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dude_watchin_with_the_brontes's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Peter Jay Fernandez.
leahmcgurk's review against another edition
5.0
yet again a man self-pityingly calls himself a coward rather than admitting he is trash
manaledi's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this. Some interesting twists on African dictatorship satire literature. Also brought to mind the trial I attended in Equatorial Guinea a little bit.
scoobydoe's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
jessicajewel's review against another edition
5.0
"Each evening, when the sun goes west to rest and darkness falls, many people yield to the body's sweet summons to sleep."
How could you not love a book with such lovely turns of phrase?
Truly phenomenal fiction.
How could you not love a book with such lovely turns of phrase?
Truly phenomenal fiction.
amarj33t_5ingh's review against another edition
4.0
A poignant tale of post-colonial trauma, rape, violence and a failing nation-state in which the only pristine and unsullied element seems to be its fast-depleting journalist integrity.
Without giving too much away, this novel has a poignant beauty not found in others of its genres. The only qualms I have with it is that the ending, while natural for a novel of this kind, proved immensely anti-climatic given that the build-up to it was epic.
Nonetheless, a mesmerizing glance into the human psyche.
Without giving too much away, this novel has a poignant beauty not found in others of its genres. The only qualms I have with it is that the ending, while natural for a novel of this kind, proved immensely anti-climatic given that the build-up to it was epic.
Nonetheless, a mesmerizing glance into the human psyche.
pamshenanigans's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A frustrating, tragic, and graphic depiction of how abuse of power so ingrained in the system affects the whole nation. Arrows of Rain by Okey Ndibe follows the story of a man who was accused of raping and murdering a sex worker after witnessing a woman drowning. Our main character Bukuru, having no friends and family, served as his own attorney against a justice system hellbent on sweeping the issue under the rug by pointing all evidence against him, especially when the people he accused were the country's armed forces, and eventually the president and commander-in-chief himself.
Arrows of Rain, set in 1988, was told from the perspective of a reporter, Femi, who Bukuru chose to listen to his story and tell his story should anything happens to him in prison or during the trial. I found Bukuru/Oguagua’s story ominous and distressing all the way. It was heartbreaking to see that Oguagua who simply wanted to be good and happy had to be on the receiving end of the abuse of power of Madia (the name of the country, inspired by native Nigeria).
The writing and the plot were compelling so I recommend this book!
Trigger/Content Warnings: rape, graphic physical and sexual assault, death, murder, police brutality
Arrows of Rain, set in 1988, was told from the perspective of a reporter, Femi, who Bukuru chose to listen to his story and tell his story should anything happens to him in prison or during the trial. I found Bukuru/Oguagua’s story ominous and distressing all the way. It was heartbreaking to see that Oguagua who simply wanted to be good and happy had to be on the receiving end of the abuse of power of Madia (the name of the country, inspired by native Nigeria).
The writing and the plot were compelling so I recommend this book!
Trigger/Content Warnings: rape, graphic physical and sexual assault, death, murder, police brutality
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
tashadhyani's review against another edition
3.0
The blurb of the book would lead you to believe that it's about a madman who is accused of and tried for raping and murdering a prostitute; so I thought this book would involve a lot of scenes in a tribunal court with a crazy person (and by "crazy" I mean like 12 Monkeys' Brad Pitt's character crazy) defending himself against a high profile lawyer or something. The madman turns out to be perfectly lucid, a well-educated man with a relatively functioning conscience. He is said to be mad because he claims that the corrupt autocrat of the fictional country of Madia (based on Nigeria) has raped and murdered bunch of prostitutes.
The highlight of this book is its narration, especially how it unfolds each story onto the previous ones. The complex gravity of each occurrence, how it relates to another, illustrates the messy reality that is life and how we make sense of it. This is also somewhat reflected through the meaning of the title, which refers to the double-edged sword nature of rain: The arrows of rain can provide life, but they can also bring destruction and deaths when coming in violent torrents. Fast-paced and written in clear and simple sentences, this book is a quick and easily enjoyable read.
The highlight of this book is its narration, especially how it unfolds each story onto the previous ones. The complex gravity of each occurrence, how it relates to another, illustrates the messy reality that is life and how we make sense of it. This is also somewhat reflected through the meaning of the title, which refers to the double-edged sword nature of rain: The arrows of rain can provide life, but they can also bring destruction and deaths when coming in violent torrents. Fast-paced and written in clear and simple sentences, this book is a quick and easily enjoyable read.