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sonnymirrors's review against another edition
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
lorebeth's review against another edition
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
liv_mason's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
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? It's complicated
2.75
soapsoph's review against another edition
2.0
maaaan, I’m so disappointed in this one ://
I really tried to like it, I did! But it’s just so contradictory. I mean we’re talking all about these women who have been left by their husband for some reason or another, they’re waiting women, they’re constantly defined by their husbands and the men in their lives… BUT IT WAS WRITTEN BY A MAN?!?! make it make sense.
and I tried to overlook it. I was hoping that my initial doubts would be proven wrong, and I wouldn’t even remember while reading that it was a man writing it. Nah. I knew that whole damn time.
Ugh.
I’m not giving it one star, because there were some interesting points and the theme of time intrigued me a lot. But. Ugh.
I really tried to like it, I did! But it’s just so contradictory. I mean we’re talking all about these women who have been left by their husband for some reason or another, they’re waiting women, they’re constantly defined by their husbands and the men in their lives… BUT IT WAS WRITTEN BY A MAN?!?! make it make sense.
and I tried to overlook it. I was hoping that my initial doubts would be proven wrong, and I wouldn’t even remember while reading that it was a man writing it. Nah. I knew that whole damn time.
Ugh.
I’m not giving it one star, because there were some interesting points and the theme of time intrigued me a lot. But. Ugh.
nrldyer's review against another edition
2.0
A fictional conversation between four unknown south African women and Winnie. Ndebele is a talented writer and observer of women but too mythical for me
inkandpages's review against another edition
2.0
This was assigned reading for my Odysseus module, as it's a reimagining of the Penelope character in the original, and her themes of fidelity, waiting, and marriage. It takes place in South Africa and Lesotho, and tells the stories of four different women who, for one reason or another, had to wait for their husbands to come home to them.
It’s quite a short but intense book, that manages to pack a huge number of themes into only 150 pages. The author explores extremely complex topics in quite a lot of detail, and the writing was quite confusing at times, but I went in with an already made crib sheet with the women's names and stories so I'd know what was going on. As well as the four main characters, the real life figure of Winnie Mandela is also included as a kind of fifth protagonist, who answers questions from the others, and speaks about her own waiting for her husband to be released from prison.
The characters are used to explore the various aspects of marriage, fidelity, patience, and betrayal, as well as examining the traditional role of women as wives within South African history, and all the time there’s an underlying connection between these women who waited and the figure of Penelope. The book is quite meta, and at times very aware of its own existence as a book, and instead of there being any kind of obvious plot, it’s more like a series of characters who are frozen in time – after waiting for their husbands – having a conversation amongst themselves, and then turning to address Winnie Mandela herself.
Overall, it was an interesting book, and I'm glad I read it, but I can't honestly say I enjoyed it, though I would recommend it to anyone interested in reimaginings of the Odyssey, or the character of Penelope.
My rating: ★★
Find more content like this on my blog: https://inkandpagesblog.blogspot.co.uk/
It’s quite a short but intense book, that manages to pack a huge number of themes into only 150 pages. The author explores extremely complex topics in quite a lot of detail, and the writing was quite confusing at times, but I went in with an already made crib sheet with the women's names and stories so I'd know what was going on. As well as the four main characters, the real life figure of Winnie Mandela is also included as a kind of fifth protagonist, who answers questions from the others, and speaks about her own waiting for her husband to be released from prison.
The characters are used to explore the various aspects of marriage, fidelity, patience, and betrayal, as well as examining the traditional role of women as wives within South African history, and all the time there’s an underlying connection between these women who waited and the figure of Penelope. The book is quite meta, and at times very aware of its own existence as a book, and instead of there being any kind of obvious plot, it’s more like a series of characters who are frozen in time – after waiting for their husbands – having a conversation amongst themselves, and then turning to address Winnie Mandela herself.
Overall, it was an interesting book, and I'm glad I read it, but I can't honestly say I enjoyed it, though I would recommend it to anyone interested in reimaginings of the Odyssey, or the character of Penelope.
My rating: ★★
Find more content like this on my blog: https://inkandpagesblog.blogspot.co.uk/
fullybooked22's review
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Moderate: Torture
ninachachu's review
3.0
One of the books I chose for my Africa Reading Challenge http://kinnareads.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/africa-reading-challenge/ . I am not exactly over-enthused, I have to admit. I guess because the story was essentially a political commentary, not really a novel in my view. For what it said, fine; for characters not really.
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