Customer Reviews (2)

Realistic Experience of a prisoner of concience
This book was a good expose on the experiences of one of the many Kenyan prisoners of concience. Ngugi manages to paint a picture of the beginings and subsequent life experiences of a detainee in very good detail. I recommend this book to every one and especially Kenyans who are interested in having a first hand detail of the life of a detainee.

Prebendal Forces and the Stars of Hope
Ngugi Wa Thiongo is a foremost African author. He has written widely onliterary themes and their implication for daily living. He is one of thefew authors who have published remarkably in an African language. The onlyremarkable author from that part of the world is the young, vibrant but nowdeceased Okot P'Bitek. Ngugi's Detained relishes his ugly and unwarrantedprison experiences under the rein of Jomo Kenyatta- an African nationalistwho started well burt due to reactionary influences became derailed andunfocused in his vision for the young state. The literary vocation ofNgugi- especially his plays and the critical message that relates toexistential situation of poverty and the empowerment of the people was seenas anti-establsihment. He was as a consequence picked up, as is normallythe case- an inherited genetic legacy from the colonial era- and dumpedinto prison. The supposition that the state was almost the exclusivereserve of the sole African-King-leader/head of state provided spurious butnot juridical legitimacy to such practices. The book is a reflection of anauthor who struggled but managed to preoccupy himself while in prison. Theauthor is not alone, in fact he mentioned the experiences of Wole Soyinkaas recorded in "The Man Died." This book draws on the historicalprocesses of resistance, and popular empowerment to denounce bourgeoiselitist African leaders who had deemed the dreams and aspiration ofindependence- but forget that Ngugi himself in his book; "Weep notChild" documents the struggles of the Mau Mau resistant movementagainst colonial rule. Now, in the aftermath of the struggle, one oppressoris simply replaced for another except for skin pigmentation that merelymakes the difference. Indigenous colonialism. This book, is an old but yetthe insights and vision raised therein remains critically relevant to thestruggles of individuals and groups as in their attempt to shrug offoppression, they are crushed by repression into silence in the womb of thebestial prison machinery. These gory institutions is truly meant to crushand recrush its subjects into dehumanized existence. Only very few arelucky to get out to tell their tales- like Ngugi. Others are not so luckywe only get to hear from them- through smuggled materials from prison.Ngugi offers us insights as to the dynamics of prisons as a mechanism ofdismantling- if not eliminating- political opponents into resignation ordeath. But yet they are many who resists the temptation and that is howbelligerent political prisoners can be. Even in freedom Ngugi tells thetale of his dispossession-as the possibility of work- a sure means tosurvival- was denied him. Freedom comes with strings- accept it or rejectit- or even fight against it- and that is why being free outside the worldof the prison is such a splendid thing. Ngugi equally makes a connectionbetween the multinational or capitalist interests who are intent onsubmerging the hard-fought gains of independence, with economic subjugationwith the attempt to dissipate the so-called radical element that stand intheir way and their assumed ability to make and reproduce money and profit.What a shame!!! This book is a very revealing and insightful book. Everyreader is bound to reap something good and exciting from Ngugi'sexperience, and the situation of bondage to which the thirdworld-especially African nations- are held. Nevertheless, people like Ngugiand his future acolytes hold up a vision of hope for the continent and herpeople. Up goes the torch and there to illumine the darkness. Read on andsavour its sweetness!!! ... Read more

Book Description

This remarkable and symbolic novel centers around Wariinga's tragedy and uses it to tell a story of contemporary Kenya faced with the "satan of capitalism." Ngugi has directed his writing even more firmly towards the commitment that he shows in Writers in Politics and Detained: A Writer's Prison Diary. The novel was written secretly in prison on the only available material -- lavatory paper. It was discovered when almost complete but unexpectedly returned to him on his release. Such was the demand for the original Gikuyu edition that it reprinted on publication.

Customer Reviews (11)

I am fresh off reading this entire book
I found it amazing. I wonder what I am missing in the translation though. I know the devices of prose are not preserved when honest translations are made. I wonder what the names of all the characters mean, I know they HAVE to mean something as he has taken great pains in making most everything else count. I wish I knew what the songs in Congolese meant because I know they are devices of the plot, just like every other ditty that got translated.

As for it being a great piece of literature... I believe it is so. I loved the parallels with the life of Jesus and the allegory throughout. I love pieces that are layered. I can respect any author that puts that much work into his fiction. I was excited to see a female main character who rediscovered her true worth. It redefined what I subconsciously assumed about African culture and the treatment of women.

For its cultural value, integration of African storytelling, and all the other elements combined... I have to give this book 5 stars. I wish I had read it long, long ago.

Breathtaking
One commentor noted that Ngugi's book is good but fails in establishing a reason to care to his audience.

The reason for this is because though Ngugi does establish empathy from his audience he does so briefly because he assumes it is understood.Ngugi, in other words, was not writing this book for the European descent population who would need an elaborate explanation as to why to care about the characters. For the commentor, who is likely of European descent, they did not feel the automatic empathy for the characters any person of African descent feels as they read through the first chapter.

It's hard for me to think of any book that so elaborately investigates the contemporary Pan-African dilemma due to European exploitation.Other great novels, such as "Home to Harlem", do not directly attack or identify the issues.This book, though fictional literature is more of a nod to thephilosophical inquiries of "The Wretched of the Earth."Utterly brilliant.

Colonialism on the Cross
One evening in Nairobi in the mid 80's I spent an uncomfortable dinner party defending this book to a bunch of outraged white folks. Well, Ngugi had it a bit worse. For the crime of producing a play in Kikuyu and for having ordinary folk be in it, and, of course, for the play expressing some irritation at the idea that a few should have all the money, he was jailed and his play confiscated.

As a result of his imprisonment, perhaps, this is not a happy book. Using allegory and parable he constructs a fabulous tale critiquing the existing order. He lays into the wealthy, the white colonialists and anyone else getting well off or acquiescing in the current regime of theft and greed.

Some of the outrage people have at this book came from Nugui's imaginative retelling of Jesus' parables. "For the Kingdom of Earthly Wiles can be likened unto a ruler who foresaw that the day would come when we would be thrown out of a certain country by the masses and their guerrilla freedom fighters" begins a parable loosely based on The Parable of the Talents.

It looks like he's attacking Jesus -- if you think Jesus was just telling pious little "be good" stories. On the other hand, if you really listen to Jesus, you'll think Ngugi is right on target.

This is an African version of Liberation Theology.

A Beautiful Epic of Modern Kenya
I really loved this book.I've read a few of Ngugi's books and this is my favorite: lyrical, sad, and yet optimistic and celebratory at the same time.It has a number of strengths.Its poetic verses and style were reminiscent of Kikuyu oral literature; despitethis version being in English there was a great translator.I can't read Kikuyu but Ngugi writes in it and says it can convey some of the richness of the stories better than English can.I can't imagine it being better than it was though!It was a great story of true Kenyan heroes, a love story, a scathing condemnation of corruption, materialism, poverty, neo-colonialism and self-hatred in Kenya and all over the world, and a truly feminist story as well.

I loved how Ngugi praised women who sought untraditional careers like engineering,and the women who had been the national heros in expelling the British. African women's roles in ousting the colonial powers and the need for them to help develop young nations is often neglected but Ngugi gives special attention to African women and embraces their contributions, equality, and their natural beauty, while expressing deep sadness over how they mutilate themselves by bleaching their skin, among other things. I met Ngugi and he was such a warm and wonderful man.This is a beautiful story.

Not as good as some think
This book is listed as one of the best books of the 20th century.It may very well be an important book but one of the best written I beg to differ.The whole book seems uneven.When the author seeks to show us and not tell us that is when the book is best.Most of the book is quite preachy which means that the author's agenda gets in the way of telling the story.It sounds an awful lot like Ngugi would rather be a preacher than a writer.The parts that are the best are when he shows us the tragedy of everyday happenings in Kenya.Unfortunately these moments are few and far between.He never draws us into the story by showing the specific blight of the main characters until the very end.If Ngugi had given the reader some reason to feel for the characters that would have been better.Without empathy there is no compelling reason to continue reading the story.If the reader cannot identify with the characters why read the book.Overall I had high hopes for this book and was let down.I would not read it a second time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Review by A. Walker
This play is a beautiful story about one man's struggle with life.I liked this play because of the drama, the twist and turns in the plot, and the simple fact that I could relate to the main character.I have thingsin my life that I do not want to do as well.It helped me put my own lifeinto perspective. ... Read more

Book Description
Novelist, playwright, and literary theorist, Ngugi is one of the most important contemporary writers in Anglophone Africa. His prize-winning Weep Not, Child was the first major novel in English by an East African. ... Read more

Book Description
The highly acclaimed African writer (Petals of Blood and A Grain of Wheat) who illuminates the struggles of Africa and the "Third World" by writing about his own people, the Gikuyu. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent (re)interpretation of Ngugi's political ideology
This book offers readers a different view of how Ngugi could be read. Itdiffers from more common sources of criticism in that the contributors areselected out of the hundred over papers delivered in Penn State Universityin honour of Ngugi. All of them are Kenyan, and it is remarkable that itshould be held in the US instead of their homeland, where Ngugi's viewsshould matter most. This collection covers a broad breadth and is mosthelpful in addressing certain issues of related interest. Perhaps oneshould delve into it with an open mind, and allow a fresh reading of Ngugiand his views to broaden your politico-cultural framework. ... Read more

Book Description
Simon Gikandi's study offers a comprehensive analysis of all the published works of the influential Kenyan dramatist, novelist, and critic Ngugi wa Thiong'o. Gikandi traces Ngugi's literary career from the 1960s through to his role in shaping a radical culture in East Africa in the 1970s and his imprisonment and exile in the 1980s. Focusing also on Ngugi's engagement with nationalism, empire and postcoloniality, this book provides fresh insight into the author's life and the historical and cultural context surrounding his work. ... Read more

Book Description
In this significant study of his novels. Harish Narang not only evaluates the relevance of his works for contemporary Kenya and other African societies but he also looksafresh at the much inaligned relationship between literarure and politics. ... Read more

Book Description
This collection of essays reflects the intensified debate worldwide in literary theories, especially since 1968, and the growth of postcolonial literatures in English, which together have prompted significant rereadings of cultural histories in Africa, India and the Carribbean as well as in America and Europe.POSTCOLONIAL LITERATURES scrutinises the work of four writers, Achebe, Ngugi, Desai and Walcott, and their attempts to find new languages and new narratives to engage with the complex histories of their 'homelands'. ... Read more