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A review by ncteixeira
The Polished Hoe by Austin Clarke
5.0
I had a hardcover edition sitting on my shelves, since this book won the 2002 Giller Prize.
To be honest, I don’t think that I would have enjoyed it as much as I did now, 22 years later.
The majority of my friends absolutely hated this book, so I was expecting to be bored. But I was surprisingly blown away by the storytelling.
I was completely hooked and fascinated from the beginning to the end.
Although its development is a slow one, I didn’t feel a moment of boredom.
How delightful!
And the audiobook narrated by Robin Miles is fantastic!
I did read and listened to the audiobook simultaneously. What a a double joy!
The storytelling is superb!
The descriptions are beautifully detailed. Even the passion and lust were captured perfectly.
But there are also heartbreaking and shocking accounts.
This is not a book of action or a thriller, and I know it will not please everyone, but I loved everything about it.
The main character introduces interesting characters through out her accounts of her life and what she knows about other generations.
It’s practically a monologue (there are plenty of dialogues through her accounts).
The conclusion, although gory, was perfect, especially after so many years of abuse.
In this book, the power of memory is the real focus.
I think that what really drawn me to this is that I could feel a lot of heart within the pages. It’s a work of love.
PS. this author was born in Barbados and used to live in Toronto, where he passed away on June 26, 2016.
Hardcover (2002 edition) by Thomas Allen Publishesers: 462 pages (there are no author’s notes, acknowledgments, introduction or foreword) - this was the edition I read.
Ebook (Kobo -original edition): 538 pages (default), 156k words
Ebook (Kobo -20th a edition - with a new foreword by Rinaldo Walcott): 592 pages (default), 161k words (I may go to the bookstore just to read the foreword)
Audiobook narrated by Robin Miles: 18.8 hours (normal speed) - highly recommended