The Eye of the Leopard - Softcover

Mankell, Henning

3.67

1,913 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 030739784X ISBN 13: 9780307397843

Publisher: Random House of Canada Ltd, 2009

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Interweaving past and present, Sweden and Zambia, The Eye of the Leopard draws on bestselling author Henning Mankell's deep understanding of the two worlds he has inhabited for over twenty years.

Hans Olofson lived through a tough childhood. His father drank himself into oblivion, and his mother was completely absent, only faded photographs offered Olofson any hint of what she may have been like. His adolescence was just as trying, and when his best friend and lover, Janine, tragically dies, he flees to Africa to carry out Janine's only real dream in life — to visit the grave of a legendary missionary in isolated Northern Zambia. Upon his arrival in Zambia, Olofson is stunned. He finds it beautiful and mysterious, so he decides to stay and make it his home, eventually taking control of a small farm. It is there that Olofson discovers the fragile truce between the rich newcomers and black natives of the recently independent state . . . a truce that could rupture at any moment.

Alternating between Olofson's years in Africa and those in Sweden, The Eye of the Leopardis a bravura achievement, a study in contrasts — black and white, poor and wealthy, Africa and Europe — and an exploration of the challenges and responsibilities that come with freedom.

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Review:

"Hans Olofson's life is told [with] heart-stopping tension."
--"Entertainment Weekly"
"A thriller of the mind [and] chilling journey into the depths of fear, alienation and despair. . . . A white-knuckle page-turner."
--"The Independent," London
"Mankell at his best."
--"The Telegraph," London
"A beautiful, heartbreaking, yet ultimately hopeful coming-of-age novel."
--"Booklist"

Hans Olofson's life is told [with] heart-stopping tension.
"Entertainment Weekly"
A thriller of the mind [and] chilling journey into the depths of fear, alienation and despair. . . . A white-knuckle page-turner.
"The Independent," London
Mankell at his best.
"The Telegraph," London
"A beautiful, heartbreaking, yet ultimately hopeful coming-of-age novel."
"Booklist""

Book Description:

The Eye of the Leopard is a first-rate psychological thriller, delving deep into the mind of a man lost in an unknown world, and is Mankell's finest non-crime novel yet.

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