The Poisonwood Bible
3 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by dododumpling from St. Neots, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Monday, July 10, 2006
16 March 2007
Summary from Kingsolver.com: The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it--from garden seeds to Scripture--is calamitously transformed on African soil. What follows is a suspenseful epic of one family's tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in postcolonial Africa.
The novel is set against one of the most dramatic political chronicles of the twentieth century: the Congo's fight for independence from Belgium, the murder of its first elected prime minister, the CIA coup to install his replacement, and the insidious progress of a world economic order that robs the fledgling African nation of its autonomy. Against this backdrop, Orleanna Price reconstructs the story of her evangelist husband's part in the Western assault on Africa, a tale indelibly darkened by her own losses and unanswerable questions about her own culpability. Also narrating the story, by turns, are her four daughters--the self-centered, teenaged Rachel; shrewd adolescent twins Leah and Adah; and Ruth May, a prescient five-year-old. These sharply observant girls, who arrive in the Congo with racial preconceptions forged in 1950s Georgia, will be marked in surprisingly different ways by their father's intractable mission, and by Africa itself. Ultimately each must strike her own separate path to salvation. Their passionately intertwined stories become a compelling exploration of moral risk and personal responsibility.
Dancing between the dark comedy of human failings and the breathtaking possibilities of human hope, The Poisonwood Bible possesses all that has distinguished Barbara Kingsolver's previous work, and extends this beloved writer's vision to an entirely new level. Taking its place alongside the classic works of postcolonial literature, this ambitious novel establishes Kingsolver as one of the most thoughtful and daring of modern writers.
This is a wonderful, powerful, moving book. The descriptions of Africa are such that you can almost see, touch and smell the scenery. The characters of each of the four Price family come across vividly, both through their own telling of events (although the Reverend Nathan Price does not have his own voice), and through their relationships with each other and their environment.
Prior to reading this, I knew very little about Congo, and the most thought-provoking aspect of reading this novel, for me, has been the whole question of colonialism and independence.
There’s a reading guide with further points to consider here.
Summary from Kingsolver.com: The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it--from garden seeds to Scripture--is calamitously transformed on African soil. What follows is a suspenseful epic of one family's tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in postcolonial Africa.
The novel is set against one of the most dramatic political chronicles of the twentieth century: the Congo's fight for independence from Belgium, the murder of its first elected prime minister, the CIA coup to install his replacement, and the insidious progress of a world economic order that robs the fledgling African nation of its autonomy. Against this backdrop, Orleanna Price reconstructs the story of her evangelist husband's part in the Western assault on Africa, a tale indelibly darkened by her own losses and unanswerable questions about her own culpability. Also narrating the story, by turns, are her four daughters--the self-centered, teenaged Rachel; shrewd adolescent twins Leah and Adah; and Ruth May, a prescient five-year-old. These sharply observant girls, who arrive in the Congo with racial preconceptions forged in 1950s Georgia, will be marked in surprisingly different ways by their father's intractable mission, and by Africa itself. Ultimately each must strike her own separate path to salvation. Their passionately intertwined stories become a compelling exploration of moral risk and personal responsibility.
Dancing between the dark comedy of human failings and the breathtaking possibilities of human hope, The Poisonwood Bible possesses all that has distinguished Barbara Kingsolver's previous work, and extends this beloved writer's vision to an entirely new level. Taking its place alongside the classic works of postcolonial literature, this ambitious novel establishes Kingsolver as one of the most thoughtful and daring of modern writers.
This is a wonderful, powerful, moving book. The descriptions of Africa are such that you can almost see, touch and smell the scenery. The characters of each of the four Price family come across vividly, both through their own telling of events (although the Reverend Nathan Price does not have his own voice), and through their relationships with each other and their environment.
Prior to reading this, I knew very little about Congo, and the most thought-provoking aspect of reading this novel, for me, has been the whole question of colonialism and independence.
There’s a reading guide with further points to consider here.
Journal Entry 2 by dododumpling from St. Neots, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Friday, March 16, 2007
Sending on as a RABCK to commemorate my 3rd BC-erversary.Put in the post to rubybluelady on 19 March 2007.
Received with pleasure this morning from the delightful dododumpling. Thanks very much for this RABCK. I look forward to reading it.
I'm giving this book ten out of ten, I can't fault it. It had everything, suspense, humour, enchanting prose and superb characterization.
I found myself almost praying that the family would survive, intact, their jungle adventure. I for one, think that us so called 'civilised' citizens have a deep-rooted primordial fear of the jungle, I certainly spent a lot of this book afraid!
The political events were completely new to me and I will certainly be investigating them more thoroughly.
Purplerosebud would like this book next.
I found myself almost praying that the family would survive, intact, their jungle adventure. I for one, think that us so called 'civilised' citizens have a deep-rooted primordial fear of the jungle, I certainly spent a lot of this book afraid!
The political events were completely new to me and I will certainly be investigating them more thoroughly.
Purplerosebud would like this book next.
Journal Entry 5 by chelseagirl from Faringdon, Oxfordshire United Kingdom on Sunday, August 26, 2007
Picked this up at the fab BCUK barbecue in Swindon - a lovely afternoon out and great to see you again, RubyBlueLady!
I actually had this in a huge batch of books I collected from a charity shop a couple of years ago, but ended up giving them all away on Freecycle. Mum then recommended it to me, so I'm glad to be able to have the chance.
I actually had this in a huge batch of books I collected from a charity shop a couple of years ago, but ended up giving them all away on Freecycle. Mum then recommended it to me, so I'm glad to be able to have the chance.
