mokey4's review
5.0
This book is about 800 pages long, and I loved about 600 pages of it. I mean really truly loved and adored, couldn't wait to be reunited with this book on the bus or in the evening. But those other 200 pages were tough to get through, and unfortunately they are at the beginning and the end.
This is the story of a fictional African country, its despot & his inner circle, the political agitators trying to oust them for a better tomorrow, and a spiritual healer who unwittingly gets mixed up with all of them. It is a story with multiple plot lines beautifully interwoven, and believable well-developed characters. Even the most evil, ruthless, psychologically damaged characters are sympathetic at times. And the good guys fall from grace, and are not completely altruistic.
This was a lovely read, but like other Ngugi wa Thiongo books I have read the pacing is an issue and it can be a struggle to stay until the end. If you want to try, at least be sure to read several pages into part II before putting this book down. If you quit in part 1 you are leaving before it has a chance to get good. If you are at least a couple of chapters into part 2 and you are not enjoying it, I give you permission to quit.
Edited: I changed my rating from 4 stars to 5 stars, because several months after I have read this book I still think about it. Some of the characters and situations really are quite captivating and memorable. I'm very glad I read this book and recommend it highly, though you do have to have a bit of stamina to get through the first part. It's worth it.
This is the story of a fictional African country, its despot & his inner circle, the political agitators trying to oust them for a better tomorrow, and a spiritual healer who unwittingly gets mixed up with all of them. It is a story with multiple plot lines beautifully interwoven, and believable well-developed characters. Even the most evil, ruthless, psychologically damaged characters are sympathetic at times. And the good guys fall from grace, and are not completely altruistic.
This was a lovely read, but like other Ngugi wa Thiongo books I have read the pacing is an issue and it can be a struggle to stay until the end. If you want to try, at least be sure to read several pages into part II before putting this book down. If you quit in part 1 you are leaving before it has a chance to get good. If you are at least a couple of chapters into part 2 and you are not enjoying it, I give you permission to quit.
Edited: I changed my rating from 4 stars to 5 stars, because several months after I have read this book I still think about it. Some of the characters and situations really are quite captivating and memorable. I'm very glad I read this book and recommend it highly, though you do have to have a bit of stamina to get through the first part. It's worth it.
pedanther's review against another edition
challenging
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Fatphobia, Colonisation, Classism, Kidnapping, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Police brutality, Racism, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Chronic illness, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Ableism, Self harm, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Dysphoria, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Grief, Murder, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, and Mental illness
Minor: Medical content, Cursing, Slavery, Suicide, Genocide, Stalking, Vomit, War, Pandemic/Epidemic, Body horror, Car accident, Pedophilia, Rape, Drug use, and Terminal illness
binstonbirchill's review
5.0
A thoroughly enjoyable book. It’s satire that works. You never lose the connection to real life while exploring absurdities galore. There’s characters to root for and against. In many bizarre ways wa Thiong’o explores the experience of African countries in dealing with post-colonialism. If you’re ready for a chunky read that is both fun and poignant then these is the book to pick up.
rhea44's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
n_nazir's review
4.0
Really enjoyed this, completely different to anything I’ve read before, really well done.
busco's review against another edition
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
matt717's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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
5.0
smuds2's review against another edition
dark
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Echoing what other reviews have said - this book reads like an 800 page stage play. There is very minimal descriptions of the environment, internal character lives, scene setting etc. There is also very little character development. That is not to say it's bad, but it's still good to know going in to it, as it can feel a bit repetitive over time.
Ngugi takes on so many different ideas in this story, it's hard to keep track. Between colonialism, moving a pre-colonial culture into a new context, democracy, the power of language, corruptibility of money, and that's just to name a few. I could go on.
I would also add that trying to find a contemporary east African culture lecture on youtube if you can definitely will enrich the experience of reading the book. Some of the themes Ngugi discusses are universal, others are understandable with a basic concept of colonialism, but others seem to be much more directly related to Kenyan life that definitely went over my head.
Ngugi takes on so many different ideas in this story, it's hard to keep track. Between colonialism, moving a pre-colonial culture into a new context, democracy, the power of language, corruptibility of money, and that's just to name a few. I could go on.
I would also add that trying to find a contemporary east African culture lecture on youtube if you can definitely will enrich the experience of reading the book. Some of the themes Ngugi discusses are universal, others are understandable with a basic concept of colonialism, but others seem to be much more directly related to Kenyan life that definitely went over my head.
booccmaster's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
emily_madcharo's review against another edition
dark
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75