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A review by serendipitysbooks
The Furrows by Namwali Serpell
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
he Furrows is a book in two parts and while I liked both parts- the first rather more than the second - I struggled with the switch and am not convinced that they combined to form a satisfying whole.
The first part begins with death of Wayne when he was 7 and his older sister Cassandra (aka C and Cee) was 12. The details surrounding his death are a little murky but what is clear is the impact his death had on C and her parents, and the feelings of responsibility she harbours. This was a brilliant literary depiction of the waves of grief, the way it appears and reappears in the same or different guises, in ways don’t don’t always seem to make a lot of sense.
The second half is narrated by a man who is using the same name is C’s dead brother. He’s had a rough go at life but is trying to reform, while also dealing with some ghosts from his past. He and C meet and a slightly uncomfortable relationship develops.
Apart from grief this novel also explores race in some subtle and not so subtle ways. I’m sure it does other things as well. But honestly? I just didn’t feel clever enough for parts of this book. I was sometimes confused, not always sure what was going on or why. In some places I felt that was the author’s intention; in others I’m not so sure.
The first part begins with death of Wayne when he was 7 and his older sister Cassandra (aka C and Cee) was 12. The details surrounding his death are a little murky but what is clear is the impact his death had on C and her parents, and the feelings of responsibility she harbours. This was a brilliant literary depiction of the waves of grief, the way it appears and reappears in the same or different guises, in ways don’t don’t always seem to make a lot of sense.
The second half is narrated by a man who is using the same name is C’s dead brother. He’s had a rough go at life but is trying to reform, while also dealing with some ghosts from his past. He and C meet and a slightly uncomfortable relationship develops.
Apart from grief this novel also explores race in some subtle and not so subtle ways. I’m sure it does other things as well. But honestly? I just didn’t feel clever enough for parts of this book. I was sometimes confused, not always sure what was going on or why. In some places I felt that was the author’s intention; in others I’m not so sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Racism, and Grief