It is carnival time in Fort-de-France, Martinique. Before an enthralled crowd Solibo Magnificent, the great teller of tales, is felled, seemingly choked by his own words. Is it autostrangulation or murder? Two officers lead the investigation, but what they discover is a transitory universe at the threshold of oblivion - the universe of the Masters of the Word who, like Solibo, possess the gift of language: perfect for rich and boundless discourse, but not very helpful for unravelling a crime. Patrick Chamoiseau's ...
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It is carnival time in Fort-de-France, Martinique. Before an enthralled crowd Solibo Magnificent, the great teller of tales, is felled, seemingly choked by his own words. Is it autostrangulation or murder? Two officers lead the investigation, but what they discover is a transitory universe at the threshold of oblivion - the universe of the Masters of the Word who, like Solibo, possess the gift of language: perfect for rich and boundless discourse, but not very helpful for unravelling a crime. Patrick Chamoiseau's intriguing riff on the police procedural is a stunning confirmation of the 'exceptional and original gifts' (New York Times) that have placed him among the world's foremost contemporary writers.
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Add this copy of Solibo Magnificent to cart. $1.19, very good condition, Sold by More Than Words rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Waltham, MA, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Pantheon Books.
Add this copy of Solibo Magnificent to cart. $1.75, very good condition, Sold by The Maryland Book Bank rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from baltimore, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Pantheon Books.
Add this copy of Solibo Magnificent to cart. $2.27, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brownstown, MI, UNITED STATES, published 1999 by Vintage.
Add this copy of Solibo Magnificent to cart. $2.27, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 1999 by Vintage.
Add this copy of Solibo Magnificent to cart. $2.27, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1999 by Vintage.
Add this copy of Solibo Magnificent (Vintage International) to cart. $2.27, good condition, Sold by Gulf Coast Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Memphis, TN, UNITED STATES, published 1999 by Vintage.
Add this copy of Solibo Magnificent to cart. $2.27, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 1999 by Vintage.
Add this copy of Solibo Magnificent: a Novel to cart. $5.53, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brownstown, MI, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Pantheon.
Add this copy of Solibo Magnificent: a Novel to cart. $5.53, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Pantheon.
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Seller's Description:
Good. Ships in a BOX from Central Missouri! May not include working access code. Will not include dust jacket. Has used sticker(s) and some writing and/or highlighting. UPS shipping for most packages, (Priority Mail for AK/HI/APO/PO Boxes).
Partick Chamoiseau"s novel is a series of episodes surrounding the death of a story teller, Solibo, on the island of Martinique. Composed of three parts, the novel tells the stories that were told about Solibo by his friends and acquaintances as they congregate around his corpse. It also contains stories about the inabililty of the police (all Martinicans -- some who speak and think only in French and other who are bi-lingual, speaking French and Creole), to determine why he died. (They suspect he was poisoned, but everyone else knows that he died choking on words). At the end, the reader is treated to a Solibo soliloquy (which reminded me of Molly Bloom's solioquy at the end of Ulysses), which captures how the dead story teller spun his stories. I can best describe my response to the novel as tasting something delicious" The narrative dazzles the reader with stories that border on the fantastic, as though the story tellers are telling things that only happen in dreams. Readers will laugh at comic episodes, yet will be moved by this very artful study that to wonder what the world will be like when the oral tradition dies and is totally replaced by the works of "word scratchers." I discovered Chamoiseau thorugh reading Milan Kundera's book "Testaments Betrayed." I shall ever be grateful to Kundera for interesting me in this marvelous study. On completing my first reading, I've told every person I've come in contact with, both in person and by email, to read it. I'm currently planning to read it a second time very soon.
