nan_1765's review
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.75
The Confession of a Lioness by Mia Couto
Trigger warning: This book contains rape, sexual abuse, physical abuse and ableist
A haunting, dark, beautifully written, poetic mystery about the women of Kulumani and the lioness that hunt them. The lyrical narrative moves back and forth between two narrators Mariamar Mpepe, a local woman of Kulumani and Archangel Bullseye, a hunter who was ordered to kill the lions terrorising the village, Kulumani.
Confession of the lioness, unveil the harsh reality of women suffering, abuse, exploration, women being shut away, facing misogynism and being oppressed.
They are literally treated as animals. They are not allowed to voice their opinions, not allowed to look a man in the eye when they are being spoken to and raped.
Hanifa, the mother of Mariamar ask the hunter “Why he’s hunting lions in the forest when the real predators are in the village.” She was talking about the men and the rape culture that they continue. The lions are always there, at the edge of darkness and attack and kill the village’s women. At the same time, the animals inside men also attack the women through domestic violence, incest and rape, or even genital mutilation.
However, later on in the book we see the women compared to lioness and in the pride of lions – although the lion is the king of the jungle, but the lioness is the one who does the hunting and who acts as the provider. The entire society is turned over in reverse with that metaphor.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It was short and thought-provoking. It demonstrates that some things are universally experienced and that’s what makes great literature, that aspect of shared commonality and experience
Trigger warning: This book contains rape, sexual abuse, physical abuse and ableist
A haunting, dark, beautifully written, poetic mystery about the women of Kulumani and the lioness that hunt them. The lyrical narrative moves back and forth between two narrators Mariamar Mpepe, a local woman of Kulumani and Archangel Bullseye, a hunter who was ordered to kill the lions terrorising the village, Kulumani.
Confession of the lioness, unveil the harsh reality of women suffering, abuse, exploration, women being shut away, facing misogynism and being oppressed.
They are literally treated as animals. They are not allowed to voice their opinions, not allowed to look a man in the eye when they are being spoken to and raped.
Hanifa, the mother of Mariamar ask the hunter “Why he’s hunting lions in the forest when the real predators are in the village.” She was talking about the men and the rape culture that they continue. The lions are always there, at the edge of darkness and attack and kill the village’s women. At the same time, the animals inside men also attack the women through domestic violence, incest and rape, or even genital mutilation.
However, later on in the book we see the women compared to lioness and in the pride of lions – although the lion is the king of the jungle, but the lioness is the one who does the hunting and who acts as the provider. The entire society is turned over in reverse with that metaphor.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It was short and thought-provoking. It demonstrates that some things are universally experienced and that’s what makes great literature, that aspect of shared commonality and experience
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Fatphobia, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Misogyny, and Emotional abuse
More...