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A review by skitch41
Devil on the Cross by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o
3.0
Americans have a particularly privileged outlook on the world. We stand atop the economic pile and have almost the entire world at our fingertips. But do we ever stop to consider how our way of life affects people around the world. We always assume that Western civilization is the pinnacle that all others strive for, but in this book from the great Kenyan writer, what seems great to us is really a eraser on their local languages and customs.
In this book heavily laden with metaphor and a pinch of magical realism, Mr. Thiong’o tells the tale of Wariinga, a young Kenyan woman who has been chewed up and spat out by the neocolonialism that has engulfed her country. When she reaches rock bottom, she receives a mysterious invitation to a feast for international robbers and thieves. Upon arriving at the feast with a small group of Kenyans who have also been abused by the system, they soon realize just how much of their country is completely out of their control. The question then becomes how to fight back against this economic and cultural oppression?
Like I said, this book heavily laden with metaphors, nearly all of which subvert key pillars of Western civilization (parables from the Bible are used and altered throughout). It is a hard thing as a proud American to read as we don’t come off particularly well in this tale. However, I think it is important to read literature like this to keep us humble and second guess our foreign and economic policies and what they are doing to the world.
Having said all this, I just cannot give this book a higher rating than what I have. Perhaps my hang up is mostly style and I need to experience more of Mr. Thiong’o’s works in order to appreciate it, but I just couldn’t give this book a 4- or 5-star rating, and I can’t quite put my finger on why. But I would still recommend this book to anyone who is interested in African literature.
In this book heavily laden with metaphor and a pinch of magical realism, Mr. Thiong’o tells the tale of Wariinga, a young Kenyan woman who has been chewed up and spat out by the neocolonialism that has engulfed her country. When she reaches rock bottom, she receives a mysterious invitation to a feast for international robbers and thieves. Upon arriving at the feast with a small group of Kenyans who have also been abused by the system, they soon realize just how much of their country is completely out of their control. The question then becomes how to fight back against this economic and cultural oppression?
Like I said, this book heavily laden with metaphors, nearly all of which subvert key pillars of Western civilization (parables from the Bible are used and altered throughout). It is a hard thing as a proud American to read as we don’t come off particularly well in this tale. However, I think it is important to read literature like this to keep us humble and second guess our foreign and economic policies and what they are doing to the world.
Having said all this, I just cannot give this book a higher rating than what I have. Perhaps my hang up is mostly style and I need to experience more of Mr. Thiong’o’s works in order to appreciate it, but I just couldn’t give this book a 4- or 5-star rating, and I can’t quite put my finger on why. But I would still recommend this book to anyone who is interested in African literature.