Le Dictateur et le hamac
2003
First Published
3.34
Average Rating
320
Number of Pages
Manuel Pereira da Ponte Martins, beloved dictator of the state of Teresina in Brazil, develops agoraphobia the day a fortune-teller predicts he will die being torn limb from limb by an angry mob. His life becomes unbearable and he decides to hire a double to stand in while he set off to enjoy himself in the fleshpots of Europe. A few years later, the barber-turned-dictator also grows tired of running the country and employs the same trick as his predecessor to leave for Hollywood. On the boat there, he introduces himself as Charlie Chaplin. But everyone is convinced that he is none other than Rudolph Valentino disguised as Chaplin. When he arrives in New York, both the real actors are waiting for him. Back in Teresina, the doubles follow one another, fooling the people with ease. When Pereira comes back, he is astonished to discover that his stand-in doesn’t look anything like him and reacts in a way that can only precipitate his meeting with fate.
Avg Rating
3.34
Number of Ratings
1,154
5 STARS
13%
4 STARS
32%
3 STARS
36%
2 STARS
15%
1 STARS
4%
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Author
Daniel Pennac
Author · 27 books
Daniel Pennac (real name Daniel Pennacchioni) is a French writer. He received the Prix Renaudot in 2007 for his essay Chagrin d'école. After studying in Nice he became a teacher. He began to write for children and then wrote his book series "La Saga Malaussène", that tells the story of Benjamin Malaussène, a scapegoat, and his family in Belleville, Paris. His writing style can be humorous and imaginative like in "La Saga Malaussène", but he has also written essays, such as "Comme un roman", a pedagogic essay."La Débauche", written jointly with Jacques Tardi, treats the topic of unemployment, revealing his social preoccupations.
