Scan barcode
A review by tjwallace04
The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell
challenging
emotional
informative
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
4.0
"The Old Drift" is epic and beautiful and dense and requires a lot of labor. In my current reading life, I usually finish a book every couple of days. "The Old Drift" took me five solid days of reading. Has it thrown my February reading goals off? Yes. Was it worth it? Also yes.
This is not an easy book to explain or summarize. It is a completely unique mix of historical fiction, magical realism, and, by the end, science fiction. "The Old Drift" is a multi-generational family saga following three families - Italians Frederico and Sibilia, who move to Zambia in the 1950s; native Zambian Matha and her sister and lover; and British Agnes and her Zambian scholar husband Ronald. We learn about their lives and their children's lives and finally their grandchildren's lives, as they weave together in a tighter and tighter pattern. In between sections, there is a Greek chorus of mosquitoes that comment on the past and hint at the future.
The writing is really sharp and lovely. I frequently found myself admiring a turn of phrase or metaphor. However, I do think the beauty of the writing was somewhat blunted by the overwhelming quantity of it. Serpell layers detail after detail into her narrative until you almost feel weighed down by it...unable to see the forest for the trees.
I also struggled with the number of characters. Even though the grandmother characters are each so unique - Sibilia with her ceaselessly growing hair; Matha who starts crying when her lover abandons her and never stops; blind Agnes - as we moved on to the next generations, I kept becoming confused. Is Joseph Agnes' grandson or Matha's? Is Sylvia Jacob's mom or Naila's? I had to flip frequently to the family tree (thank goodness there was one) at the beginning of the book. I also often got befuddled about the time period. Within each section, years, even decades pass, and I would have to flip back to try to verify the date.
My favorite parts of the book were the historical elements, especially the section about the Zambia National Academy of Science, Space Research and Philosophy. Some of the characters in the books are based on real historical figures, including Matha, who was briefly an Afronaut. (Presumably the real Matha didn't start crying and never stop, though.)
Some final thoughts:
1) There aren't any happy relationships in this book; many couples and marriages are described. They all devolve into cheating, misunderstanding, and hatred. Most of the parent-child relationships are also fraught. That was depressing.
2) The last few sections, the science-fiction parts, where people have the internet implanted in their hands and tiny drones are used for nefarious reasons, didn't work as well for me.
3) I loved learning about Zambian history and culture.
4) The dialogue is fantastic. I felt like I caught the rhythm of the way Zambian people talk.
5) Once I got to the end, I wasn't sure what the point was. I felt like something was missing.
Overall, this was a very intense and interesting reading experience. I am glad I read "The Old Drift," but I would not easily or off-handedly recommend it.
This is not an easy book to explain or summarize. It is a completely unique mix of historical fiction, magical realism, and, by the end, science fiction. "The Old Drift" is a multi-generational family saga following three families - Italians Frederico and Sibilia, who move to Zambia in the 1950s; native Zambian Matha and her sister and lover; and British Agnes and her Zambian scholar husband Ronald. We learn about their lives and their children's lives and finally their grandchildren's lives, as they weave together in a tighter and tighter pattern. In between sections, there is a Greek chorus of mosquitoes that comment on the past and hint at the future.
The writing is really sharp and lovely. I frequently found myself admiring a turn of phrase or metaphor. However, I do think the beauty of the writing was somewhat blunted by the overwhelming quantity of it. Serpell layers detail after detail into her narrative until you almost feel weighed down by it...unable to see the forest for the trees.
I also struggled with the number of characters. Even though the grandmother characters are each so unique - Sibilia with her ceaselessly growing hair; Matha who starts crying when her lover abandons her and never stops; blind Agnes - as we moved on to the next generations, I kept becoming confused. Is Joseph Agnes' grandson or Matha's? Is Sylvia Jacob's mom or Naila's? I had to flip frequently to the family tree (thank goodness there was one) at the beginning of the book. I also often got befuddled about the time period. Within each section, years, even decades pass, and I would have to flip back to try to verify the date.
My favorite parts of the book were the historical elements, especially the section about the Zambia National Academy of Science, Space Research and Philosophy. Some of the characters in the books are based on real historical figures, including Matha, who was briefly an Afronaut. (Presumably the real Matha didn't start crying and never stop, though.)
Some final thoughts:
1) There aren't any happy relationships in this book; many couples and marriages are described. They all devolve into cheating, misunderstanding, and hatred. Most of the parent-child relationships are also fraught. That was depressing.
2) The last few sections, the science-fiction parts, where people have the internet implanted in their hands and tiny drones are used for nefarious reasons, didn't work as well for me.
3) I loved learning about Zambian history and culture.
4) The dialogue is fantastic. I felt like I caught the rhythm of the way Zambian people talk.
5) Once I got to the end, I wasn't sure what the point was. I felt like something was missing.
Overall, this was a very intense and interesting reading experience. I am glad I read "The Old Drift," but I would not easily or off-handedly recommend it.