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thoughtsonbooks's review
2.0
I do not really know what to say about this book- it is not a bad book by a long stretch - but it definitely was not the book for me. I have been reading this book on and off for about two months now and never even felt compelled to add it to my currently reading shelf.
I have said before that I sometimes struggle with short story collections and with this one I definitely struggled. The whole experience was a bit overwhelming and I found myself always stopping after one story and not feeling like continuing. The stories all felt vey incomplete - and often like they were just working towards that final sentence, that punchline. But stories that rely on a punchline to have any impact do not work for me. I want my short stories to feel complete and for the characterisation to be on point - even in the limited time afforded by the medium. This means that I am maybe a lot more critical when it comes to short stories than I would be for full-length novels, so take my rating with a grain of salt.
I enjoyed reading about a place so unlike my own and I am really glad to have had the opportunity to read a book I would otherwise never have heard about. I am always eager to read outside my comfort zone and in this regard the book delivered. I could picture the Zimbabwe Petina Gappah describes perfectly and I think I would enjoy a novel written by her a lot more - her descriptions were interesting and wryly funny in places; in a setting where she could spend more time with her characters I might be able to empathise a lot more.
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I received an arc of this book curtesy of NetGalley and Faber and Faber Ltd. in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for that!
I have said before that I sometimes struggle with short story collections and with this one I definitely struggled. The whole experience was a bit overwhelming and I found myself always stopping after one story and not feeling like continuing. The stories all felt vey incomplete - and often like they were just working towards that final sentence, that punchline. But stories that rely on a punchline to have any impact do not work for me. I want my short stories to feel complete and for the characterisation to be on point - even in the limited time afforded by the medium. This means that I am maybe a lot more critical when it comes to short stories than I would be for full-length novels, so take my rating with a grain of salt.
I enjoyed reading about a place so unlike my own and I am really glad to have had the opportunity to read a book I would otherwise never have heard about. I am always eager to read outside my comfort zone and in this regard the book delivered. I could picture the Zimbabwe Petina Gappah describes perfectly and I think I would enjoy a novel written by her a lot more - her descriptions were interesting and wryly funny in places; in a setting where she could spend more time with her characters I might be able to empathise a lot more.
___
I received an arc of this book curtesy of NetGalley and Faber and Faber Ltd. in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for that!
abbieproctor's review
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
balancinghistorybooks's review
2.0
I began to read Petina Gappah's Rotten Row, which is set in Zimbabwe, as part of my Around the World in 80 Books challenge. I tend to adore short story collections, and whilst I admired the use of a single road in Harare as the geographical setting for each inclusion, this book simply did not work for me. I read the first three stories, all of which seemed quite exaggerated at times in terms of the cultural stereotypes which they portrayed. I did not connect with any of these tales, or feel anything for their characters, and so I gave up on it; quite disappointing, as Rotten Row sounded like a promising and enlightening read on the face of it.
priscilla's review
4.0
Loved the political tone of the stories as well as the different ways in which they were executed and the connections between them. Definitely a good read.
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