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3.36 AVERAGE
3.36 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
Woah, what an intense, memorable journey through a very much not-yet-represented type of life! Tsitsi can really make you feel like another human, and the confrontational “You” format actually manages to fully creep into your soul… If you’re ready :)
Being written in the second person you had to take a little time to get used to the writing style. You felt more comfortable after 40 pages or so. Set in post colonial, post war Zimbabwe you find the female narrator facing incredible challenges and the hyenas constantly laughing (madness lurks). Contrary to many reviews you didn’t find it necessary to read the previous novels, you find it works quite well if you read between the lines, although you are sure you will likely read those previous novels at a later date.
It can be a bit challenging to read but not overwhelming. Also the reader will not find the main character likable in the traditional sense. But again you have to read between the lines and imagine why the character is as she is. I found myself compelled throughout and learning about a culture very different from my own.
It can be a bit challenging to read but not overwhelming. Also the reader will not find the main character likable in the traditional sense. But again you have to read between the lines and imagine why the character is as she is. I found myself compelled throughout and learning about a culture very different from my own.
Cuốn thứ 5 trong list Booker 2020. Điều thích nhất ở This Mournable Body là không khí huyễn hoặc và cách kể chuyện tuyến tính của Tsitsi. Không khí ngột ngạt của cuốn sách này dễ gợi liên tưởng tới Milkman của Anna Burns. Nhưng nếu Milkman bị nhược điểm ở bối cảnh gò bó, khiến Anna như mụ già loạn trí kể những chuyện cũ rích, cứ vài ba câu lại lặp lại một chi tiết; thì Tsitsi với dụng ý không cố tạo ra điều gì lớn lao, thể hiện một Zimbabwe đầy rẫy nghèo đói qua cuộc đời của một người đàn bà thất bại.
Cách viết của Tsitsi dễ nằm ở 2 khía cạnh: hoặc rất thích hoặc không thích. Tsitsi không tạo một cao trào nào cả. Cả tiểu thuyết này nếu nói không có nút thắt thì không đúng, nó có rất nhiều và nằm rải rác, nhưng Tsitsi khinh thường nhịp điệu. Bà không mào đầu cũng không câu dẫn. Cứ thế gọn ơ câu trước câu sau là xong câu chuyện. Còn người đọc vẫn ngơ ngác, ơ wtf, điều gì vừa xảy ra.
Đọc những bài giới thiệu mới biết đây thật ra là cuốn cuối của Nervous Trilogy, nhưng nếu tách riêng chỉ một cuốn cũng không quá khó hiểu. The Mournable Body thật sự là phiên bản tỉnh trí của Milkman, khắc phục được cái cục bộ, mở ra được không gian lớn; từ chính trị - hành chính công - sinh thái - phụ nữ - giáo dục - cộng hưởng văn hóa - nghèo nàn - xung đột văn hóa -thành thị nông thôn - đói nghèo... Tất cả tụ họp vào đây là nên 1 khoảng không dày đặc nhưng dễ chịu trong màu sắc lạnh tanh.
Điều không thích ở The Mournable Body cũng là cái kết. Giá như Tsitsi để nó mở, sẽ là một hướng rộng ra hơn. Nhưng khi idol Doris Lessing khen thì Tsitsi Dangarembga cũng không phải là tay vừa. Rất có thể chiến thắng.
Cách viết của Tsitsi dễ nằm ở 2 khía cạnh: hoặc rất thích hoặc không thích. Tsitsi không tạo một cao trào nào cả. Cả tiểu thuyết này nếu nói không có nút thắt thì không đúng, nó có rất nhiều và nằm rải rác, nhưng Tsitsi khinh thường nhịp điệu. Bà không mào đầu cũng không câu dẫn. Cứ thế gọn ơ câu trước câu sau là xong câu chuyện. Còn người đọc vẫn ngơ ngác, ơ wtf, điều gì vừa xảy ra.
Đọc những bài giới thiệu mới biết đây thật ra là cuốn cuối của Nervous Trilogy, nhưng nếu tách riêng chỉ một cuốn cũng không quá khó hiểu. The Mournable Body thật sự là phiên bản tỉnh trí của Milkman, khắc phục được cái cục bộ, mở ra được không gian lớn; từ chính trị - hành chính công - sinh thái - phụ nữ - giáo dục - cộng hưởng văn hóa - nghèo nàn - xung đột văn hóa -thành thị nông thôn - đói nghèo... Tất cả tụ họp vào đây là nên 1 khoảng không dày đặc nhưng dễ chịu trong màu sắc lạnh tanh.
Điều không thích ở The Mournable Body cũng là cái kết. Giá như Tsitsi để nó mở, sẽ là một hướng rộng ra hơn. Nhưng khi idol Doris Lessing khen thì Tsitsi Dangarembga cũng không phải là tay vừa. Rất có thể chiến thắng.
This was a tough book to get through. The culturally different voice was often hard to follow for me but very interesting to experience. The trauma experienced by the people of Zimbabwe and how it affects their lives was so upsetting but important to know.
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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:
No
This book has so much unrealized potential, but unfortunately falls way short of what I expect in a good novel. The themes are interesting. Tambu was very successful academically in her youth through hard work, but in the real world, she seems unable to grab a foothold on the ladder of success. She is wildly jealous of those who have been able to amass anything approaching material success. In Zimbabwe, the poverty, the lack of respect for women, the corruption, the unenforceable property rights all make it hard for a woman to make her way in the world, and all of this is elucidated during the course of the story.
Unfortunately, it is told in a way that is so boring and unnecessarily obtuse. I did not read the two prior books in the trilogy, and I do think that might have made a big difference because perhaps I would have had passing familiarity with the characters beyond the protagonist. But since I didn’t, they all just seemed like a stream of names. Some of them had multiple names and were referred to differently from time to time. Others were referred to as her mother’s uncle’s sister’s son (okay, not really, but that represents how confusing it all was in terms of who was related to whom and how they were interrelated). If I have to spend this much time just figuring out what is going on, it is very, very hard to get lost in the storytelling.
Many people will dislike the fact that the book is written in the second person POV, but I actually liked that element and thought it was well done. It’s almost like we were inside Tambu’s mind as she scolds herself for her many failures. In addition, there were actually some descriptive passages that were beautifully written, but sadly there weren’t many of them. I wanted to see more of that author and less of the one struggling to move her character to the finish line.
Bottom line, this book didn’t get interesting until the last 20% when I finally understood where the author was going and why. The first 80% is such a slog that honestly in no way was the journey made worthwhile by the payoff.
Writing quality: 3/5
Originality: 4/5
Character development: 2/4
Plot development: 1/4
Overall enjoyment: 0/2
Total: 10/20
Unfortunately, it is told in a way that is so boring and unnecessarily obtuse. I did not read the two prior books in the trilogy, and I do think that might have made a big difference because perhaps I would have had passing familiarity with the characters beyond the protagonist. But since I didn’t, they all just seemed like a stream of names. Some of them had multiple names and were referred to differently from time to time. Others were referred to as her mother’s uncle’s sister’s son (okay, not really, but that represents how confusing it all was in terms of who was related to whom and how they were interrelated). If I have to spend this much time just figuring out what is going on, it is very, very hard to get lost in the storytelling.
Many people will dislike the fact that the book is written in the second person POV, but I actually liked that element and thought it was well done. It’s almost like we were inside Tambu’s mind as she scolds herself for her many failures. In addition, there were actually some descriptive passages that were beautifully written, but sadly there weren’t many of them. I wanted to see more of that author and less of the one struggling to move her character to the finish line.
Bottom line, this book didn’t get interesting until the last 20% when I finally understood where the author was going and why. The first 80% is such a slog that honestly in no way was the journey made worthwhile by the payoff.
Writing quality: 3/5
Originality: 4/5
Character development: 2/4
Plot development: 1/4
Overall enjoyment: 0/2
Total: 10/20