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A review by blessing_aj
A Family Affair by Sue Nyathi
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Here, we follow the dramatic affairs of the very dysfunctional Mafu family and the slowly crumbling economy of Zimbabwe in 2008.
The book offers a lot of insight into gender roles and expectations in the Ndebele culture. The female characters were complex, opinionated and the more realistic than the male characters were very under developed and outright detestable.
The dysfunctional family ‘trope’ if well explored is one of the best ways to write a satire and I always look forward to seeing what authors are able to achieve with it. Granted, the endless violence and the misogyny these women experienced are very much prevalent in every societies. But I am of the opinion that a novelist who chooses to interrogate heavy topics has a duty of care to handle it with the sensitivity it deserves and this one did not.
When you add this to the fact a considerable amount of gaping plot holes and typos made it into this publication, it’s safe to say that this was a huge let down and as a fan of her earlier works, I’d be generous to say that I am disappointed.
The book offers a lot of insight into gender roles and expectations in the Ndebele culture. The female characters were complex, opinionated and the more realistic than the male characters were very under developed and outright detestable.
The dysfunctional family ‘trope’ if well explored is one of the best ways to write a satire and I always look forward to seeing what authors are able to achieve with it. Granted, the endless violence and the misogyny these women experienced are very much prevalent in every societies. But I am of the opinion that a novelist who chooses to interrogate heavy topics has a duty of care to handle it with the sensitivity it deserves and this one did not.
When you add this to the fact a considerable amount of gaping plot holes and typos made it into this publication, it’s safe to say that this was a huge let down and as a fan of her earlier works, I’d be generous to say that I am disappointed.