Gauz

2.5, rounded up for a POV mostly unfamiliar to me and thus welcome. If it was up to me however I'd throw out the sections consisting of the mostly inane observational snippets of a security guard on the job. There's a few decent ones which have mostly been shared in other reviews which gave me the misleading impression they would be at least interesting overall; they are not. Then I'd take the sections describing the lives of the West African men who've immigrated to Paris, which feel like a sketch for a novel, and turn them into a novel. But that's me.… (mehr)

3.5⭐️

*Shortlisted for International Booker Prize 2023*

“Standing Heavy: designates all the various professions that require the employee to remain standing in order to earn a pittance”

Standing Heavy by Gauz (translated by Frank Wynne) revolves around the experiences of three undocumented immigrants from Côte d’Ivoire who take up jobs as security guards in shopping centers around Paris.

The narrative is divided into three interconnected parts /timelines with snippets detailing the keen (often humorous) observations and experiences of security guards manning the entrance of branches of Sephora in Paris. The Bronze Age (1960-1980) focuses on Ferdinand, an immigrant who reaches Paris and takes up a job as a security guard. In the Golden Age (1990-2000), we meet Ossiri, a former teacher who gives up the monotony of his teaching job and travels to Paris hoping to change his fortunes where meets fellow immigrant Kassoum. Ferdinand, now, operating as a subcontractor, secures positions for them as security guards at an abandoned flour mill in shifts. The Age of Lead follows these characters and how their living situations and employment opportunities are affected by the policies and politics in response to the threat of terrorism in the post-9/11 era. In the course of the stories of our three central characters, we also follow the politics, impact of colonialism and its aftermath as well as the impact of changes in the political climate and leadership in their home country and international immigration policies on the residents of the RSCI (Residence for Students from Cote d'Ivoire) which housed several Ivoirian immigrants.

The author, also from Côte d’Ivoire, spent some time in Paris as an undocumented student working as a security guard in Paris before returning to his country. The observations on the work environment, consumer behavior and culture in high-end shopping malls, shared in snippets interspersed throughout the narrative are sharp and witty and might make you feel a tad self-conscious the next time you encounter a security guard at the entrance (and exit) of a store/shopping mall. Touching upon themes ranging from immigrant experiences and immigration politics to colonialism, class distinctions, racial profiling and consumerism, in tones varying from satirical, factual and insightful, Standing Heavy is both entertaining and thought-provoking. The uneven, somewhat disjointed narrative took a while to adjust to. This is a short novel with a broad scope, which makes me wonder whether deeper discussions on a few issues would have rendered it more impactful. Overall, I did appreciate the premise of this short yet timely and relevant novel and feel there is much about it that is praiseworthy, but I wasn’t as taken with it as I had hoped.

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An interesting look at West African immigrants to France--all male, who largely end up working as security guards. Looks at 1970s, 1990s (pre 9/11), 2010s. How they live, their goals, their expectations.

I really enjoyed both the form of this--reading different characters' thoughts as they stand there as security in a Sephora, an abandoned mill, a clothing store(?). How they keep their minds busy and tolerate the grinding boredom. This book is smart, witty, clever, different, and ends on a sad note. They talk racism/anti-immigration, their living arrangements, and the general expectations on them from themselves and their families back in their native countries.… (mehr)

Wie zich wel eens afvraagt wat beveiligingsmedewerkers zoal zien gebeuren op een werkdag zou Standing Heavy van GauZ’ eens moeten lezen. GauZ’ (pseudoniem van Armand Patrick Gbaka Brédé) is een journalist en schrijver uit Ivoorkust. Hij bracht ooit enige tijd in Parijs door, waar hij als beveiliger werkte in een kledingzaak en in een parfumerie. De aantekeningen die hij maakte van zijn observaties daar vormen de basis van Standing Heavy. Het boek verscheen oorspronkelijk in 2014, in het Frans. De Engelse vertaling uit 2022 stond op de shortlist van de International Man Booker Prize 2023.

De kern van Standing Heavy bestaat uit de aantekeningen die de auteur maakte toen hij als beveiliger werkte, waaromheen twee fictieve verhaallijnen over migranten uit Ivoorkust zijn geweven. Van de observaties en anekdotes van de auteur heb ik het meest genoten. Als een soort antropoloog observeert de Ivoriaanse beveiliger de klanten die van over de hele wereld komen. Er zit een zeker komisch gehalte aan die observaties. Soms omdat ze zo herkenbaar zijn en soms ook juist omdat ze zo bevreemdend zijn. De parfumerie waar de schrijver werkte bevindt zich op de Champs-Élysées in Parijs, waar de clientèle wat internationaler is dan wat ik bij mij in de buurt langs zie komen aan winkelend publiek. Van jongeren uit de Parijse voorsteden tot aan Saoedi’s, die zonder met hun ogen te knipperen een paar duizend euro aan parfum uitgeven.

De schrijver wilde zijn boek wat meer gewicht geven dan enkel zijn observaties, vandaar de fictieve verhaallijnen. Die plaatsen de achtergrond van de migranten die in de loop van de jaren uit Ivoorkust naar Frankrijk kwamen wat meer in perspectief, van de idealistische en politiek bevlogen studenten in de jaren ‘60 tot aan de moeilijke tijden die voor illegale migranten aanbraken na september 2001. Tegelijk voelt deze opzet wat gekunsteld aan. De hoofdpersonen komen niet echt tot leven, simpelweg omdat het boek daavoor wat kort is, maar ook door de ironische verteltoon die afstand schept… (mehr)