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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
Salim is an incredibly frustrating narrator. He is constantly judging others for disconnecting, for being dishonest to themselves about their lives and futures, for having no passion or emotion. And yet, he seems unable to muster any emotion himself, and is listlessly drifting from point to point, with no motive. He seems to only ever judge, mistrust, and criticize what passes for his friends, and yet he is always complaining about being lonely.
His voice as narrator made this book difficult for me to connect with, I think because it is so passive and emotionally distant, despite being written in first person. It almost gave me the feeling that the whole book was some sort of long introduction or setup for a story that never came. I had to treat this almost like homework in order to get through the whole book, nearly every other page I found my thought straying and had to force myself to focus. I felt there was potential to be interesting, it was a true look into a world unknown to me, but something about how it was written made it uninteresting. It was not an enjoyable read for me personally, and I don't feel like I got much out of it.
His voice as narrator made this book difficult for me to connect with, I think because it is so passive and emotionally distant, despite being written in first person. It almost gave me the feeling that the whole book was some sort of long introduction or setup for a story that never came. I had to treat this almost like homework in order to get through the whole book, nearly every other page I found my thought straying and had to force myself to focus. I felt there was potential to be interesting, it was a true look into a world unknown to me, but something about how it was written made it uninteresting. It was not an enjoyable read for me personally, and I don't feel like I got much out of it.
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Colonisation, War
Moderate: Gun violence, Xenophobia, War
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This should be a more popular classic. The ending is one of the most powerful I've ever read. If I ever wanted to get anyone into postcolonial literature, this is the book I'd recommend.
A book with lots of themes: beeing an arab in Afrika, beeing white in a black society, beeing an outsider.
The book focuses on the history of one person living in a rapidly changing city,country, continent. By this it also focuses on the changes in the continent. I enjoyed it a lot and has been an eye opener to some questions pertaining colonisation and responsability.
The book focuses on the history of one person living in a rapidly changing city,country, continent. By this it also focuses on the changes in the continent. I enjoyed it a lot and has been an eye opener to some questions pertaining colonisation and responsability.
slow-paced
Some call it the "Third World". A more modern and polite name used nowadays is "Least developed countries," this one even comes with an abbreviation, LDCs. And to be super polite, we hear some say it is a "Developing country."What all these terms refer to is what we, those living on the receiving end of imperial and colonial endeavors, call our home.
Each oppressed community thinks they are so unique, so special, oppressed like no other, until, that is, we learn of the others in the same situation. Then, we learn that we are not as unique as we may think, but rather we are united in our bitter experiences and realities in ways that shock us.
One way to learn this phenomenon is to read the brilliant, award-winning 1979 novel, A Bend in the River, by Naipaul, V. S. (Vidiadhar Surajprasad). Having just put down this amazing novel, I can only shake my head as I gear up for the daunting, lifetime task in front of us--to defy all odds and shed our community from the ills of the colonial project, which have infiltrated deep into our being.
A big thanks to the Palestinian Critical Discourse Analysis Scholar, @Naema Daqsha, from Gaza for recommending this book.
I attach one passage from the book that speaks volumes.
#Palestine #Africa #ABendintheRiver
Each oppressed community thinks they are so unique, so special, oppressed like no other, until, that is, we learn of the others in the same situation. Then, we learn that we are not as unique as we may think, but rather we are united in our bitter experiences and realities in ways that shock us.
One way to learn this phenomenon is to read the brilliant, award-winning 1979 novel, A Bend in the River, by Naipaul, V. S. (Vidiadhar Surajprasad). Having just put down this amazing novel, I can only shake my head as I gear up for the daunting, lifetime task in front of us--to defy all odds and shed our community from the ills of the colonial project, which have infiltrated deep into our being.
A big thanks to the Palestinian Critical Discourse Analysis Scholar, @Naema Daqsha, from Gaza for recommending this book.
I attach one passage from the book that speaks volumes.
#Palestine #Africa #ABendintheRiver
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Picked this book up without knowing anything about it and was pleasantly surprised. Very much enjoyed the read, it offered a glimpse into a side of Africa not often shown from a unique perspective.