‘The Gospel According to the New World’ by Maryse Condé (Review – IBP 2023, Number Seven)

Today’s stage of our International Booker Prize longlist journey takes place far from the events of the party we sneaked out of last time, but the language is the same, and those of you with that nationality will simply be making a (long-distance) domestic flight.  It’s a far sunnier destination, though, and we’re here to make the acquaintance of a man who turns heads wherever he goes.  There’s no doubting he’s rather special, but some of the stories told about his activities may be hard to swallow unless (or perhaps if) you’re of a religious nature.  In any case, let’s slap on some sunscreen and take an island holiday with the son of… someone, anyway.

*****
The Gospel According to the New World by Maryse Condé
– World Editions, translated by Richard Philcox
(digital review copy courtesy of the publisher)
What’s it all about?
On an island far from the mother country, one night a young woman creeps around in the shadows, and it’s not long before we learn the reason for her stealth:

The newborn baby raised his tiny fists to his mouth and curled up between the donkey’s hooves for warmth. Maya, who had just given birth in this shed where the Ballandras kept their sacks of fertilizer, their drums of weed killer, and their ploughing instruments, washed herself as best she could with the water from a calabash she had the presence of mind to bring with her. Her plump little cheeks were soaked with tears.
p.23 (World Editions, 2023)

As the mother sneaks away, we’re left with a baby boy surrounded by straw, while outside a bright star shines for all the world to see.  Could it be that this is a child with a special destiny?

Pascal, who grows up with the foster parents who discover him, definitely has a certain something about him, both in terms of looks and behaviour.  When he later discovers the identity of his father, a man whose impressive reputation stretches to his even being called a god by some, he begins to wonder just what his destiny is.  Having sought out the poor and neglected to befriend from an early age, it’s only natural that on becoming an adult, he feels the need to travel around the region, hoping to find answers to some rather philosophical questions, and more about his own background.

The Gospel According to the New World is a picaresque work following a man of many talents, a Messiah for the global era.  He’s a man of mixed blood and is happy to mix with other faiths, and when I say mixing, that extends to the bedroom.  Over the course of the years, he roams the Americas, crisscrossing the continent in private jets and staying at exclusive retreats.  I don’t think we’re in Jerusalem any more, Toto…

To be fair to Pascal, his is not just a life of luxury, though.  From a young age, he’s attracted to people from all walks of life and is disturbed by the unfairness of the world.  On many occasions, he’s aghast at the treatment of migrants by the locals, unable to understand why those with nothing are frowned upon by those with little.  Alas, wherever he goes, and no matter how hard he works, or lectures, the abuse of outsiders inevitably follows, meaning he must move on in search of a place where people live their lives in peace.

Of course, Condé uses her hero to examine the darker side of society, in particular, corruption.  Another of the main characters is Judas Eluthère, a cheerful man that Pascal counts amongst his followers.  Unsurprisingly, it turns out that Judas is a man who can’t be trusted, but his talent for ingratiating himself with higher-ups means he rises quickly in the world, betraying Pascal’s beliefs for comfortable positions and a lot of money.

It won’t take long for even the densest of readers to discover the Biblical aspect of the novel, with several possible miracles (and three – drunk – wise men), but while it’s fairly obvious, Condé makes it work, mainly by having the characters in on the joke.  Pascal himself is well aware of the irony of having a Judas amongst his friends, and when he arranges a meal with his followers before his departure from his home island, he knows the significance of the occasion:

Pascal sensed that this meal before his departure for Asunción would be of capital importance. He predicted it would go down in history and be embellished with foreign terms such as la última cena that would go on to inspire some of our greatest painters. Consequently, he rummaged through the large wardrobe Eulalie had left him and found a set of hand-embroidered table linen with cross-stitched motifs
that a friend had brought back from Madagascar. As soon as he spread out the tablecloth, the room took on a festive look. (p.89)

A Gospel for the new world, indeed! This tongue-in-cheek approach can have you thinking less of the Gospels than of The Life of Brian (and yes, Pascal can be a naughty boy at times, particularly when beautiful women are around…).

I was less taken by the Biblical parallels, though, than with allusions to a very different text, Voltaire’s Candide.  There are many similarities in the way our hero roams the Americas, wondering if he’ll ever find the right way to live his life, and, like Candide, he’s usually disappointed.  Take, for example, his views on Caracalla, a place he had high hopes for:

What was he doing in this dreaded place? What could he hope for? It now appeared that this community he once thought so virtuous—banning money, alcohol, and private property—was not a source of happiness for its inhabitants. (p.151)

Just like Candide, he’s surrounded by a group of fellow-travellers, such as his mysterious uncle Espíritu, and there are people he’s looking for (his father, certain women) who always seem just around the corner, but turn out to be out of reach.  Oh, and there are a fair few gardens around, too.

Given the nature of the book, you can guess when and how it will finish, and we end back where we started, but with a final message that owes more to The Beatles than to the Bible.  All in all, Condé’s novel provides a relaxing journey around the Caribbean, and beyond, and even if there’s a serious side to Pascal’s travels, most readers will focus on the fun everyone has along the way.

Does it deserve to make the shortlist?
No, I don’t think so.  While there’s nothing particularly wrong with Condé’s fun romp around the Americas, nothing about it really impressed me overly, either.  An amusing story that parodies parts of the Bible while throwing in a number of other literary references, The Gospel According to the New World moves swiftly onwards without ever really promising to get anywhere.  I can’t imagine anyone hating this, but it certainly doesn’t stand out, and it won’t be on my shortlist.

Will it make the shortlist?
There’s no doubt that some of the judges will be more positive here than I’ve been, but I can’t see it, to be honest.  I think that it might be vying with Whale for a place in the final six, and if I were choosing between the two, well, I think you all know which way I’d lean…

*****
Let’s leave Pascal to his daddy issues – we need to talk about a mother, instead.  The next leg of the journey takes us to Norway, where we’ll encounter a woman returning to her home land for the first time in decades.  The reason for the trip?  Well, as you may have guessed, it’s another family affair, with a spot of light stalking involved.  If that sounds like something for you, be sure to join us next time 🙂