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ffn's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
4.0
the only words i would describe this book with is tragic absurdity. it follows the story of a pure hearted/ soft person in his quest for stability. the mc lives such a hard life throughout the book, in the end when he says “it was the feeling of being found fault with that made me withdraw into silence.” that line broke me. his adaptability to abuse and trauma is beyond me because he just does and goes, no second thought behind it. the ending is underwhelmingly heartwarming, in my opinion he deserves peace that is long lasting and exaggerated, but yet again the story is a true reality of impoverished cities, with careless authority that is preoccupied with greed.
m4r's review against another edition
too much focus on sexual violence and pedophilia which i do not want to read at the moment
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault
pearloz's review against another edition
4.0
Well written fairly basic novel that really shines in the last third, I'd say from the time he leaves for his uncles and falls in love with his cousin. It was nice to see Hassan thrive in a new environment and when he came back home, his change in demeanor was surprisingly palpable given how spare the novel is. The 'Departure' from the title seems to have two meanings here in the novel: 1) either one of the literal departures Hassan made--from his home to his uncle's, or from his uncle's back home; 2) Or it's Hassan's desire to depart from his family history or depart from his father's path/tradition.
mobcob's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
This would be a great book for a book group. The culture described is so diffferent that it was hard to wrap my head around a lot of things. Is there such a thin g as being gay in a society that punishes any sexual activity and limits access to women? Is there such a thing as an abusive relationship when the abuse is how the culture dictates women should be treated?
ainsleyiscariot's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
joanzoya's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
l_barasa's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bukolayemi's review
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This debut novel first published in 1987 is a story about poverty and its effects on a family, a young man’s destiny and a nation.
Hassan Omar wants to get out of the struggle but the government refuses to release examination results. The youths are basically held hostage in a country that is disintegrating after independence.
His mother sends him to Nairobi to live with her brother who cheated her of her share of their inheritance. Hassan sees how the other half and sees how his family is viewed by his uncle.
Right from chapter one of this book, we are faced with the evil men do to boys and men. How the poor are made even smaller by those around them.
This was not an easy read. The words are well crafted and I get the story but it wasn’t easy to read.