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manaledi's review against another edition
5.0
I was a huge fan. This book has literally everything (because it's plenty long enough), but you get world politics and protests and corruption and power and love and sorcery.
laurenexploresbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Brilliant storytelling highlighting a treacherous regime and how people handle situations of injustice. This book is such an important story to read particularly in a world filled with corrupt politics.
mollyowenz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
gracegilker's review against another edition
5.0
This is my favorite genre and I haven’t read something that made me feel this way since Master and Margarita.
Something about pairing the arbitrary cruelty/illogic of a totalitarian government with the whimsy and chaos of possibly demonic magic just brings all these delicious human foibles and creative hopeful connections to the surface. Like froth. It was a frothy read.
I was engrossed throughout all 600 pages (!) and fun fact the author wrote a novel 20 years before this one that featured a protagonist threatening enough to the status quo that the Kenyan government put out a warrant for the arrest of said fictional character.
SUCCULENT
Something about pairing the arbitrary cruelty/illogic of a totalitarian government with the whimsy and chaos of possibly demonic magic just brings all these delicious human foibles and creative hopeful connections to the surface. Like froth. It was a frothy read.
I was engrossed throughout all 600 pages (!) and fun fact the author wrote a novel 20 years before this one that featured a protagonist threatening enough to the status quo that the Kenyan government put out a warrant for the arrest of said fictional character.
SUCCULENT
sloopaslowlyreads's review
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
anti-imperialist fantasy! see u at mars cafe
moseslh's review against another edition
5.0
A superb work of satire told in a magnificent fashion influenced by traditional oral storytelling styles. Wizard of the Crow takes place in the fictional East African dictatorship of Abruria. Abruria is set more or less in the real world, but the book contains a number of fantastical elements. The author cleverly weaves these elements into the story in such a way that it is often ambiguous whether they are really happening or just rumours/hearsay in the world of the novel. Thiong'o's biting political commentary is for the most part well integrated into his satire. My one problem with the book was that at the very end the political message was very heavy handed, inserted clumsily into the narrative where it had previously been so well incorporated, which made for an awkward, unsatisfying ending. Fortunately, this flaw is more than outweighed by the superb storytelling and hilarious characters. I thoroughly enjoyed Wizard of the Crow and highly recommend reading it.
anna_pardo's review against another edition
5.0
Brillant.
Quan pensava que Thiong'o no podia agradar-me més, aquesta fascinant sàtira política m'ha deixat bocabadada. Incapaç de deixar-lo anar, enganxada a les intrigues polítiques, el cinisme i el realisme magic. Distopia? Ho accepto només si acceptem que qualsevol govern autoritari neocolonial africà també ho és.
L'acabo i ja el tornaria a començar ❤️
Quan pensava que Thiong'o no podia agradar-me més, aquesta fascinant sàtira política m'ha deixat bocabadada. Incapaç de deixar-lo anar, enganxada a les intrigues polítiques, el cinisme i el realisme magic. Distopia? Ho accepto només si acceptem que qualsevol govern autoritari neocolonial africà també ho és.
L'acabo i ja el tornaria a començar ❤️
coriandercilantro's review against another edition
5.0
This book is lovely, funny (with a folklore edge), self-actualizing, and healing. Absolutely one of the most important books I've ever read, and it changed my life as a westerner. It changed me as a person.
mokey4's review against another edition
5.0
This book is about 800 pages long, and I loved about 600 pages of it. I mean really truly loved and adored, couldn't wait to be reunited with this book on the bus or in the evening. But those other 200 pages were tough to get through, and unfortunately they are at the beginning and the end.
This is the story of a fictional African country, its despot & his inner circle, the political agitators trying to oust them for a better tomorrow, and a spiritual healer who unwittingly gets mixed up with all of them. It is a story with multiple plot lines beautifully interwoven, and believable well-developed characters. Even the most evil, ruthless, psychologically damaged characters are sympathetic at times. And the good guys fall from grace, and are not completely altruistic.
This was a lovely read, but like other Ngugi wa Thiongo books I have read the pacing is an issue and it can be a struggle to stay until the end. If you want to try, at least be sure to read several pages into part II before putting this book down. If you quit in part 1 you are leaving before it has a chance to get good. If you are at least a couple of chapters into part 2 and you are not enjoying it, I give you permission to quit.
Edited: I changed my rating from 4 stars to 5 stars, because several months after I have read this book I still think about it. Some of the characters and situations really are quite captivating and memorable. I'm very glad I read this book and recommend it highly, though you do have to have a bit of stamina to get through the first part. It's worth it.
This is the story of a fictional African country, its despot & his inner circle, the political agitators trying to oust them for a better tomorrow, and a spiritual healer who unwittingly gets mixed up with all of them. It is a story with multiple plot lines beautifully interwoven, and believable well-developed characters. Even the most evil, ruthless, psychologically damaged characters are sympathetic at times. And the good guys fall from grace, and are not completely altruistic.
This was a lovely read, but like other Ngugi wa Thiongo books I have read the pacing is an issue and it can be a struggle to stay until the end. If you want to try, at least be sure to read several pages into part II before putting this book down. If you quit in part 1 you are leaving before it has a chance to get good. If you are at least a couple of chapters into part 2 and you are not enjoying it, I give you permission to quit.
Edited: I changed my rating from 4 stars to 5 stars, because several months after I have read this book I still think about it. Some of the characters and situations really are quite captivating and memorable. I'm very glad I read this book and recommend it highly, though you do have to have a bit of stamina to get through the first part. It's worth it.
pedanther's review against another edition
challenging
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Fatphobia, Colonisation, Classism, Kidnapping, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Police brutality, Racism, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Chronic illness, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Ableism, Self harm, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Dysphoria, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Grief, Murder, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, and Mental illness
Minor: Medical content, Cursing, Slavery, Suicide, Genocide, Stalking, Vomit, War, Pandemic/Epidemic, Body horror, Car accident, Pedophilia, Rape, Drug use, and Terminal illness