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A review by mokey4
Wizard of the Crow by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o
5.0
This book is about 800 pages long, and I loved about 600 pages of it. I mean really truly loved and adored, couldn't wait to be reunited with this book on the bus or in the evening. But those other 200 pages were tough to get through, and unfortunately they are at the beginning and the end.
This is the story of a fictional African country, its despot & his inner circle, the political agitators trying to oust them for a better tomorrow, and a spiritual healer who unwittingly gets mixed up with all of them. It is a story with multiple plot lines beautifully interwoven, and believable well-developed characters. Even the most evil, ruthless, psychologically damaged characters are sympathetic at times. And the good guys fall from grace, and are not completely altruistic.
This was a lovely read, but like other Ngugi wa Thiongo books I have read the pacing is an issue and it can be a struggle to stay until the end. If you want to try, at least be sure to read several pages into part II before putting this book down. If you quit in part 1 you are leaving before it has a chance to get good. If you are at least a couple of chapters into part 2 and you are not enjoying it, I give you permission to quit.
Edited: I changed my rating from 4 stars to 5 stars, because several months after I have read this book I still think about it. Some of the characters and situations really are quite captivating and memorable. I'm very glad I read this book and recommend it highly, though you do have to have a bit of stamina to get through the first part. It's worth it.
This is the story of a fictional African country, its despot & his inner circle, the political agitators trying to oust them for a better tomorrow, and a spiritual healer who unwittingly gets mixed up with all of them. It is a story with multiple plot lines beautifully interwoven, and believable well-developed characters. Even the most evil, ruthless, psychologically damaged characters are sympathetic at times. And the good guys fall from grace, and are not completely altruistic.
This was a lovely read, but like other Ngugi wa Thiongo books I have read the pacing is an issue and it can be a struggle to stay until the end. If you want to try, at least be sure to read several pages into part II before putting this book down. If you quit in part 1 you are leaving before it has a chance to get good. If you are at least a couple of chapters into part 2 and you are not enjoying it, I give you permission to quit.
Edited: I changed my rating from 4 stars to 5 stars, because several months after I have read this book I still think about it. Some of the characters and situations really are quite captivating and memorable. I'm very glad I read this book and recommend it highly, though you do have to have a bit of stamina to get through the first part. It's worth it.