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A review by kirstenbeyondthebookends
If You Want to Make God Laugh by Bianca Marais
5.0
Can I please give this book 6 stars? Forget the sophomore slum, If You Want to Make God Laugh is a truly spectacular follow-up to Bianca Marais’s first novel, Hum If You Don’t Know the Words.
Marais’ emotional depiction of South Africa during the late ‘90s results in a stunning novel with depth. She covers racism, homophobia, the AIDS epidemic, and corruption in church, with eye-opening frankness and heart. Her characters take root in your mind from the first page. I found myself laughing, cheering, and crying along with their story. The ending left me absolutely shattered as I read through tears. Yet somehow, through the many difficult topics, Marais manages to weave a story filled with love and hope.
The writing is prosaic. I found myself re-reading certain lines to chew on the kernels of truth so eloquently written. Every word, every sentence, has meaning to the story.
I also loved that references back to HUM. It’s not necessary to read HUM first, but you’ll understand a bit more of a few characters if you do.
I can’t say I’m surprised that Marais wrote such a stunning novel. I look forward to reading whatever she writes in the future.
Marais’ emotional depiction of South Africa during the late ‘90s results in a stunning novel with depth. She covers racism, homophobia, the AIDS epidemic, and corruption in church, with eye-opening frankness and heart. Her characters take root in your mind from the first page. I found myself laughing, cheering, and crying along with their story. The ending left me absolutely shattered as I read through tears. Yet somehow, through the many difficult topics, Marais manages to weave a story filled with love and hope.
The writing is prosaic. I found myself re-reading certain lines to chew on the kernels of truth so eloquently written. Every word, every sentence, has meaning to the story.
I also loved that references back to HUM. It’s not necessary to read HUM first, but you’ll understand a bit more of a few characters if you do.
I can’t say I’m surprised that Marais wrote such a stunning novel. I look forward to reading whatever she writes in the future.