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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
Petina is a phenomenal writer and this was an incredibly good body of work. I love historical fiction and she is the master of it. I was only disappointed with poor editing of the book in some instances that let her writing down and there was a story or two I did not understand. Otherwise, she is sharp and witty and refined legal mind. I love how all the stories ended up being linked in one way or another.
Superlative short stories, with the tapestry becoming richer as characters recur.
My husband bought this book for me for Christmas, along with An Elegy for Easterby by the same author, as he thought I would find them interesting.
I am not normally a fan of short stories, as I like something to get my teeth into, but these are unusual in that many of the stories reference each other.
My husband was right and I found these tales of the nature of the relationship between crime and justice in modern Zimbabwe fascinating. In turns dark, sad, touching, humourous, tragic and thought provoking, the characters stay with you. I am really looking forward to reading An Elegy for Easterby.
I am not normally a fan of short stories, as I like something to get my teeth into, but these are unusual in that many of the stories reference each other.
My husband was right and I found these tales of the nature of the relationship between crime and justice in modern Zimbabwe fascinating. In turns dark, sad, touching, humourous, tragic and thought provoking, the characters stay with you. I am really looking forward to reading An Elegy for Easterby.
I read one of the stories in this collection in another short story collection and thought it was really witty and well-written, so I looked up the author and found this. The other stories are not of the same calibre.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed this novel. In Rotten Row, Pettina Gappah writes a collection of short stories which are invariably snapshots into the lives of multiple Zimbabweans both within and out of the country. It is thrilling that most if not all the characters are linked in some way to another character. Gappah's writing is darkly comical and captures beautifully the nuances of African culture and humor.
It is not a book for everyone. Rotten Row is best enjoyed slowly by a reader who enjoys short stories and is willing to go on a ride into unfamiliar territory. As is typical of Gappah's books, there is generous use of indigenous language and I wished many times that I could understand to get even more out of her writing.
Still, a solid four star read, because as it is with short story collections, there were a couple of stories that honestly bored me to tears.
It is not a book for everyone. Rotten Row is best enjoyed slowly by a reader who enjoys short stories and is willing to go on a ride into unfamiliar territory. As is typical of Gappah's books, there is generous use of indigenous language and I wished many times that I could understand to get even more out of her writing.
Still, a solid four star read, because as it is with short story collections, there were a couple of stories that honestly bored me to tears.
This book was an absolute pleasure to read.
A collection of short stories that are not only only complete in themselves but have links and are interconnected throughout all the stories in the book, this book was interesting, rich and nuanced. Every story had it's own voice and style which kept me engaged.
It's always refreshing to have an authentic and layered approach to, in particular, Zimbabwean stories - where the tendency is usually to be shallow and one-sided. Gappah, achieves the perfect balance.
I highly recommend this book!
A collection of short stories that are not only only complete in themselves but have links and are interconnected throughout all the stories in the book, this book was interesting, rich and nuanced. Every story had it's own voice and style which kept me engaged.
It's always refreshing to have an authentic and layered approach to, in particular, Zimbabwean stories - where the tendency is usually to be shallow and one-sided. Gappah, achieves the perfect balance.
I highly recommend this book!
Quite enjoyed it when the individual stories began to be tied together. Before that, struggled a bit. A good read!
This took me a long time to read and it's not the books fault.
I just have a hard time reading short stories and feel like they either just pass me by without me paying any attention or wanting more out of a story. Some stories have stuck with me and I found Gappah's writing to be good. I enjoyed being in Harare for most of this book even though the topics changed a lot.
Something flew over my head but I'm still really glad I read it.
I just have a hard time reading short stories and feel like they either just pass me by without me paying any attention or wanting more out of a story. Some stories have stuck with me and I found Gappah's writing to be good. I enjoyed being in Harare for most of this book even though the topics changed a lot.
Something flew over my head but I'm still really glad I read it.
dark
slow-paced