Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
This first book by Ngugi wa Thiong’o doesn’t match the power of his later, longer works, Petals of Blood and Grains of Wheat. But it is a very compelling read and presents some very complex questions about how a community responds to the devastation brought by colonialism. He makes a clear and urgent argument for the importance of holding to traditions that give people a sense of identity and meaning while questioning the role of Eurocentric education. (Can it be both the disease and the cure?) Waiyaki is a fascinating character as the person trying to free his people through education, while blinded to it’s limits. This was a fascinating back-to-back read with Scholastique Mukasonga’s Kibogo. While written decades apart and in different countries, both explore what happens to a people when a colonizer’s religion is forced on them and tries to eradicate their own stories, beliefs and traditions.
challenging
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
While this was not my favorite Ngũgĩ book (I loved [b:Wizard of the Crow|57485|Wizard of the Crow|Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1421903577s/57485.jpg|848502] and [b:Minutes of Glory: And Other Stories|42412085|Minutes of Glory And Other Stories|Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1540181711s/42412085.jpg|55505788]), it was still a fascinating exploration of the tension between Christianity and local traditions during colonial times in Kenya. I liked the characters and enjoyed reading the book, but it wasn't anything special that I would be likely to recommend.
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Missionaries, fortold as people with clothes like butterflies, come to Kenya and set up a missionary school at Siriana. Chege, a tribal seer, sends his son, Waiyaki, to learn at the school but warns him not to adopt their ways, to be true to the tribe. When he returns to the tribe, because his father is ill, Waiyaki determines to open a school and teach everyone who wants to learn. Opposing his efforts is Joshua, who preaches Christianity and an end to tribal customs, specifically the practice of circumcision, and Kabonyi, who fights for tribal purity and an end to the encroachment by settlers on their ancestral territory.
This is a story of star-crossed lovers set against the backdrop of the colonization effort in Kenya. As a woman, reading this book, I can't help but notice that women have (literally) no voice in the life of the tribe; in fact, they have little to say throughout the book. Instead, the women of the tribe accept this horrific practice of female circumcision as a rite that initiates them into womanhood.
The writing is simplistic and the dialog is ... wooden at best. And yet, I was drawn into the story and the struggles of the Gikuyu people against the forces that are tearing apart their peaceful life. And I worried for them and isn't that what makes a book successful -- it opened my eyes to their struggles and engaged me emotionally.
For the record, I checked: The Gikuyu eventually became the driving force of Kenyan nationalism and the anti-colonial movement in the mid-20th century, particularly the Mau Mau uprising. Today, the Gikuyu make up some 20% of the population of Kenya where they are the largest ethnic group.
This is a story of star-crossed lovers set against the backdrop of the colonization effort in Kenya. As a woman, reading this book, I can't help but notice that women have (literally) no voice in the life of the tribe; in fact, they have little to say throughout the book. Instead, the women of the tribe accept this horrific practice of female circumcision as a rite that initiates them into womanhood.
The writing is simplistic and the dialog is ... wooden at best. And yet, I was drawn into the story and the struggles of the Gikuyu people against the forces that are tearing apart their peaceful life. And I worried for them and isn't that what makes a book successful -- it opened my eyes to their struggles and engaged me emotionally.
For the record, I checked: The Gikuyu eventually became the driving force of Kenyan nationalism and the anti-colonial movement in the mid-20th century, particularly the Mau Mau uprising. Today, the Gikuyu make up some 20% of the population of Kenya where they are the largest ethnic group.
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Poorly written and very heavy-handed. This is a story of traditional culture vs. colonial Christianity, from the male perspective. Female genital mutilation is presented as a source of conflict - some see it as a valuable cultural practice, and others see it as anti-Christian. There is no examination of the violence it forces upon young women, of the lack of bodily autonomy it creates. The book firmly, unquestioningly places women as second class citizens. An unpleasant read.
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
challenging
dark
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:
No