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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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