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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I probably went into this book with the wrong mindset.
Wildly praised, on the list of -100 best English-language novels of the 20th century, I expected greatness.
I did not get it.
I thought the book was slow and somewhat rambling.
I was constantly putting it down. If I had it in me to stop reading a book, this might have been one I abandoned.
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Although this is unlike most other books I’ve read (besides Heart of Darkness), I mostly just thought it was fine. I think because a lot of what happened was either in the narrator’s head or “offstage.” But if you’re interested in reading about African colonialism, this is a relatively short book, and it’s also considered one of the best books of the 20th century.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I do think it is a very well written book, and I disagree with the characterization from other reviews that this book is racist / misguided for its treatment of Africa. I think it does well to depict the horrors of post-colonial destabilization and political unrest, and this does not have to be an indictment of the African people.
The reason for my rating is in fact its representation of women, and specifically how casually abuse of women is glossed over. I don’t mind reading about (criminally) flawed characters, as long as the author depicts them as such. But reading more about Naipaul, he finds no problem with the physical and psychological abuse of women. And so in good faith I can recommend this book to nobody.
The reason for my rating is in fact its representation of women, and specifically how casually abuse of women is glossed over. I don’t mind reading about (criminally) flawed characters, as long as the author depicts them as such. But reading more about Naipaul, he finds no problem with the physical and psychological abuse of women. And so in good faith I can recommend this book to nobody.
I seem to have a Principal Agent problem with this book. It's beautiful prose excels at presenting facets of the newly decolonized African life as clean insights without judgement. Everything appears as is, which would lead one to believe in the superficiality and the doom of the African civilization presented throughout. Naipaul talks broad-brushedly about the nature of a people in the worldly manner of a politically incorrect grandpa, which makes you wonder if a writer should indeed be politically incorrect if the alternative is to sacrifice the truth. But on the other hand, not having lived in those places, that truth itself seems to be a big question. My liberal heart doesn't allow me to easily accept the condemnation of a whole set of people specially one as historically maligned as the Africans, but not knowing anything personally, it also seems wrong to mistrust a guy who has actually traveled far more and lived far more than I who has lived only vicariously through books and movies. A thing in favor of Naipaul here is that the lives of his characters form an organic argument for his beliefs. The setting of the town in flux, in a country in flux, trying to define itself in this new world makes the protagonist (who is purposefully passive) drift in a path, the contour of which illustrates the African situation beautifully; so beautifully that it starts to seem real. Here lies the folly of fiction, it's incredibly difficult to fact check. I still feel that fiction has the capacity for greater truths than non-fiction, owing to the constraints imposed by non-fiction's reality, but to verify the truth I think there's only one thing to do: I need to travel
Anyway, I realize that this review became an aside into my recent thoughts on the nature of fiction itself and less on this specific book, but at this point in my reading journey it does seem correct to reflect on the exercise as a whole
Anyway, I realize that this review became an aside into my recent thoughts on the nature of fiction itself and less on this specific book, but at this point in my reading journey it does seem correct to reflect on the exercise as a whole
My one word review would be - meh. I felt that the book had interesting ideas and I was excited for them to be expanded upon as I haven't ready too many books set in this region in this time period. But everytime we hit something that seemed like it would be worth diving into, the book just turned to another direction.
I was also jarred by the casual domestic violence thrown in there and never mentioned or penalized or even talked about.
I'd say this had potential but was unable to build on it.
I was also jarred by the casual domestic violence thrown in there and never mentioned or penalized or even talked about.
I'd say this had potential but was unable to build on it.
reflective
tense
medium-paced