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afterttherain's review against another edition
5.0
"it is not my concern whether or not life has meaning" wow.
emeraldgarnet's review against another edition
3.0
Tayeb Salih writes in an easy style but the plot was not that interesting for me.
linafay's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0
I'm truly shocked that this book was written by a Sudanese author, especially when it was. A very striking, unnerving account of deep rooted imperialism, misogyny and conflicted character. The whole novel felt like poetry.
sidharthvardhan's review against another edition
4.0
I love the books that take me places. There is hardly a story in there that can be called incredible. However it potrays the best and worst of country. The narrator looks at deserts of his country - the poverty and hunger in it, and can see why it only produces prophets and poets (no scientists) - the creators of a romantic hope rather than rationalists.
Tayeb Salih is considered the best novelist of Sudan. The book is written a few years after country's independence and the ideas of development and progress surface regularly. The narrator shows changes in landscape for better in some places (tunnels etc) while, at other times, he is suspicious of free government which is full of native yet white people. 'These new kings' though native are not linked to life - as it is in Sudan, take bribes and are all for sensual pleasures.
What is usually called 'western' is 'Northern' here (Europe lies in north of Africa.) Hence the title.
A clash of identities
The unnamed narrator is as much fascinated by Mustafa Sayeed as narrator of Great Gatsby was by Gatsby. He has just returned after his studies from Europe to find Mustafa Sayeed being one of village's leading figures. The later tells him his story - kept secret from rest of village and after some time commits suicide; after making narrator responsible for his family.
Mustafa Sayeed shows the kind of intellectual alienation that is felt by any person of a third world country because his knowledge makes him associate more to western world than his own motherland. He never was attached to anybody in his native Sudan except for his mother (giving a figurative meaning to word 'motherland'), thus it should had been easier for him to take a life in Europe. He is a genius and - his knowledge makes him completely one of the class of colonialists. yet he can't be above the struggle between identities.
He swings the oriental bias into an advantage and becomes a womanizer. Each successive woman is symbolic of his mental state - first the effort to be western, another woman who is with him because of his oriental origins; than a woman who was 'a south yearning for north'- perhaps a desire to go back. It is in the last woman that he realizes that no matter how much he tries, how much he sacrifices his original identity (he destroys things showing his native identity upon her command) he would never be a western.
The end result is that he becomes a murderer (some women he murders, others he drive to suicide); is prosecuted and jailed. He compares himself to Othello*, who too was a black, tried to become western and ended up killing his wife. After completion of his term, he comes back to Sudan and starts a new life.
Sex, suicide and Women
If you have read this far, you know there is a lot of sex in there. And there are a lot of women too. Tayib Salih is critical of position of women and institution of marriage in Sudan. However, the position is so bad that he doesn't need to point out faults for you to see them. He just gives you picture and you can't not see them.
Men, even best of them continuously swear on taking divorces. Men and women have separate sitting places. A woman whether single, married or divorced is a responsibility of some man or other. Men (and we are not talking about Mustafa Sayeed only) cant bear the fact that their women (single daughter, wives) are not doing as they wish - and are driven to madness because of that. A man can keep many wives and rapes servants. Divorces are common too. There are a couple of examples where a woman will take such independence but that is seen as something too, too remarkable.
The narrator and men in his family marry only once and that leads to a rumor that they are afraid of their wives. Which civilized men wouldn't? However, it seems difficult to be in position of power and not abuse it. Even narrator flirts with idea of a second wife, despite his family tradition, foreign education and high ideals; when he falls in love with Mustafa's wife. The latter will commits suicide after killing her new husband (not narrator) who wishes to rape her when she won't put out. The narrator is so frustrated by all this that he too plans to commit suicide only to change his plan at last moment.
So, to be brief there is lot of murders and suicides in 170 pages - even attracting a ban in Sudan; yet it is all within limits,and narration is so beautiful.
Tayeb Salih is considered the best novelist of Sudan. The book is written a few years after country's independence and the ideas of development and progress surface regularly. The narrator shows changes in landscape for better in some places (tunnels etc) while, at other times, he is suspicious of free government which is full of native yet white people. 'These new kings' though native are not linked to life - as it is in Sudan, take bribes and are all for sensual pleasures.
What is usually called 'western' is 'Northern' here (Europe lies in north of Africa.) Hence the title.
A clash of identities
The unnamed narrator is as much fascinated by Mustafa Sayeed as narrator of Great Gatsby was by Gatsby. He has just returned after his studies from Europe to find Mustafa Sayeed being one of village's leading figures. The later tells him his story - kept secret from rest of village and after some time commits suicide; after making narrator responsible for his family.
Mustafa Sayeed shows the kind of intellectual alienation that is felt by any person of a third world country because his knowledge makes him associate more to western world than his own motherland. He never was attached to anybody in his native Sudan except for his mother (giving a figurative meaning to word 'motherland'), thus it should had been easier for him to take a life in Europe. He is a genius and - his knowledge makes him completely one of the class of colonialists. yet he can't be above the struggle between identities.
He swings the oriental bias into an advantage and becomes a womanizer. Each successive woman is symbolic of his mental state - first the effort to be western, another woman who is with him because of his oriental origins; than a woman who was 'a south yearning for north'- perhaps a desire to go back. It is in the last woman that he realizes that no matter how much he tries, how much he sacrifices his original identity (he destroys things showing his native identity upon her command) he would never be a western.
The end result is that he becomes a murderer (some women he murders, others he drive to suicide); is prosecuted and jailed. He compares himself to Othello*, who too was a black, tried to become western and ended up killing his wife. After completion of his term, he comes back to Sudan and starts a new life.
Sex, suicide and Women
If you have read this far, you know there is a lot of sex in there. And there are a lot of women too. Tayib Salih is critical of position of women and institution of marriage in Sudan. However, the position is so bad that he doesn't need to point out faults for you to see them. He just gives you picture and you can't not see them.
Men, even best of them continuously swear on taking divorces. Men and women have separate sitting places. A woman whether single, married or divorced is a responsibility of some man or other. Men (and we are not talking about Mustafa Sayeed only) cant bear the fact that their women (single daughter, wives) are not doing as they wish - and are driven to madness because of that. A man can keep many wives and rapes servants. Divorces are common too. There are a couple of examples where a woman will take such independence but that is seen as something too, too remarkable.
The narrator and men in his family marry only once and that leads to a rumor that they are afraid of their wives. Which civilized men wouldn't? However, it seems difficult to be in position of power and not abuse it. Even narrator flirts with idea of a second wife, despite his family tradition, foreign education and high ideals; when he falls in love with Mustafa's wife. The latter will commits suicide after killing her new husband (not narrator) who wishes to rape her when she won't put out. The narrator is so frustrated by all this that he too plans to commit suicide only to change his plan at last moment.
So, to be brief there is lot of murders and suicides in 170 pages - even attracting a ban in Sudan; yet it is all within limits,and narration is so beautiful.
vickvickvick's review against another edition
2.5
Liked this far less than I was expecting to. Very keen to understand what I’m missing here so if you know me and you’ve read and enjoyed this book please message me about it
shaylala's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
5.0
lmrising's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5