Reviews

Petals of Blood by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o

cameron_cassidy's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

youngblackademic98's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

mokey4's review against another edition

3.0

The most telling thing I can say about this book is that I was within 20 pages of the end and I was hungry so I got up to make myself a sandwich, and didn't finish the book until later that night.

The pace of this book is slow. It has about 4 climaxes. It never really drew me in. But it has some great moments, and some interesting lessons. I see the four main characters as symbols of the four post-colonial African peasant archetypes. The prostitute, the merchant/beggar, the socialist/revolutionary, and the evangelical Christian. There are also elites in this book, but you don't ever get to know them- they are always evil, and you know from the beginning that they will burn to death in the end. The interesting thing about the four main characters is that you can see them evolve into their archetypes over time, and how their relationships with each other develop and fall apart. They aren't born into their archetypes, but circumstances and temperament lead them that way. I wish it were done in a more engrossing way.

I'm glad that I read this book. I'm sad to say it took me 5 months to do that. I'm not really a slow reader. It was too easy to put aside for months at a time. Now I wonder why I loved this book when I read it for a grad school class 4 years ago- it must have been a welcome vacation from reading straight political theory.

I would give it 2 1/2 stars, if possible.

UPDATE: 7 years after reading this book, I'm still haunted by it and think about reading another book by Ngugi wa Thiongo. I really enjoyed his prose and characters, but the pacing and the lack of coherent narrative killed it for me.

miller_k_e_'s review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-paced

4.0

sweetsimplenothing's review against another edition

adventurous challenging informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

hbelle01's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

davscomur's review against another edition

This is so boring. 

msgtdameron's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

This is a fantastic read.  The preface says that by the end you won't care who killed the three industrialists, and that is very true.  Our main characters are: Munira. School Teacher in Ilmorog Kenya, Karega, also a school teacher in Ilmorog, but also an activist, possibly communist, I think more Socialist Democrat, Abdulla, shop keeper, donkey owner, and former independence fighter, and Wanja, rabble rouser, bar maid, prostitute, and multiple legitimate and shady business owner by the works end.  We start with the murder of three industrialists, Kimeria, traitor to the independence movement, peddler of flesh, Wanja's rapist, and favorite of those who took over from the English, Chui, headmaster of a leading private secondary school, Solicits Wanja on a regular basis, Went to school with Munira, but acts as if they didn't, leading industrialist in post colonial Kenya, and betrayed the movement for independence that he lead in school, and Mzigo: industrialist, classmate of Karega, but again betrayed the school strike and sided with the British.  All three will die in a fire in Wanja's brothel.  The work is a 15 year retrospect on all the things that happened to the four protagonists since they arrived  in Ilmorog 15 years ago and how their actions over thees 15 year led to this one night and the murders.  If you remove the word Kenya from this work it is a potential story from the future of the U.S. if we fall under the fascist GOP.  I can also see the 3.75 Goodreads rating.  No one wants to look at themselves and this work will make you look into the evil parts of ones soul and this work makes you look, no matter race, gender, or politics.

caitlinvmcc's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

tshego's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0