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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
In the words of a Fula proverb: ‘Until a man is dead, he is not yet done being created.’
a dark, violent haunting descent into madness fueled by the horrors of suffering, death, and grief of war.
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A Senegalese Tirailleur grapples with war, colonialism, revenge, and masculinity after refusing to mercy kill his friend in the trenches. Pretty chilling, but the stylistic redundancy is, "God's truth," a bit irksome; and diminishing returns begin after what is a rather strong first half.
No one knows what I think. I am free to think whatever I want. And what I think that people don't want me to think. The unthinkable is what is hidden behind the captain's words. The captain's France needs for us to play the savage when it suits them. They need for us to be savage because the enemy is afraid of our machetes. I know, I understand, it's no more complicated than that. The captain's France needs our savergery, and because we are obedient, my self and the others, we play the savage.
Shamefully I didn't know about the extent of the abuse of black people by France during the WW1. But after learning this in Afropean I wanted to know more and this offered a glimpse into this. A beautifully written intertwining of such important and complicated themes.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A short and compelling story of a Senegalese fighter caught on the French side of WW1. As the main character and narrator is caught in his mind (he only speaks Wolof), so is the reader, who accompanies him into madness and the tragedy of war.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I first of all want to give props to the narrator. Their tone and voice created such an immersive experience which I think i would be robbed of if i physically read the book (mainly with the repetitions which are meant to reflect oral storytelling).
The ending was...something else. I still don't think i've drawn my own conclusion but i've had so much fun reading other people's interpretations on reddit. That's definately the sign of a good book- the fact that you're still rumminating on it long after you'vd read it (i'm so impressrd Diop mamaged to achieve this in so few pages).
However, it's not 5 stars becausr i found the imagery of comparing a trench to women's genetalia odd.
The ending was...something else. I still don't think i've drawn my own conclusion but i've had so much fun reading other people's interpretations on reddit. That's definately the sign of a good book- the fact that you're still rumminating on it long after you'vd read it (i'm so impressrd Diop mamaged to achieve this in so few pages).
However, it's not 5 stars becausr i found the imagery of comparing a trench to women's genetalia odd.
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ik heb het gevoel dat ik dit boek geniaal zou moeten vinden - en dat vond ik ook toen ik erin begon. Scherpe zinsneden, tragisch verhaal. Maar naarmate het boek vordert en brutaler wordt, werd mijn degout voor het hyper-masculine in dit boek ook groter. En ik vrees dat die afkeer niet op het hoofdpersonage is blijven kleven, maar dat het zich verspreid heeft naar mijn visie tov het boek.
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes