Reviews

Matigari by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o

sidharthvardhan's review against another edition

5.0

This African classic might read like a polictical parable but it is also a very correct description of society of its times. Not that parables are a bad thing. The most interesting thing about the book is Matigari, the character symbolic of humanity's search for justice, became a sort of real ghost. People in Kenya were talking about a supposedly real man asking everyone where he could find justice, leading the government (no surprises here) to censor the book and destroy all the copies already printed.

africanbookaddict's review against another edition

4.0

!!! http://africanbookaddict.com/2015/11/07/classics-things-fall-apart-by-chinua-achebe-matigari-by-ngugi-wa-thiongo/
Lots of major themes in this! 'Matigari' is the ultimate African post-colonial, social justice novel. And of course, Ngugi executes the storyline brilliantly with the courage and strength of Matigari ma Njiruungi - a patriot who goes to great lengths to ensure there is justice for the oppressed in a nation (this is a fictitious/imaginary nation). I don't think this book is for everyone... it may be a dry read for some. But if you appreciate African oral literature and post-colonial stuff - read this! It is indeed powerful.

babs1615's review against another edition

4.0

This was not my introduction to wa Thiong'o, as I read A Grain of Wheat a few weeks ago, but for some peculiar reason I enjoyed this novel much more! A Grain of Wheat is substantially more 'literary', but it didn't draw me in like Matigari did both as a novel and as a character. My key recommendation for this novel is to pair it with Ngugi's essay work in 'Decolonizing the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature'. The central reason for this recommendation is that it provides some explanation as to why this novel was his 2nd novel to be exclusively written in the Gikuyu language (the first being Caitaani mũtharaba-Inĩ), and why these novels are important. Obviously, it has been translated, but it is important to understand why Gikuyu was the language of intent both for political purposes and the target audience. The political context of the time coupled with the understanding of the novel as a political project is fascinating. Furthermore, I loved noticing Ngugi's literary inspirations and the gender politics that are apparent in the novel. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the politics of late 20th century Kenya.

ilseoo's review against another edition

3.0

3,5 stars

angelinaisoutoforder's review against another edition

adventurous challenging slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.5

ktr's review against another edition

challenging inspiring mysterious 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? Yes

3.0

cronosmu's review against another edition

1.0

Un panfleto marxista disfrazado de novela. La ideología es lo de menos. Yo es que no puedo con estos libros que aparentan ser literatura pero no son otra cosa que propaganda sin sustancia de un credo. Lo mismo me pasa con Ayn Rand, por ejemplo.

btzab's review against another edition

5.0

It was my first-time reading Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o and I just fall in love with his writing style, narrative, and setting.
I could imagine all what Matigari was living and I could feel his anger of justice, beautiful book.

shaishaishai's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

nourstuckinabookstore's review against another edition

mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5