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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Related by the four daughters and the wife, this is a story of a missionary family in deepest Africa in the early 1960s. The kernel of the book is the experience of the family after the Congo (subsequently Zaire and now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) declares independence from Belgium. The tyrannical father, an obsessive evangelical Baptist minister, refuses to flee owing to his sense of mission and the conviction that God is on his side. The family suffers as a result, forfeiting even the niggardly $50 monthly stipend, and is soon reduced to penury. Although the violence of the civil war does not affect them direcly, they are subject to famine, floods and a horrific invasion of ants. Power structures are eroded in the village leading to strife between the younger men and the traditional leaders. Leah, one of the daughters, contributes with her disruptive tomboy ways and ability to shoot with a bow like the men. The resentment of the traditional witch doctor leads fortuitously to the death of the youngest child, Ruth May, and the flight of the mother and her daughters.
The remainder of the novel, tracing the different lives of the three sisters and their mother, is less gripping. While the events are realistic and illustrate characteristic and different circumstances, there is more of a sense of relating history with types rather than individuals.
The remainder of the novel, tracing the different lives of the three sisters and their mother, is less gripping. While the events are realistic and illustrate characteristic and different circumstances, there is more of a sense of relating history with types rather than individuals.
I read this book years and years ago. And still think about it. Such a good story!
I corresponded with someone in Uganda in 1968 and thought it sounded like quite some place to visit, but then Idi Amin came into power! I have never been interested in visiting interior Africa, but enjoyed my brief visit to the Pyramids at Giza!
This imaginary tale shows the disaster that can result from untrained and poorly sponsored missionary efforts into the interior of Africa! The author is quite imaginative, but becomes quite a bit too abstract in some of the literary content!
This imaginary tale shows the disaster that can result from untrained and poorly sponsored missionary efforts into the interior of Africa! The author is quite imaginative, but becomes quite a bit too abstract in some of the literary content!
This is a tough one. The prose itself is approaching 5 stars. Two pages in, as the mother wrote to/about the okapi she found, I was HOOKED. Kingsolver can WRITE. I was pulled in, captivated, by that second page. The writing is beautiful, visual, and easy.
The content, however, was not for me. Following a preacher and his wife and four daughters through Africa, and the trials and tribulations the four young girls faced, just wasn't for me. Undoubtedly younger female (and probably male) readers will identify with it, but it did not resonate with me. Also, having read Matthiessen's [b:At Play in the Fields of the Lord|769729|At Play in the Fields of the Lord|Peter Matthiessen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348681950s/769729.jpg|854917] for the third/fourth time, I am reminded that yeah, generally, I want characters like these to die. I made it 28% into the book before I had to give up. At no point did the quality of the writing itself flag, however. It's just that I could not identify with the plight of any of the characters, nor their voices, and also could not bring myself to like any of them. Since I don't think we are supposed to dislike or hate all of them, that made this book difficult to read (we are supposed to hate the father and pity the mother, rather the opposite of Fields of the Lord).
The content, however, was not for me. Following a preacher and his wife and four daughters through Africa, and the trials and tribulations the four young girls faced, just wasn't for me. Undoubtedly younger female (and probably male) readers will identify with it, but it did not resonate with me. Also, having read Matthiessen's [b:At Play in the Fields of the Lord|769729|At Play in the Fields of the Lord|Peter Matthiessen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348681950s/769729.jpg|854917] for the third/fourth time, I am reminded that yeah, generally, I want characters like these to die. I made it 28% into the book before I had to give up. At no point did the quality of the writing itself flag, however. It's just that I could not identify with the plight of any of the characters, nor their voices, and also could not bring myself to like any of them. Since I don't think we are supposed to dislike or hate all of them, that made this book difficult to read (we are supposed to hate the father and pity the mother, rather the opposite of Fields of the Lord).
I bought The Poisonwood Bible probably 15 years ago and kept it on a shelf - moving it from Syracuse to 3 different NYC apartments. Finally got around to reading it in this year of not buying new books until I read some unread books on my shelves.
I appreciated the respect for all the characters, even those who are more problematic than others, i.e. Rachel. It's a book that wouldn't be written today, which made reading it more interesting for me. It's fascinating to read a book from the point of view of reluctant colonizers. While it might not be politically popular to create empathy for people like the Price women, it remains an important and interesting understanding of Americans' relationship with Africa.
I appreciated the respect for all the characters, even those who are more problematic than others, i.e. Rachel. It's a book that wouldn't be written today, which made reading it more interesting for me. It's fascinating to read a book from the point of view of reluctant colonizers. While it might not be politically popular to create empathy for people like the Price women, it remains an important and interesting understanding of Americans' relationship with Africa.
Loved the writing, though the handling of politics is not subtle.
An incredibly immersive book. The writing is beautiful and the characters are fully fleshed-out. The storyline is punctuated by several major historical events in mid-20th century colonial Belgian Congo and post-independence DRC. Each character has a different perspective on these events, which really enriches the story and gives the reader (me) some insight into the ongoing political conflicts in DRC. Definitely checking out more books about DRC’s history now.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes