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faintgirl's review against another edition
4.0
The Heart of Redness is a parable of sorts - a modern day tale of two related factions of a South African village, one desperate to hang on to the old traditions and beliefs, and the other ready to modernise and embrace the technological and capitalist excitement of the American Dream. This is overlaid by the story of their ancestors, who faced a similar dilemma when the English tried to "civilise" their people many generations ago. It's mostly told through the eyes of Camagu, a member of a distinct tribe who has spend some time in America. It's very well written, and the characters are beautifully drawn. There's touches of magical realism but they don't weigh too heavily on the main message, of trying to find the happy medium between tradition, the past, and a planet that seems to be rapidly evolving without you.
yolie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Wow, what an interesting, complex and divisive book.
The book takes you to the shores of the Wild Coast, where we journey into the parallel world of the 1850s Xhosa cattle-killing spree and the post-Apartheid era, where descendants deal with the repercussions of that time period.
What some may call magical realism, and what others know to be a historical account - this is a story that tests your understanding of unyielding belief, of unwavering faith, ancestor worship and makes one question what we know as as ‘modernity’.
I initially started this book in 2023, and it took me over a year to finish reading the book.
Initially it is a difficult book to understand and to familiarise oneself with the characters - particularly since some characters share the same name and the slow pacing of the book often left me uninterested in the story.
The book takes you to the shores of the Wild Coast, where we journey into the parallel world of the 1850s Xhosa cattle-killing spree and the post-Apartheid era, where descendants deal with the repercussions of that time period.
What some may call magical realism, and what others know to be a historical account - this is a story that tests your understanding of unyielding belief, of unwavering faith, ancestor worship and makes one question what we know as as ‘modernity’.
I initially started this book in 2023, and it took me over a year to finish reading the book.
Initially it is a difficult book to understand and to familiarise oneself with the characters - particularly since some characters share the same name and the slow pacing of the book often left me uninterested in the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Violence
jess_mango's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 out of 5...didn't like this as much as I'd hoped.
stephxsu's review against another edition
5.0
I had to read Heart of Redness for my English class, and I am more than glad I got to read it! This is the parallel story of colonized South Africa of 150 years ago and post-apartheid South Africa. 150 years ago, two brothers split over their different beliefs of a teenage prophetess' warning that only the slaughtering of all cattle will allow the new generation of people (the ancestors) to arrive and drive away the whites. The miracle never happened, of course, and many starved as a result.
Now in the present day, the learned man Camagu, born in South Africa but exiled and educated in America, comes to Qolorha-at-Sea, where he lands in the middle of an ongoing battle between the Believers and Unbelievers about whether the development of the lands by the whites' companies is good for their village. There is also a mysterious yet satisfying love story.
Heart of Redness is beautifully written, and Zakes Mda has been compared to the likes of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Chinua Achebe. This is a book that you will devour because it's so well written, and yet it will stay with you as you ponder the pros and cons of the characters' situations.
Now in the present day, the learned man Camagu, born in South Africa but exiled and educated in America, comes to Qolorha-at-Sea, where he lands in the middle of an ongoing battle between the Believers and Unbelievers about whether the development of the lands by the whites' companies is good for their village. There is also a mysterious yet satisfying love story.
Heart of Redness is beautifully written, and Zakes Mda has been compared to the likes of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Chinua Achebe. This is a book that you will devour because it's so well written, and yet it will stay with you as you ponder the pros and cons of the characters' situations.
kaitlynchan's review against another edition
Too slow paced. I wasn't too invested in the plot or characters.
maaax's review against another edition
3.0
Took me a while to get into...but I'm glad I stuck it out.
joyful24's review against another edition
4.0
i love historical fiction. i love eloquently written and well-crafted tales. i love how this book combined those things into an intricately woven tale of love, lust, and progress.
more than a century after Nongqawuse set the Xhosa people on course to permanently change their society the battle against modernity and colonization still wages in post-apartheid South African. by happenstance a disillusioned expatriate stumbles upon an alluring woman singing at a funeral. as he prepares to abandon his homeland for greener american shores his thoughts drift to her and he finds himself in the middle of her village. it happens to be the same village were the prophet Nongqawuse caused the Xhosa to split into factions: The Believers (who thought her a true prophet destined to free the people from imperialism) and The UnBelievers (people who thought her a fraud and welcomed the colonist).
this man Camagu stumbles into Qolorha at a time when developers are trying to rally support for a casino and tourist resort. the believers are welcoming of the potential jobs, improved infrastructure, and modernity that accompanies the project. the unbelivers are convinced that the instead of bringing jobs and improvement the resort will ruin their lives. only seeking to see the beautiful woman Camagu finds himself thrust into the power struggle of both sides. it manifests in the attention of two women. one is Qukezwa-the free spirited daughter of Believer Zim. the other is Xoliswa Ximiya the prudish school principle determined to abandon "redness" for western civilization.
as the assorted love affair materializes we are taken back to the time to when the cousins ancestors drew line based on prophecy of Nongqawuse. we receive a history lesson about the european forays into "civilizing"[destroying]native peoples and conquering their lands in the name of the British Empire. the atrocities of war, famine, and jingoism are not spared. the reality of a people trying to preserve themselves in the face of inevitable defeat is detailed expertly as it plays out in the story of Twin vs Twin-Twin & all their descendants. luckily for us their descendants are Qukezwa and Xoliswa. they happen to both hold dear to their opinions about what is best for the village. they also happen to have attracted the attention of the outside.
he is an impartial man who gets drawn into the schemes of sustaining the village and positioning it for great advancement. his thoughts are swayed by his desire to impress both women. he must choose a way to provide for himself, his desires, and needs just as the Xhosa did when the British decided to occupy their lands 150 years ago. which side will he choose? how will he help save himself and the people he has grown to love? who will be his ally? who will be his enemy? how will the Xhosa survive the latest attempt at imperialism?
more than a century after Nongqawuse set the Xhosa people on course to permanently change their society the battle against modernity and colonization still wages in post-apartheid South African. by happenstance a disillusioned expatriate stumbles upon an alluring woman singing at a funeral. as he prepares to abandon his homeland for greener american shores his thoughts drift to her and he finds himself in the middle of her village. it happens to be the same village were the prophet Nongqawuse caused the Xhosa to split into factions: The Believers (who thought her a true prophet destined to free the people from imperialism) and The UnBelievers (people who thought her a fraud and welcomed the colonist).
this man Camagu stumbles into Qolorha at a time when developers are trying to rally support for a casino and tourist resort. the believers are welcoming of the potential jobs, improved infrastructure, and modernity that accompanies the project. the unbelivers are convinced that the instead of bringing jobs and improvement the resort will ruin their lives. only seeking to see the beautiful woman Camagu finds himself thrust into the power struggle of both sides. it manifests in the attention of two women. one is Qukezwa-the free spirited daughter of Believer Zim. the other is Xoliswa Ximiya the prudish school principle determined to abandon "redness" for western civilization.
as the assorted love affair materializes we are taken back to the time to when the cousins ancestors drew line based on prophecy of Nongqawuse. we receive a history lesson about the european forays into "civilizing"[destroying]native peoples and conquering their lands in the name of the British Empire. the atrocities of war, famine, and jingoism are not spared. the reality of a people trying to preserve themselves in the face of inevitable defeat is detailed expertly as it plays out in the story of Twin vs Twin-Twin & all their descendants. luckily for us their descendants are Qukezwa and Xoliswa. they happen to both hold dear to their opinions about what is best for the village. they also happen to have attracted the attention of the outside.
he is an impartial man who gets drawn into the schemes of sustaining the village and positioning it for great advancement. his thoughts are swayed by his desire to impress both women. he must choose a way to provide for himself, his desires, and needs just as the Xhosa did when the British decided to occupy their lands 150 years ago. which side will he choose? how will he help save himself and the people he has grown to love? who will be his ally? who will be his enemy? how will the Xhosa survive the latest attempt at imperialism?
ida_s's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent structure and plotting. The back story on the events that led to the cattle killing was really interesting. I also liked that the present doesn’t solve every problem - there is still tension and unresolved conflicts at the end of the novel. The characters are complex and interesting. I did find that the narrative style kept me at an ironic distance from the characters at times, which was funny, but did pull me out of the story a little.
dayrepresent's review against another edition
4.0
Incredibly interesting book to read with interesting connections of the past and present. The time jumps are confusing at first but work well with the narrative.