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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Read for my Reading the Global Kitchen class.
This might be one of my favorite books I've had to read for school :)
This might be one of my favorite books I've had to read for school :)
Tambu, raised on a homestead in the back country of Zimbabwe (then a colony of Britain, called Rhodesia) has very little to engage her young mind. As she grows and her desires for education and knowledge increase, she finds that she is constantly fighting against two factors: the fact that she is female and the fact that she is African.
And while she loves her parents and can find some beauty in her tiring and off-the-land life on the homestead, what she truly wants to go to school. A string of circumstances enable her to travel to a mission and attend the mission school where her uncle is the headmaster. At school, Tambu's horizons expand by leaps and bounds, not only because of new experiences but especially because of her relationship with her cousin, Nyasha, who spent her much of her early childhood in England. Nyasha's world view is much more questioning and cynical and she forces Tambu to ask hard questions about what she wants and why she wants it.
This is a true coming of age story - a young girl learning about herself, discovering not only the grander world around her, but also the more intimate workings of her immediate family. The fact that all this is happening on an Rhodesian farm, within a strictly patriarchal culture that is so unfamiliar to me and yet, so beautifully described - makes it all the better. I found myself as frustrated as she was with the constraints and assumptions she (and other women in the story) had to deal with because she was female. Nervous Conditions is full to the brim with topics to discuss: colonialism, racism, feminism, assimilation, "primitive" culture vs. "progressive" culture, even mental health. All those deep issues tossed around in a story of a girl and her cousin, trying to figure out their place in a society that was set up to keep African women as small as possible.
I really enjoyed reading this one, but I can't call it a page turner, really. I read because Dangarembga has a wonderful way with words and because I loved spending some time in a place so foreign. The plot moves forward, but isn't gripping - it's more like a ride down the river of Tumba's life, occasionally there is a major upset, but mostly we are just gliding along with her as she sorts through the things she sees and hears. Though I didn't fly through it, I enjoyed the ride.
And while she loves her parents and can find some beauty in her tiring and off-the-land life on the homestead, what she truly wants to go to school. A string of circumstances enable her to travel to a mission and attend the mission school where her uncle is the headmaster. At school, Tambu's horizons expand by leaps and bounds, not only because of new experiences but especially because of her relationship with her cousin, Nyasha, who spent her much of her early childhood in England. Nyasha's world view is much more questioning and cynical and she forces Tambu to ask hard questions about what she wants and why she wants it.
This is a true coming of age story - a young girl learning about herself, discovering not only the grander world around her, but also the more intimate workings of her immediate family. The fact that all this is happening on an Rhodesian farm, within a strictly patriarchal culture that is so unfamiliar to me and yet, so beautifully described - makes it all the better. I found myself as frustrated as she was with the constraints and assumptions she (and other women in the story) had to deal with because she was female. Nervous Conditions is full to the brim with topics to discuss: colonialism, racism, feminism, assimilation, "primitive" culture vs. "progressive" culture, even mental health. All those deep issues tossed around in a story of a girl and her cousin, trying to figure out their place in a society that was set up to keep African women as small as possible.
I really enjoyed reading this one, but I can't call it a page turner, really. I read because Dangarembga has a wonderful way with words and because I loved spending some time in a place so foreign. The plot moves forward, but isn't gripping - it's more like a ride down the river of Tumba's life, occasionally there is a major upset, but mostly we are just gliding along with her as she sorts through the things she sees and hears. Though I didn't fly through it, I enjoyed the ride.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There are many fictional stories and books about sexism, racism, and misogynoir, but it is clear what this book is a classic. You will be afraid, appalled, annoyed, angry, sad, and conflicted. In essence, you will be agitated.
Had to read it for class, it was ok. I understood what it was trying to do but I wish there was more clarity as to what happens to the characters at the end.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated