I know some of you have already reread the book for Mary's book discussion but I've been dragging my feet a little bit about starting my reread. I'm anxious to see how I feel about the Price family and the whole situation in the Congo but I hope I don't end up feeling incensed again.
The Poisonwood Bible covers a span of years from 1959 to 1994. In 1959 an overzealous Baptist minister named Nathan Price drags his wife and four daughters deep into the heart of the Congo on a mission to save the "unenlightened souls of Africa". The five women narrate the novel. From the outset, the attitudes of the five women cover a wide spectrum. The mother, Orleanna passively accepts the turn of events, as she passively accepts everything her husband tells her. Fifteen-year-old Rachel resents her separation from normal teen life. Fourteen-year-old Leah, who alone shares her father's ardent religious faith, is enthusiastic. Leah's twin Ada, crippled and mute from birth is a keen observer, and views the move with a wry and cynical detachment. Five-year-old adventurer Ruth May is both excited and frightened. One thing that the women share, however, is the unwavering faith that they are carrying with them a culture far superior to the one already existing in the village of Kilanga, and that they will therefore be masters of their new domain.
Kingsolver structured this novel differently, with each of the narrators speaking in the first person. The reader sees the story through the eyes of the character narrating at the time; Nathan never speaks to the reader but his self-righteous voice still looms large. Only the women in the family narrate the story, so we learn about Nathan Price through other characters' thoughts and feelings.
The story is primarily set in the Belgian Congo, which becomes Zaire during the tale. Some segments are set in Atlanta and Sanderling Island, Georgia, and others in Johannesburg, South Africa, and the French Congo. In addition to the Price family's experiences, the novel takes place in a dramatic political setting. Congo's fight for independence from brutal Belgian rule, the murder of its first elected prime minister, the CIA coup to install his replacement, and the insidious progress of a world economic order that robs the fledgling African nation of its autonomy provides a cataclysmic setting to match the moral and existential upheavals of the Price family.
Kym and Carole will be talking about the book and giving additional information in their promotional posts throughout February. Discussion day for The Poisonwood Bible is scheduled for Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at 7:00 pm Eastern time, so mark your calendars. We'll ask questions on our blogs that day and then host the always fun, educational, and entertaining Zoom discussion.
This is a book that really needs to be discussed to be fully understood so I'm very much looking forward to hearing your thoughts. I do hope you'll read The Poisonwood Bible with us!
I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it after your reread. I didn't remember very much from my first read, but I remembered enough to know that my perspective completely changed when I read it again. I know we'll have a great discussion!
ReplyDeleteI fall in the 'never read' camp. I have the book from the library, but have not started it yet. This book comes with some "preconceived notions" from other readers who read and did not like/struggled with this book. (coupled with my own dislike of Demon Copperhead... ) But... I think controversial books make for the best discussions.
ReplyDeleteI read this decades ago and loved it at the time. I think I will listen to it this time. I don't really remember much about it, so am looking forward to reading/listening.
ReplyDeleteI read this book not long after it came out. It is one of my favorite reads for its total honesty about ego, religion, and how family dynamics can, but don't necessarily, set our course in life. Now, having said all that, it has been 25 years since I read this book, so my memory may not be accurate. I don't know that I will re-read. I'm really not one to re-read a book, even if I love it. I do remember that I felt at the time that it was an accurate telling of the horrors and harms of Christian missionary hypocrisy.
ReplyDeleteI have strong, positive memories of Poisonwood Bible, and I'm really looking forward to the re-read. I always think it's interesting to read something so many years later . . . now that I'm older and wiser! :-)
ReplyDeleteI remember almost nothing from the first time I read it other than not liking it. I think I have come a long way as a reader since then so I'm hopeful I will have a better experience this time around.
ReplyDeleteI loved this book. There were times that I had to stop what I was doing while I was listening and just absorb it. That never happens with me. I can't listen to anything unless my hands are busy doing something.
ReplyDeleteI didn't like it much the first time I read it, but this time I'm paying more attention to the timeline and when things happened. It is written in a really interesting way and I'm looking forward to discussing it.
DeleteI finished reading it for the 3rd time and came away with a lot of new insights that I look forward to discussing!
ReplyDeleteI'm gaining a lot more on my second reading so I bet that you really understand the book well after three readings! I'm very much looking forward to our discussion!
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