War in six novels by João Paulo Borges Coelho

Abstract

This article aims to analyze how war appears in a set of six novels by Mozambican fiction writer João Paulo Borges Coelho. The novels As duas sombras do rio (2003), As visitas do Dr. Valdez (2004), Crónica da Rua 513.2 (2005), Campo de trânsito (2009), O Olho de Hertzog (2010) e Rainhas da noite (2013) explore plots set during the two major wars that marked Mozambique throughout the 20th century, the Colonial War and the Civil War, as well as the multiple forms of violence resulting from them. The article aims to show that there is, in these novels, homology in the treatment given to how the characters live the daily life of wars and conflicts, according to the historical period under discussion, indicating the author’s preferred ways of dealing with Mozambican history in literature.