Despite its somber title and theme, A General Theory of Oblivion reads like a thriller. It reads well with its short, well-crafted (and often eventful) chapters, too -- but it doesn't quite add up. Publication date 2015 Topics Women hermits -- Angola -- Luanda (Luanda) -- Fiction, Women hermits, Luanda (Luanda, Angola) -- Fiction, Angola -- Luanda (City) Publisher London : Harvill Secker Collection a general theory of oblivion.” (104) Ludo locks herself into an apartment in an effort to forget a horror from her past. This is the work of a seasoned novelist, deftly translated from Portuguese by the prominent British translator Daniel Hahn. • A General Theory of Oblivion is published by Vintage. A GENERAL THEORY OF OBLIVION. –A General Theory of Oblivion, José Eduardo Agualusa In If on a winter’s night a traveler , Italo Calvino hints gently at context, and by envisioning parallel, fictional realities, we may be ripping some gem from its intended context and stuffing it into another to serve another purpose, to enhance another context. A General Theory of Oblivion is both more and less than its title; it certainly provides a kind of blueprint of the encroaching obscurity inherent to living and dying—at times bemoaning its certainty, at times celebrating the assured darkness—but it is also a general theory of love, of life, and, finally, of literature. A General Theory of Oblivion. To order a copy for £7.64 (RRP £8.99) go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. A general theory of oblivion by Agualusa, José Eduardo, 1960- author. - M.A.Orthofer, 28 April 2016 As the Angolans fight for independence from the Portugese, Ludo nearly starves, breaks her femur, burns her furniture, and eventually her books. The Angolan writer’s fifth novel to receive an English translation, a look at the upheaval caused by the Angolan civil war, places a recluse at its heart. For American readers not already familiar with author José Eduardo Agualusa, and whose understanding of Portuguese colonialism is perhaps somewhat vague, A General Theory of Oblivion is a sneaky bit of a history lesson. A general theory of oblivion This edition was published in 2015. On the eve of Angolan independence, Ludo bricks herself into her apartment, where she will remain for the next thirty years. "A General Theory of Oblivion is both more and less than its title; it certainly provides a kind of blueprint of the encroaching obscurity inherent to living and dying—at times bemoaning its certainty, at times celebrating the assured darkness—but it is also a general theory of … by José Eduardo Agualusa ; translated by Daniel Hahn ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 15, 2015. The novel’s short chapters move at a rapid pace, with Ludo’s diary entries serving as occasional reprieves. A wild patchwork of a novel, which tells the story of Angola through Ludo, a woman who bricks herself into her apartment on the eve of Angolan independence. A General Theory of Oblivion is a fine work, and insightful about what has happened in Angola over the past thirty-some years. This is the brilliant new novel from the winner of the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Edition Description. 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