The Book of Chameleons by Jose Edwards Aqualusa
A Fanciful, Lyrical Tale of Shifting Identities
Jun 30, 2008
The Book of Chameleons, published in the United States in June by Simon & Schuster, tells the story of Felix Ventura, an African albino who lives by himself with his books and his memories. Ventura makes his living by creating new pasts for people, a useful thing to have in post-war Angola, where old hatreds and old loyalties are never too far from the surface.
A New Identity
One day, a mysterious foreigner comes to purchase a new past. Ventura spins him a good provenance, complete with a passport, identify card, photos of relatives, and a complete back story and genealogy. Over a short period of time, the man transforms himself into this new persona, even changing his clothes and his grooming to suit the ambiance of the new character.
Seeking Truth
However, the foreigner is not content to passively assume his new role. He insists on looking for his "new" relatives and his long-lost mother, traveling from Angola to South African to America and back. What he finds is a murder mystery with baffling twists and truths.
The Chameleon
The title comes refers to the narrator of the story, a house chameleon, whose unique perspective adds additional layers to the comings and goings at Ventura's cottage. It also refers to the foreign gentleman who transforms to fit in with his new identity. Telling the tale from the point of view of the chameleon narrows the focus with almost laser-like intensity. All of the action takes place within the walls of the small living space and the courtyard garden, much like Ventura's sphere has been narrowed over the years by his differentness and eventually by his isolation itself.
The beauty and delicious "foreignness" of Chameleons is a reminder of how few foreign language novels break through to the English-speaking book world's consciousness. Like last year's African Psycho, this novel deals with situations and setting far outside of the average American's frame of reference and that's part of what makes this work so compelling. The cadence of the words is lyrical and hypnotic, drawing the reader further and further into the tale. This short, 180-page novel makes a big impact. Seek out a copy of this wonderful book.
About Jose Edwards Aqualusa
Jose Edwards Aqualusa, a native of Angola, has published seven previous novels, including Creole, which won the Portuguese Grand Prize for literature. The Book of Chameleons is his American debut.
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