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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
slow-paced
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I really liked Romain Gary's "The Roots of Heaven" even though I found the book to be a tough, slow read. (Possibly due to translation issues, but maybe that's just the way it was written.)
The story, set in French Equatorial Africa in the waning days of colonialism follows Morel whose self-proclaimed goal is to save the elephants from extinction. What that goal means to the numerous people around him varies -- is it a political statement, a push to fight French colonialism or something more?
While the book was a somewhat difficult read for me, I found it really got me thinking and it will likely resonate with me for a long time.
The story, set in French Equatorial Africa in the waning days of colonialism follows Morel whose self-proclaimed goal is to save the elephants from extinction. What that goal means to the numerous people around him varies -- is it a political statement, a push to fight French colonialism or something more?
While the book was a somewhat difficult read for me, I found it really got me thinking and it will likely resonate with me for a long time.
Une analyse du rapport à l'idéalisme de chacun, grâce à une navigation habile de la narration entre les points de vue des nombreux personnages qui ont tous une interprétation détaillée et bien construite sur Morel et ses éléphants - interprétations toutes différentes.
De l'humour, comme d'habitude avec Romain Gary. Beaucoup de personnages, parfois difficiles à resituer.
"Personne n'est jamais arrivé à résoudre cette contradiction qu'il y a à vouloir défendre un idéal humain en compagnie des hommes."
"Il avait remarqué également que certaines choses qu'il sentait pourtant profondément changeaient de sens au contact des mots, au point que non seulement il n'arrivait pas à les communiquer, mais qu'il ne les reconnaissait plus lui-même en les prononçant."
De l'humour, comme d'habitude avec Romain Gary. Beaucoup de personnages, parfois difficiles à resituer.
"Personne n'est jamais arrivé à résoudre cette contradiction qu'il y a à vouloir défendre un idéal humain en compagnie des hommes."
"Il avait remarqué également que certaines choses qu'il sentait pourtant profondément changeaient de sens au contact des mots, au point que non seulement il n'arrivait pas à les communiquer, mais qu'il ne les reconnaissait plus lui-même en les prononçant."
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Nature or man?
This is one of the early works of Romain Gary, though written when the author was already in his fourties. Gary has a cosmopolitan background: born in Lithuania, with Jewish-Russian-Polish roots, but raised in France and very engaged in the Second World War, and afterwards as a diplomat for France.
This novel testifies to his capability to focus on the concept of human dignity in its existential context. The story is situated in what was formerly French Equatorial Africa, stretched between Congo-Brazzaville and Chad. And it focuses on the fight of a French idealist, Morel, against elephant hunters. The elephant is allegorical for human dignity that is threatened by Western modernity. This modernity now (the fifties of last century) also threatens Africa, by Gary presented as one of the last resorts where primordial nature can be found.
Around protagonist Morel circulate a lot of other, engaging and ambiguous figures. Especially the black "évolué" Waïtari testifies to the prophetic talent of Gary. Morel also has a holocaust-related background, and - remarkably - that is the source of his ecological commitment. The story is built in very complex way with continuous changing narrators and time jumps, making it one of the most interesting novels of the twentieth century!
This is one of the early works of Romain Gary, though written when the author was already in his fourties. Gary has a cosmopolitan background: born in Lithuania, with Jewish-Russian-Polish roots, but raised in France and very engaged in the Second World War, and afterwards as a diplomat for France.
This novel testifies to his capability to focus on the concept of human dignity in its existential context. The story is situated in what was formerly French Equatorial Africa, stretched between Congo-Brazzaville and Chad. And it focuses on the fight of a French idealist, Morel, against elephant hunters. The elephant is allegorical for human dignity that is threatened by Western modernity. This modernity now (the fifties of last century) also threatens Africa, by Gary presented as one of the last resorts where primordial nature can be found.
Around protagonist Morel circulate a lot of other, engaging and ambiguous figures. Especially the black "évolué" Waïtari testifies to the prophetic talent of Gary. Morel also has a holocaust-related background, and - remarkably - that is the source of his ecological commitment. The story is built in very complex way with continuous changing narrators and time jumps, making it one of the most interesting novels of the twentieth century!
hopeful
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Intense, aride et lumineux, à l’image de l’aventure de Morel et de ses compagnons qui veulent sauver les éléphants. Magnifiques réflexions sur la la nature, extrêmement en phase avec les enjeux actuels. Passages très intéressants sur le colonialisme et le désir d’indépendance de l’Afrique. Envie de lire plus de Romain Gary.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced