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shiftyelliott's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
2.75
teaandlibri's review against another edition
2.0
I was not at all familiar with the story of the perfect nine, who are sisters whose hands are being sought in marriage by 99 (!) suitors. The sisters must embark on a journey to help one of their own who cannot walk. Along the way the suitors fall away and we see how the young women become the matriarchs of the Gikuyu clans.
I...definitely didn't get it. As a story it was definitely not hard to follow (and it made me think of the Epic of Gilgamesh) but poetry is not my preferred style at all and I couldn't follow. There's another review on Goodreads that says this feels like a "modern attempt" at a very old tale. I absolutely don't have the knowledge to say either way but I wonder if that might be why this did not work for me at all.
As you can see, plenty of other people enjoyed it, so maybe it was just me. Would borrow it from the library if you're curious, but I also wouldn't rush to read it, either.
Library borrow was best for me.
I...definitely didn't get it. As a story it was definitely not hard to follow (and it made me think of the Epic of Gilgamesh) but poetry is not my preferred style at all and I couldn't follow. There's another review on Goodreads that says this feels like a "modern attempt" at a very old tale. I absolutely don't have the knowledge to say either way but I wonder if that might be why this did not work for me at all.
As you can see, plenty of other people enjoyed it, so maybe it was just me. Would borrow it from the library if you're curious, but I also wouldn't rush to read it, either.
Library borrow was best for me.
sarah_hubmann's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
joelb's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
phngtrnreads's review against another edition
5.0
This is my first approved request on NetGalley so I was really excited to read the book.
"The Perfect Nine is an epic about the origin of Kenya's Gĩkũyũ people, with Gĩkũyũ, the father; Mũmbi, the mother and their ten daughters who made the title of the story, the journeys, and challenges that these women and their suitors took in order to take the daughters' hands.
I absolutely love this take on Gĩkũyũ people that Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o has shown me. It is an old tale written with such a modern mindset that many other books these days couldn't even achieve. I was amazed and in love many times over with these female figures. All are beautifully described in appearance and character. Each possesses its own morality, bravery, talent, and wisdom. You can clearly see the admiration the men showed in the book. I appreciate the values he spoke of in the book, which include gender equality, feminism, the desire for peace, courage, etc. I was even more surprised to know that all these details were written by a man. Props to Mr. Thiong'o for this.
I did not know the story was executed in poetry form and at first, I thought that the book should be how most stories are. The lines rarely rhymed But as I read more of it, I realized I pay more attention to the sentences than I did most of the other books. He did not abuse big words for flowery but instead used many simple but gorgeous expressions that depict the beauty of Kenyan nature, black beauty, and the ethics that the author aimed for.
My only complaint is that there were many repeating details that seem excessive. I had to reread about Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi's adventure, only with a different perspective. I think they could have been merged together. but maybe I'm not the one to tell. The same things happened to many other lines in many other chapters. Still, I want to give this 5 stars instead of 4 to encourage people to read this.
"The Perfect Nine is an epic about the origin of Kenya's Gĩkũyũ people, with Gĩkũyũ, the father; Mũmbi, the mother and their ten daughters who made the title of the story, the journeys, and challenges that these women and their suitors took in order to take the daughters' hands.
I absolutely love this take on Gĩkũyũ people that Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o has shown me. It is an old tale written with such a modern mindset that many other books these days couldn't even achieve. I was amazed and in love many times over with these female figures. All are beautifully described in appearance and character. Each possesses its own morality, bravery, talent, and wisdom. You can clearly see the admiration the men showed in the book. I appreciate the values he spoke of in the book, which include gender equality, feminism, the desire for peace, courage, etc. I was even more surprised to know that all these details were written by a man. Props to Mr. Thiong'o for this.
I did not know the story was executed in poetry form and at first, I thought that the book should be how most stories are. The lines rarely rhymed But as I read more of it, I realized I pay more attention to the sentences than I did most of the other books. He did not abuse big words for flowery but instead used many simple but gorgeous expressions that depict the beauty of Kenyan nature, black beauty, and the ethics that the author aimed for.
My only complaint is that there were many repeating details that seem excessive. I had to reread about Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi's adventure, only with a different perspective. I think they could have been merged together. but maybe I'm not the one to tell. The same things happened to many other lines in many other chapters. Still, I want to give this 5 stars instead of 4 to encourage people to read this.
laviskrg's review against another edition
5.0
This is a gorgeous little book. It surprised me in the way it was written and in its beautiful metaphores and expert narrative. It reads like the classic epic poems of my youth, it generates moods and emotions similar to heroic fables. It does not rhyme but has a strong musicality to the text. A delight, definitely would recommend to uncultured peasants who think that more African books should be published (they are and they are, for the most part, amazing) but only read young adult or urban fantasy crap.
Will definitely be following the author and it is an amazing addition to my immense collection of African literature. Hats off!
Will definitely be following the author and it is an amazing addition to my immense collection of African literature. Hats off!
circeslion's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
willemijnschilten's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0