"A Conjura" (‘Conspiracy’), the first novel of the 1960 born Angolan José Eduardo Agualusa, deals, as the title suggests, with a fictitious plot. Luanda freedom fighters want to overthrow the regime of the Portuguese colonial power. Despite their careful preparations, the freedom fighters’ rebellion ends without success on the 16th of June 1911 because of traitors among their own people.
Agualusa tells the story from the viewpoint of a historian who has gathered historical documents from Angola at the turn to the 20th century and has arranged them in such a way that they read like a novel. Each of the novel’s six chapters begins with a short outline of the content as well as a brief statement about the rebellion of the "filhos da terra", the "children of the country”, a group of people to which belong blacks, half-castes and whites.
The fictitious reporter begins by recollecting "the year 1880, which is often forgotten”. This is the year when the black Jerònimo Caninguili, who walks with a limp, opens a barbers shop in Luanda. Since he names his shop "Fraternidade” (‘Fraternity’), it soon turns into a meeting place for men. They spend their spare time there discussing politics, especially the relation between the "filhos da terra" and the Portuguese colonial power. Slavery is abolished already. However, the majority of the African population increasingly suffers from ill-treatment and racism. When racism seems to reach its peak and causes an unbearable situation some men, among them the reader can recognise historic persons, found a freedom movement fighting for the independence of Angola. As mentioned above, on the 16th of June 1911 an attempted coup takes place. Traitors bring the action to a quick end. The leaders of the uprising are lured into an ambush and are murdered. The state-owned press does not talk about the attempted coup at all and conceals it.
Agualusa’s novel, which in fact is a historical novel, reads easily. Sound knowledge of the country’s history forms the basis on which the story is built. The story tells things how they could have happened. By giving information on Angola’s past and asking many questions concerning politics, the novel also opens a new perspective on present day life. However, "A Conjura" does not only centre around politics, but also gives a vivid description of the characters’ private affairs including their obtrusive behaviour towards the wives of high-ranking personalities. At the beginning of the novel the reader should take his time in order to get along with the introduction of all the names and persons into the story – it is worth it.
In 1989 the novel won the Angolan literary award "Prémio Revelação".
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