Scan barcode
sidharthvardhan's review
4.0
Problem with this book is that Mengiste just can't help trying to make her writing as dramatic as it can be; every single emotion in here had a poetical passage used to express it and most of this poetry is done by resorting to cliches. A story that is full of murders, rape crimes, war crimes and other forms of violence as well as some really well-developed characters; doesn't really need that extra dose of dramatization from the prose. That said, it's probably one of most researched books I have read and it does a real good job in handling stories of several characters which is a gigantic task by itself.
chiara_everywhere's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
natalie_is_reading's review
3.0
3.5 stars
Bit of a slow start to the book as it was hard to get into- the different characters and perspectives were confusing to keep track of as they just flow one into the next, but I got more into it as it went on. Didn’t know anything about the Italian 1935 invasion of Ethiopia or all that much about Ethiopia in general, so interesting to learn about. Also, from the back of the book, this “exploration of what it means to be a woman at war “ - it means graphic SA practically every other chapter, be aware.
Bit of a slow start to the book as it was hard to get into- the different characters and perspectives were confusing to keep track of as they just flow one into the next, but I got more into it as it went on. Didn’t know anything about the Italian 1935 invasion of Ethiopia or all that much about Ethiopia in general, so interesting to learn about. Also, from the back of the book, this “exploration of what it means to be a woman at war “ - it means graphic SA practically every other chapter, be aware.
whatadutchgirlreads's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
clara_lotte's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
If I have to read one more time how the light falls over someone's shoulder...
bhargav09's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
missyjohnson's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a little while to get into the rhythm of this book. Several reasons, it had not quotation marks for dialogue, unfamiliar names, Ethiopian words that were difficult to translate and lack of knowledge of Ethiopian history. I did do some reading to understand the war with the Italians. I also had to read about Haile Salassie to understand a bit more of his role. The story was also difficult because of the brutality. The brutality of the war in and of itself and the brutality of the men toward the women in their lives. I will think about this book for a while and the role of Minim as the Shadow King, what his presence meant to people and then what it meant for The Emperor to flee to Britain. There is also the idea of what it means to wear certain clothes and how that makes others perceive us. As well as the small detailed actions that we take to continue a charade. Another aspect of the book is the strength of the women portrayed. As helpers and as warriors. The descriptions of the things that Hirut imagined or forced her mind to see and do during various ordeals was gut wrenching.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review
4.5
‘She does not want to remember but she is here and memory is gathering bones.’
The novel opens with a prologue, set in 1974. Hirut has travelled from rural Ethiopia to Addis Ababa, to return letters and photos to Ettore, an Italian man, whom she knew forty years earlier. How does Hirut know Ettore? To answer that question, we are taken back to 1935, to the eve of the second Italo-Ethiopian War under Mussolini (the first war was fought in 1895-96). In 1935, Hirut, who had been orphaned, was employed as a maid by Kidane and his wife Aster. Kidane, an officer on Emperor Haile Selassie’s army, rushes to mobilise his forces before the Italian invade.
But when Haile Selassie travels into exile (ensuring that he is accompanied by his gramophone and recording of Verdi’s ‘Aida’), the Ethiopians lose heart. Aster refuses to stay home, and accompanied by Hirut accompanies Kidane’s forces. Although Kidane wants them to care for the wounded, some wish to fight. Hirut suggests that Minim, a peasant who looks like Haile Selassie, be disguised as the emperor to boost morale. Hirut becomes one of his guards and is joined by other women.
The story unfolds over five parts: the prologue, three books (parts) entitled Invasion, Resistance and Returns and then an epilogue.
The Ethiopians fighting the war remember those who last fought the Italians in 1895-96. So too do the Italians.
‘They have come to rewrite history, to alter memory, to resurrect their dead and refashion them as heroes.’
Photographs taken by Ettore to document the war (the intended Italian triumph) are only partially representative. Ettore is Jewish, which becomes increasingly dangerous as the war progresses and expands. Ettore is told that Jewish soldiers will need to register their ethnicity, amid growing antisemitism in Italy. The Ethiopians have courage, but few modern weapons. And increasingly must revisit traditional gender barriers if they are to prevail.
This is a complex and engrossing novel.
I was drawn into this world, into the battles, expectations, and tragedies. Several characters made an impact: Hirut, Ettore, the woman known only as the Cook, the cruel Colonel Fucelli and his consort Fifi. Minim, the Shadow King, had his own nobility, far more impressive (to me) than Haile Selassie listening to Verdi’s ‘Aida’.
The tragedy is compounded by the descriptions of photographs and the insertion of choruses at different points in the narrative.
When I finished the novel, I read Ms Mengiste’s author’s note. She writes of her grandfather, one of the Ethiopian soldiers, and of later learning about her great-grandmother, who had taken her father’s gun and gone to war.
‘What I have come to understand is this: The story of war has always been a masculine story, but this was not true for Ethiopia and it has never been that way in any form of struggle. Women have been there, we are here now.’
A novel I will reread. Highly recommended.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith