Take a photo of a barcode or cover
elingunnar's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
xoopa's review against another edition
4.0
The different retellings of the mythical history of Queen Pokou and the origin of Baoule people is one of its kind. Described by the author as a text so that it surpasses any genres and styles.
swathiblogs's review against another edition
4.0
I read Queen Pokou - Concerto for a Sacrifice by Véronique Tadjo translated from French by Amy Baram Reid as part of #bookssansborders hosted by Surabhi and Pooja focusing on West Africa this month. With it being #womenintranslation month the pick was perfect . Consisting of multiple retellings of the legend of Abraha Pokou, this slim book narrates how the Baoule came to settle in present-day Côte d’Ivoire .
A relatively simple story of the exodus of the rebels from Ashanti kingdom led by Princess Pokou mirrors the story of Moses and the river splitting on paving way for people to move to the promised land. In the said story , Comoé river splits / forms a bridge paving way for people after the ultimate sacrifice. The multiple retellings in the book look at Pokou in different aspects - in one she abides by the oracle , in another she defies them and yet in other she is power hungry. It was certainly interesting to see diverse shades of Pokou and how yet again a woman is judged on her ability to conceive. Personally , I enjoy oral folktales and legends , so I enjoyed all of the retellings. The poetic bits added were a fine touch and read very well.
Reid has also added a context of the political situation Côte d’Ivoire in her note thereby educating the readers. Quoting the translator, Reid- "In the very powerful conclusion of “The Words of the Poet,” she insists upon the value of open-ended stories— myths, legends, oral traditions, testimonies and fictions—that bring us face-to-face with our flawed humanity. My hope is that this translation will make it possible for more readers to follow the paths Tadjo traces, to re-examine the borders of our humanity and the stories—both personal and shared—that shape our understandings of self and other."
Rating: 4.5/5
In the end, our individual and collective lives are defined by the stories we choose or are taught to tell to ourselves about ourselves and about other people with whom we share the world, our world. And it is not just what the stories say or are intended to imply, but what we choose to make of them. Stories do not tell just one thing to all people or even to the same people every time they are told. What the stories mean to us depends to a large extent on our human capacity to embrace values or the truth encoded in them, however unpleasant. And there is never just one story, either. Nor only one truth. No matter how useful we find a particular story at a particular time in our lives, we must acknowledge the possible existence of other stories, each with its own implied truth, some of which may compete with our favourite story, and the truth as we conceive it. We must acknowledge that each story, each truth, including our favourite one, has the potential to make or unmake our world.
A relatively simple story of the exodus of the rebels from Ashanti kingdom led by Princess Pokou mirrors the story of Moses and the river splitting on paving way for people to move to the promised land. In the said story , Comoé river splits / forms a bridge paving way for people after the ultimate sacrifice. The multiple retellings in the book look at Pokou in different aspects - in one she abides by the oracle , in another she defies them and yet in other she is power hungry. It was certainly interesting to see diverse shades of Pokou and how yet again a woman is judged on her ability to conceive. Personally , I enjoy oral folktales and legends , so I enjoyed all of the retellings. The poetic bits added were a fine touch and read very well.
Reid has also added a context of the political situation Côte d’Ivoire in her note thereby educating the readers. Quoting the translator, Reid- "In the very powerful conclusion of “The Words of the Poet,” she insists upon the value of open-ended stories— myths, legends, oral traditions, testimonies and fictions—that bring us face-to-face with our flawed humanity. My hope is that this translation will make it possible for more readers to follow the paths Tadjo traces, to re-examine the borders of our humanity and the stories—both personal and shared—that shape our understandings of self and other."
Rating: 4.5/5
In the end, our individual and collective lives are defined by the stories we choose or are taught to tell to ourselves about ourselves and about other people with whom we share the world, our world. And it is not just what the stories say or are intended to imply, but what we choose to make of them. Stories do not tell just one thing to all people or even to the same people every time they are told. What the stories mean to us depends to a large extent on our human capacity to embrace values or the truth encoded in them, however unpleasant. And there is never just one story, either. Nor only one truth. No matter how useful we find a particular story at a particular time in our lives, we must acknowledge the possible existence of other stories, each with its own implied truth, some of which may compete with our favourite story, and the truth as we conceive it. We must acknowledge that each story, each truth, including our favourite one, has the potential to make or unmake our world.
secretbookcase's review against another edition
dark
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Partant de la legende de la Reine Pokou, mythe fondateur des Baoule en Cote d'Ivoire , Veronique Tadjo reimagine plusieurs versions de cette histoire afin d'apprehender comment une mere en vient a sacrifier son enfant unique. Elle relie egalement ces histoires a la violence politique recente en Cote d'Ivoire et la question de l'ivoirite. Un petit livre a savourer tant pour son ecriture poetique que pour la reflexion qu'elle propose sur la violence at l'identite.
ninachachu's review
3.0
Deceptively short this book, and it isn't really a novel, but rather different stories about the sacrifice of Queen Pokou, the legendary founder of the Baoule state in present day Cote d'Ivoire/Ivory Coast. Basically there are several stories, with different emphases. Quick reads, but deeper than one initially thinks.