L'entreprise des Indes is an historical novel in which we hear about the background to the European "discovery" of the Americas from the point of view of Christopher Columbus's younger brother Bartolomé. In retirement in Santo Domingo in 1511, he is being interviewed by a young Dominican, Bartolomé de las Casas, who is trying to investigate the origins of Spanish cruelty against the Indians. Although Columbus is sickened himself by the atrocities that he has witnessed and failed to prevent, he blames the Dominicans for instigating the persecution of the Jews in Spain and Portugal, and isn't much inclined to cooperate with his namesake. Instead he talks about his experiences as a mapmaker in Lisbon, his relationship with his brother, and the various drives that came together to bring about their great "enterprise". He speculates about the nature of exploration and discovery, suggesting that the real motivation for seeking a westward route to China had less to do with commercial exploitation and acquisition of territory (although these were needed as bait to secure royal investment) than with a simple boyish urge to push back boundaries and achieve recognition.

With all this macho conquistadoring going on, there isn't much room for female characters, but during his time in Lisbon, Bartolomé is very preoccupied with the fate of the many sailor's wives in the city (at one point he diversifies from map-making into selling them evidence of their husbands' deaths overseas so that they can remarry) - unmarried himself, in Orsenna's version he seems to become a kind of proxy for his brother's wife, taking over after her death as a mother-figure for his nephew and a "feminine" influence on Christopher, who of course left him behind on his first two voyages.

Entertaining, and nicely done, but I don't think it tells us anything very new about colonialism. ( )

The Adventure narrated by Christopher Columbus brother, Bartolomé.

It all starts with their childhood in Genoa, dreaming of fame and sea travel. Then each brother goes his own way, Christopher as a navigator in commercial travel around the Mediterranean and Nordic Sea and Bartolomé as a cartographer in Lisbon. And that's what made this book worth it. We learned about the prestige of Portugal through the travels, the priceless work of the cartographers, the life of the city in the XV century, the different districts and communities. It's lively and well done.

The Columbus brothers meet again after the shipwreck of Christopher on the coast of Lisbon. After working a few month alongside Bartolomé in the cartographer workshop, Christopher starts again with his lifelong dream, the discovery of India and who can be more helpful than a cartographer brother working with and knowing the best of them ? This is the beginning of a decade of collecting and cross-checking maps and travel journal and convincing the King council.

Then the departure, the quest, the disenchantment ...

It's really a great story, a must-read if only so for Lisbon and the cartographers work. ( )