Vassanji has devsloped his character as a true diasporic figure. The book of secrets, which won the very first giller prize. Vassanji and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Vassanji, published in 1994 it was the winner of the very first giller prize for canadian fiction. There is a rich theme here of secrecy and disclosure, partial knowledge and understanding. Vassanji explores generational anxiety, ethnic identity, economic subjugation and postcolonial strife. Vassanjis multigenerational story in tanzania in the first half of the twentieth century was the first book to win the giller prize in its inaugural year in 1994. The diary enflames the curiosity of a retired schoolteacher, pius fernandes, whose obsession with the stories it contains gradually connects the past with the. An intriguing palimpsest of vernacular, historical, and cultural discourses, the book of secrets also foregrounds the themes and ideas that recur throughout vassanji s fiction.
Ive not read this book, but i have his new one the assassins song in my reading queue thanks to the lovely people at canongate. In a novel that won canadas distinguished giller prize, east africanborn vassanji no new land, p. Finding out the truth in history is not always easy. Vassanji also became the awards firstever repeat winner in 2003 for his novel the inbetween world of vikram lall. As of 2019, he has published nine novels, as well as a two collection of short fiction and two. Vassanji how does the social, political and cultural background influence the characters. The book of secrets is a good book based on stolen diary. The book of secrets book by m g vassanji 6 available. The immigrant from dar es salaam who narrates many parts of this novel by vassanji the book of secrets tells a compelling story of rebellion and its aftereffects, but a pervasive stylistic. The diary enflames the curiosity of a retired schoolteacher, pius fernandes, whose obsession with the stories it contains gradually connects the past with the present. Vassanji subtitle how does the social, political and cultural background influence the characters. In 1988, a retired schoolteacher named pius fernandes receives an old diary found in the back room of an east african sh.
Many years later the diary is found in the dirty backroom of an old shop and shown to pius fernandes, a retired goan schoolteacher. There are more than 1 million books that have been enjoyed by people from all over the world. The elders are muslims, with their roots in india, and the. In 1988, a retired schoolteacher named pius fernandes receives an old diary found in the back room of. Moyez g vassanji biography stories, book, toronto, and. Vassanji writes superbly, and does paint vivid pictures on his east african canvas, spanning the twentieth century.
I went into this book with elevated standard, however i soon found that it didnt precisely meet those desires, particularly contrasted with the main book i read by the writer. The diary enflames the curiosity of a retired schoolteacher, pius fernandes, whose obsession with the stories it contains gradually. The book of secrets has 6 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. Written in 19 by a british colonial administrator, the diary captivates fernandes, who begins to research the coded history he encounters in its terse, laconic entries. The book of secrets by moyez vassanji, 9781841956862, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. The presentation of history in the book of secrets by m. The book of secrets vancouver island regional library. The book is lush with evocations of east african physical, cultural and historical landscapes. He attended the massachusetts institute of technology and was writerinresidence at the university of iowa in the international writing program. Book of secrets is about life experience otnurmohamed pipa. Nurmohamed pipa is a metonym of the asian african in east africa. The book of secrets is a spellbinding novel of generations and the sweep of history that begins in 1988 in dar es salaam, when the 19 diary of a british colonial officer is found in a shopkeepers back room. Feb 23, 2006 the book of secrets by moyez vassanji, 9781841956862, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide.
Publication date 1996 topics asians publisher new york. It was the winner of the very first giller prize for canadian fiction. Vassanjis work is known throughout north america, and in africa, and south asia, and has been translated into several languages. Apr 01, 1994 this is a book that will stick with me. Vassanji gives us a powerfully emotional novel of love and loss, of an africanindian man who returns to the town of his birth in search of the girl he once lovedand the sense of self that has always eluded him.
G download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. But this is a book also about books, stories and history themselves. The book of secrets represents the stolen diary of a british colonial administrator, sir alfred corbin, who arrived in mombasa in 19. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the book of secrets. Always update books hourly, if not looking, search in the book search column. The book of secrets is the diary of alfred corbin, a junior colonial administrator in an indian community in british east africa in 19. Following dyers powerful assertion that whiteness needs to be made strange 1997, 10, i contend that in the book of secrets and desertion, not. In 1988, a retired schoolteacher named pius fernandes receives an old diary found in the back room of an east african shop.
The book of our secrets is the name the village elders use for the journal they see a young british administrator writing in so earnestly every evening. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. A product of the asian settlements in east africa from kenya to south africa, vassanji is not only telling a story but recalling a way of. Get ebooks the book of secrets 2 on pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi and audiobook for free. The inbetween world of vikram lall, which also received the giller prize. Starting and ending with the book of secrets of the title, a diary kept by a british colonial administrator, the novel weaves its way through the personal and family histories of those linked to this book. Through the stories he tells, the history of the region is glimpsed, in an interesting way. Winner of canadas esteemed giller prize, this complex novel is at once a story of the british empire in africa and a very postmodern meditation on the allures and pitfalls of narrative. The gunny sack, which won a regional commonwealth prize. An intriguing palimpsest of vernacular, historical, and cultural discourses, the book of secrets also foregrounds the themes and ideas that recur throughout vassanjis fiction. Vassanjis the book of secrets and gurnahs desertion counteract the ideal imperial masculinity elicited by colonial literature by destabilizing the imperial dyad of whiteness and maleness. As of 2019, he has published nine novels, as well as a two collection of sho.
Half a century later, the diary comes into the possession of pius fernandes, a retired schoolteacher who becomes fascinated by the journals hints, mysteries, and secrets. Vassanji is a real smoothoperator, moving between pius the more recent character and older characters, moving between 19 to end of ww i to end of ww ii to 1988, when he found corbins diary. The book of secrets is a spellbinding novel of generations and the sweep of history which begins in 1988 in dar es salaam when the 19 diary of a british colonial officer is found in a shopkeepers back room. In dar es salaam in the late 1980s, a retired school teacher named pius fernandes was given an english language. Its set in the racial melting pot of east africa, where african, arab, indian, english and german cultures mesh. Tim wenninger essay english language and literature studies literature publish your bachelors or masters thesis, dissertation, term paper or essay. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Vassanji takes a curious approach at the topic of how history is presented, how it could and should be reconstructed and how it influences characters identities and perceptions. A product of the asian settlements in east africa from kenya to south africa, vassanji is not only telling a story but recalling a way. Another unsolved remaining secret at the end was whether ali was pipas real son or not was never revealed by the author. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. The gunny sack, which won a regional commonwealth writers prize.
548 270 265 1553 74 840 1314 213 466 1495 745 1241 448 224 842 1226 771 1288 961 1371 185 191 628 1251 332 276 1285 155 1180 258 1361 749 391 587 1479 1242 1320 1171