A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar - REVIEW
A Stranger in Olondria is the 2013 debut novel of African-American academic and poet Sofia Samatar. This novel was written whilst Samatar was working as an English teacher in South Sudan, and won the 2014 World Fantasy Award for best novel. Despite beating out Helen Wecker’s The Golem and the Jinni (a possible victim for an upcoming review) for this title, it appears that A Stranger in Olondria enjoys less enduring popularity – garnering a mere fiftieth of the ratings Wecker’s novel has racked up on Goodreads. Why would this be the case?
Upon reading the book, the answer becomes somewhat clear. A Stranger in Olondria is a highly literary and lyrical work. Rather than your standard fantasy fare, A Stranger in Olondria is a lush meditation on books, travel, and the role of art in our lives. Part fantasy travelogue, part romantic ode, Samatar’s first novel follows Jevick, the son of a pepper merchant. Enamoured with books, Jevick is elated when he can finally travel to the fabled land of Olondria and indulge in all the literary delights that had hitherto been withheld from him. Jevick’s plans are, however, derailed when he is embroiled in a political struggle that threatens to tear the country of Olondria apart. If that weren’t bad enough, he is also haunted by the ghost of an illiterate girl and must somehow find a way to put her shade at rest.
The first thing to be said about this book is just how rich the writing is. Samatar is foremostly a poet, and this definitely shows. Forsooth, the novel’s plot and characters are almost non-existent in the face of such breath-taking prose. Samatar invites us all to discover Olondria just as Jevick does; to sup on the fruits of her lyrics whilst we bask in the elegiac sun of the world she has created. I love a good fantasy travelogue, and this novel definitely delivered in evoking a rich setting.
Yet the novel’s greatest triumph may also be its downfall. If there can ever be such a thing as prose that is too good, then this book suffers from it. A Stranger in Olondria is often so wrapped up in the beauty of its language that it leaves plot, characters, and reader behind. This novel has shades of a ghost story, an adventure tale, and a political thriller yet none of those elements can really shine through, hindered they are by the poetry. The writing is so blatant that it is impossible to get a feel for anything else, and the lack of subtlety is a large detraction. I may even be so bold as to suggest that the prose verges on purple much of the time. This is especially damning during novel’s most serious and profound reflections, when Jevick is engaged in thoughts which should warrant shades of nuance. The metaphors employed in such scenarios are so contrived and overwrought that they often border on silly.
For all that, I cannot rate A Stranger in Olondria too low. It really is a phenomenal book in a lot of ways, and is worth dipping into for the quality of the prose alone. If you want to lose yourself in language and discover an enchanting new world, there are few novels that can offer a better experience. Just don’t expect much from the characters, themes or story.
Rating – 5/10
