De Ambassade Van Cambodja (2014) - Plot & Excerpts
Short story or novella? Hard to say. It would make a lovely little film. Fatou is such a great character. In her subservience and in her rebellion she is full of promise. It's one of those stories where you really want to know what happened yo her next despite the fact that the story is quite complete in itself. I have spent some time discussing with others the symbolism of the shuttlecocks going back and forth at the Cambodian embassy. There are many possibilities... This was literally a small book (small in size, only 65 pages thin) and is more a story than a book. It took half the book/story for the story of Fatou to really unfold, to start to realize what was going on. Until that time I enjoyed Zadie Smith's style, which I really like, but not so much the story itself. I almost put it away without finishing, but I thought, I can finish this (only 30 pages left!). The chapters are set up like a badminton match: 0-1, 0-2 and so on (I was wondering if it stayed 0-x, or when it would change into 1-x), I was looking for the symbolic meaning of the badminton in the story, but it didn't get further than a rhythmic playing of the shuttle. Fatou wonders if she is a slave, coming to the conclusion she isn't. It's a core question in the story, her situation becomes more clear during the story in bits and pieces. I think she is a modern slave, she is not paid for her services and is discarded for an unclear reasons. Fatou packs her stuff, ready to move on. It's a sad story but shows a strong character at the same time. I was in doubt between a rating of 3 and 4 stars, and ended up giving it 3 mainly because I found the first part quite boring. Only later on I got curious to the main character and wanted to know more about her and what was going to happen next.
What do You think about De Ambassade Van Cambodja (2014)?
It's a very understated little story that manages to tell a lot about race and class.
—hanna10
Great intro to the writing of Mrs. Smith. Left me with things to ponder:P
—betty
