Petals of Blood

This is definitely a must read, very informative with lots of information.

This is one of those books that you have to chew slowly as there is quite a bit going on. At its outset, one might mistake this for a simple mystery into the murder of three wealthy directors, but as the pasts of the suspects are developed, one starts to glimpse the full scale of this essay on colonialism, capitalism, and religion.Like I mentioned earlier, this is a book to take slowly, and it starts right at the beginning. The town of Ilmorog at the beginning of this book is almost like a (this might be a strange way to say this) primordial landscape, which still has something of magic in the lands and in the traditions and in the farmers' stories, but as our protagonists start to arrive, things begin to change. The changes are slow at first until, first, a drought occurs, and then a plane crashes, and suddenly the world starts rushing in and crushing the residents of this formerly sleepy town. And at the peak of this new Ilmorog, in current times, is when the murders occur, but, in reality, the why is much more important than even the who or the how.The prose in this book is really top-notch. I even added one of the lines as a quote because it was just so awesome. I would recommend this book for people who like to have a think when reading, especially about things of a political/philosophical nature. I wouldn't recommend this book for people that are solely looking for entertainment.

This 1977 book was the choice of my international reading group at my local bookstore. It's a dense 410 pages long and tells the story of the traumatic transitions in Kenya as it shrugged off the bonds of British colonialism only to be trapped in the same kind of situation when the leaders were Kenyan. It is heavily philosophical and I found it a dense and often confusing read. It was hard for me to keep the characters straight and the tone of the book was totally depressing.This is a story of oppression and it is weighed down with despair. I learned a lot from this book but I must admit that I breathed a sigh of relief when it was over.

This book is required for my African Fiction class. It's not an easy read because the characters have multiple African names and the story travels back and forth through time. The narrator shifts as well. But overcome those obstacles and read this powerful, timeless tale that remains relevant some 40 years later. You'll be a better person for it.

Ngugi's insights into Kenyan social history are fine although the book is marred—as is his general fiction in my view—by narrative drift. I was advised to read this book by historian of KE, David Anderson, whop thought that the back-story of the novel was the tension between the 1950s freedom fighters who stayed in the forest and those who were "turned" by the colonists and then sent back to "turn" others.The suggestion is that the three who died in the novel were receiving their just desserts.

excellent book written many years ago and still relevant. fantastic descriptions. highky recommended.

This book dissects a lot of complex political formations; from colonialism, capitalism, to it's final stage, neocolonialism, as well as his message of Pan-Africanism. It is done in a very beautiful way, an African way. Not only a book from a very gifted writer but of a political genius as well. This book is a must read.

Petals of Blood is a jarring and unsettling portrayal of life in post-colonial Kenya. Its publication was so controversial that the government arrested and imprisoned the author, Ngugi wa Thion’o, without any charges. As a novel, it stands as one of Ngugi’s most political and complex books. It follows the intertwining story of three characters who include Munira, a school teacher; Abdullah, a bar owner; Wanja, the barmaid; and Karega, Munira’s teaching assistant. Their stories weave together as a result of the Mau Mau rebellion, and they all find refuge from city life in the small village of Illmorog. These characters are forced to deal with the repercussions of the rebellion and the lingering effects of colonialism and westernization. Eventually, the story leads up to the mysterious murder of three directors of a foreign-owned brewery, in which all four characters become suspects. The novel’s conclusion paints a haunting picture of a country struggling to find its identity even after it has gained its independence.Ngugi writes the novel almost like a detective story in a series of flashbacks and police questionings, beginning with the arrest of all four murder suspects on the night in question. This structure allows the reader piece together the details of the incident, the motives of each character, and who is guilty or innocent. Some readers may find the plot a bit more difficult to follow, but it forces its audience to consider not only the murder but also the issue of colonialism from a variety of angles. The depth of this analysis is astounding, displaying the power of Ngugi’s talent as a writer and a critic. Anyone who is interested in post-colonialism or African literature should read this book.

Well I cannot comment on the storytelling itself because it is a subjective view but I did enjoy the story.The book itself gets no complaints from me, the pages are sturdy and no ink smudges, the print is clear.

This is the second of Ngugi's books I've read. He is an exceptionally gifted author. Here he has put together a complicated tale that follows four main characters through Kenya's post-independence period, spotlighting the greed and corruption of the government and anyone else in an official position.To truly appreciate Ngugi's works, you must have be familiar with Kenyan history, during both the colonial and post-colonial periods. His message is that nothing has changed: the poor remain poor and the landless remain landless, although tribal division is emphasized. To this end I recommend you take the time to read at least about the Mau Mau rebellion and Kenya since independence.A common complaint with this book, and one I also had with "A Grain of Wheat", is that Ngugi frequently uses words or phrases in Kikuyu, the language of the characters, during dialogue. I suppose it adds emphasis, but does nothing for the English language reader who wants to dive into the story. Ngugi could have offered up translations (in a few cases he did), or even a glossary at the end of the book. For the most part though, unless you speak Kikuyu you'll be left wondering if you've missed important. Regardless, I'll still give this a five star rating.

Great book, fast delivery

I found this tough to get into at first but became more enveloped and invested by the four characters and their intertwining lives as I continued. Overall this is a powerful and politically charged piece of literature that is an important means to communicate the struggles and injustices brought Africa by colonialism and capitalism.