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Summary: Story of the Congo & Africa for North American Audience
Review: With 1105 other customer reviews here as I write this, there is really little more to say about this excellent book that hasn't already been said, just want to add my 5 star vote.Two stories are told, first of all it is a women's story, a fanatic Baptist preacher gone mad takes his wife and 4 daughters with him to the Congo to save the souls of the "children of Ham", the Price family will never be the same again. The part of this novel that impresses though is the overview of the Congo's colonial history and a more detailed examination of U.S. involvement in this region during the 20th century. Some reviewers have criticized Barbara Kingsolver for "pushing her political views onto her readers" and "having an agenda". You bet there's an agenda here, and it's a great one, this kind of story needs to be told. I recommend this highly for western readers wishing to know more about Africa, colonialism, and/or U.S. foreign involvement.
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Summary: emotionally gripping
Review: well written, easy to read and a must for people with daddy issues and who like to escape the strange perfection of american grocery stores.
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Summary: Tour de force
Review: I'm an author (BABY CATCHER: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife), and I also teach writing classes. I appreciate all of Kingsolver's books for different reasons, but this one is a particular triumph in her ability to write in the very distinctive voices of several different characters. You have only to open the book at random and read 2 or 3 lines to know exactly which character is telling her part of the story. A tour de force.
The story concerns the family of Nathan Price, a self-righteousness religious fanatic who drags them all off to the Congo to save souls. Disaster is inevitable, and disaster is what happens. The story is told mostly by the four daughters: the malaprop and cliché-ridden vapid eldest daughter, the intelligent and sincerely adoring 2nd child, the schrewd, watchful and mute 3rd child, and the youngest, a 5yo. Beyond the story of just this family, however, Kingsolver carefully spoon-feeds us a lesson in brutal nationalistic rule of the Belgian Congo, racial genocide, the CIA's involvement in some of the horrors that engulfed Africa, and exploitation of poor countries by rich ones.
Top notch book by one of the US's top notch writers.
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Summary: An outstanding epic about the Congo!
Review: I had been eying this book for three years, and I finally broke down and bought it because it was suggested by Oprah and said to be a modern classic. All I could say when I read this book was, "Wow!" It was a big eye opener for this 17 year old white girl who knows nothing about the history of America being involved with Africa! It makes me embarrassed to be white when they talk about the Americans planning to kill the new president of the Congo right after the Congo got it's independence. He gets beaten to death, and a new dictator controls the Congo. While he lives in riches, the poor Congolese people still live in a suffering state of poverty. The story is about this Revival Baptist Reverend Nathan Price who brings his four daughters and his wife to the Congo in order to Christianize and save the people of the Congo. He is overly self righteous and very ignorant of the real needs of the Congolese people. He knows nothing of their custums, and really doesn't care about their custums that much. He is a very frustrating character, and I know that you will hate him when you read this book. He punishes his children by making them do The Verse- writing 100 verses from the Bible as a punishment if they do any little thing wrong. Nathan Price wants to baptize everyone in the river, but the people are not willing to do this because last year a child was eaten by a crocodile in the river. It was too dangerous. Nathan Price hated the Congolese people because he felt that they would not listen to him and accept Jesus as their saviour. Soon trouble occurs because there is fighting for the independence of the Congo. Blacks are against whites, and the family is in danger. Nathan Price will not allow them to leave until their work is done, so he endangers their lives by staying there longer. This novel is fast moving, the characters are well developed, the story is well researched, it is historically accurate and enticing, and any person will love this book because it combines politics with religion and talks about race. It's a very good read. I think that everyone should read this book!
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Summary: Worth slogging through first the first chapter.
Review: I don't know when I started liking the (audio)book, but my appetite for it became insatiable. I drove by myself to Albany, Georgia for a meeting (90 miles) just so I could have several hours of uninterrupted listening time. You read this book as if you are reading the diaries of five women: Orleanna Price, wife of a preacher sent to the Congo, and their four daughters. I think a big turnoff was starting the book with Orleanna Price. Beautiful prose, but very difficult to get into the feel of the book when this woman is "talking." Am I that used to children's books? Do I need "Once upon a time there were four sisters whose father was a preacher..."? It's just that she is so descriptive and allegorical and whatever else that it just confused the heck out of me. I tried to read the novel and eventually checked out the audiotapes from the library in the hope that being read to would help me "get into" the book. Each chapter is devoted to the "voice" of a different character. It made it much easier to listen to Dean Robertson read the book and give each character a unique sound. I love how audiobooks allow me to "read" novels that I otherwise would not be able to. I'm not sure how I would recommend this book to others. It definitely was worth getting through the initial mire of wordiness. Maybe skip the first chapter with Orleanna and get to where they are packing for the trip. Then read the first chapter last. It is a fascinating insight into the clash of African culture with the white preacher-man come to save their souls. However, most of the novel is dedicated to the reaction of Reverend Price's blonde-haired daughters and wife to being thrust
into this foreign land. The novel spans several decades and we get to see the life-long effects of this missionary trip on the Price family.
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Summary: One woman's view
Review: A fine book. This is one woman's view told through 5 different voices. Certainly some witty and creative writing. However, I found that it became too preachy by the end. The author over-explains the lesson that she wants you to learn. As a result, I'm not anxious to read another of her novels.
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Summary: a definite MUST
Review: In short: The Poisonwood Bible is astounding. After I read through the first 15 pages (which, albeit, was a bit confusing), I could not put the book down. For anybody who grew up in the 50s, or who has an interest in learning about life in the Congo and Africa, or who simply loves sitting down to a gripping novel, this is for you. A masterpiece.
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Summary: Great Book!!!
Review: I simply cannot rave about this book enough for you people. It is beyond words how great the book is. Even though the first section is slow, by the end you will be blown away. It is a powerfully moving, eye-opening piece of literature. I have personally read this book three times and each time, new ideas and questions are revealed to me. I have found that each person has a new perspective on the book, and has favorite characters and characters that they do not like so much. The characters that I believe no person could stand are loved by my friends, while my favorite character, Adah is deplored by others. A truly great book and a fantastic addition to any library.
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Summary: I'm a big fan but this was not a favorite
Review: My main disappointment was that I had to suspend an enormous amount of disbelief in order to believe in the characters. For example, I have a hard time believing that Rachel could spend that much time in the Congo and still grown up to be who she became. I also found it hard to believe that Adah's transformation would occur almost anecdotally. And I also did not like obvious foreshadowing of certain events. All in all, this book left me wanted more substance.
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Summary: Kingsolver's Gem
Review: Readers of the Bean Tree and Pigs and heaven will recognize her as an enjoyable read and a potrayer of characters you could believe actually existed and whom you love. You will not recognize her as a critically acclaimed writer whose book will touch a part of your sole you never thought you had. This is the book we should have been waiting for her to produce. It took her 30 years and I am so glad she took her time. The book is written in 5 voices, those of a mother and her four daughters. These women have traveled with their father/husband to the French Congo to become missionaries for a year. This is the story of how it changed their lives forever. A must read for everyone.
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