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Summary: American family trying to adapt to the Congo
Review: I seldom read novels, much preferring fact to fiction, but this book is wonderful. It is related of course to real life and tells the story of how an American family try to adapt their lives to living in a village in Congo with their bible-thrashing father.Each of the 4 daughters and the mother relate their own story throughout the book and it is possible to feel akin to each of them as they bring the reader into their lives and the difficulties that each of them encounters. Struggles, sadness and difficulties are all a part of the story but it is possible to sympathise with each member of the family, even the father, as they go about their daily lives in the remoteness of an African village. I loved this book and couldn't put it down. There is much to reflect on and learn about life and (having lived overseas myself in developing countries) oh so true!
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Summary: I wanted to like Barbara Kingsolver
Review: Ok, so I've now "tried" Barbara Kingsolver. I'm an avowed reader with diverse taste. When I was at a loss as to what to read next, someone suggested this author. With the exception of maybe Prodigal Summer, to me Barbara Kingsolver at best is ho hum. Out of the 4 or 5 books of hers that I have now read, this was about the most BORING book I have ever read, period. It was painfully long, preachy, and had the same major flaw I saw with the other Kingsolver books I've read, severely lacking a point. I'm still at a loss as to what the deal was with the father in this book, but maybe more important, I don't care. I enjoy good story telling about strong people and families, despite any faults they may have. Kingsolver has the ability to tell a story with good visuals, but her character building is consistanty weak. I've finished most of her books not caring about any of her characters, wishing there was less PC and preaching,more character building, and wondering why I wasted my time. While Bean Trees etc. were cute, "light and happy" stories, Poisonwood Bible was just overly heavy and never ending. I was proud of myself just for sticking it out to the end. I REALLY WANTED TO LIKE THIS AUTHOR!!!! I have now given Barbara Kingsolver a fair shot. I think I'll move on.
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Summary: If you've just started to read this, hang on it gets better
Review: I usually try to avoid Oprah book club books just because I dont' want to look like I'm a part of the Oprah "cult" although I do love her, her show and what she is doing with both. This book however caught my attetion but I took awhile to get it. I finally purchased it and have taken a long time to really read much of it. The first of it this book I found boring but as my sister encouraged me to continue reading I did. She was right, it does get better. At first I could care less about the characters and their whining about the horrible life they had in the Congo. Now about half way into the book (maybe a little less) it has become a page turner and I can't wait to find out how it ends. Sorry to write this when I haven't even finished the book but anyone interested in this book I encourage to read it and don't give up with the boring begininng, it gets much better almost out of no where.
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Summary: Gripping fiction reveals fascinating history! Spectacular!
Review: I think I just found myself a new favorite author in Barbara Kingsolver. Ms. Kingsolver is such a talented writer with an uncanny ability to use well-crafted and entertaining fiction to reveal a fascinating period of history - the political development of the African Congo. Not only was this an intelligent history lesson and a study of Western ethnocentrism, it was also a tale of family bonds, cultural adaptation/tolerance, and forgiveness. The writing style alone was intriguing. This story was written as a Biblical parable, and includes the Books of "Genesis","the Revelation", "The Judges", "Bel and the Serpent", "Exodus" and "Song of Three Children". But this is not the Bible as we know it - "Genesis", for instance, represents the beginning of the Price Family's African experience. Nathan Price was an evangelical Southern Baptist preacher who leads his wife and 4 daughters to Africa to spread Christianity to the natives in the Belgian Congo in the 1950s. While his faith blinded him to the cultural differences and political realities that surrounded him, we are told the Price family's story by Orleanna, Rachel, Leah, Adah and little Ruth May Price. Each segment is told in the first-person and each character has her own voice - what amazed me was how real these women were! The history of the Congo and Africa as a whole was fascinating and I guess what amazed me most is how the policies of our own government toward other nations in which there are serious economic interests have not changed that much since the 1950s. Ms. Kingsolver discussed how American interest in the mineral resources (diamonds, copper, cobalt) of the Congo led to American involvement in the Independence movement there. ...Not unlike the relationship between oil and Middle Eastern entanglements! Very timely reading! If this book is indicative of all Ms. Kingsolver's writing, I can't wait to read more!
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Summary: Multiple Viewpoints Capture Imagination
Review: Barbara Kingsolver's evocation of the Congo is masterful and reflects her intimacy with the sights, sounds, and smells of a place she clearly views with admiration and compassion. Going there with Kingsolver as guide, along with four American girls, each speaking to us with a distinctive voice and point of view, is an amazing journey of both the external and internal conflicts inherent in moving to such an alien land. The girls and their family become the only whites in a small village with its own form of dignity and tradition, which is at first invisible to the eyes of the foreigners. The girls allow us to see their inflexible missionary father and struggling mother through the lens of various ages, from a teen sneaking makeup behind her father's back to a child who still echoes everything he says. As the family is pressured and the children grow to adulthood in this challenging environment, with its flooding, its isolation, and its lack of amenities, far past the tenure they anticipated, each discovers her true self and writes her own version of the Poisonwood Bible.
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Summary: Two Books In One
Review: The time is 1959, and a minister, his wife, and four daughters have arrived in the Congo to set up a mission and convert the natives to Christianity. Indeed the natives provide a warm welcome for the family, but things seem to go wrong right from the start. The celebration is marred when the minister chastises the group because the women have, to him, the vile habit of wearing nothing from the waste up. This righteous, rigid man of God doesn't have a chance. His preaching is pedantic, filled with biblical illusions that many American fundamentalists would have difficulty with. His theology is not one of love, but of stern exhortations to mind God's law. Life in the jungle is difficult, and some members of the family become depressed with the hardships of a life that is made worse by the tyranny of the father. Then there is an event which prompts the family to begin its slow exodus back to civilization. We are now at about page 500 of a 650 page book, and this is where the novel really should end. Author Kingsolver continues the story, but turns this part of the book into a polemic on the continuing plight of the Congo. But, hey, you have 500 pages of good reading in front of you. If you are interested in more fictional and non fictional accounts of Congo history I would recommend the following books: Non-fiction:
'King Leopold's Ghost', by Adam Hochschild. As the cover says it is 'a story of greed, terror, and heroism in colonial Africa." That sums it up adequately. This book won a prize for best book on international relations, and was a NY Times Notable Book. 'In The Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz', by Michela Wrong. The author, a reporter, recalls her years in the Congo (then Zaire) under the final years of Mobutu's presidency. 'Mr. Kurtz' in the title refers to a character from Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness' Fiction:
'Heart of Darkness', by Joseph Conrad. This is, of course, a classic novella that takes place during King Leopold's reign of terror. I most strongly recommend that you buy the Norton Critical Edition of this book. In addition to the 76 page novella there are close to 350 more pages of background on the Congo, plus many interesting articles about Conrad's story. 'A Bend in The River', by V.S. Naipaul. Imperialism falls, and the main character finds himself in a post 'Heart of Darkness' Congo.
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Summary: An instant classic...
Review: The Poisonwood Bible is one of the best books I have ever read! It chronicles the journey of the Price family as they travel to the Belgian Congo as missionaries. Although the book is over 500 pages long, the story is so captivating that the length is not an obstacle to enjoyment of the novel. This book is not only a provocative story, but also inspires the reader to reflect upon his or her own questions regarding faith. I absolutely loved this book and now consider it to be one of my favorites.
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Summary: This has become one of my top ten favorite books.
Review: This was one of the best novels I have read in the last ten years. It is the story of a family that moves to Africa to be missionaries. Each chapter is told throught the eyes of a different member of the family (the mother and four daughters). Ms. Kingsolver is an excellent storyteller, very clever and witty. I can't wait to read more of her books.
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Summary: Amazing
Review: I literally had trouble getting to sleep at night thinking about what would happen next in this book. It is that good. There are plenty of reviews describing the story here already, just do yourself a favor and read this book immediately.
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Summary: The Poisenwood Bible
Review: Read this book. It's compelling. You'll have a hard time putting it down.
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