Rain: And Other Stories (Biblioasis International Translation Series Book 25)

After the war, I thought all that was left was ashes, hollow ruins . . . Today, I know that's not true. Where man remains, a seed, too, survives, a dream to inseminate time. Published in the aftermath of Mozambique's bloody civil war, Mia Couto's third collection seeks out the places violence could not reach, the places where, the author writes, "every man is the same: pretending he's here, dreaming of going away, and plotting his return." Shifting masterfully between forms—creation tale to meditation, playful comedy to magical twist—these stories grapple with questions of what's 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 of Confession of the Lioness rediscovers possibility and what it means to be reborn. style="text-align: left;"> Finalist for the 2015 Man Booker International Prize style="text-align: left;"> Winner of the Neustadt Prize for Literature, 2014 style="text-align: left;"> Winner of the Camões Prize for Literature, 2013 A Vanity Fair Must-Read Book From Around The World for Winter 2019 A Financial Times Summer Book of 2019

After the war, I thought all that was left was ashes, hollow ruins . . . Today, I know that’s not true. Where man remains, a seed, too, survives, a dream to inseminate time.

Published in the aftermath of Mozambique’s bloody civil war, Mia Couto’s third collection seeks out the places violence could not reach, the places where, the author writes, “every man is the same: pretending he’s here, dreaming of going away, and plotting his return.” Shifting masterfully between forms—creation tale to meditation, playful comedy to magical twist—these stories grapple with questions of what’s 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 of Confession of the Lioness rediscovers possibility and what it means to be reborn.

style="text-align: left;">Finalist for the 2015 Man Booker International Prize

style="text-align: left;">Winner of the Neustadt Prize for Literature, 2014

style="text-align: left;">Winner of the Camões Prize for Literature, 2013

A Vanity Fair Must-Read Book From Around The World for Winter 2019

A Financial Times Summer Book of 2019

Published In The Aftermath Of Mozambique's Bloody Civil War, Mia Couto's Third Collection Seeks Out The Places Violence Could Not Reach, The Places Where, The Author Writes, Every Man Is The Same: Pretending He's Here, Dreaming Of Going Away, And Plotting His Return. Shifting Masterfully Between Forms--creation Tale To Meditation, Playful Comedy To Magical Twist--these Stories Grapple With Questions Of What's 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 Of Confession Of The Lioness Rediscovers Possibility And What It Means To Be Reborn.--page 2 Of Cover. The Waters Of Time -- Novidade's Flowers -- Blind Estrelinho -- The Delivery -- The Perfume -- Virgilio's Heel -- Rain -- Felizbento's Pipe -- The Flag In The Sunset -- Ninety-three -- Jorojão's Cradle Of Memories -- Lamentations Of A Coconut Tree -- Beyond The River Bend -- Serpent's Embrace -- High-heel Shoes -- The Hapless Calculus Of Happiness -- Joãotónio, For Now -- That Devil Of An Advocate -- War Of The Clowns -- Legend Of Namaroi -- The Woman Engulfed In Stone -- Drinking The Time By -- The Deaf Father -- The Oracle Of Death -- The Shadow's Departure -- Square Of The Gods. Mia Couto ; Translated From The Portuguese By Eric M.b. Becker. Originally Published As Estórias Abensonhadas: Contos By Editorial Cminho, Lisbon, Portugal, 1994. Translated From The Portuguese. "Mia Couto, winner of the Neustadt International Prize, and a finalist for the Man Booker International Prize, first became famous as a writer of enchanting short stories. In Rain and Other Stories, one of his most appealing collections, here available in English for the first time, the borders that separate people melt as a poor African country emerges from sixteen years of civil war and assumes its identity as an independent nation. In these playful, poignant stories of ordinary people, the African oral tale merges into the contemporary short story, magic blends with realism, and the boundaries between Africans and Europeans, men and women, and even the living and the dead, yield before a joyous mixing. Amid visions of water and rain, fishermen and farmers, spiritualists and lovers, experience sparkling new ways of renewing life in a country that is being reborn."-- Provided by publisher A new translation of brilliant stories by Man Booker-finalist and author of Confession of the Lioness.