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Mr. Fix-It
Ebamba’s name means “mender” in Lingala, but everything in the Congolese twentysomething’s life seems to be falling apart. In the chaotic megacity of Kinshasa, the educated but unemployed young man must navigate the ever widening distance between tradition and modernity — from the payment of his fiancee’s exorbitant dowry to the unexpected sexual confession of his best friend — as he struggles with responsibility and flirts with temptation. The first novel to be translated into English from Lingala, Mr. Fix It introduces major new talent Richard Ali A Mutu, who leads a new generation of writers whose work portrays the everyday realities of Congolese life with the bold, intense style associated with the country's music and fashion.
108 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 17, 2017
Having just returned from a west African country where young people can’t find work, this was of great interest.
Commendations to Phoneme Media for publishing the first novel translated into English from Lingala. Their newsletter cites a discussion between the author and Ngugi wa Thiong’o at a Los Angeles Public Library event, which may be available online. The author had to attend virtually because his visa request was denied.
The style is simple, but it conveys convincingly how a feckless young man who has no parents or employment can get ensnared in a situation that is clearly destined to ruin his prospects. Also how the few jobs that are available compel those without connections to compromise their morals to get the least foothold.
By the end it seemed to belong to a tradition of oral story-telling, with digressions and bits that echoed ’Oh, I forgot to tell you that...’
The highlight is the roughly ten-page sequence of a love song that Ebamba sings to his fiancée, with both the original Lingala ( laced with French) and the English translation, followed by a lament, also bilingual.
...
Okomisa ngai baba
You have left me speechless
Maloba nyoso omema
You have taken all words away
Otikela ngai se je t’aime
The only words you’ve left me with are, I love you
...
Motema ya mwana na moto nzoka esuwaka boye.
My heart is bitten by grief
Ngai nakei ehhhh
I’m leaving
Solo nakei komipemisa na ngai
I’m leaving to seek shelter
Motema mwa ngai mokei na nkele,
My heart has gone into the land of bitterness
Motema mwa nfai...
My heart...
Commendations to Phoneme Media for publishing the first novel translated into English from Lingala. Their newsletter cites a discussion between the author and Ngugi wa Thiong’o at a Los Angeles Public Library event, which may be available online. The author had to attend virtually because his visa request was denied.
The style is simple, but it conveys convincingly how a feckless young man who has no parents or employment can get ensnared in a situation that is clearly destined to ruin his prospects. Also how the few jobs that are available compel those without connections to compromise their morals to get the least foothold.
By the end it seemed to belong to a tradition of oral story-telling, with digressions and bits that echoed ’Oh, I forgot to tell you that...’
The highlight is the roughly ten-page sequence of a love song that Ebamba sings to his fiancée, with both the original Lingala ( laced with French) and the English translation, followed by a lament, also bilingual.
...
Okomisa ngai baba
You have left me speechless
Maloba nyoso omema
You have taken all words away
Otikela ngai se je t’aime
The only words you’ve left me with are, I love you
...
Motema ya mwana na moto nzoka esuwaka boye.
My heart is bitten by grief
Ngai nakei ehhhh
I’m leaving
Solo nakei komipemisa na ngai
I’m leaving to seek shelter
Motema mwa ngai mokei na nkele,
My heart has gone into the land of bitterness
Motema mwa nfai...
My heart...
May 14, 2023
The first-ever novel to be translated from Lingala into English, Mr Fix It is a brief, vivid look at life for a small group of precariously employed twenty- and thirty-somethings in the Congolese city of Kinshasa. The rhythms of the dialogue are particularly pleasurable, especially as they evoke the ways in which the speakers of Lingala (as with other African languages) have adopted and co-opted French and English words in inventive ways. I would have liked for Mr Fix It to be fleshed out just a little more—this is really more novella than novel and the ending is quite abrupt—but this is a promising English-language debut from Richard Ali A Mutu.
August 25, 2018
This was my very first time reading in Lingala, one of my mother tongues. I thought that it would have been easier than english spanish or french but i clearly was misleading myself.
It took the entire first chapter to decolonise my mind, first by reading out loud for the sentences to reveal their true meaning and then make sens to me, then by finding a pace and a rythme required by this language in particular and last but not least, get used to the grammar and spelling of words. The alphabet is the same as your ABC, but the sound of each letter is different. I didn't know that it could be so challenging to read in my own mother tongue. It is something that i'm definitely willing to do more often. The story is modern, typical of what happens in today kinshasa, the character construction is on point but the ending seemed too rushed for me, too many questions arises which are left unanswered. I will recommend the translated version of it to anybody willing to have a quick glimpse at life in modern days kinshasa.
It took the entire first chapter to decolonise my mind, first by reading out loud for the sentences to reveal their true meaning and then make sens to me, then by finding a pace and a rythme required by this language in particular and last but not least, get used to the grammar and spelling of words. The alphabet is the same as your ABC, but the sound of each letter is different. I didn't know that it could be so challenging to read in my own mother tongue. It is something that i'm definitely willing to do more often. The story is modern, typical of what happens in today kinshasa, the character construction is on point but the ending seemed too rushed for me, too many questions arises which are left unanswered. I will recommend the translated version of it to anybody willing to have a quick glimpse at life in modern days kinshasa.
July 2, 2019
This novella wonderfully captures a small slice of life in Kinshasa (DR Congo), as a not-so-young man tries to find his position in society. I really enjoyed the rhythm of the language and how the book evoked the atmosphere of Kinshasa. The story may feel a bit thin, but I thought the novella actually managed to communicate a lot with few words, not least the febrility and tenuousness of life in Kinshasa and how small events can rapidly flare up.
January 9, 2018
Really puzzling and bleak but I think I’ll be mulling this one over for a while.
December 12, 2021
Nice to read a novella on contemporary life in the Congo, and the first fiction to be translated from Lingala. But....
Despite reviews, there is *very* little about music and nightlife here. A couple pages total, maybe.
It/he is rather homophobic. Our noble main character chooses to not "sleep" (what an outdated euphemism - perhaps necessary in the Congo) with other men in ordet to advance his non-existent career. I felt he was rather judgemental, and not in a good way, when discussing all the government officials and businessmen who were "gay" (in some cases actually bisexual, like his friend,).
It tended towards reading like a Romance novel at times - for example, when the 2 women in his life confront one another. And I felt like the ending came straight from a piece of 19th C popular fiction.
Disappointng, although I might read something else by him if ever translated.
2 Stars = It Was OK
Despite reviews, there is *very* little about music and nightlife here. A couple pages total, maybe.
It/he is rather homophobic. Our noble main character chooses to not "sleep" (what an outdated euphemism - perhaps necessary in the Congo) with other men in ordet to advance his non-existent career. I felt he was rather judgemental, and not in a good way, when discussing all the government officials and businessmen who were "gay" (in some cases actually bisexual, like his friend,).
It tended towards reading like a Romance novel at times - for example, when the 2 women in his life confront one another. And I felt like the ending came straight from a piece of 19th C popular fiction.
Disappointng, although I might read something else by him if ever translated.
2 Stars = It Was OK
July 9, 2020
This was my read the world selection for Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The book begins with Ebamba, a 38 year old man who, with his uncles, is negotiating a rather outrageous dowry with his fiancées parents. Ebamba is an orphan, unemployed despite being educated, having turned down a very good job as it involved sleeping with his potential boss to get it.
From this point, Ebamba’s life begins to go from bad to worse, with a shocking revelation from his best friend, being threatened with eviction from his landlord unless he marries her daughter and a number of other tragedies.
I very much enjoyed this short book and the author has packed quite a detailed story into these 102 pages! Ebamba was quite a likeable character, despite making some poor decisions and being easily manipulated. I feel like the city of Kinshasa was well portrayed by the author too, as I could really see and hear the torrential rain that had all the roofs leaking and could picture the open air bars surrounded by vegetation.
I also got a glimpse into the culture including familial responsibilities and witchcraft. I just wish the book had been a little longer, as I really enjoyed the writing and would definitely have appreciated a more in depth dive into the lives of Ebamba, his friends and family. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5.
The book begins with Ebamba, a 38 year old man who, with his uncles, is negotiating a rather outrageous dowry with his fiancées parents. Ebamba is an orphan, unemployed despite being educated, having turned down a very good job as it involved sleeping with his potential boss to get it.
From this point, Ebamba’s life begins to go from bad to worse, with a shocking revelation from his best friend, being threatened with eviction from his landlord unless he marries her daughter and a number of other tragedies.
I very much enjoyed this short book and the author has packed quite a detailed story into these 102 pages! Ebamba was quite a likeable character, despite making some poor decisions and being easily manipulated. I feel like the city of Kinshasa was well portrayed by the author too, as I could really see and hear the torrential rain that had all the roofs leaking and could picture the open air bars surrounded by vegetation.
I also got a glimpse into the culture including familial responsibilities and witchcraft. I just wish the book had been a little longer, as I really enjoyed the writing and would definitely have appreciated a more in depth dive into the lives of Ebamba, his friends and family. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5.
February 22, 2023
A really haunting and mysterious little book. I read this while visiting Kinshasa for the first time, which was a great way - well, the only way - to experience the "Kinshasa makambo" (Kinshasa things) which are the heart of this novella.
Much like the dramatic Congolese weather patterns of sun and rain, Mr Fix-It slips from funny, slice-of-life social commentary to tragedy when you least expect it. The attractive yet hopeless main character Ebamba is sort of defined by his passivity, drifting through life as things happen to and around him, and it's this passivity that is ultimately his downfall.
The ending came suddenly, and I wish the book was longer. It gave me a lot to think about and I know this one will stay with me for some time.
Much like the dramatic Congolese weather patterns of sun and rain, Mr Fix-It slips from funny, slice-of-life social commentary to tragedy when you least expect it. The attractive yet hopeless main character Ebamba is sort of defined by his passivity, drifting through life as things happen to and around him, and it's this passivity that is ultimately his downfall.
The ending came suddenly, and I wish the book was longer. It gave me a lot to think about and I know this one will stay with me for some time.
December 6, 2019
Mr. Fix It may be his name, but everything is falling apart; from the roofs to his life. The book starts out with negotiations for a dowry as he is to get married to the love of his life - but it ends in death.
In short chapters the harsh realities of Kinshasa is told in a series of tales - the sexual favour he wont perform to get the well-paying job, the one he gets tricked into (or doesn't resist), the advance he didn't see coming, the beliefs in black magic, the family ties and deaths - in traffic, by supposed witchcraft, explosives and broken hearts.
This is a tight little series of stories following Mr Fix Its life and downfall - also portraying Kinshasa in pieces.
In short chapters the harsh realities of Kinshasa is told in a series of tales - the sexual favour he wont perform to get the well-paying job, the one he gets tricked into (or doesn't resist), the advance he didn't see coming, the beliefs in black magic, the family ties and deaths - in traffic, by supposed witchcraft, explosives and broken hearts.
This is a tight little series of stories following Mr Fix Its life and downfall - also portraying Kinshasa in pieces.
March 13, 2018
A really, REALLY fast read, but I did enjoy it. A 38-year-old man in Kinshasa finds his world getting more complicated by the day. And how I felt for him! Definitely did make the right choices, but still, a likable person.
December 31, 2017
A simple story, but told in a very winsome way.
December 2, 2017
This is the (DR) Congolese book about the trials of a young man trying to meet the expectations of his family, girlfriends (plural) and friends. Not to be confused with various other books of the same title which seem to fit into two categories: DIY books; "romances" with pictures of topless men on the cover. Search for this book online at your peril.
A brief and vibrant picture of life in Kinshasa significant for being the first translated into English from Lingala and one of very few from the DRC. Phoneme Media excel in promoting language rights and bringing underrepresented cultures into print in English. A good story rather than a great story, but for my tastes far better than anything the other Mr Fix-its seem to offer. At little over 100 pages, definitely worth a punt.
A brief and vibrant picture of life in Kinshasa significant for being the first translated into English from Lingala and one of very few from the DRC. Phoneme Media excel in promoting language rights and bringing underrepresented cultures into print in English. A good story rather than a great story, but for my tastes far better than anything the other Mr Fix-its seem to offer. At little over 100 pages, definitely worth a punt.
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November 20, 2017I'm happy to have been able to read this first work of fiction translated into English from Lingala, which paints a vibrant (though predictably deeply troubling) picture of life in contemporary Kinshasa. I hope that other African authors will be inspired to publish in their continent's indigenous languages. I have no doubt that the book is much richer in Lingala, and I am so glad that for the sections that are a bit poetic/lyrical, the Lingala appears along with the translations of each line; these were my favorite parts of the work by far. The myriad ways in which the language has evolved with respect to French, for example, were evident in these sections.
November 28, 2017
A charming short novel that started out interestingly: negotiations over a dowry between families before the marriage of two betrothed. I think if it had continued in this vein I woulda liked it a little more, but the book devolved about halfway through and became a book about a love triangle, complete with inebriated deceitful acts, giving in to lust, regret, discovery, suicide. Good but coulda been better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews