''Mengele Zoo'' is a
novel
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
from 1989 by the
Norwegian author Gert Nygårdshaug
Gert Hermod Nygårdshaug (born 22 March 1946 at Tynset) is a Norwegian author. He has written poems, children's books and novels, and is in particular known for the series of crime novels featuring the gastronomer amateur detective Fredric Drum. ...
.
The story is about "Mino Aquiles Portoguesa" who is born in a village in
Latin America's
rain forests. His father teaches him to hunt butterflies. One day a disaster destroys his village, and "Mino" has to go out into the world alone. Eventually, he founds the "Mariposa Movement", named after (the fictional) butterfly species Mariposa mimosa. Mariposa is Spanish for "butterfly".
The book deals with topics such as
environmental protection,
north-south conflict and
imperialism
Imperialism is the state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas, often through employing hard power (economic and ...
, and how you choose to prioritize their values. Despite the fact that ''Mengele Zoo'' describes the world as seen from one of the earth's most wanted
terrorists' eyes, it is easy for the reader to take sides with "Mino" throughout the book. The character "Mino" appears also in later of Nygårdshaug's novels.
In May 2008 it was known that
Nils Gaup
Nils Gaup (born 12 April 1955) is a Sámi film director from Norway.
Career
Gaup was born in Kautokeino, Finnmark County in Northern Norway. He first intended to become an athlete but from 1974 to 1978 he went to drama school and studied at the ...
was planning a film adaptation of the book. A Hollywood-based film production company first obtained the rights to the book, but because of financial problems they returned to Norway and the film was never produced.
The book was translated to French along with its two following books. A translation to English was started, but never finished.
Awards
The book was voted "people's all time favourite" at the festival ''Lillehammer litteraturfestival'' in 2007.
Wilhelmsen, Ken Willy (01.06.2007): «Mengele Zoo beste norske». NRK.no. Besøkt 03.10.2008.
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References
{{1980s-novel-stub
1989 Norwegian novels
Eco-terrorism in fiction
20th-century Norwegian novels