You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born is a satirical look at immediate post independence Ghana under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah via the experiences of the unnamed narrator, a railway clerk who struggles to maintain his integrity and avoid the lure of corruption. It’s not an optimistic or feel good read. The promise of independence was not realised, with leaders seemingly more interested in accessing western consumer goods than working to improve the lives of ordinary Ghanaians. Neocolonialism was not much of an improvement over actual colonial rule. The author’s use of excrement as a not-so-subtle metaphor for post-colonial Ghana didn’t necessarily make for the most pleasant reading experience, but it certainly was effective. For readers who have little knowledge of Ghanaian history a quick crash course via Wikipedia will help you get more out of this book.
Content Warnings
Minor: Colonisation
This is one of the best books I have ever read, by any author from any place. I tried to read it while I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana but could not force my way through it- I needed escapism, and the book was too close to my then-present situation (though the economic & political atmosphere had certainly improved in Ghana by the time I was there, in 1997-1999). I picked it up again a few years after my return to the US and it resonated deeply with me and my experience of Ghana.
This book offers an accurate portrayal of Ghana in the 1960s (I think), post-Nkrumah optimism. I tried reading this book when I was in Ghana but it was too depressing, so I read it a few years later and found it utterly amazing. The language is great, the story riveting. Perhaps more so if you've spent time in Ghana.
On one level I have read this character and this life before: a man alienated from his work in a bureaucratic system, lowkey hates his wife and kids/all women, "neutral"/passive personality used as a reference to more clearly see the weirdness of his society. But in this book I felt a genuine vigor and desire for change that I've never seen in anything else like this.
The language is fantastic. I'm thinking of the wood bannister, the stairs into the sea, and the wee scene.
Just 5 minutes of reading historical context completely changed the novel for me, so if you know very little about Ghana, Ghanaian independence or Nkrumah and his hopes for the nation (as I did) you should definitely read up.
All the reviews that say that they "couldn't get through it" are lame, because the book is beautiful and holds so much to think about. This guy is the only flaneur I've felt has a real motivation to be doing what he's doing. Lol.
The language is fantastic. I'm thinking of the wood bannister, the stairs into the sea, and the wee scene.
Just 5 minutes of reading historical context completely changed the novel for me, so if you know very little about Ghana, Ghanaian independence or Nkrumah and his hopes for the nation (as I did) you should definitely read up.
All the reviews that say that they "couldn't get through it" are lame, because the book is beautiful and holds so much to think about. This guy is the only flaneur I've felt has a real motivation to be doing what he's doing. Lol.
This book was too frustrating by half. I hated his writing. I understand that he wrote like that to convey how depressing and alienating post-independence Ghana was like but I still didn't appreciate it. He uses the passive voice like a weapon, describes the most mundane of objects tediously. There is little to his internal thoughts, and I cannot say I knew him at all by the halfway mark. The only sighs of relief I got as when I came across dialogue but even that was scattered so few and far in between that I had to put it down. I don't even remember anything of the "plot" because this was 3 years ago but my god... my frustration is still nevertheless there.
After a lyrical and symbolic first third, the rest of the novel was more plot-driven and on-the-nose. Still an effective message.
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
i remember being a little exhausted by the narrative around page 40 or so but very glad i kept reading; this book is up there with the likes of Things Fall Apart