It's a stirring account of a warped, fascinating age with dire human consequences. The Viceroy of Ouidah by Chatwin, Bruce at AbeBooks.co.uk - ISBN 10: 0224018205 - ISBN 13: 9780224018203 - Jonathan Cape Ltd - 1980 - Hardcover We have new and used copies available, in 5 editions - starting at $0.99. Chatwin's novel portrays the life of a fictional slave trader named Francisco Manuel da Silva, who is loosely based on a historical Catholic Brazilian, Francisco Félix de Sousa. His one remaining ambition is to return to Brazil in triumph, but his friendship with the mad, mercurial king of Dahomey is fraught with danger and threatens his dream. Start by marking “The Viceroy of Ouidah” as Want to Read: Error rating book. 9780099769613. Bruce Chatwin was one of those authors whose name I had seen once or twice, mostly in the travel section, before but never paid any serious attention to until I looked him up. As an aspiring travel writer who had yet to publish anything, I turned green with envy on reading Bruce Chatwin's novel. His one remaining ambition is to return to Brazil in triumph, but his friendship with the m. In 1812, Francisco Manoel da Silva, escaping a life of poverty in Brazil, sailed to the African kingdom of Dahomey, determined to make his fortune in the slave trade. Overall the experience is much bigger than the slim book suggests. His plans exceed his dreams, and soon he is the Viceroy of Ouidah, master of all slave trading in Dahomey. The Viceroy of Ouidah. The main character of this novel goes to Dahomey to make his fortune in the slave trade. The Viceroy Of Ouidah. He had an affair with Mapplethorpe’s lover, Sam Wagstaff, and like both Mapplethorpe and Wagstaff he died of AIDS-related complications. A grim, but outstanding story on the evils of the slave trade, with a focus on the African coast. Otherwise, this book contains superlative writing on every page, writing redolent with human nature, the mysteries of the soul, and the mundane horrors of much of human history. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Traveler, aesthete and a connoisseur of the exotic, Chatwin was a major British literary voice who also wrote On the Black Hill, The Viceroy of Ouidah, The Songlines and Utz before his death in 1989. I think I will stop here as I just can't and won't do this book justice. His plans exceed his dreams, and soon he is the Viceroy of Ouidah, master of all slave trading in Dahomey. This book was complex, hard to understand and grim. In 50,000 words or so, the author presents a fictionalised life that has been embroidered from truth. "The Viceroy of Ouidah" has the power to open periods and locations for readers that have seldom featured in Anglo-American writing. Be the first to ask a question about The Viceroy of Ouidah. In terse, spare prose, he summons up images that seem drawn from photography or haiku rather than from ordinary literature. “The Viceroy of Ouidah” is the story of the birth, rise and decline of Francisco da Silva (Dom Francisco) an ordinary man from Sao. He becomes friends with the king, fathers many children, becomes rich, loses his riches, and dies a poor, insane beggar. Chatwin was caught up in the violence of a coup in Dahomey (now Benin), where Ouidah is located, when he was researching the book. The novel was adapted for the 1987 film Cobra Verde, directed by Werner Herzog and starring Klaus Kinski as Francisco Manuel da Silva. I'm sure if I understood the language I would've had a better understanding. Download Cover Image. My only criticism of this work is that Chatwin chose to concentrate solely on the Brazilian side of things, leaving the Africans as part of the backdrop--more acted upon than actors. Paperback. Best book I've read yet by Chatwin and I look forward to more. The Viceroy of Ouidah by Bruce Chatwin, unknown edition, In this vivid, powerful novel, Chatwin tells of Francisco Manoel de Silva, a poor Brazilian adventurer who sails to Dahomey in West Africa to trade for slaves and amass his fortune. The Viceroy of Ouidah, published in 1980, tells the story of a Brazilian who tries to run an outpost for slave trading in 1812 in Dahomey, what is now Benin, on the west coast of Africa. A weird little book with pretty writing and lots of eloquent descriptions of decay. His plans exceed his dreams, and soon he is the Viceroy of Ouidah, master of all slave trading in Dahomey. The Viceroy of Ouidah (Picador Books) by Picador Ships from US Supplier Other information: maps Related Searches: BRUCE CHATWIN Books, Picador Books Format: Paperback / softback Dimensions: 19.7 x 13.0 centimeters Weight: 0.12 kg The rot and decay and brutality of the tropics are mirrored in the rot and decay and brutality of people. Armed with nothing but an iron will, he became a man of substance in Ouidah and the founder of a remarkable dynasty. I recognize elements from Marquez (including a definite Hundred Years of Solitude allusion) and Conrad and fans of them will find much to love here, but there is distinctive flavor that must be Chatwin’s alone. Benin (Dahomey). Blame the Europeans for introducing slavery to the Americas. Short reads are always really bad or really good. However, afterr his on-site research was disrupted by a coup attempt, he changed the names of the principal figures in the book and used his imagination to fill in the factual gaps. Two of his books have been made into feature films: The Viceroy of Ouidah (retitled Cobra Verde), directed by Werner Herzog, and Andrew Grieve's On the Black Hill. Bruce Chatwin’s debut novel: “Conrad’s Heart of Darkness seen through a microscope” (The Atlantic) In this vivid, powerful novel, Chatwin tells of Francisco Manoel de Silva, a poor Brazilian adventurer who sails to Dahomey in West Africa to trade for slaves and amass his fortune. R240.00. Chatwin crafts a story that is as psychologically probing as Conrad's. The story is told in a disjointed fashion which takes away from it a little. The book starts with his annual celebration of his life (after he has passed away) by his impoverished decendents in Benin. 50,000 words or so, the local kings are savage an horrifying tale from Africa this! Nigeria, and soon he is told repeatedly by his faithful man-servant that he `` does not these... Of names and published it as fiction had a very diverse and interesting life many! Life ( after he has passed away ) by his faithful man-servant that ``! January 19th 1999 by Vintage biography of a remarkable dynasty 's face it: much... 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