Rating: 
Summary: Kingsolver Hits The Jackpot
Review: This enchanting tale of a struggle of a Baptist family in the jungle of the Congo both entertains and educates. It includes the story of president- elect Lumumba being assasinated and Mobutu taking over and instilling his self indulgent beliefs. This mixture of both history and entertainment allows this book to be a true classic.
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Summary: Belgian Congo Historical Novel
Review: A solid book. To me one of the most interesting parts of the book were the political chaos scenes depicting the history of the Belgian Congo. I knew little of modern Central Afican history, this presented a clear picture of U.S. foriegn involement in preventing communism, African culture, the end of the colonialist era, and the emotions of the Congolese in that turbulent time.
Kingsolver did her research. If you are interested in the Congo or books about imprisonment, I'd read this over "Heart of Darkness" any day.
Rating:
Summary: Slow Start yet an AB-FAB finish!
Review: I began this book several times before I actually mustered up the time and energy needed to get through the first couple of "daughter" chapters. Now that i've finished the book, am thankful. The book is great! Character development of the sisters, each a different story, Orleanna the mother and Nathan the crazed Baptist preacher father who puts The Word of Jesus before his own family time and again sends a message to all Christians. Yes, one of the daughters says..."there are Christians, and there are Christians" Kingsolver weaves the landscape of powerful Africa throughout, giving comfortable Americans the opportunity to consider just how lucky, spoiled, wasteful and short-sighted we truly are! The many messages sent out might be missed and the book enjoyable nevertheless, but "hearing" each characters message truly is a contemplative journey. Can't wait for the movie!
Karola~
Rating:
Summary: Glad I wasn't them
Review: I was very hesitant to read anything with the word 'bible' in the title, especially something about missionaries, but I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this book immensely. Kingsolver has done a wonderful job giving the reader a sense of what happens when your average apple pie American gets thrown into a jungle environment where no one wants to hear missionary banter about Jesus. Told from the point of view of four daughters, the maniacal Tata Price relentlessly tries to convert the 'heathen' Kilanga residents to god fearing Christians, only to ultimately enrage both his family and village, resulting in a tragic conclusion.
My only criticism is this: Although I always enjoy follow-up at the end of a story as to how everyone's life transpired following the main event, I felt that it was a bit overdone. I appreciate knowing where all the daughters ended up, but by the last chapter, I really wanted to just have them go away. So, that is why I gave it a 4 and not a 5, but in all, it is a wonderful novel. Also, anyone who is interested in following up on the Congo should also read King Leopold's Ghost for a real glimpse at the horrors that took place in the Congo.
Rating:
Summary: Lovely story, well defined characters
Review: You know you've read a great book when you hate to leave the characters behind at the end, and that was precisely the case for me with The Poisonwood Bible (though Rachel was getting a little wearing...).I'm admittedly not at all a history buff, so the historical setting and references to real occurrences were interesting and (embarrassingly) new to me. They do openly reflect the author's political leanings, but still help build a historical context that adds to the story. I still love Adah, as much as her sections would slow me down with the writing ... but also with the deep truths in her observations. Excellent writing, engaging characters and a peek into another world combine to make this one of my favorite books of the year. Thank you, Barbara Kingsolver, for giving me entertaining AND intelligent summer reading.
Rating: 
Summary: My name is Retseh Htebazile Adnarim
Review: I read this book because a great number of people suggested it to me. The very, very beginning with the introductions of the characters is rather slow, but the book quickly picks up pace and doesn't let go. I immediately liked the character of Adah because she was a lot like me. She fiddles with words and numbers. Ruth May is a sweet if rather spoiled little girl who eventually runs into trouble. Rachel is the spoiled, preening eldest daughter in the family. She remains the most static of all the female characters. Leah is Adah's twin and she is the most dynamic character. She goes from thinking that her father is never wrong to making the area around Congo her home. In the end I identified with Leah the most. She rang the most true of all the characters save Anatole, the schoolteacher in the village that the family is at. I am them and they are me. Read this book for an experience like no other.
Rating:
Summary: Oprah was right!
Review: Thoroughly enjoyable and highly readable. Great characterizations, unique plotline and lavish attention to detail make this a book you'll hate to put down! And you'll hate when it's over. Author Kingsolver masterfully speaks in the different voices of her characters and structures the story with magnificence. Buy a second copy to give as a gift.
Rating:
Summary: Those poor babies
Review: This book is essentially centred around the one chararacter who is not given a voice in it - Nathan Price. Its fundamental structure makes it interesting, despite the fact that its core character is one-dimensional and unlikeable. The contrasting and vibrant characters of his four daughters who act as multiple narrators give the reader the rare privilege of developing a rounded and objective opinion of circumstances surrounding the missionary family, which could be easily blurred by the rich description of life in the lush but unforgiving Congo. Although the book closely examines the Price family dynamic it also demonstrates the potential and importance of the individual agent especially when acting within an extreme physical and spiritual environment like the Congo. It's not about God, it's about girls - Rachel, Leah, Ada and Ruth May.
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Summary: A funny, sad, wonderful book
Review: This book is about a missionary family in the Belgian Congo in the 1960s. It's told in the voices of the four daughters of the family, and follows them for many years, even after they've left (escaped from?) the Congo. The story of the family is in itself very good, the book is also about the tragically turbulent social and political post-colonial history of the Congo, the interference of the old colonizers, the mismanaged elections, the murder of Patrice Lumumba, the tyranny and megalomania of Mobotu, the tragic underdevelopment of a country with so much potential. Yes, the book is message-y, and Kingsolver's personal views on the situation in the Congo are clear, but that is part of what kept me so deeply engrossed me in the novel. Without that, I don't think that it wouldn't have been the wonderful piece of work that it is.
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Summary: A great book betrayed by author indulgence
Review: Half-way through The Poisonwood Bible I was telling everyone what an absolutely fabulous novel this was - complex, imaginative, lyrical, heartbreaking, and funny - and now that I've finished it, I wouldn't change any of those adjectives. I must, however, admit that the last part of novel (not the very last chapter, which is remarkable)is disappointing. From a purely literary point of view, there is no story arc left for Kingsolver to complete. It also lapses into the worst sin of fiction writing: telling rather than showing. I blame her editors for not having the courage to tell Ms. Kingsolver that she was becoming repetitive and didactic (surely something the creator of Nathan Price could appreciate!). I see that many other reviewers have made the same point. This is a powerful and memorable story, and it only saddened me to see it, like the young Adah, come limping in at the end. Many have criticized Ms. Kingsolver for being excruciatingly PC, and I see their point even as I agree with most of her views. There is a core of self-loathing (Western loathing?)that becomes hard to bear after a while. If I'm going to be "instructed" in a book, I like it to be far subtler than it was here. Despite these reservations, I still highly recommend the novel, and I know I will never forget it.
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