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3.36 AVERAGE
3.36 AVERAGE
I've always been a fan of an unlikable woman protagonist. Tambu is a complex woman, who aspires for a better life while also thinking herself above all of it. She conspires and connives, in a country wracked by violence and colonial reckoning, where everyone seems to conspire and connive. The compelling narrative style keeps the story moving forward with the same velocity as Tambu's erratic decisions.
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I enjoyed this - I really just wanted to see my girl Tambudzai to win ๐ญ๐ญ
The real danger is white people.
Southern African white people are so messy. ๐๐๐
I think this is the first book Iโve read that is set in Zimbabwe and Iโm sad it took me so long. I really enjoyed this and the writing was emotive but also reflective of how emotionally removed Tambudzai seems from her circumstances and the things she is facing. Thereโs so much! I totally get it. So so good.
The real danger is white people.
Southern African white people are so messy. ๐๐๐
I think this is the first book Iโve read that is set in Zimbabwe and Iโm sad it took me so long. I really enjoyed this and the writing was emotive but also reflective of how emotionally removed Tambudzai seems from her circumstances and the things she is facing. Thereโs so much! I totally get it. So so good.
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This amazing conclusion to this heartbreaking series. Colonialism, patriarchy are so terrible.
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Colonisation, Classism
This is my first book by this author. I love how she captures the despair and desperation of the main character. You pretty much feel that same way. It's well-written but it did make me want to read something sunny and fun.
THIS MOURNABLE BODY by Tsitsi Dangarembga is the closing novel in her trilogy about Tambu, now a young woman living in Zimbabwe and trying to make her way in a challenging world. While NERVOUS CONDITIONS covered Tambu's childhood and A BOOK OF NOT focused on her adolescence, THIS MOURNABLE BODY picks up where A BOOK OF NOT leaves off, after Tambu quits the advertising agency where she was being mistreated and has to find a new job in a sluggish economy.
I have to be up front: this was my least favorite of the trilogy. Even though it managed to be shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize, I found it a slog to read for several reasons. First, it's told entirely in the second person, which felt odd, especially since the first two novels were written in the first person. I never felt attached to Tambu the way I did in the first two books. Second, the plot is muddled. There are long stretches of the book where not very much happens, it's unclear why Dangarembga selected the plot points that she did, and the writing isn't quite enough to carry the day. (Her writing really impressed me in the first two novels, so not sure why the sudden change!)
Lastly, while the prior two books contained some searing revelations about daily life in Zimbabwe, THIS MOURNABLE BODY felt muted throughout. This may have been due to Tambu's depression, which appropriately casts a lethargic pall over the whole story, but by the end of the book, I didn't feel like I left with much more than I started.
I still highly recommend the first two books, and this third book makes a good pairing with GLORY (NoViolet Bulawayo). Readers who appreciate unreliable narrators, flawed characters, and oblique / psychological narration will enjoy this one.
I have to be up front: this was my least favorite of the trilogy. Even though it managed to be shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize, I found it a slog to read for several reasons. First, it's told entirely in the second person, which felt odd, especially since the first two novels were written in the first person. I never felt attached to Tambu the way I did in the first two books. Second, the plot is muddled. There are long stretches of the book where not very much happens, it's unclear why Dangarembga selected the plot points that she did, and the writing isn't quite enough to carry the day. (Her writing really impressed me in the first two novels, so not sure why the sudden change!)
Lastly, while the prior two books contained some searing revelations about daily life in Zimbabwe, THIS MOURNABLE BODY felt muted throughout. This may have been due to Tambu's depression, which appropriately casts a lethargic pall over the whole story, but by the end of the book, I didn't feel like I left with much more than I started.
I still highly recommend the first two books, and this third book makes a good pairing with GLORY (NoViolet Bulawayo). Readers who appreciate unreliable narrators, flawed characters, and oblique / psychological narration will enjoy this one.
You start reading this book and find it is written in the second person, which you find disorienting. It becomes further disorienting as you learn of the struggles of the protagonist. Along the way, you meet characters that provide a sense of hope and normalcy, something you recognize, and long for in this story. It is a challenging story, and at times, you struggle to keep going In the end, you are glad the story is over and that you have made it to the end.
This is not a book to read lightly. It is a book to struggle with and it is well worth the struggle.
This is not a book to read lightly. It is a book to struggle with and it is well worth the struggle.