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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
An honest assessment of a religion-based family life and a scientific rational mind. I was inspired by her faith and I think it is helping me with mine. The sadness of her and her mother's loss of their brother/son struck home as well.
Yaa Gyasi may be the greatest writer of my generation.
This book is going to stay with me for a very long time. I'm astonished at the range of Gyasi's writing -- Homegoing and Transcendent Kingdom are two entirely different novels, yet both left me reeling and thinking "how in the world did she pull this off?"
And pull this off she did.
I can't find the words to describe how much I loved Transcendent Kingdom. How, in a mere 264 pages, she managed to create such vibrant, real characters and tell their story of love, family, addiction, depression, immigration, racism/growing up in the evangelical deep south, grief, and generational trauma is beyond me. I was stunned at how many powerful themes (especially losing faith and coming to reconcile with a faith of your own) she effortlessly wove into Gifty's voice and life.
This book is going to stay with me for a very long time. I'm astonished at the range of Gyasi's writing -- Homegoing and Transcendent Kingdom are two entirely different novels, yet both left me reeling and thinking "how in the world did she pull this off?"
And pull this off she did.
I can't find the words to describe how much I loved Transcendent Kingdom. How, in a mere 264 pages, she managed to create such vibrant, real characters and tell their story of love, family, addiction, depression, immigration, racism/growing up in the evangelical deep south, grief, and generational trauma is beyond me. I was stunned at how many powerful themes (especially losing faith and coming to reconcile with a faith of your own) she effortlessly wove into Gifty's voice and life.
There isn't a lot that happens in this novel, the beauty is in the questions the main character Gifty is grappling with, and her struggle reconciling her faith with both the tragedies she's experienced and her neuroscience research. What I appreciated about this was that the author doesn't end up with a solid answer, the point of it is the question itself.
There were a few moments where non-religious characters mock Gifty for her beliefs in a very contrived way that took me out of the story. While Yas Gyasi doesn't make them caricatures necessarily, it still took me out if the story and could have been handled better. Overall, though, I thought the book was an interesting perspective on the intersection of spirituality and Scott l science that many people have to face.
There were a few moments where non-religious characters mock Gifty for her beliefs in a very contrived way that took me out of the story. While Yas Gyasi doesn't make them caricatures necessarily, it still took me out if the story and could have been handled better. Overall, though, I thought the book was an interesting perspective on the intersection of spirituality and Scott l science that many people have to face.
I was so excited to get my hands on Yaa Gyasi's second book, and truly, "Transcendent Kingdom" didn't disappoint in any way! The narrative, centred around sad topics like addiction and depression, is deeply engaging. I like how the main characters' research and family matters are intertwined and that the reader learns a lot about both topics as the story continues. In addition to beautifully crafted sentences, this mix of topics made the book such a compelling read for me.
Gyasi is a beautiful writer. No doubt about it. I loved Homegoing, but when I finished this novel, I felt like something was missing. She discusses heavy topics such as grief, addiction, mental illness, religion, science, and being the daughter of immigrant parents.
I think the issue for me was that she tried to incorporate too much into the novel. Like, she tried to do too much and the stylistic devices weren’t executed well. I would’ve loved if the story was told in a more chronological order instead of what felt like vignettes. I wanted to know more about Gifty. She was distant with the people in her life, but I wish that as a reader I got to know her more.
There were definitely beautiful parts of this novel, but I really expected more.
I think the issue for me was that she tried to incorporate too much into the novel. Like, she tried to do too much and the stylistic devices weren’t executed well. I would’ve loved if the story was told in a more chronological order instead of what felt like vignettes. I wanted to know more about Gifty. She was distant with the people in her life, but I wish that as a reader I got to know her more.
There were definitely beautiful parts of this novel, but I really expected more.
I absolutely LOVED Home Going but with this one I never got fully invested in this story.
I get the juxtaposition created between religion and science, between the mental anguish suffered by the Gifty’s brother and mother vs her desire to use science logic to make sense of everything, but I found the backdrop of trauma and depression a slog to get through after a while.
I will definitely read more by this author as she is clearly a strong writer, but this one didn’t work well for me.
I get the juxtaposition created between religion and science, between the mental anguish suffered by the Gifty’s brother and mother vs her desire to use science logic to make sense of everything, but I found the backdrop of trauma and depression a slog to get through after a while.
I will definitely read more by this author as she is clearly a strong writer, but this one didn’t work well for me.
4.5 - This book was so beautifully written. I absolutely loved the woven narrative, and it really felt like we got to know Gifty and be in her world and her mind while reading this. The switching between the journal, memories of childhood, memories of college, and present day were just so well done and effortless and really added a lot to the narrative. This book was also heartbreaking and really really sad, covering topics like addiction, depression, suicide, guilt, shame, racism, challenges of religion, and it really made you feel a lot. I gave it 4.5 instead of 5 because the ended just fell a little flat for me. I wish there was more, it felt like at all came together with a bow and that felt very sudden. I wasn't ready for it to end, and I don't think the book was ready for it to end. But again Gyasi truly delivers in her second novel, and I just loved the way it was written and how we got to uncover more and more of Gifty as the book went on and got this peek into her soul and her pain, which she holds so near to herself and doesn't share with others. It felt like a privilege to read this book.
Heartbreaking and wonderful. A terrific follow up to Homegoing.
One of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. Gifty’s narration and her experience with religion, grief and guilt is so humane and profound. Her descriptions of her brother and his addiction had me weeping. I wept and I have not wept to a book in years.