V.S. Naipaul – Travel Readings

Java, Indonesia: “Beauty is a Wound” by Eka Kurniawan : Can a square become a circle? It’s the inverse of the classic geometric problem of squaring a circle. A visit to Borobudur on the Indonesian island of Java gave me Continue Reading →

Montevideo: “The Truce” by Mario Benedetti : One of the reasons I write this blog is that I like to read novels that describe the place I’m traveling to. For my recent stay in Montevideo, I chose Continue Reading →

Kanchanaburi, Thailand: « The Bridge over the River Kwai» by Pierre Boulle and « Kwaï » by Vincent Hein : Probably the most famous cadence whistles in cinema history. As I was spending a day exploring the Bangkok area, my Lonely Planet reminded me that the famous “Bridge over the Continue Reading →

Rwanda: “Jacaranda” by Gaël Faye : I just missed Gaël Faye’s visit to “La Page d’Après”, the bookshop my sister-in-law Floriane opened in Louvain-la-Neuve just over a year ago. Interest was so great that they had Continue Reading →

Books, Movies and Beyond: Congo

Posted on September 10, 2018 by Damien

It was sunset, and a few pirogues were crossing the river. I was sitting on the terrace of a restaurant along the Ubangi river, sipping a beer with a colleague. Continue Reading →

Côte d’Ivoire: Aya of Yop City by Marguerite Abouet and Clément Oubrerie

Posted on March 13, 2017 by Damien

The highway that goes from Abidjan to Yamoussoukro is fast and well maintained. In a little bit more than two hours, one reaches the hill on top of which sits Continue Reading →