A geração da utopia – Pepetela
A Geração da Utopia (translated as The Generation of Utopia) is a powerful novel by the Angolan writer Pepetela. It tells the story of young Angolans who grew up in the middle of dreams, politics, war, and the search for freedom.
The book is divided into four parts, each showing different stages in the lives of these young people. They begin as university students in the 1960s, full of fire and energy, excited about fighting for independence from Portuguese colonial rule. They believe in socialism, revolution, and the dream of building a new and better Angola.
As time passes, the same young people grow older, and so do their struggles. Independence comes, but with it also comes disappointment. The beautiful dream of freedom is replaced by corruption, power struggles, civil war, and betrayal. Friends who once studied together now find themselves divided, some holding political power, others criticizing from the outside, and some completely disillusioned.
Through the characters, Pepetela paints a picture of a whole generation that had big hopes ("utopia") but ended up facing harsh realities.
About the Author
pepetela
Img Credit: veja.abril.com.br
Pepetela is the pen name of Artur Carlos Maurício Pestana dos Santos, born in 1941 in Benguela, Angola. He is one of Angola's most famous writers, but also a political activist and intellectual.
As a young man, Pepetela studied sociology in Portugal, but soon got involved in politics. He joined the MPLA (Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola), one of the main liberation movements fighting against Portuguese colonial rule. He spent years in exile and in guerrilla camps, not only as a fighter but also as a teacher for other rebels. This real-life experience shaped his writing.
After independence in 1975, Pepetela served in the Angolan government and later became a professor at the University of Agostinho Neto in Luanda. He wrote many novels, short stories, and plays, always focusing on Angola's history, struggles, and contradictions.
His works mix history and fiction, showing how personal lives are tied to politics and how ordinary people experience the big changes in their country. Some of his most famous books include Mayombe, Yaka, The Return of the Water Spirit, and of course, A Geração da Utopia.
Pepetela has won several awards, including the prestigious Camões Prize in 1997, which is the highest honor for writers in the Portuguese language.
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