Fiction

Paraíso

Paraíso

  • Downloads：4605
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-01-11 08:52:00
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Abdulrazak Gurnah
  • ISBN：8418968095
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

Cuando los padres de Yusuf， de doce años， le dicen que vivirá con su tío Aziz durante una temporada， el chico se muestra entusiasmado。 Pero lo que Yusuf no sabe es que su padre lo ha empeñado para saldar una deuda imposible de pagar， ni tampoco que Aziz no es pariente suyo， sino un rico y acaudalado comerciante con el que viajará por África central y las riberas del Congo en vísperas de la primera guerra mundial。

A través de los ojos de ese chiquillo descubriremos una naturaleza exuberante y hostil， poblada de tribus despiadadas e invasores desalmados， en la que una vida humana vale tanto como unas cuantas gotas de agua。

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Reviews

Faith ，

I did not get this book at all。 It was slow and plodding and in my first read full of horrible events which did not seem to show any redemption。 There were allusions to the Joseph story in the bible and i most likely missed a lot of references and allusions to the Koran。 The book presented an Africa that seemed dark and hopeless，which may have been the author’s intent， and if that is truly how Africa is， then the author has succeeded。 Perhaps a second read and discussion of this in a bookclub se I did not get this book at all。 It was slow and plodding and in my first read full of horrible events which did not seem to show any redemption。 There were allusions to the Joseph story in the bible and i most likely missed a lot of references and allusions to the Koran。 The book presented an Africa that seemed dark and hopeless，which may have been the author’s intent， and if that is truly how Africa is， then the author has succeeded。 Perhaps a second read and discussion of this in a bookclub setting with input from others with more background in the history of Africa and the muslim world could shine some light on why this book is so monumental。 。。。more

Melina Roy ，

Jag ger faktiskt upp på den här。 Önskar jag hade energin att läsa den men tycker den är tråkig。 Blir aldrig att jag läser pga den， och då är det inte värt。 Livet är för kort för att läsa böcker som tar bort ditt lässug :））Kom till s 120

Razia ，

What an incredible piece of literature。 It was like reading a Steinbeck or Hemingway but set in East Africa， about a coming of age story with problems of society over there。 His 2021 Nobel Prize was well deserved！ Gurnah deserves more recognition。What people found so endearing about Yusef was his innocence， which we must all lose by playing a character in life。 I really wanted to know what happens next。 I wish there was a second book。

Ignatius Vonnegut ，

A long time since I got this terrible bored by a book。 Tried 2 books by Gurnah now and will not again。

Isabel ，

Incredible portrayal of early 1900s East Africa， largely through trade/magendo， with compelling characters and relationships。 Definitely a must-read for anyone interested in the Swahili world。

Brian B ，

Something entirely different。 Wonderful writing， unique setting （in time and place）， even if the characters don't seem as rich as they could be。 Something entirely different。 Wonderful writing， unique setting （in time and place）， even if the characters don't seem as rich as they could be。 。。。more

Susan Webb ，

This novel gives an interesting portrayal of pre-World-War-I East Africa， the different ethnic groups， commerce and rural life， the incursion of the Germans。 But some of it was confusing to me and I didn't understand the ending。 This novel gives an interesting portrayal of pre-World-War-I East Africa， the different ethnic groups， commerce and rural life， the incursion of the Germans。 But some of it was confusing to me and I didn't understand the ending。 。。。more

Hala Ghattas ，

Not too appealing， in terms of style of writing

Ragne ，

This book is a rare pleasure。 The main character， Yusuf， leads us through East African world of the beginning of 20th century。 His youth and innocence are balanced by Gurnah's clear and vibrant， and at times unflinching， view of power and freedom。 It is poetic and beautiful， but also heartbreaking。 This book is a rare pleasure。 The main character， Yusuf， leads us through East African world of the beginning of 20th century。 His youth and innocence are balanced by Gurnah's clear and vibrant， and at times unflinching， view of power and freedom。 It is poetic and beautiful， but also heartbreaking。 。。。more

Lesung vor Acht ，

Ich vergebe tatsächlich fünf Sterne。Gurnah war für mich nicht einfach zu lesen und noch schwerer zu verstehen。 Die Geschichte bildet ein vielschichtiges Konstrukt mit unzähligen Querverweisen auf den Koran （insbesondere auf den Propheten Yusuf， der dem Joseph des Alten Testaments entspricht）。 Auf ungemein heitere und leichtherzige Weise schafft es Gurnah， den Untergang des klassischen Handels in unvergleichlich poetische Bilder zu verweben， die an Subtilität und Sympathie kaum übertroffen werden Ich vergebe tatsächlich fünf Sterne。Gurnah war für mich nicht einfach zu lesen und noch schwerer zu verstehen。 Die Geschichte bildet ein vielschichtiges Konstrukt mit unzähligen Querverweisen auf den Koran （insbesondere auf den Propheten Yusuf， der dem Joseph des Alten Testaments entspricht）。 Auf ungemein heitere und leichtherzige Weise schafft es Gurnah， den Untergang des klassischen Handels in unvergleichlich poetische Bilder zu verweben， die an Subtilität und Sympathie kaum übertroffen werden können。 Neben den schillernden， lebensnahen Charakteren ist auch die Handlung prägnant auf 300 Seiten beschränkt。 Diese kompakte Seitenanzahl macht den Roman zu einer angenehmen Lektüre， die sich nicht zu intensiv in unbestimmten Sphären des Storytellings verliert。Meines Erachtens könnte man höchstens über die Positionierung des Höhepunkts debattieren。 Da ich ihn aber für grundsätzlich korrekt und funktionell halte， kann ich hier keine Sterne abziehen。Ein wahrlich fantastisches Buch， das mir geneigtem deutschsprachigem Leser aber auch durchaus einiges an Entgegenkommen abfordert， wenn es um das Verständnis der Querverweise und literarischen Kunstgriffe geht。 。。。more

Anna ，

Skrivet ur ett barns nyfikna och smått naiva perspektiv på världen。 Som ett svalt och försiktigt utforskande där huvudkaraktären följer med i vad som sker och observerar för att sedan plötsligt ta sitt första beslut - ett steg in vuxenheten med dess möjligheter och krav。 Mycket om våldet och samtidig skörhet hos män。 Paradiset är återkommande nämnt genom boken - i samband med naturen， trädgården， vattenfallet， de röda klipporna， landskapen。 Fint tycker jag。Nobelpristagare。 Ger en inblick （upplev Skrivet ur ett barns nyfikna och smått naiva perspektiv på världen。 Som ett svalt och försiktigt utforskande där huvudkaraktären följer med i vad som sker och observerar för att sedan plötsligt ta sitt första beslut - ett steg in vuxenheten med dess möjligheter och krav。 Mycket om våldet och samtidig skörhet hos män。 Paradiset är återkommande nämnt genom boken - i samband med naturen， trädgården， vattenfallet， de röda klipporna， landskapen。 Fint tycker jag。Nobelpristagare。 Ger en inblick （upplevelsen är att det är en objektiv inblick） i östafrikansk kultur som den såg ut under en tid då hot om de hänsynslöse européerna och deras ökade makt var närvarande utan att visa sig i direkt ljus mer än vid något tillfälle。 Vill läsa fler av Gurnah。 。。。more

Kumasama ，

*Score: 8/10*Set during colonialism in Africa， as slowly Europeans take control of many areas， the story follows Yusuf， a child of a poor family that gets pawned to his rich uncle。 It is a coming of age story tracing traders life in those days， and Yusuf's relation with his uncle as well as the people he encounters in his travels。The author has won the 2021 nobel prize， and I can see why based on this work。 He has a very keen insight to the human condition， and has done immense research， and por *Score: 8/10*Set during colonialism in Africa， as slowly Europeans take control of many areas， the story follows Yusuf， a child of a poor family that gets pawned to his rich uncle。 It is a coming of age story tracing traders life in those days， and Yusuf's relation with his uncle as well as the people he encounters in his travels。The author has won the 2021 nobel prize， and I can see why based on this work。 He has a very keen insight to the human condition， and has done immense research， and portrayed in vivid detail this traders lifestyle in those days。 The author knows how to balance depth， insight， emotion， and humor， and has a very calm and well composed style， with very good language。 Overall he is one of the most balanced writers I have seen， and I will definitely read more from his works。His tackling of themes is also subtle and never exaggerated， and shows much more than tells through the experiences of the characters。 Nearly all of the characters are portrayed realistically， and nearly all have interesting personalities。A couple of reasons I did not give this a higher rating: the main character's growth was a bit underwhelming， and I felt the author made the novel like a documentary sometimes as viewed in the lens of Yusuf， hence we don't get much in depth into his struggles and internal conflicts until much later in the novel。 This brings me to the second issue， which is the odd pacing。 While it is a slow novel overall， its general style and vibe goes through a couple of odd shifts that give a slight feel of disconnect in some areas。 Perhaps this is an accurate reflection of the lives of people in this time， but I feel the author could have made some of those transitions in smoother way without impacting the credibility of the story。 Overall， this was fantastic， rich， and very unique。 It is not for everyone as its a very slow moving novel， and its very slice of life in nature and kind of episodic， hence it won't fit those looking for heavy or complex plot。 Even with the issues， this was a very positive experience and a great opening book for me in 2022！ 。。。more

Hannes Spitz ，

Gurnah setzt den Jungen Yusuf ins Zentrum seines Romans。 Das Festland von Tansania zur Zeit der des deutschen Kolonialismus。 Der erste Weltkrieg zieht herauf， hat in dem multikulturellen afrikanischen Lebensgefüge aber zuerst kaum Auswirkungen。 Der englische Orginaltitel lautet einfach "Paradise"， erschienen 1994。 Eine ironische Differenz tut sich auf， denn die beschriebenen Zustände sind alles andere als unschuldig paradiesisch。 Trotz der Faszination， die die Beschreibung der untergegangenen We Gurnah setzt den Jungen Yusuf ins Zentrum seines Romans。 Das Festland von Tansania zur Zeit der des deutschen Kolonialismus。 Der erste Weltkrieg zieht herauf， hat in dem multikulturellen afrikanischen Lebensgefüge aber zuerst kaum Auswirkungen。 Der englische Orginaltitel lautet einfach "Paradise"， erschienen 1994。 Eine ironische Differenz tut sich auf， denn die beschriebenen Zustände sind alles andere als unschuldig paradiesisch。 Trotz der Faszination， die die Beschreibung der untergegangenen Welt bei mir als Leser hervorruft， bleibt Unzufriedenheit ob des Hauptwerkes eines Nobelpreisträgers。 Zu distanziert und sprachlich roh entwirft Gurnah die Reifung und das Erwachsenwerden des jungen Mannes Yusuf。 。。。more

Christiane ，

Unprätentiös， ergreifend。

Tom Holmes ，

Beautiful writing， incredible word choice。 The story was good as well， not revealing anything until it needed to be revealed。

Carole ，

Interesting historical novel by this year's Nobel Laureate。 It is the story of a youngster in Tanzania， who is sold into bondage to his "uncle" in payment for a mercantile debt。 He comes of age as the area is on the brink of colonial domination。 He witnesses the land's internal violence and corruption as his merchant "uncle" tries to trade with local tribes and warlords。 In the end， as the German army marches through his village， commandeering local labor and canon fodder， he is faced with a mom Interesting historical novel by this year's Nobel Laureate。 It is the story of a youngster in Tanzania， who is sold into bondage to his "uncle" in payment for a mercantile debt。 He comes of age as the area is on the brink of colonial domination。 He witnesses the land's internal violence and corruption as his merchant "uncle" tries to trade with local tribes and warlords。 In the end， as the German army marches through his village， commandeering local labor and canon fodder， he is faced with a momentous decision。 Remarkable for the indigenous viewpoint from inside East Africa。 。。。more

Josefin ，

Ljummet inställd till den här romanen och skulle nog inte kunna återge särskilt mycket från läsningen。 Kände mig helt oengagerad i karaktärerna och tyckte inte att Gurnah introducerade vare sig dem eller miljöerna särskilt väl。 Man åker bara med och det duger väl fint för soffläsning på jullovet。

Sunny ，

Beautifully written， immersing you in Yusuf's growth journey and quest for freedom， against a backdrop of corruption， slavery and colonialism。。 Beautifully written， immersing you in Yusuf's growth journey and quest for freedom， against a backdrop of corruption， slavery and colonialism。。 。。。more

Agueda ，

This is my second novel by Abdulrazak Gurnah， the first one being "Afterlives" which got a solid 5 stars and caused a big impact on my mind。 Although both novels' initial plot seems to be alike - boy/young man works for a wealthy merchant in colonial Africa - I find their core and development to be quite different。 "Paradise" is more metaphoric， with plenty of symbolism and open-for-interpretation threats。 Encapsuled in an "adventure novel" or "coming of age" setting， Gurnah guides us through th This is my second novel by Abdulrazak Gurnah， the first one being "Afterlives" which got a solid 5 stars and caused a big impact on my mind。 Although both novels' initial plot seems to be alike - boy/young man works for a wealthy merchant in colonial Africa - I find their core and development to be quite different。 "Paradise" is more metaphoric， with plenty of symbolism and open-for-interpretation threats。 Encapsuled in an "adventure novel" or "coming of age" setting， Gurnah guides us through the path of the oppressed。 Paradise is conceptualised as the walden piece of land where everything seems delightful; the exotic fruits， lush trees， mesmerising scents and pure， fresh waters。 As for Yusuf， paradise can be an artificial garden separated from the outside world （even though， deep down， you are enslaved and oppressed there， victim of injustices you haven't even committed）。 For others， paradise is the promised land of their religions （imaginary placed in strategic corners to suit believers' needs and easily recreated by their minds）。 Paradise is often somewhere else or somewhere with a dark side you know nothing about。 I wonder if Gurnah got the idea from certain comments turists make about exotic （even if historically punished） places， like "they maybe poor there but they live in paradise！ Such colours， landscapes。。。 such joy they have"。 However， paradise with its numerous connotations unravels into a corrupted Africa where brutal， unjust tribal leaders and greedy merchants abuse， torture， enslave， murder， kidnap and rape。 Alliances with Europeans （the growing shadow that evolves throughout the novel） become a natural way of surviving and gaining power/territory。 Hypocrisy is part of daily life， for instance by denying slavery as it's supposedly forbidden by law， but "taking away a daughter or a son if you can't pay your debts"。 Or by claiming the sovereignty of a government which won't allow violence between tribes buy will strategically arm them in order to protect Europeans， creating a ferocious army of askaris with professional training in brutality。 And， throughout the novel， the characters fight to lie to themselves or others， often trying not to think too much。 They want to forget their past and find a greater good at the core of their enslavering。 In the end， they are trapped。 No declaration of freedom will break their ties。The ending is open and could be read as a symbol for the future of Africa。 I love Gurnahs books as they make me think and keep my attention。 He really succeeds in depicting the complexity of colonial and post-colonial identifies。 No simple answers。4。5 stars！ 。。。more

Johnathon Yeo ，

The year end cool weather made is conducive to enjoy this novel。 Set in Tanzania just before the Second World War， it speaks about loneliness and kinship in an era volatile and mysterious。 The blessed are also the unfortunate with the wilderness of the country taxing life of all with exacting tolls。 Greed and material comforts drive traders to brave savage beasts and vengeful men。 Yet at that age， it is only naive self-professed love that ultimately goads the mind and heart to make the change。

Aya Zirari ，

3，5

Valentina ，

3。5Una historia del despojo de África ambientada a principios del siglo XX。 Duele mucho leer las bases del imperialismo y de la colonización。

Celso Giusti ，

Definitely a page turner， it is hard to stop while you get to know such a interesting depiction of different cultures and watch everything change while the main character seems to be merely a witness to all。 He has no action despite things happens to him。 It doesn’t glorify the past but seem to look at the invaders as the tragic end。 It will definitely be stirring my thoughts for a while。

Margaret Zheng ，

Powerful and poetic。 Way better than many other same genre books

Jesús Soler ，

Abdulrazak Gurnah era un autor casi desconocido por muchos lectores antes de que le dieran el Nobel de literatura en 2021。 Por esa razón， y porque me interesa desde hace un tiempo la literatura africana， me animé a leer Paraíso， que según había oido， se trataba de una de las obras más logradas de este autor。 Me ha parecido una lectura muy interesando， aunque imperfecta。 Este libro habla de un momento clave en Tanzania a principios del Siglo XX， un momento en el que esta parte del mundo cambiaría Abdulrazak Gurnah era un autor casi desconocido por muchos lectores antes de que le dieran el Nobel de literatura en 2021。 Por esa razón， y porque me interesa desde hace un tiempo la literatura africana， me animé a leer Paraíso， que según había oido， se trataba de una de las obras más logradas de este autor。 Me ha parecido una lectura muy interesando， aunque imperfecta。 Este libro habla de un momento clave en Tanzania a principios del Siglo XX， un momento en el que esta parte del mundo cambiaría para siempre y mucho de lo que se narra en este libro estaba a punto de desaparecer con la llegada de los alemanes a estas tierras。 En este sentido， el autor nos lleva a un mundo que ya ha desparecido prácticamente: con tribus que mantienen antiguos rituales y tradiciones y lugares donde la tierra y los ríos son considerados sagrados por unos pocos。En cuanto a la forma de la novela， me ha parecido interesante como Abdulrazak Gurnah pone en situación al lector y se preocupa por dar muchos detalles de los lugares que visita el protagonista。 En este sentido， no se trata de una novela difícil de leer， puesto que a lo largo de las 300 páginas suceden muchas cosas， algunas de ellas muy cinematográficas incluso。 En cuanto al contenido， creo que esta novela trata muchos temas: la pérdida de la inocencia， la búsqueda de la identidad， la historia de África como continente a principios del siglo XX o la madurez entre muchos otros。 De todos ellos， mi parte preferida del libro ha sido en la que el protagonista viaja junto con otros mercaderes por todo el centro del África。 A lo largo de esta parte del libro， le veremos crecer， madurar y aprender de todo lo que le rodea y le ofrece su nuevo viaje。 El protagonista será testigo de un mundo nuevo， que le brinda una nueva realidad， de la que， en ocasiones， también hay que cuidarse。 Una lectura interesante para saber más sobre el continente africano， ese gran desconocido por muchos。 Será interesante leer más obras de Abdulrazak Gurnah para terminar de comprender su visión de África y occidente。 。。。more

Dawn ，

“Everything is in turmoil。 These Europeans are very determined， and as they fight over the prosperity of the earth they will crush all of us。 You’d be a fool to think they’re here to do anything that is good。 It isn’t trade they’re after， but the land itself。 and everything in it 。 。 。 us。 they want the whole world”

Sanna Carlborg ，

Målande， roande och oroande beskrivning av en för mig ny miljö。 Min okunskap gör kanske att berättelsen med sitt koloniala tema inte berör mig djupare än tre stjärnor。

Monica Lövström ，

Paradiset är en märklig berättelse där vi följer en pojkes tankar och upplevelser under uppväxten till ung man i östra Afrika。 Han lär sig att världen är hård， fördomsfull och grym， men han ser också skönhet i naturen och upplever vänskap。 Språket är avskalat och rent。 Ändå var den här boken inte helt lätt för mig att ta in。 Kanske för att både tiden （tidigt 1900-tal） och platserna är helt okända för mig。 Helena Hansson är en erfaren översättare som översatt flera böcker av Gurnah och andra afri Paradiset är en märklig berättelse där vi följer en pojkes tankar och upplevelser under uppväxten till ung man i östra Afrika。 Han lär sig att världen är hård， fördomsfull och grym， men han ser också skönhet i naturen och upplever vänskap。 Språket är avskalat och rent。 Ändå var den här boken inte helt lätt för mig att ta in。 Kanske för att både tiden （tidigt 1900-tal） och platserna är helt okända för mig。 Helena Hansson är en erfaren översättare som översatt flera böcker av Gurnah och andra afrikanska författare， så en bättre introduktion till hans författarskap kunde jag inte fått。 Ändå vet jag inte om jag kommer att kasta mig över fler av hans böcker i brådrasket。 。。。more

Hazel ，

A well written， disturbing story。 The lives of individuals rendered small in the face of larger forces around and beyond them。 There are few moments of beauty and many of sadness and despair。 I don't yet know if I liked the book， but I am pleased to have read it。 A well written， disturbing story。 The lives of individuals rendered small in the face of larger forces around and beyond them。 There are few moments of beauty and many of sadness and despair。 I don't yet know if I liked the book， but I am pleased to have read it。 。。。more

Jonathan Vasquez ，

necesitaba sacarme la espinita de conocer algo de la obra del nuevo Premio Nobel。gracias a una lectura conjunta pude acercarme a esta obra， la más reconocida del autor， y la verdad me dejo bastante frío。reconozco que está bien escrito， sí， pero en muchas ocasiones sentí que no me transmitía lo suficiente。aún así quisiera seguir incursionando con este autor y leer un par de novelas más。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Paraíso

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Paraíso&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Paraíso&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0