pretty good George! I've handed in an assignment, and will be travelling - which includes some reading time - so I am looking forward to this!

I've started... More in the spoiler thread.

Sounds like a fascinating book. Will try to get a copy through a local bookshop here in Accra, or failing that, I will look on Kindle.

I managed to find a French translation, but will have to wait until the end of the month to get it. Then I'll have to do some speed reading to finish it before the 31st!

Luckily there are no time limits here - so anytime is fine :)

I just started reading, getting into the poetry of the Portuguese language and Ondjaki's style. I am advancing slowly though, not sure that I'll finish this one before the end of the year...

I am hoping to finally get to this one soon. Am very keen to read it.