Just finished Pandora in the Congo by Abert Pinol, translated from the Catalan; quite a peculiar mash-up of genres. Looked at from a distance, as it were, it's a meta-meta-fiction - a ripping tale inside a prisoner's plaint inside a courtroom case in GB circa WWI as told to a ghostwriter's ghostwriter. But - mostly it's a sendup of the white mans burden genre of African adventure. The prisoner, Marcus Garvey, has washed back up on British shores - the sole survivor of a disastrous expedition into the Congo led by two wastrel scions of Brit. aristocracy, planning to recoup all their prior failures through the mineral wealth of the Congo. He's jailed for suspected murder of the brothers for the two enormous diamonds that are all that he's had upon his return.
The expedition turns immediately into a horror story as the brothers treat one and all w/ a malicious abandon, marching into the heart beyond the heart of darkness. For not only do they find gold - they find humanoid aliens - who initially appear as white natives but who turn into ever more effective opponents. Of course a love story emerges - Marcus and an alien lady fall for each other, to the disgust of the brothers. Battles and batterings occur. And, most of all, stories under, through and within stories emerge.

If you are willing to totally suspend belief (and ignore errors of fact - as ripping yarns were wont to do) there IS an oddly exciting adventure story here (translated from the Catalan) that bogs down a bit every now and again in its own cleverness and perverseness. But - hey - despite knowing the tricksy nature of the beast in advance, i still got well taken in. So, that's good - I think.
3.5 stars - if you like this sort of thing. ( )

It is hard for me to finish this book. I don't want the story to get to the end. It is the first time that I keep a book I so much like without ending the last chapter. I really enjoy the story and the way the author transmits his literature. I hope to read the last chapter during the week. Great story! ( )

http://radiergummi.wordpress.com/2009... ( )

És una llàstima que la repetició temàtica parcial amb el llibre anterior de l'autor, La Pell Freda, resti mèrits a aquesta obra. Per a mi Pandora al Congo és molt millor: els personatges estan molt més ben construïts, la història molt més ben trabada, les sorpreses dels últims capítols són una traca final que et capgira la visió de la història i l'ambientació històrica és molt més creïble i elaborada.

En definitiva, un llibre molt més ben escrit que enganxa des de les primeres pàgines. Llàstima de les comparacions inevitables amb La Pell Freda. A l'hora de valorar Pandora al Congo són un llast que una obra tan ben acabada no es mereix. Però, malgrat tot, la sensació de "dejà vu" li treu, inevitablement, mèrits. Tot i així val la pena llegir-la perquè tot i ser semblant, en el fons és totalment diferent. ( )

Engancha bastante pero medio raro ( )