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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
Although the writing was occasionally a little rough or awkward, by the time the book took off, it had smoothed out. Mengiste tells a very harrowing story about a family living through the Red Terror during the Ethiopian revolution. The descriptions of torture and dead bodies are not for the faint of heart (nor for those who then have vivid nightmares about what they stay up late reading).
Very interesting book...not a light read, since it involves the Ethiopian revolution of 1974 and the abuses/politics of several years after. The story revolves around one family, and the author does a great job describing the family relationships -- beautiful language, and some very lovely passages concerning the marriages of the main characters. Worth reading, definitely.
I still haven’t written about the profound effect that Anthony Bourdain has had on my life, and even in death he has been able to inspire me and push me to seek further knowledge of places that have often been just a passing set of images on a newsreel or in a movie. I recently watched his episode of Parts Unknown that was set in Ethiopia, and it dawned on me, quite embarrassingly, that my knowledge of Ethiopia is limited to Haile Selassie, famine, Live Aid, marathon runners, and amazing vegetarian food. So, the first thing I did was research contemporary Ethiopian writers and request them from the library. I am taking recommendations, so please don’t hesitate to comment below with more!
I started with Maaza Mengiste’s Beneath The Lion’s Gaze as it jumped right out at me, with it being historical fiction and based on a very dark era of Ethiopian modern history. The book is divided into three parts and is set in Addis Ababa from 1974 until the late 1970’s. Famine in the countryside and a huge divide between the rich and the poor lead to social unrest, and a violent military coup that deposes, and (possibly) kills Haile Selassie and a lot of his cabinet and followers. What follows is a terrifying military dictatorship where thousands and thousands are imprisoned, tortured, murdered, and forced to live along the rules of the Derg, a Stalinist type of military junta.
Beneath The Lion’s Gaze is the story of Hailu, a prominent surgeon, his sons Yonas and Dawit, Yonas’ wife Sara and daughter Tizita, as well as their friends, and neighbors. Dawit joins the resistance as a young and idealist student, while the rest of his family try to keep their heads down and get through life as well as they can without bringing attention to themselves. This later proves impossible for Hailu and Sara who join in the struggle in their own ways. The novel starts with Hailu’s wife dying in hospital amidst the rising unrest, and weaves family dynamics and tragedies with the state of the country through the narration of different voices.
This is historical fiction and the author mentions at the end of the novel that while some of the characters are real, most are fictional, some based on real-life figures with a lot of creative freedom. However, the brutality and absolute horrors that the regime subjected on the people of Ethiopia are entirely true, as is the work of the underground resistance depicted in the novel. Beneath The Lion’s Gaze is a beautifully written story of how a family survives under a dictatorship, and the choices one has to make to survive. I fell in love with Maaza Mengiste’s writing, and her stunning way of using imagery amidst tragedy and darkness. I’m really looking forward to reading her second novel when she finishes it.
I will be reading Dinaw Mengestu’s The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears next, and will aim for some non-fiction too. I have actually owned Abraham Verghese’s Cutting For Stone for a few years now but haven’t read it, so that one is on the list too! I just realized Ryszard Kapuscinski wrote a novel on Haile Selassie, so I shall be requesting that one too.
http://www.jadeannahughes.com/book-reviews/2018/8/24/beneath-the-lions-gaze-maaza-mengiste
I started with Maaza Mengiste’s Beneath The Lion’s Gaze as it jumped right out at me, with it being historical fiction and based on a very dark era of Ethiopian modern history. The book is divided into three parts and is set in Addis Ababa from 1974 until the late 1970’s. Famine in the countryside and a huge divide between the rich and the poor lead to social unrest, and a violent military coup that deposes, and (possibly) kills Haile Selassie and a lot of his cabinet and followers. What follows is a terrifying military dictatorship where thousands and thousands are imprisoned, tortured, murdered, and forced to live along the rules of the Derg, a Stalinist type of military junta.
Beneath The Lion’s Gaze is the story of Hailu, a prominent surgeon, his sons Yonas and Dawit, Yonas’ wife Sara and daughter Tizita, as well as their friends, and neighbors. Dawit joins the resistance as a young and idealist student, while the rest of his family try to keep their heads down and get through life as well as they can without bringing attention to themselves. This later proves impossible for Hailu and Sara who join in the struggle in their own ways. The novel starts with Hailu’s wife dying in hospital amidst the rising unrest, and weaves family dynamics and tragedies with the state of the country through the narration of different voices.
This is historical fiction and the author mentions at the end of the novel that while some of the characters are real, most are fictional, some based on real-life figures with a lot of creative freedom. However, the brutality and absolute horrors that the regime subjected on the people of Ethiopia are entirely true, as is the work of the underground resistance depicted in the novel. Beneath The Lion’s Gaze is a beautifully written story of how a family survives under a dictatorship, and the choices one has to make to survive. I fell in love with Maaza Mengiste’s writing, and her stunning way of using imagery amidst tragedy and darkness. I’m really looking forward to reading her second novel when she finishes it.
I will be reading Dinaw Mengestu’s The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears next, and will aim for some non-fiction too. I have actually owned Abraham Verghese’s Cutting For Stone for a few years now but haven’t read it, so that one is on the list too! I just realized Ryszard Kapuscinski wrote a novel on Haile Selassie, so I shall be requesting that one too.
http://www.jadeannahughes.com/book-reviews/2018/8/24/beneath-the-lions-gaze-maaza-mengiste
Mengiste's book is beautifully-written and fast paced. It started off a little slow, but I think the purpose of starting slow was to set the reader up for the dramatic events that happened later in the book. I could vividly imagine the family described in the book; defiant and young Dawit and his brother Yonas, a grieving father Hailu. Once I got hooked on this book, I could not put it down.
My favorite part of this book was how Mengiste switched point of views even within one chapter! She would start with Dawit's point of view, then switch to the Emperor's point of view. You were able to gain insight into both the Ethiopian people who were trying to fight against the government, and into the government itself.
My favorite part of this book was how Mengiste switched point of views even within one chapter! She would start with Dawit's point of view, then switch to the Emperor's point of view. You were able to gain insight into both the Ethiopian people who were trying to fight against the government, and into the government itself.
The author has made a beautiful novel out of a terrible and terrifying time in Ethiopian history. I love books with multiple perspectives, and this technique felt very appropriate to the subject matter and the broad range of characters in the story. The author even goes into the head of Emperor Haile Selassie, which was an interesting choice and overall I think contributed to the effectiveness of the narrative. That this book could include so much pain and torture and death - not easy to read - and yet still keep me turning the pages speaks to the author's empathy.
Maaza Mengiste is a fearless writer. This book is intense, powerful, and tragic. So many different people, all over the world, have experienced brutal dictatorships, and this is the story of one in Ethiopia, in the early 70s. In this novel, Haile Selassie is deposed and replaced by a military dictatorship, and in the first years of the new regime, thousands of people are arrested, tortured, murdered, or all of the above.
The novel concerns a family living in Addis Ababa - Hailu, a doctor, his wife Selam, his two grown sons, and his eldest son’s wife and daughter. Selam is very sick when the book begins, and for all his skill and dedication, Hailu can’t save her. He’s also having trouble with his youngest son, Dawit, who is involved in some dangerous political work, fighting against Haile Selassie’s dictatorship. Some of the most riveting writing in the book takes Selassie’s point of view, as we watch him lose power, at first slowly and then absolutely.
With the coup, Dawit is at first confused. But as the situation on the streets becomes more dire, it’s clear that the generals in charge are much more bloodthirsty than Selassie ever was, and so Dawit once more joins the underground.
There are so many sharply-drawn characters and amazing stories in this novel. It’s not for the faint of heart, as it’s quite violent at times - but with everything that happens, it always has the ring of truth. The writing is often beautiful, both bold and subtle.
Here are some quotes.
The first paragraph of the book:
< A thin blue vein pulsed in the collecting pool of blood where a bullet had lodged deep in the boy’s back. Hailu was sweating under the heat from the bright operating room lights. There was pressure behind his eyes. He leaned his head to one side and a nurse’s ready hand wiped sweat from his brow. He looked back at his scalpel, the shimmering blood and torn tissues, and tried to imagine the fervor that had led this boy to believe he was stronger than Emperor Haile Selassie’s highly trained police. >
This is a description of an area suffering from famine:
< Patches of brown cracked earth had been dug out of the flat dryness of the landscape. They dotted the dead land like pockmarks, craters dug by desperate hands in search of shriveled roots and insects or any stone that could sit in their mouths and remind their tongues of the weight of bread. >
< How would Emperor Haile Selassie later describe the moon that night? Voluminous, as thick as milk, a thousand melted stars that sliced the sky with razor-sharp edges. >
< The instant the officer stepped into his cell, the lights snapped on. Hailu sat up, blinking away blindness, and watched this large man come toward him. The officer approached his bed so quietly he thought for a moment that all sound had gone the way of the dark and fled with the closing door. >
< The crowd was silent, transfixed by the oily sleekness of cars sliding over the road like a single black snake. Dawit slipped behind two women and looked around. All eyes were trained on the procession, mesmerized by the regal progress of the entourage. Schoolchildren broke the silence again with a song that praised Guddu’s latest triumphs against cowardly enemies. Drumbeats drove them on, their marching strides grew wider, their arms swung with wild exuberance. And despite the words, despite the sickle-and-star flags, despite the terror resting behind every spectator’s stare, the crowd could not help swaying to the exhilarating rush of being witness to such power and force. >
The novel concerns a family living in Addis Ababa - Hailu, a doctor, his wife Selam, his two grown sons, and his eldest son’s wife and daughter. Selam is very sick when the book begins, and for all his skill and dedication, Hailu can’t save her. He’s also having trouble with his youngest son, Dawit, who is involved in some dangerous political work, fighting against Haile Selassie’s dictatorship. Some of the most riveting writing in the book takes Selassie’s point of view, as we watch him lose power, at first slowly and then absolutely.
With the coup, Dawit is at first confused. But as the situation on the streets becomes more dire, it’s clear that the generals in charge are much more bloodthirsty than Selassie ever was, and so Dawit once more joins the underground.
There are so many sharply-drawn characters and amazing stories in this novel. It’s not for the faint of heart, as it’s quite violent at times - but with everything that happens, it always has the ring of truth. The writing is often beautiful, both bold and subtle.
Here are some quotes.
The first paragraph of the book:
< A thin blue vein pulsed in the collecting pool of blood where a bullet had lodged deep in the boy’s back. Hailu was sweating under the heat from the bright operating room lights. There was pressure behind his eyes. He leaned his head to one side and a nurse’s ready hand wiped sweat from his brow. He looked back at his scalpel, the shimmering blood and torn tissues, and tried to imagine the fervor that had led this boy to believe he was stronger than Emperor Haile Selassie’s highly trained police. >
This is a description of an area suffering from famine:
< Patches of brown cracked earth had been dug out of the flat dryness of the landscape. They dotted the dead land like pockmarks, craters dug by desperate hands in search of shriveled roots and insects or any stone that could sit in their mouths and remind their tongues of the weight of bread. >
< How would Emperor Haile Selassie later describe the moon that night? Voluminous, as thick as milk, a thousand melted stars that sliced the sky with razor-sharp edges. >
< The instant the officer stepped into his cell, the lights snapped on. Hailu sat up, blinking away blindness, and watched this large man come toward him. The officer approached his bed so quietly he thought for a moment that all sound had gone the way of the dark and fled with the closing door. >
< The crowd was silent, transfixed by the oily sleekness of cars sliding over the road like a single black snake. Dawit slipped behind two women and looked around. All eyes were trained on the procession, mesmerized by the regal progress of the entourage. Schoolchildren broke the silence again with a song that praised Guddu’s latest triumphs against cowardly enemies. Drumbeats drove them on, their marching strides grew wider, their arms swung with wild exuberance. And despite the words, despite the sickle-and-star flags, despite the terror resting behind every spectator’s stare, the crowd could not help swaying to the exhilarating rush of being witness to such power and force. >
Beneath the Lion's Gaze is the story of the Ethiopian Revolution in the mid 1970s, from the point of view of multiple characters. It opens with a doctor operating on another gunshot victim, while reflecting on his youngest son's involvement in the war, and his wife, dying of cancer in the same hospital. The son gets caught up in the resistance, and the doctor euthanizes a torture victim of the regime.
It took me a long time to get into this book; I picked it up and read about 20 pages of and put down, and tried to go back to it, twice, before slogging through it. I did think Mengiste was able to convey the political situation without a lot of long involved history, and there were certainly many exciting moments, but on the whole I was bored. And then, about halfway through, I was very worried for the characters and found myself genuinely caring for Dawit. The torture scenes were hard to read. I liked the twist on the significance of the girl Hailu euthanizes (this is defined as a key plot point on the book jacket, so I don't think it's a spoiler). In fact, I was surprised that this even, foreshadowed on the jacket, took so long to get to (2/3 of the book!).
The writing in Beneath the Lion's Gaze is superb but it's not an easily accessible novel. I especially loved the transitions in early chapters that introduced the characters, and again around chapter 20, when chapter 19 ends with a mention of pebbles, and chapter 20 opens with pebbles. The motifs (pebbles are only one; the heart, old tough trees, and themes of family and fluidity/flexibility are others) and the symbolism are masterful. Beneath the Lion's Gaze is not consistently engaging, although the characters are relatable, specifically, the young person who is caught up in fighting for what he believes, and the friendship between two boys, one who goes to soldier and another who joins the resistance.
Certainly, the issue of euthanasia is a meaty topic for discussion; Beneath the Lion's Gaze has potential for book club discussion.
It took me a long time to get into this book; I picked it up and read about 20 pages of and put down, and tried to go back to it, twice, before slogging through it. I did think Mengiste was able to convey the political situation without a lot of long involved history, and there were certainly many exciting moments, but on the whole I was bored. And then, about halfway through, I was very worried for the characters and found myself genuinely caring for Dawit. The torture scenes were hard to read. I liked the twist on the significance of the girl Hailu euthanizes (this is defined as a key plot point on the book jacket, so I don't think it's a spoiler). In fact, I was surprised that this even, foreshadowed on the jacket, took so long to get to (2/3 of the book!).
The writing in Beneath the Lion's Gaze is superb but it's not an easily accessible novel. I especially loved the transitions in early chapters that introduced the characters, and again around chapter 20, when chapter 19 ends with a mention of pebbles, and chapter 20 opens with pebbles. The motifs (pebbles are only one; the heart, old tough trees, and themes of family and fluidity/flexibility are others) and the symbolism are masterful. Beneath the Lion's Gaze is not consistently engaging, although the characters are relatable, specifically, the young person who is caught up in fighting for what he believes, and the friendship between two boys, one who goes to soldier and another who joins the resistance.
Certainly, the issue of euthanasia is a meaty topic for discussion; Beneath the Lion's Gaze has potential for book club discussion.
My understanding of the wars in Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia has been limited to what I have heard from refugees to Minnesota. If pressed I could have imagined something sort of like this story but this beautiful book helped me understand the confusion, sadness and fear that must have been experienced by those living in the beginning of the revolution in Ethiopia.
Through the eyes of these characters we see the slow but crushing breakdown of a society that makes sense to those living it. We see the driving forces of fear, hunger and power and we see the impact of courage and dignity.
Through the power of the writing I came to love each of these characters with their fears and flaws and hopes. The descriptions were so extraordinary that at times I felt like I was standing in a crowded, dusty market or on a hillside at dusk. The cadence of the story felt like poetry.
We know what happened in Ethiopia in the 1970s so I knew not to expect a happy ending. But it does end with a sense of bittersweet hope that these characters will find some peace.
I look forward to reading more by Maaza Mengiste.
Through the eyes of these characters we see the slow but crushing breakdown of a society that makes sense to those living it. We see the driving forces of fear, hunger and power and we see the impact of courage and dignity.
Through the power of the writing I came to love each of these characters with their fears and flaws and hopes. The descriptions were so extraordinary that at times I felt like I was standing in a crowded, dusty market or on a hillside at dusk. The cadence of the story felt like poetry.
We know what happened in Ethiopia in the 1970s so I knew not to expect a happy ending. But it does end with a sense of bittersweet hope that these characters will find some peace.
I look forward to reading more by Maaza Mengiste.
One of my favorite books of all time. The colonial (or lack thereof) history of Ethiopia is so fascinating, and this work deftly explained the context while also breathing so much life into it. I hadn't been expecting that much from this book for some reason but was totally blown away.