Somebody Else: Arthur Rimbaud in Africa

Charles Nicholl's biography tracks Arthur Rimbaud's life after he abandoned poetry at age 21, focusing on his years in Africa as a merchant and explorer. The book reconstructs Rimbaud's activities between 1875-1891, when he worked as a coffee trader, arms dealer, and commercial agent in locations including Egypt, Ethiopia, and Yemen. Nicholl incorporates extensive research from archives, letters, and contemporaneous accounts to piece together Rimbaud's movements across Northeast Africa. The narrative follows his business ventures, his relationships with local rulers and merchants, and his attempts to establish himself in the colonial trading economy of the region. The book draws from both European and African sources to create a complete picture of Rimbaud's transformation from rebel poet to pragmatic businessman. Through careful examination of historical records and first-hand testimonies, Nicholl reconstructs the day-to-day reality of Rimbaud's African existence. This biography reveals the complex interplay between European colonialism, personal reinvention, and the tension between artistic and commercial pursuits in the late 19th century. The work raises questions about identity and self-transformation while examining how a literary figure adapted to life in the margins of empire.

Readers appreciate Nicholl's detailed research into Rimbaud's post-poetry life in Africa, with many noting his ability to reconstruct historical details from fragmentary sources. Multiple reviews highlight the book's success in depicting both the harsh realities of colonial trade and Rimbaud's complex character during this period. Common criticisms include the slow pacing in certain sections and occasional speculation about Rimbaud's motivations without sufficient evidence. Some readers found the extensive details about trading routes and commercial transactions tedious. "Fills in the blanks about Rimbaud's mysterious later years without romanticizing them," writes one Goodreads reviewer. Another notes: "Too much conjecture about what might have happened rather than what did." Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (127 ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (16 ratings) LibraryThing: 3.8/5 (22 ratings) The book maintains consistent 3.5-4.5 star ratings across review sites, with higher scores from readers interested in colonial African history.

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🌍 During his time in Africa, Arthur Rimbaud worked as a coffee merchant, arms dealer, and explorer - completely abandoning his former life as a celebrated French poet. 📝 Charles Nicholl's research for this book included physically retracing Rimbaud's footsteps through Ethiopia, discovering locations and details previously unknown to Rimbaud scholars. 🏺 In Harar, Ethiopia, Rimbaud lived in a house that still stands today and has been converted into a museum, featuring photographs and artifacts from his time there. 💰 While in Africa, Rimbaud amassed a fortune of around 100,000 francs (equivalent to about $1 million today) through his various trading ventures, but lost much of it before his death. 🎭 Despite leaving poetry behind at age 21, Rimbaud's African letters and business correspondence reveal he maintained his sharp observational skills and vivid descriptive abilities, though applied to trade rather than art.