Monday, June 14, 2021

Back to the Classics Challenge 2021 - A Grain of Wheat

 Verily, verily I say unto you, unless a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. John 12:24

My first novel by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o but definitely not my last. Ngũgĩ came to my attention sometime around 2010 when I was becoming better acquainted with book prizes and he was rumored to be a front runner for the Nobel Prize in Literature for that year. Mario Vargas Llosa ended up winning instead, but perhaps Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o will win it in the future at some point.

Set on the even of Uhuru (Freedom), Kenya’s official freedom from the colonial powers of the British Empire in 1963, the story is more or less of centered around the reclusive Mugo. Mugo is so introverted and quiet that those around him fill his silences with what they want to think and hear. What they don’t know is that Mugo is harboring a secret that has been plaguing him for many years, driving him even more away from village society and into a self-imposed isolation. 

Apart from but also connected to Mugo are Gikonyo, a local business man, his wife Mumbi and his rival, the Karanja, who works at the local research station and who is considered a collaborator since he did not fight but worked for British during the war. Mumbi was sister to Kihika, a local hero and Mau Mau freedom fighter who was betrayed which lead to his capture and hanging. The village leaders are trying to get Mugo to give a speech at Uhuru because they believe him to have been a fervent supporter of Kihika and in his own quiet way, a hero of the rebellion. All the characters come to Mugo, in part to try and convince him to speak, but also to confide in him their own troubles and cares. Because Mugo is so quiet, they assume he is sympathetic to them and their feelings. Everything comes to a head on the day of Uhura when old rivalries are settled and the truth about Kihika is revealed.

There is a much smaller side story of the white district officer, John Thompson and his unhappy and unfaithful wife, who will be leaving Kenya after independence because he frankly does not want to be subject to and governed by blacks. His story intertwines with the others because during the war of independence, Thomson was an officer at a detention camp where Mugo was held.  

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great look at Kenya and its history, looking very much at its future and already noting the cracks in the foundation of self-rule. To paraphrase The Who, “meet the new boss, just the same as the old one”. And what to make of this biblical analogy of the death of the seed which brings life to the plant? Is Ngũgĩ using this to remind the reader that the death of colonialism will bring forth the flowering of Kenyan independence?  Or is he referencing the death of the rebel leader Kihika who will bring forth the fruits of self-rule which was achieved in part because of his sacrifices? It is interesting to think about.

I had to read this book quite carefully, because there were a lot of subtle time shifts in the narrative. Also, there was the occasional use of untranslated Kikuyu/Swahili and Kikuyu names took some getting used to in order to differentiate one person from another. But I really enjoyed that aspect of the book because it made the experience more immersive. 

I read this for the Back to Classics Challenge 2021 category “Classic by a POC author”.

21 comments:

  1. This does sound interesting. I've liked the two I read, The River Between, which I think is the one before this and that beast Wizard of the Crow... ;-) It sounds more like The River Between, which was still fairly naturalistic. But both are interested in questions of politics and governance, like this.

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    1. Yes, I have heard that Wizard of the Crow is a fantastical work compared to his earlier novels. I might read a couple of his earlier works first before I move on to Wizard.

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  2. Hi Ruthiella, Great review and this book poses alot of questions. Why for example is Mugo so silent. I sense he is not the supporter of Kihika that the villagers think he is. Interesting to name a book after a biblical passage too. In Catholic school when I was growing up reading the Bible wasn't stressed. But now With all the books I am reading I would like to begin reading the Bible for many reasons including so much of it has alot to say about life and passages worth pondering.

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    1. Thanks Kathy. So many classic novels have titles taken from the Bible, right? Like "The Sun Also Rises" etc. I only know a lot of the broader stories from Sunday School but not these direct passages like "A Grain of Wheat" references.

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  3. I've always wanted to try one of his books, but my library doesn't have any of them, and I've never been able to settle on which one I want to buy. So I keep putting it off while I tell myself "someday I'll read one."

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    1. I know how that goes! Availability has a lot to do with what I read and when as well. My library didn't have any either so I ended up buying the Penguin version.

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  4. What fun to read a book about a country one naturally knows little about! Thanks for the introduction to his writing!

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    1. Thanks for the comment Cleo! This book definitely provided a good look at Kenya at the time of its independence from Great Britain and will stick with me longer than a history book would, I think.

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  5. The setting at the end of Colonialism in Kenya would be a fascinating setting of time and place. Very curious about Mugo's silence.

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    1. The setting really was fantastic and particularly since Ngũgĩ lived it, it gave it all a certain verisimilitude that I appreciate.

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  6. Terrific review--I have never heard of the book or author, but I am intrigued. Your musing over the analogy of the seed and life of plant and implications of this. This is why I love great literature--the connections and creative thinking and exploring it generates.

    I know little about Kenya's history, but the premise of the story transcends time and place.

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    1. Thanks Jane. I agree, the novel definitely has wider applications than to just that of Kenyan history. I really want to read more from this author and see what else he has to relate.

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  7. Great review as always, Ruthiella! Both book and author were totally unfamiliar to me and now, you've put them both on my TBR! Many, many years ago I visited Kenya; without really learning anything substantial about its history or people I've retained my curiosity about both. (I did know, slightly, a member of a family of British descent who choose to stay on after independence). This book sounds perfect for both pleasure and an educational reading experience.

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    1. Thank you Janakay! How wonderful you were able to visit Kenya. I certainly googled a good bit while reading this book, looking at the countryside and reading about its history. I love it when books inspire me to learn more.

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  8. Hi Ruthiella, intriguing but also a wee bit humbling to find that there are places and contexts I have practically zero knowledge of!

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    1. Hi Carol. Totally humbling. Of course, I think that is why many readers read, right? To open our minds to places and contexts unknown to use. A wonderful way to travel vicariously.

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  9. Yes! That's the only travel that's happening in our part of the world right now.

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  10. Back to reading your great reviews!

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  11. This does sound interesting! I am trying to recall if I have ever read anything set in Kenya. Maybe this would be good for my book group!

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    1. It would be an interesting book to discuss. I think there is lots to talk about when one looks closely at the character's motivations which drive their actions. And the backdrop of Kenya and colonialism would also provide a lot of discussion topics.

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