I don't have my review up yet (but I'll link you when I do) but I loved this one as well! I absolutely loved the narrator -- it's what definitely made the book for me.
Well... I'm loving this book!! I can't believe I'm not finished with my review up already, but I ran into one of those headaches that stop all sorts of planned progress. Today is my first pain-free moment and I'm skipping around getting mountains of cleaning and errands done that have been gaping at me this week.
I'm only 6 chptrs in, but I'm loving it. Just as you say, the world-building is so organic, I love how two opposites of food are playing against each other and the narrator keeps catching me off guard so that I snort out loud. Too fun.
Phew!! :-) I hate headaches... they catch me off guard and back me up something awful.
I loved this book, though!!!!! Wow! I wrote up my review and linked back to yours... and wondered about that Trickster.
I agree with the comment about not feeling connected with the characters, but I thought the familiarity of the narrator more than made up for it.
Her website is discussing Caribbean Speculative Literature - which really makes me think how this book is very exotic culturally, but it really isn't obvious WHERE. At all. Which makes this discussion even more interesting.
It was okay. I would have liked more African or Caribbean-flavor to it - I barely got a sense of place. But the simplistic style made it a fast-enough read and the characters were interesting. I liked the atypical ending where the two of the main characters were reincarnated as twin boys.
You bring up a very good point. In terms of setting and culture, I didn't get anything really specific. Thanks to the cover, I filled in the blanks, but you're right: the sense of place was definitely lacking.
Agreed on this; I kept having to remind myself that it was set in Africa, rather than just being able to sink into the place. But I think spending a lot of time building that sort of atmosphere might have detracted from the storyteller-by-the-fire narrative voice. . . the sort of folktale I think Lord was emulating is the sort that is always, well, local, so the storyteller doesn't spend time transporting his/her audience somewhere new. . . he/she gets to the universality of the theme by making the story happen wherever he/she is.
Maybe? Does that make sense? It makes sense in my head, but somehow my fingers don't seem able to capture what I mean tonight. ;)
And that, too, is a great point. I think the storyteller aspect was what initially turned me off, but what I found to be so charming the second go-around. And you're right, there's not a lot of room to paint a picture, unless it's a picture the storyteller's audience wouldn't be familiar with.
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And to answer your question, that's how I interpreted the ending with the twins :)
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I'm only 6 chptrs in, but I'm loving it. Just as you say, the world-building is so organic, I love how two opposites of food are playing against each other and the narrator keeps catching me off guard so that I snort out loud. Too fun.
I'll link back when I get my review up.
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Be sure to check back in once you're finished with the book!
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I loved this book, though!!!!! Wow! I wrote up my review and linked back to yours... and wondered about that Trickster.
I agree with the comment about not feeling connected with the characters, but I thought the familiarity of the narrator more than made up for it.
Her website is discussing Caribbean Speculative Literature - which really makes me think how this book is very exotic culturally, but it really isn't obvious WHERE. At all. Which makes this discussion even more interesting.
http://merumsal.wordpress.com/
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It was okay. I would have liked more African or Caribbean-flavor to it - I barely got a sense of place. But the simplistic style made it a fast-enough read and the characters were interesting. I liked the atypical ending where the two of the main characters were reincarnated as twin boys.
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Maybe? Does that make sense? It makes sense in my head, but somehow my fingers don't seem able to capture what I mean tonight. ;)
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