A General Theory of Oblivion

A general theory of Oblivion is an story following multiple paths through the aftermath of the Angolan Independence. Our protagonist, and I use the term lightly, is Ludo, a foreigner who hid away from the chaos, and frames the story with poems through-out the book.
Throughout the story, a majority of the pages are dedicated to the endeavors of a handful of key characters in the region, gently orbiting Ludo's hideaway until the conclusion is prepared. With a variety of motivations and circumstances, these additions keep the story afloat, which could otherwise suffer due to the limited environment and cast.
The pace of the book ramps up in the last quarter, as paths begin to merge. Multiple story-lines are completed, explanations are provided and the author demonstrates the history of the tale as a screenplay with a swift and concise conclusion. Considering the ambitious breadth of the story, the author has admirably succeeded in keeping the work concise and a smooth, enjoyable read. I'd definitely recommend it for a quick read.

'A man with a good story is practically a king.'

I found this book to be a whirlwind of a story, at times difficult to grasp but ultimately uplifting and immensely satisfying with a conclusion that neatly brings everything together. But it was an easy quick and compelling read that both intrigued and left me spellbound. I feel I could immediately dive back in to hunt out my favourite quotes and uncover new meanings in the tale.

It follows the story of Ludo, a Portuguese woman suffering from agoraphobia who locks herself away from the world at the beginning of Angolan independence. With only her dog and thousands of books for company, she lives a hidden life for thirty years. Her story intertwines with that of other characters who help to give the reader wider snapshots of the chaos happening both outside and far beyond her bricked up front door.

To some extent this is a book that is all about the ending, it is made in the final moments that weave the various strands together making a simple story suddenly more complex. Which makes sense considering it started life as a screenplay. Early on in the book I did feel lost at points and the depiction of events could be very detached. I'm unsure if that is deliberate intention of the author or because I am unfamiliar with the history of Angola. But I was rewarded for pushing on. This novel is also made in the stunning poetry and quoteable lines that unexpectantly appear throughout.

For me, it was an exploration of mental illness, the struggle of human existence, the power of both writing and reading, human relationships with animals, innocence, myth and the inexorable nature of time. However, it seems there are many more themes that can be perceived in this book, as seen in our book club discussion of it! It is definitely a book you can sit and think about as well as one to simply read for the joy of it. Even its darkest moments are lighthearted and sometimes fanciful. The horrors of war filter through but it is directly put before you and then not dwelled upon. Dotted within the long stretches of time, quickly covered by the book, are charming anecdotes such as the ghost dog and the Frenchman's hat. The characters that deserve happy endings get them and the final scene left me smiling.

Overall, I found it refreshing, whimsical, and immensely enjoyable. It was quite unlike anything I have read before.

"God invented music so that poor people could be happy".

What this book lacks in embellishments and descriptive techniques, it makes up for with compelling storytelling, an extremely polished ending and the intriguing story of Ludo, a woman who holds herself captive in her apartment during a period of major political upheaval in Angola.

Isolated from the outside world, she encounters hippos on the balcony, diamond-carrying pigeons and a phantom dog, however we also learn about the lives of those around her during her confinement, including detectives, journalists, shepherds and ventriloquists who all have a part to play in this very accessible novel.

My only criticism of this book would be that there is a lot of build up to its satisfying ending and that occasionally you struggle to identify certain characters and their motives. However I'm happy to report that at our book club meeting, many of the members were pleasantly surprised by how much they enjoyed this novel.

I enjoyed this book. It was one of the easiest books I’ve ever read as the pacing and storytelling were welcome and the language was simple without being patronising. While it lacked much detail in terms of descriptions or character’s thoughts, you still felt like you knew who everyone was and it flowed extremely well. Even though this is a culture I know nothing about it was still a world that sucked me in.

To counter this pace, I would argue you don’t really feel time passing. This book spans many decades yet from the rapid pace you wouldn’t know about this other than when the story says years passed, though I feel this is also not acceptable.

I enjoyed the Dickensian way the characters interact and impact on each other’s lives and the book is successful in its plotting and intertwined storylines without it coming across as farfetched. I like the idea that a little thing we do in our lives could impact on another’s and we have no idea about it. In the end it all made sense why the author wrote these characters and focused on the parts of their lives that he did. There was barely a wasted word or circumstance.

While I appreciate the translation as I wouldn’t understand it in its original language I’m wondering how much is being lost in the translation to English. A lot of the sentences seem to be a bit short and lacking colour and I curious to see if this is anything to do with the English rewrite or if the author’s original writing was this way.

All in all, I think A General Theory of Oblivion is a great read, full of interesting characters and unusual situations that those of us living in the first world can’t even imagine being normal life. I would recommend this to anyone regardless of taste as there is something we can all take away from it, be it politics or the need to realise that regardless of how scary the world might seem to close yourself off from it means missing out on vital experiences.