alexkapsidelis's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
5.0
a completely beautiful, heartbreaking collection of stories
meenakshi's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
smatthew459's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jessbishai's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
adrianasturalvarez's review against another edition
4.0
Such a fine collection of stories from an author I MUST read more from (she also has one of the best names I've ever come across). There are no weak stories in this collection but a few of them stand out as masterful (The Curse of Beauty and Fear, for me).
One of the aspects that really impressed me about this collection is Mukasonga's use of narrator. At times her narrators are kept at a distance from the protagonist and at other times up close and terrified but they always feel like the voice of a community. It is an interesting mix of memoir and witness. I'm not sure how much of these stories are autobiographical but they use all the tools and striking details of memory to create a compelling narrative.
Highly recommended!
One of the aspects that really impressed me about this collection is Mukasonga's use of narrator. At times her narrators are kept at a distance from the protagonist and at other times up close and terrified but they always feel like the voice of a community. It is an interesting mix of memoir and witness. I'm not sure how much of these stories are autobiographical but they use all the tools and striking details of memory to create a compelling narrative.
Highly recommended!
jenniechantal's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best collection of short stories I've read this year. Can't wait to read more from Mukasonga.
bergenslabben's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
There's usually a cost of starting a new book. It can take awhile to get into the story, to get to know the characters, you don't know if it's going to be worth it or not until you've read a bit. With short story collections you get that cost several times before you finish it. I've always found that a bit stressful, so I have tended to stay away from short story collections. But if I look on my "read"-shelves on Goodreads, the last three collections I've read I've given either four or five stars. Probably time to stop thinking that I won't like starting many different stories in one book, and rather focus on finding the collections I think I might love.
This is without a doubt the best one I've ever read (and I know I don't read many, but still..). The language is so simple and direct, which gives a powerful effect when the topics are hunger, displacement, fear, murder and genocide. This simple storytelling reveals the customs, the social norms, the societal disadvantages, the cultural pride of some Tutsis. And it highlights how the displacement and the poverty of their new situation can lead to the loss of self, of tradition, and how devastating that can be both to experience and to watch others experience. And it paints a painfully honest picture of what it's like to be safe and removed from your culture and your family and receive a letter which names 37 relatives, including your mother and father, as dead. She doesn't deal with her grief in any sort of normal or standard way, but is there such a thing for an event of that magnitude? Is there even such a thing for any kind of grief? These stories feel so raw and real. Both horrific and beautiful in nature. She captures these lives in such a stunning way, which makes it all the more devastating to watch them almost dying of hunger, terrified of being hacked to death whilst in school, mourning the lives they had before, and finally dying in a massacre.
After every story I headed straight for Google, because I needed to learn more. I had to know how much of this was the author's story (most, it would seem), why this was happening (colonial powers wanting to label two barely distinguishable peoples differently), how the political situation of the Tutsis differed in Rwanda and Burundi (both nations eventually had their genocide). I know I've only scratched the surface, but I will definitely read more books from Rwandan authors, as well as watch documentaries and movies. This is what great books will do to you, make you relentlessly interested in topics you, for whatever reason, had failed to learn much about before.
This is without a doubt the best one I've ever read (and I know I don't read many, but still..). The language is so simple and direct, which gives a powerful effect when the topics are hunger, displacement, fear, murder and genocide. This simple storytelling reveals the customs, the social norms, the societal disadvantages, the cultural pride of some Tutsis. And it highlights how the displacement and the poverty of their new situation can lead to the loss of self, of tradition, and how devastating that can be both to experience and to watch others experience. And it paints a painfully honest picture of what it's like to be safe and removed from your culture and your family and receive a letter which names 37 relatives, including your mother and father, as dead. She doesn't deal with her grief in any sort of normal or standard way, but is there such a thing for an event of that magnitude? Is there even such a thing for any kind of grief? These stories feel so raw and real. Both horrific and beautiful in nature. She captures these lives in such a stunning way, which makes it all the more devastating to watch them almost dying of hunger, terrified of being hacked to death whilst in school, mourning the lives they had before, and finally dying in a massacre.
After every story I headed straight for Google, because I needed to learn more. I had to know how much of this was the author's story (most, it would seem), why this was happening (colonial powers wanting to label two barely distinguishable peoples differently), how the political situation of the Tutsis differed in Rwanda and Burundi (both nations eventually had their genocide). I know I've only scratched the surface, but I will definitely read more books from Rwandan authors, as well as watch documentaries and movies. This is what great books will do to you, make you relentlessly interested in topics you, for whatever reason, had failed to learn much about before.
notmignon's review against another edition
4.0
These are powerful stories of memories of Rwanda and the Tutsi.
The hunger and wanting felt in Igifu
The curse of beauty - Getting more attention, but also being used, abused, blamed and ultimately killed just for being too beautiful like it was something she could control. Needing to be a prostitute because there were no other options for her and men only viewed her with hunger and women with disdain.
Grief - finding a way to accept and mourn for those lost all at once in senseless genocide
The hunger and wanting felt in Igifu
The curse of beauty - Getting more attention, but also being used, abused, blamed and ultimately killed just for being too beautiful like it was something she could control. Needing to be a prostitute because there were no other options for her and men only viewed her with hunger and women with disdain.
Grief - finding a way to accept and mourn for those lost all at once in senseless genocide