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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I wanted to read this forever, and then it took me forever to finish, but I'm glad I finally did. A great homage to Fanon (an amazing ending!) that is quite neatly woven throughout the narrative, and with a distinctively feminist/womanist/girl-ist? twist.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
Nervous Conditions does not have the scope or scale of more classic or contemporary novels of African colonialism: it's about a young girl finding her way through to an education in newly-independent Rhodesia (later Zimbabwe).
Tambu's discipline and scholarship is irrelevant to her status as female, and this dominates every discussion of her future. Her father cannot understand why she would want to continue schooling; her uncle cannot understand why she should not (at least after her older brother dies). With schooling comes opportunity, wealth, status, career, like her uncle has, though the only decent school she might attend is a private missionary school. The tension in the story is largely around these brothers (Tambu's father and uncle) as they maneuver for Tambu's future, even while she attempts to navigate the demanding and changeable relationships in both households and the socially progressive attitudes of the students she meets.
This is largely a book of relationships across the extended family, and we move from scene to scene, from public ceremonies to private talks, learning about the hypocrisies and sacrifices all have made though performatively cover over, from their pride and inadequacies to traditions and modern mores. Underneath all of this, of course, though author Dangarembga sketches it carefully, is the absence of choices, for women with their men, for everyone beneath a formerly colonized peoples now free of white politics but never white cultural hegemony with all its modern vices.
I was struck by several scenes, but none so much as Tambu's first arrival at her uncle's home, marveling at the enormity of his home, only to soon recognize that the building is actually just his garage. It is in these moments that the novel delivers its power, in a protagonist lost and misguided, naive and socially clumsy, but resilient beyond many we meet, determined to success but questioning more and more what that success must look like.
This is not a novel of grand gestures, of national politics or clerical sermons. It is of one girl and her pathway through her family, and for that hugely refreshing and worthwhile.
Tambu's discipline and scholarship is irrelevant to her status as female, and this dominates every discussion of her future. Her father cannot understand why she would want to continue schooling; her uncle cannot understand why she should not (at least after her older brother dies). With schooling comes opportunity, wealth, status, career, like her uncle has, though the only decent school she might attend is a private missionary school. The tension in the story is largely around these brothers (Tambu's father and uncle) as they maneuver for Tambu's future, even while she attempts to navigate the demanding and changeable relationships in both households and the socially progressive attitudes of the students she meets.
This is largely a book of relationships across the extended family, and we move from scene to scene, from public ceremonies to private talks, learning about the hypocrisies and sacrifices all have made though performatively cover over, from their pride and inadequacies to traditions and modern mores. Underneath all of this, of course, though author Dangarembga sketches it carefully, is the absence of choices, for women with their men, for everyone beneath a formerly colonized peoples now free of white politics but never white cultural hegemony with all its modern vices.
I was struck by several scenes, but none so much as Tambu's first arrival at her uncle's home, marveling at the enormity of his home, only to soon recognize that the building is actually just his garage. It is in these moments that the novel delivers its power, in a protagonist lost and misguided, naive and socially clumsy, but resilient beyond many we meet, determined to success but questioning more and more what that success must look like.
This is not a novel of grand gestures, of national politics or clerical sermons. It is of one girl and her pathway through her family, and for that hugely refreshing and worthwhile.
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is the first book by Tsitsi Dangarembga that I've read, and I absolutely loved it. She beautifully depicts various themes such as patriarchy, the effects of colonialism, grief, education, and self-awareness.
What stood out for me was how little thought was given to mental health in earlier days, to the extent that it was believed Africans didn't suffer psychiatric tribulations as white people did. This was evident when Nyasha was taken to the hospital. It's also sad to see that postpartum depression in the African community was a silent monster, feared to be addressed.
Oh my, the patriarchy depicted in this book is enough to infuriate one! How disheartening is it to work hard for your money but have no say in how it is spent? Why were educated women seen as loose and difficult to handle? Why did men view women as tools for strenuous domestic labor and childbearing, but nothing more? These oppressive dynamics are depicted in the book in the most captivating way.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Though it was medium-paced, it proved to be a truly worthy read.
What stood out for me was how little thought was given to mental health in earlier days, to the extent that it was believed Africans didn't suffer psychiatric tribulations as white people did. This was evident when Nyasha was taken to the hospital. It's also sad to see that postpartum depression in the African community was a silent monster, feared to be addressed.
Oh my, the patriarchy depicted in this book is enough to infuriate one! How disheartening is it to work hard for your money but have no say in how it is spent? Why were educated women seen as loose and difficult to handle? Why did men view women as tools for strenuous domestic labor and childbearing, but nothing more? These oppressive dynamics are depicted in the book in the most captivating way.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Though it was medium-paced, it proved to be a truly worthy read.
challenging
informative
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Racism
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
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:
No
So good, so beautifully written, and the characters feel so real. I love Tambudzai and Nyasha. I need to read more by Dangarembga.
challenging
sad
medium-paced
“I was not sorry when my brother died. Nor am I apologising for my callousness, as you may define it, my lack of feeling.
What an intro.
Nervous conditions is a coming-of-age, thought provoking novel that gives insight on Women in post-colonial Rhodesia now Zimbabwe. The book explores themes of identity, culture, education, colonialism, gender roles, and resilience.
The way Tambu lived through complexities of her own identity and the societal norms that governed her life was thought-provoking.
The end was very abrupt but I've come to learn that there's a sequel.
Do I want to continue this story now?
I'll let this marinate
What an intro.
Nervous conditions is a coming-of-age, thought provoking novel that gives insight on Women in post-colonial Rhodesia now Zimbabwe. The book explores themes of identity, culture, education, colonialism, gender roles, and resilience.
The way Tambu lived through complexities of her own identity and the societal norms that governed her life was thought-provoking.
The end was very abrupt but I've come to learn that there's a sequel.
Do I want to continue this story now?
I'll let this marinate
reflective
some books seem destined to be read in high school lit classes, and this was one of them. anyways, there's nothing like a good postcolonial noveI to remind you of the similarities of the colonization experience. I feel like even though tambu was ostensibly the main character, her time at the mission almost seemed centered around nyasha. tambu even acknowledged her inability to disentangle her thoughts and take them to their logical conclusion, but I feel like no development was made on that front. her hero worship of babamukuru only slightly lessened (if I'm being charitable) even after seeing everything he did.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No