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Title:
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Poisonwood Bible, The |
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Authors:
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Kingsolver, Barbara |
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Genre:
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Fiction |
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Pages:
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614 |
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Year:
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1999 |
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Language:
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English |
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Description:
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Kingsolver waited thirty years to write this book, having experienced the Belgian Congo as a child. In 1959, Baptist missionary, Nathan Price, sets off for the Congo with his wife, four daughters, and Betty Crocker cake mixes. They are woefully unprepared for the isolation, climate, and political upheaval as the Congolese seek independence from Belgium. [big read]
Comments from Groups: Really enjoyed it - talented writer - unusual setting/situation for a family (from a Western country) to be in. Auckland 211 We talked for hours...It brought up a lot of issues regarding politics, colonialism and the struggle for independence.Queenstown 010Clever writing, great characters and humour.Very good descriptions of the Congo and life in the jungle. Mangaweka 001Decided it was a mammoth read! Good discussion re colonisation of Africa (and other countries) and types of missionary work. Auckland 261 Members felt this book gained from being read twice and generated much discussion. Timaru 007 Interesting, compelling, lots of 'big' issues to discuss. All thought the chapters from different perspectives clever and so true to life. Cromwell 002 Without exception we all felt this was a brilliant book in so many ways. Beautifully written - Kingsolver has wonderful descriptive powers. Her portrayal through the eyes of the children and mother adds to its power. We had very interesting discussions about the cultural differences displayed through language, and about the West's arrogance. We saw similarities with the West and Iraq, Iran etc Most of us had read it previously , and still thought we could read it a third time. Whitby 003 Complex book which stimulated great discussion! Recommended reading. Demanding reading however. Wanaka 015 A tough read, only 4 of the 12 members finished it. Those said it was worth it at the end, but they had to push themselves to finish it. Hastings 007 A book that divided our group. Some struggled to finish, but those who did enjoyed it. The beginning was hard to get into, and the different 'voices' for each chapter took some getting used to. Auckland 248 Those members who completed the book were impressed with the quality and depth of writing, the characterisation of the Price family, and the sensitive awareness of their life amongst the people of the Congo. We thought the book notes were very good. An outstanding book on many fronts. Whakatane 005
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Categories:
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Fiction, Congo, Big reads, Community, Culture/Ethnic/Racial, Relationships, Blind Low Vision library |
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