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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
I couldn't enjoy this as it seemed so full of guilt.
This book made me furious. It was well written: I just couldn't stand the characters. Maybe it was the Bible thumping misogynist preacher's attitude and behavior that just did me in and made me angry. I remembered half way through that I read this book once before and finally remembered coming away from it angry that time, too! May I never pick this book up again.
This is a reread, and what a revelation. It’s an immersive experience no matter what, but a different one now than when I first read it as a mother of young children.
Africa is a cipher to Westerners, but maybe it shouldn’t be. We can’t bend this continent to our will, though we can destroy her trying.
Africa is a cipher to Westerners, but maybe it shouldn’t be. We can’t bend this continent to our will, though we can destroy her trying.
A rare and beautiful gift for women trying to understand the world we live in. Kingsolver gives us insight into the colonizer mindset promoted by evangelical Christians through their missions in Africa. Two major issues entwine, misogyny and American imperialism, in this highly entertaining story of one man's crusade and the women's wellbeing he sacrificed for the ego trip of conquering people he saw as heathens. If you're interested in Africa and how white people rationalized their invasion, and how Christianity was used to advance white supremacy, this is a great place to start.
What a well-written book. I love how Kingsolver has captured the distinct voices of each of the characters. The history is quite interesting... and makes you think.
I loved this line:
"Illusions mistaken for truth are the pavement under our feet. They are what we call civilization."
I loved this line:
"Illusions mistaken for truth are the pavement under our feet. They are what we call civilization."
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Perfect blend of history and fiction — every time I’ve read a kingsolver book I’ve been fascinated by the way she writes about non white ppl and I can’t really decide if it’s problematic or not… or maybe it is problematic but it’s just such good writing I don’t care
Poisonwood Bible Review:
This book now has a place on my "favorites" shelf, so I can gaze over at it along with my other literary loves and remember the taste of it in my mouth.
I finished the last hundred pages in one sitting, which is very unlike me, because I was a little in love. This whole book has been that way for me: momentary spells of swooning. I loved its language as much as its message, or messages.
And as a now devout lost soul who once devoutly tried to "save" lost souls, reading this book was both cathartic and probing. The parts I most want to keep with me are these:
"We are our injuries as much as our successes."
"Mistakes are part of the story."
"Illusions mistaken for truth are the pavement under our feet."
It's interesting to ruminate on the illusions I once took as truth and the things I now take as truth, which I may later realize were mere illusion.
This book now has a place on my "favorites" shelf, so I can gaze over at it along with my other literary loves and remember the taste of it in my mouth.
I finished the last hundred pages in one sitting, which is very unlike me, because I was a little in love. This whole book has been that way for me: momentary spells of swooning. I loved its language as much as its message, or messages.
And as a now devout lost soul who once devoutly tried to "save" lost souls, reading this book was both cathartic and probing. The parts I most want to keep with me are these:
"We are our injuries as much as our successes."
"Mistakes are part of the story."
"Illusions mistaken for truth are the pavement under our feet."
It's interesting to ruminate on the illusions I once took as truth and the things I now take as truth, which I may later realize were mere illusion.
How often have I gone to church to hear about one or another's mission work in a far flung place among ignorant, unwashed, pagans in need of the Gospel. One need not disparage or disagree with such work to appreciate this novel, though in many ways, it may appeal to such persons. Certainly telling the tale of how a mission to Africa went "south" from the point of view of the missionary's wife and children is a new perspective. Lessons in pride and humility are not a preacher's alone in this book, and it should help one to ponder one's own capacity for change amidst difficult and "different" circumstances. A miracle was needed to get this family out of Africa, and in the end, only one member of the family left. An actual child dies as well as the "child" within the children and the spirit of the parents. Everyone is broken by Africa, even as Africa is reformed. Much maturity is needed to appreciate the fullness of what Kingsolver tries to accomplish. Her strongest writing is when the family unit is together, and the later chapters suffer from a lack of intensity, although such is the nature of a pot that overflows and spills its contents. Stellar overall and will leave you with a lot to think about beyond its covers.