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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
I strongly disliked this book after the first chapter and hated it by the start of the third story. Port considers himself a "traveller" rather than a tourist. This is just snobbishness on his part because he rarely leaves his hotel and then only to visit brothels (despite the fact his wife is with him). The first two thirds of this book consist of all the white characters moaning about and criticising the "natives" as well as almost every other nationality they come into contact with. They never actually bother to talk to the "natives" other than to give them orders or have sex with them.
Fortunately Port dies in the second story. But the novel was never really about him. It was about his pathetic wife Kit who has so little personality and character she might as well be a shop mannequin. She just attaches herself to the nearest male available, has sex with him and hopes he'll make decisions so she can continue being a doormat.
I found the rape scene(s) quite hard to digest. I suppose it could be seen as a metaphor of white colonists coming to Africa and raping the continent of its resources, languages, cultures, traditions, etc, but really it was mindblowingly unbelievable that a woman could be so indifferent to rape and not even consider it such. All the flowery romantic language in the world can't disguise the fact that it is rape, plain and simple.
I suppose she went crazy because her husband died (not that she seemed very fond of him anyway) and it meant that suddenly she was in a position of having to make decisions herself which she just doesn't do. I really don't know why she didn't just run into the welcoming arms of Tunner who was far too willing to take her on and make all her decisions for her. I haven't been so infuriated by a female character in a long time.
If you like healthy doses of racism and misogyny thrown in with pseudointellectual philosophy by insufferable, ignorant westerners, help yourself.
Fortunately Port dies in the second story. But the novel was never really about him. It was about his pathetic wife Kit who has so little personality and character she might as well be a shop mannequin. She just attaches herself to the nearest male available, has sex with him and hopes he'll make decisions so she can continue being a doormat.
I found the rape scene(s) quite hard to digest. I suppose it could be seen as a metaphor of white colonists coming to Africa and raping the continent of its resources, languages, cultures, traditions, etc, but really it was mindblowingly unbelievable that a woman could be so indifferent to rape and not even consider it such. All the flowery romantic language in the world can't disguise the fact that it is rape, plain and simple.
I suppose she went crazy because her husband died (not that she seemed very fond of him anyway) and it meant that suddenly she was in a position of having to make decisions herself which she just doesn't do. I really don't know why she didn't just run into the welcoming arms of Tunner who was far too willing to take her on and make all her decisions for her. I haven't been so infuriated by a female character in a long time.
If you like healthy doses of racism and misogyny thrown in with pseudointellectual philosophy by insufferable, ignorant westerners, help yourself.
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is pretty insane. It starts as a travel story, but it descends into absolute insanity. What happens when you die. What happens when you go insane. I'm not quite sure what I I was supposed to get out of the book. It is beautifully written, but I can't say I really liked it.
Now I know why this book is on so many top books lists. It is truly magical. Paul Bowles weaves together an indescribable sense of the power of the desert that spreads out just underneath the story line. What a master!
Ridiculous novel. Not sure why it’s considered a classic, or what it is that makes it allegedly well written. Implausible people. Unreal dialogue. The obligatory English (or Australian) villains/weirdos. And a woman who derives happiness from being raped. Complete crap with racism and misogyny thrown in for good measure.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a book. Seriously, this book was fantastic. After I got through the first few pages, I just couldn't put it down! Not a trashy novella at all; true literature at it's finest!
A favorite book of author Dawn MacKeen (Hundred Year Walk)
Grim story. Detestable characters. Superbly written.
This story was not an enjoyable one but I think that was the point. A criticism of Western expats who believe the world belongs to them and think of themselves as worldly but carry their classism and prejudice wherever they go.
The writing captures the nuances between actions, motivations and what is said or unsaid between characters. The author has great insight into how we interact with each other. An example:
Tunner was the sort of person to whom it would occur only with difficulty that he might be being used. Because he was accustomed to imposing his will without meeting opposition, he had a highly developed and very male vanity which endeared him strangely enough to almost everyone. Doubtless the principal reason why he'd been so eager to accompany Port and Kit on this trip was that, with them as with no one else, he felt a definite resistance to his unceasing attempts at moral domination at which he was forced, when with them, to work much harder thus unconsciously he was giving his personality the exercise it required.
Kit and Port, on the other hand, both resented even the reduced degree to which they responded to this somewhat obvious charm which was why neither one would admit to having encouraged him to come along with them. There was no small amount of shame involved where they were concerned since both of them were conscious of all the acting and formula following in his behavior and yet to a certain degree both were willingly ensnared by it.
This story was not an enjoyable one but I think that was the point. A criticism of Western expats who believe the world belongs to them and think of themselves as worldly but carry their classism and prejudice wherever they go.
The writing captures the nuances between actions, motivations and what is said or unsaid between characters. The author has great insight into how we interact with each other. An example:
Tunner was the sort of person to whom it would occur only with difficulty that he might be being used. Because he was accustomed to imposing his will without meeting opposition, he had a highly developed and very male vanity which endeared him strangely enough to almost everyone. Doubtless the principal reason why he'd been so eager to accompany Port and Kit on this trip was that, with them as with no one else, he felt a definite resistance to his unceasing attempts at moral domination at which he was forced, when with them, to work much harder thus unconsciously he was giving his personality the exercise it required.
Kit and Port, on the other hand, both resented even the reduced degree to which they responded to this somewhat obvious charm which was why neither one would admit to having encouraged him to come along with them. There was no small amount of shame involved where they were concerned since both of them were conscious of all the acting and formula following in his behavior and yet to a certain degree both were willingly ensnared by it.