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James Gillespie, a disillusioned Irish historian turned novelist, has arrived in the Congo on the eve of independence, hoping to reunite with his Italian lover, Ines. The two had once been passionately involved in Europe, but Ines's job as a journalist took her to the Congo, where her Communist leanings have kept her. Ines is an enthusiastic supporter of Patrice Lumumba, and her journalism reflects her bias. Gillespie, on the other hand, has a novelist's broader view, and his ability to see all facets of the issue simultaneously keeps him from choosing sides and drives a wedge between him and Ines. As she becomes more involved with Lumumba and his followers, he is befriended by an American CIA agent whom Ines suspects of being an enemy. When the political situation heats up, she puts herself increasingly in harm's way until, at last, Gillespie must put his own life on the line to save hers. Bennett does a stellar job of recreating the complicated web of political intrigue and shifting alliances at play in the Congo in 1959, but he really shines when exploring how personal relationships unravel under the strain of ideology. As Ines tells Gillespie shortly before she leaves him, his ability to see all points of view is a privilege few people can afford: "When you are on history's losing side, when you are poor and cursed to eat bread, to accept your enemy's point of view is to accept starvation and slavery." The Catastrophist is a love story, a historical novel, a troubling reflection on Africa's ongoing political upheaval. --Alix Wilber
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Gillespie, an Irishman, goes to the Congo in 1959 in pursuit of his beautiful lover In s, a passionate Italian journalist. Unlike her, Gillespie has no interest in the deepening independence crisis, nor in the charismatic leader, Patrice Lumumba. He has other business: this is his last chance to make love work for him. Gillespie, an Irishman, goes to the Congo in 1959 in pursuit of his beautiful lover In s, a passionate Italian journalist. Unlike her, Gillespie has no interest in the deepening independence crisis, nor in the charismatic leader, Patrice Lumumba. He has other business: this is his last chance to make love work for him. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780747260332
Book Description paperback. Condition: New. Language: ENG. Seller Inventory # 9780747260332
Book Description Paperback / softback. Condition: New. New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days. A devastating novel of love and desire and one man's search for his soul in a world of violence and political intrigue, which was shortlisted for the Whitbread Novel Award 1998. Seller Inventory # B9780747260332
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Brand New. 314 pages. 7.80x5.12x0.79 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # __0747260338
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Book Description Condition: New. 1999. 01st Edition. Paperback. A devastating novel of love and desire and one man's search for his soul in a world of violence and political intrigue, which was shortlisted for the Whitbread Novel Award 1998 Num Pages: 320 pages. BIC Classification: FA. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 197 x 129 x 21. Weight in Grams: 222. . . . . . Seller Inventory # V9780747260332
Book Description Condition: New. 1999. 01st Edition. Paperback. A devastating novel of love and desire and one man's search for his soul in a world of violence and political intrigue, which was shortlisted for the Whitbread Novel Award 1998 Num Pages: 320 pages. BIC Classification: FA. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 197 x 129 x 21. Weight in Grams: 222. . . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland. Seller Inventory # V9780747260332