Johary Ravaloson

The novel slips between the main character's present, his childhood and young adulthood, and Malagasi history and mythology. It's not always clear (to me at least) what parallels or meaning one is intended to draw between these parts, which sit somewhat separately above the surface, presumably joined beneath it. Which is to say, I suppose, that this is a book which requires some work of the reader, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Water, its ebb and flow, its concealing and guarding show more nature, and its ability to be both a barrier and a facilitator of journeying is something of a theme, particularly in the mythological sections, and which must (I again presume) have meaning in the main character's life story, named as he is, Ietsy, after the first created human.

What I took from it was that our birth culture shapes us, and that while we can rebel and turn from that, to recreate ourselves in our own imagined image, or in the image we absorb from the wider world, we will find more peace in accepting ourselves as formed from that earlier cultural matrix, that we can take responsibility for what it has given to and taken #from us and those around us with a guiltless acceptance. show less

The concept of the novel wasn’t entirely clear to me. I’ve never been drawn to stories where the main characters, thanks to inherited wealth, are spared the need to fight for their livelihood. These characters are often given endless room to “explore their complex psyches” over hundreds of pages, which I find unengaging. Unfortunately, Return to the Enchanted Island falls squarely into this category. At the center of the novel is a pampered heir from a wealthy Malagasy family, and show more the narrative revolves around his romantic entanglements—his triumphs and disappointments—mostly set in France. The character’s inner conflict seems to stem from reconciling his personal desires with the expectations placed upon him by his lineage, which hardly struck me as compelling.

Given the novel’s title, I expected Madagascar to play a much more prominent role in the story. I had hoped for a deeper immersion into the country’s culture. Instead, the most distinctive Malagasy elements were awkwardly inserted fragments of island folklore, loosely connected to the protagonist and his emotional journey. show less

A modern take on the origin story of the Malagasy people. Told in flashbacks, this is the story of affluent Ietsy, named for his people's mythic ancestor and his, implicit, reincarnation. The style is complex but beautiful, with many dreamlike passages and interesting place names. Although the middle portion of the novel is set in France, the Malagasy feel is constant throughout since the mythological, dreamy parts are continuous. It was a little hard to get into, because of style, but it show more picked up very soon and ended up being an enjoyable read. show less

Return to the Enchanted Island might have worked better for me if I had more familiarity with the culture and mythology of Madgascar. As it was, though, I bounced fairly hard off this. While Johary Ravaloson occasionally conjures up some striking imagery, he's a bit too prone to obscure allegory. The protagonist Ietsy is also one of my least favourite kinds of anti-hero: an immature, unlikeable man who has incredibly beautiful women throw themselves at him for no apparent reason.