Reviews with content warning for Grief - The Furrows

Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Furrows by Namwali Serpell

7 reviews

swetha062's review

challenging dark reflective sad 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

3.5

The first half explains a feeling of grief like how you miss the presence of someone around you, a physical being. The second half gets you through with a person as a feeling that is uncertain, like you are really confused as to what you would do if they never left with the last portion signifying death for anyone as it comes. It's a non-linear story of feelings as the author warns. I was captivated reading the first half and I really loved it. However the characterization in the second half felt a little weak and sometimes obscure with the narration. Otherwise a fascinating read on grief.

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blessing_aj's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Since reading her debut, Namwali has always struck me as that kind of writer who is interested in experimenting with innovative writing styles and this book has solidified that belief.

In this one, she explores grief with particular focus on how it affects families, memory and self development, through two characters C and Wayne who end up finding love in the strangest of circumstances. The writing is so lyrical, it’s almost poetic. It’s also very disorienting like nothing I have ever read before, because even though a lot is happening, and we experience it in real time through the characters, yet we can’t say for sure what is actually happening. Tbh, this is the only reason, I didn’t rate it 4 stars or more, because the writing is so good.

I enjoyed reading the 65% of the book that I understood and may have to reread sometime to see if I can figure out what the rest was about. So overall, it was an interesting read. However, I’m fairly certain that if I had read it in print, I would have done so at a much slower pace than I did with the audiobook.

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serendipitysbooks's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective 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

3.75

he Furrows is a book in two parts and while I liked both parts- the first rather more than the second - I struggled with the switch and am not convinced that they combined to form a satisfying whole.

The first part begins with death of Wayne when he was 7 and his older sister Cassandra (aka C and Cee) was 12. The details surrounding his death are a little murky but what is clear is the impact his death had on C and her parents, and the feelings of responsibility she harbours. This was a brilliant literary depiction of the waves of grief, the way it appears and reappears in the same or different guises, in ways don’t don’t always seem to make a lot of sense.

The second half is narrated by a man who is using the same name is C’s dead brother. He’s had a rough go at life but is trying to reform, while also dealing with some ghosts from his past. He and C meet and a slightly uncomfortable relationship develops.

Apart from grief this novel also explores race in some subtle and not so subtle ways. I’m sure it does other things as well. But honestly? I just didn’t feel clever enough for parts of this book. I was sometimes confused, not always sure what was going on or why. In some places I felt that was the author’s intention; in others I’m not so sure.

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indiarose8's review

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.5

I love how beautifully this book is written. It was hard at times to differentiate between Cassandra's dreams and reality but that might be been intentional. A complex look into grief and identity.

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