Rain and Other Stories

Description

After the war, I thought all that was left was ashes, hollow ruins . . . Today, I know thats not true. Where man remains, a seed, too, survives, a dream to inseminate time.Published in the aftermath of Mozambiques bloody civil war, Mia Coutos third collection seeks out the places violence could not reach, the places where, the author writes, every man is the same: pretending hes here, dreaming of going away, and plotting his return. Shifting masterfully between formscreation tale to meditation, playful comedy to magical twistthese stories grapple with questions of whats been lost and what can be reclaimed, what future exists for a country that broke the yoke of colonialism only to descend into internecine war, what is Mozambican and what is Mozambique. Following fishermen and fortune-tellers, widows and drunks, and one errant hippopotamus, this new translation of stories by the Man Booker-listed author ofConfession of the Lionessrediscovers possibility and what it means to be reborn.Finalist for the 2015 Man Booker International PrizeWinner of the Neustadt Prize for Literature, 2014Winner of the Cames Prize for Literature, 2013AVanity FairMust-Read Book From Around The World for Winter 2019AFinancial TimesSummer Book of 2019PRAISE FORRAIN AND OTHER STORIESMia Coutos words help weave the story of Mozambique. Coutos language is enriched by his countrys idioms, voicesand possibilities.New York TimesCoutos stories counter [the] fear of barrenness, pinpointing kernels of possibilityBeckers intricate translation uses wonderful almost-words to recreate Coutos illusory and playful sentencesconcoctions precise enough to capture the writings mythical, trancelike quality.New York Times Book Review[Couto] has been creating his own utterly original take on African life for decades now, rich and lyrical works immersed in the soil and mind-set of rural Mozambiquethese literary fragments are dreamy but hopeful responses to Mozambiques violent past, magical tales that find solace in the wisdom of rivers and trees, fishermen and fortune tellers, children and blind men. An assortment of transcendent sketches, fables, and creation tales, Coutos stories are rooted yet timeless, both whimsical and deeply spiritualessential qualities of the work of the masterful Mozambican author.Vanity FairA charming collectionunsettling and uplifting, and filled with the wisdom of folk tales.Financial TimesRain and Other Storieswas first published in 1994, shortly after the 1992 peace agreement that put an end to the lengthy civil war that followed the lengthy war for independence of Mozambique. Mia Coutos characters have endured the devastation of decades of war: blind men, children who lost their families, widows, displaced old men. They still find their way to solidarity and a quiet hope. The stories are often sad but sometimes very funny. The range of tones in the collection, together with Coutos verbal inventiveness, poses a considerable challenge to the translator, but Eric M. B. Becker makes it look effortless, writing with low-key eloquence and matching creativity with creativity.Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Prize Jury, Modern Language AssociationStellaroffers fable-like gems capturing lives hurt and heroic, damaging and enduringAt a low point, Blind Estrelinho remained on the side of the road, like a balled-up handkerchief soaked with sadness, and such language stuns throughout. A woman deserted by her husband, a problem child rushing to rescue her fatherthese are some of Coutos poignant stories. VERDICT Highly recommended.Library Journal(starred review)Wide ranging in theme, mood, and genre[Coutos] descriptions of landscapes and people have the power and mystery of the best style of folklore. The strength of his characters, whether hes portraying an old math professor exploring love, a cross-dressing neighbor, or a businessman creating a happy communal space as a gift to God is most apparent in how with few words their varied lives become relatable. Beckers translation conveys Coutos precise use of language to capture the innately elusive nature of human experience.BooklistEncompasses everything from unlikely confessionals to dreamlike forays outside of realism; its a concise and wide-ranging demonstration of Coutos authorial range.Words Without BordersStunning imagery draws power from unexpected comparisonsPlayful and poignant,Rain and Other Storiescements Coutos reputation as one of the finest writers in the Portuguese language, and proves Beckers talent as a discerning and perceptive translator.Shelf AwarenessConvey[s] a sense of profound loss flecked with a measure of optimism about life after the bloodshed is over. An impressionistic flash-fiction trek through the wreckage of war.Kirkus ReviewsMagnificentThe wonder of the collection, indeed its grip on the reader, is that such seemingly disparate tales come together to ultimately present how the land is remadeNearly each sentence is astonishing in this riveting, challenging collection.Winnipeg Free PressWhats most successful about this collection are the ways in which Couto repeatedly asks unanswerable questions, piquing reader curiosity answers manifest through subtext, and the effect is both chilling and tragic. In this collection, Mia Couto, via Eric M. B. Beckers aesthetically rich translation, packs an emotional resonance in each storydespite brevity, many only reaching five pagesthat lingers with readers long after putting the book down.Arkansas InternationalThe roots and spirits of these tales seem to run deep into the very bedrock of the earth. They are uniquely Mozambican and yet timeless[Couto] has an uncanny ability to create miniature worlds peopled with wonderful characters, images and happeningssimply enchanting.Joseph Schreiber,RoughghostsPRAISE FOR MIA COUTOMia Coutos stories of civilisation and barbarity are told through a language that is precise and profound; he weaves together the living tradition of legend, poetry and song.International Man Booker shortlist jury citationOn almost every page we sense Coutos delight in those places where language slips officialdoms asphyxiating grasp.New York Times[Couto is] a brilliant aphorist. There are countless sentences that have the weight and wisdom of ancient proverbs.Wall Street JournalEven in translation, his prose is suffused with striking images.Washington PostCoutos narrative tone, at once deadpan and beguiling, and his virtuoso management of time place him alongside the best Latin American magic realists.Times Literary SupplementQuite unlike anything else I have read from Africa.Doris LessingMia Couto, long regarded as one of the leading writers in Mozambique, has now been recognized as one of the greatest living writers in the Portuguese language [He] cracks open a welcoming window onto a vast world of literary pleasures that has for too long remained under the radar in the English-speaking world.Philip Graham, The Millions