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A review by bianca89279
Nineveh by Henrietta Rose-Innes
3.0
Nineveh is an unusual novel that is quite short but feels much longer and quite dense.
I don't recall ever reading anything written by a South-African author or with a South African setting, which is quite strange. I've definitely never read anything that involved pest relocators/controllers. That was quite new and interesting. Unless you suffer from insectophobia, in which case, stay away.
The main character, Katya Grubbs, is a Painless Pest Relocator, who's attempting to get rid of what's considered vermin, by catching and releasing in other places. She's an unusual woman, a bit of a loner, partly due to her rough upbringing. She's become a pest controller, just like her father, whom she is estranged from.
This is a somewhat allegorical novel, with an environmental message, about the destruction man causes to the environment and to the many creatures, big and small.
South Africa's dysfunctional socio-economical structures and functions are apparent.
There are some beautiful descriptive passages and the writing has merit. At times, though, the novel sags and lags, nothing happens, and you wait and wait for Katya to discover those insidious bugs that she was hired to find in Nineveh, a new housing development that apparently swarms with some mysterious insects. Nineveh seems fantastical and surreal. Some strange things occur.
Nineveh is an interesting novel, with a gripping premise, setting and characters, and some excellent writing, but uneven in parts. But it was different enough that it made me curious to read something else writte Rose-Innes.
3.5 stars
I've received this novel via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publishers, Gaalic Books, for the opportunity to read and review this novel.
Cover: 5 stars
I don't recall ever reading anything written by a South-African author or with a South African setting, which is quite strange. I've definitely never read anything that involved pest relocators/controllers. That was quite new and interesting. Unless you suffer from insectophobia, in which case, stay away.
The main character, Katya Grubbs, is a Painless Pest Relocator, who's attempting to get rid of what's considered vermin, by catching and releasing in other places. She's an unusual woman, a bit of a loner, partly due to her rough upbringing. She's become a pest controller, just like her father, whom she is estranged from.
This is a somewhat allegorical novel, with an environmental message, about the destruction man causes to the environment and to the many creatures, big and small.
South Africa's dysfunctional socio-economical structures and functions are apparent.
There are some beautiful descriptive passages and the writing has merit. At times, though, the novel sags and lags, nothing happens, and you wait and wait for Katya to discover those insidious bugs that she was hired to find in Nineveh, a new housing development that apparently swarms with some mysterious insects. Nineveh seems fantastical and surreal. Some strange things occur.
Nineveh is an interesting novel, with a gripping premise, setting and characters, and some excellent writing, but uneven in parts. But it was different enough that it made me curious to read something else writte Rose-Innes.
3.5 stars
I've received this novel via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publishers, Gaalic Books, for the opportunity to read and review this novel.
Cover: 5 stars