The Book of Chameleons A Novel [Paperback]

Félix Ventura trades in an unusual commodity; he is a dealer in memories, clandestinely selling new pasts to people whose futures are secure and who lack only a good lineage to complete their lives. In this completely original murder mystery, where people are not who they seem and the briefest of connections leads to the forging of entirely new histories, a bookish albino, a beautiful woman, a mysterious foreigner, and a witty talking lizard come together to discover the truth of their lives. Set in Angola, Agualusa's tale darts from tormented past to dream-filled present with a lightness that belies the savage history of a country in which many have something to forget -- and to hide.

A brilliant American debut by one of the most lauded writers in the Portuguese-speaking world, this is a beautifully written and always surprising tale of race, truth, and the transformative power of creativity.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Setting the scene
This is quite evidently an Angolan novel, Agualusa says in the preceding interview. How important do you think the setting is to this story? Does it have a particularly African flavor, or is the setting just incidental?
Narrative voice
One of the more unusual and daring aspects ofThe Book of Chameleonsis that its narrative voice is the voice of a gecko - so does it work? Is the effect troubling? Sympathetic?
Themes
This is clearly a book about memory and its traps, and about the construction of identities, Agualusa says; but what do you feel he has to say about them? Is he just exploring, or is he trying to make a particular point?
Dreams
The narrative is interspersed with dreams, and with memories of past lives. Does all this work? What does it add? In the interview Agualusa explains where the details of the gecko's past life have come from. Does knowing this help you?
Translation
There has long been a difference between two schools of translalÃ*