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evangelinew's review
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage
careinthelibrary's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This morning I finished So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ for @esotericareads's book club where we've read women-authored classics under 250 pages. This petite novella (90 pages!) speaks loudly the talents of the author. The book club ends strong with this small one.
The writing!!! Outstanding. Striking. I was explaining to my husband how remarkably thoughtful every passage was, did a test flipping to random pages and reading from the first paragraph on the page. Every single one was a jewel.
Senegalese feminist writer Mariama Bâ needs more praise. Give her her flowers. I can't wait to read Scarlet Song which I feel confident will also be awe-inspiring.
"At that moment you tumbled from the highest rung of respect on which I have always placed you. Your reasoning, which makes a distinction, is unacceptable to me. I am stripping myself of your love, your name. Clothed in my dignity, the only worthy garment, I go my way."
"The power of books, this marvellous invention of astute human intelligence. Various signs associated with sounds that form a word. Juxtaposition of words which springs the idea, Thought, History, Science, Life. Sole instrument of interrelationships and of culture, unparalleled means of giving and receiving. Books knit generations together in the same continuing effort that leads to progress. They enabled you to better yourself. What society refused you, they granted."
"Friendship has splendours that love knows not. It grows stronger when crossed, whereas obstacles kill love. Friendship resists time, which wearies and severs couples. It has heights unknown to love."
The writing!!! Outstanding. Striking. I was explaining to my husband how remarkably thoughtful every passage was, did a test flipping to random pages and reading from the first paragraph on the page. Every single one was a jewel.
Senegalese feminist writer Mariama Bâ needs more praise. Give her her flowers. I can't wait to read Scarlet Song which I feel confident will also be awe-inspiring.
"At that moment you tumbled from the highest rung of respect on which I have always placed you. Your reasoning, which makes a distinction, is unacceptable to me. I am stripping myself of your love, your name. Clothed in my dignity, the only worthy garment, I go my way."
"The power of books, this marvellous invention of astute human intelligence. Various signs associated with sounds that form a word. Juxtaposition of words which springs the idea, Thought, History, Science, Life. Sole instrument of interrelationships and of culture, unparalleled means of giving and receiving. Books knit generations together in the same continuing effort that leads to progress. They enabled you to better yourself. What society refused you, they granted."
"Friendship has splendours that love knows not. It grows stronger when crossed, whereas obstacles kill love. Friendship resists time, which wearies and severs couples. It has heights unknown to love."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Infidelity
Moderate: Pregnancy and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Death
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
So Long A Letter is semi autobiographical novel in which Ramatoulaye, a Senegalese woman doing ‘iddah, a mourning period for Muslim widows, writes to her best friend. The letter covers a range of topics - her emotions at her husband’s death (very complicated given he’d essentially abandoned her for a polygamous second marriage with a young teen), the realities of her marriage and her friend’s marriage, politics, religion, polygamy, the challenges of being a single mother, the changing political situation in Africa, the status of her children, education, religion, and her views of men. As a western reader it was easy to be shocked by some of the ways women were treated but I also noted the ways and places they had agency and stood up for their rights and wishes, and the signs of generational change to come. The power of education and of female friendship in helping women survive in a patriarchal world were well made. I need to check the present status of Senegalese women to see how these signs of change panned out.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
introvertinterrupted's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
2020 Book Review
I rather enjoyed my reread of this novella. I see how this book fits into a wider narrative of feminist African Literature.
2013 Book Review
I rather enjoyed my reread of this novella. I see how this book fits into a wider narrative of feminist African Literature.
So Long a Letter was a tad dry for me in comparison with other African Classics that dealt with similar feminist and nationalistic topics. Ba's book seemed to be one note due to the main character Ramatoulaye's passiveness through out the book. Even when action was called for, it seemed as if this character stalled until the last possible moment before she made a decision or did anything to take initiative in her life.
Coming in at a mere 89 pages, I felt as if it could have been trimmed to include either Ramatoulaye's feelings about her demotion to being a first wife or enhanced to be a dual narrative that included Ramatoulaye's story and Ramatoulaye's best friend, Assiatou's story. Since Ba chose to write such a simplistic story about a woman who gets shunned after her husband partakes in polygamy, the weightiness of other issues sometimes made this story unbearable for me. I would recommend this book however, I would also recommend that it be read in congruence with another African Classic that gives a fuller picture of feminist problems in modern Africa such as, Ama Ata Aidoo's [b:Changes A Love Story|73973|Changes A Love Story|Ama Ata Aidoo|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1170846380s/73973.jpg|71569] or [b:Nervous Conditions|158675|Nervous Conditions And Related Readings|Tsitsi Dangarembga|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348373746s/158675.jpg|153151] by Tsitsi Dangarembga.
I rather enjoyed my reread of this novella. I see how this book fits into a wider narrative of feminist African Literature.
2013 Book Review
I rather enjoyed my reread of this novella. I see how this book fits into a wider narrative of feminist African Literature.
So Long a Letter was a tad dry for me in comparison with other African Classics that dealt with similar feminist and nationalistic topics. Ba's book seemed to be one note due to the main character Ramatoulaye's passiveness through out the book. Even when action was called for, it seemed as if this character stalled until the last possible moment before she made a decision or did anything to take initiative in her life.
Coming in at a mere 89 pages, I felt as if it could have been trimmed to include either Ramatoulaye's feelings about her demotion to being a first wife or enhanced to be a dual narrative that included Ramatoulaye's story and Ramatoulaye's best friend, Assiatou's story. Since Ba chose to write such a simplistic story about a woman who gets shunned after her husband partakes in polygamy, the weightiness of other issues sometimes made this story unbearable for me. I would recommend this book however, I would also recommend that it be read in congruence with another African Classic that gives a fuller picture of feminist problems in modern Africa such as, Ama Ata Aidoo's [b:Changes A Love Story|73973|Changes A Love Story|Ama Ata Aidoo|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1170846380s/73973.jpg|71569] or [b:Nervous Conditions|158675|Nervous Conditions And Related Readings|Tsitsi Dangarembga|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348373746s/158675.jpg|153151] by Tsitsi Dangarembga.
Content Warnings
Minor: Toxic relationship and Adult/minor relationship
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