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A General Theory of Oblivion

Jose Eduardo Agualusa · 2012

About this book

intermediateisolationmemoryAngolan historymagical realismsurvival

A Portuguese woman walls herself inside her Luanda apartment on the eve of Angolan independence and remains there for thirty years. Agualusa weaves together dozens of interlinked stories that capture the chaos, violence, and humanity of post-independence Angola.

Why read this for language learning

Jose Eduardo Agualusa's 'A General Theory of Oblivion' is an intermediate-to-advanced read, featuring a captivating blend of historical fiction and magical realism. The language is elegant and accessible, yet rich with vocabulary related to Angolan history, isolation, and urban survival. It offers significant cultural insights into Angola's post-independence period and the complexities of memory and identity. Learners will benefit from the engaging narrative and clear prose, which allows for a deeper understanding of lusophone African literature and expands their vocabulary in historical and socio-political contexts.

Vocabulary you will encounter

Angolan historyisolationmagical realismurban survivalmemorypolitical changespost-colonialism

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