The Kingdom of This World

by Alejo Carpentier and Harriet (Translator) Carpentier, Alejo; DE ONIS

Book Overview

A few years after its liberation from French colonialist rule, Haiti experienced a period of unsurpassed brutality, horror, and superstition under the reign of the black King Henri-Christophe. Through the eyes of the ancient slave Ti-Noel, The Kingdom of This World records the destruction of the black regime--built on the same corruption and contempt for human life that brought down the French--in an orgy of voodoo, race hatred, erotomania, and fantastic...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374521972
• ISBN13: 9780374521974
• Release Date: September 1989
• Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
• Length: 186 Pages
• Weight: 0.51 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Finding greatness in this world

The Haitian revolution is the only successful slave revolt in the history of the world. It is an incredible story, which has been told well by many great authors. This is one of them. Carpentier's novel traces the history of the conflict through the eyes of TiNoel, a slave on the estate of the French planter Lenormand de Mezy in the Plaine du Nord on the fertile north of the French colony of Ste Domingue. The first historical character we meet is Francois Mackandal or Macandal, who attempted to kill the planters with poison and create a free black nation. Next we meet Dutty Boukman or Bouckman, who launched the revolution at a Vodou ceremony at Bois Caiman in August 1791. We learn about the terror, the struggle, and the flight of the French as TiNoel accompanies his master to Cuba. We are introduced to the French General Leclerc, who is sent to Ste Domingue with an army and fleet to reestablish French control, and also meet his wife Pauline Bonaparte and her masseur Soliman. TiNoel returns to Ste Domingue and journeys to the palace of Sans Souci, where he is forced to work on the construction of Le Citadelle La Ferriere and takes part in the sacking of the empire of Henri Christophe, the black king of northern Haiti. The book ends with the flight of Henri's Queen and daughters, as well as Soliman, to Italy. The main omission in this story is Toussaint L'Ouverture, who is barely mentioned, and he is the most important character in the revolution. The book is ultimately about life, about struggles to achieve greatness, whether it be a plantation or an empire, and about suffering and ruin. Carpentier ends his story by noting that "In the Kingdom of Heaven there is no grandeur to be won", therefore "man finds his greatness, his fullest measure, only in The Kingdom of This World". It would be good to read up on the Haitian Revolution before starting your read. The Wikipedia account will suffice.

Fascinating history, excellently written

Fortunately my Spanish is competent enough to have read this in the original. I might otherwise not have as much enjoyed the full yet controlled prose had I read the work in doubtless sincere translation. The fascinating theme of the Haitian revolution,Henri-Christophe and the Fortress Sans Souci, is complemented by evocative characterizations and colourful, well-balanced sentences without the purplish tendencies I had noticed in the other book of Carpentier's ("El Siglo de las Luces")that I had read.For anyone wishing to sample Spanish excellently written, I would recommend this work.

The Kingdom of this World

Not long after Haiti's liberation from French colonial rule, King Henri-Christophe reigned through an era of chaos, violence, superstition and socio-political upheaval. Carpentier details the story of this era, and the eventual overthrowing of Henri-Christophe's black regime, through the narrative of slave Ti-Noel. For me, the interesting thing about this book was the way in which Carpentier shows how the black regime failed on the same sort of grounds that caused the French regime to become corrupt, outwardly oppulent and inwardly self-destructive. I find it very reminiscent of the sort of dialogue popularized by Freire's "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" where he explains how, in an effort to overthrow an oppressive system of education (but this has to work, to some extent, for politics, culture, etc) the rebels end up instituting essentially the same sort of system---only with themselves at the top instead of bottom.The novel also deals convincingly with issues of cultural patrimony, the occult, and obviously with historical and political scenario. As with many of his books, Carpentier combines a strong dedication to the factual or realistic history with allegory, metaphor and allusion.The writing style is fairly dense and I did find it difficult to read the novel straight through. However, I found the read very rewarding and also enlightening.

The best Latin-American novel of them all

The Kingdom of the World is truly extraordinary, exquisitely crafted and overwhelming in its human implications. In it historical fiction and magical realism come together to produce a masterful work of art and an unforgettable story about the triumph of human dignity in the midst of destruction and senseless horror. Using as a setting one of the most bizarre episodes in history (the Haitian independence and its aftermath), Carpentier tells a mesmerizing story that reveals human beings in all their complexity, contradictions and pervesity, but also in their extraordinary power of survival and redemption. A literary masterpiece of the highest order.

Wonderful and haunting

This is Magical Realism at it's best. As in Alende's The House of Spirits, magic and unearthly powers are commonplace in the world of this novel. Dead men rise from the ashes and the reader believes this is so. Carpentier paints a vivid portrait of colonial Haiti, depicting the racial strife and class wars that are par for the course in such a world. The protagonist, Ti Noel, is a product of this colonial system: no longer African, but not exactly French. Where, Carpentier seems to ask, does Ti Noel beling? And to whom?Carpentier's prose is beautiful, his images are vivid and stiking: one can picture the vast plantation, so far from the city....the row of powdered wigs on their stands...the look on Ti Noel's face when he realizes revolution does not add up to personal freedom. A near perfect novel, Ti Noel and his story will stay with you long after you've read it.