Yes, yes, I know this is a day late, but I haven’t had a very literary time this past week and am still reading The Famished Road by Ben Okri.
To play along, just answer the following 3 questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?
What are you currently reading? Am on Page 145 of The Famished Road, which is proving to be a challenging and somewhat confusing read at the moment. The language is beautiful and all, but I don’t quite know what to make of all the visuals he conjures up through his prose, nor tell fact from fiction within the framework of the story. So far, I’ve read about life in an African Ghetto, described in the most fantastical terms – and spirits! Spirits everywhere – a spirit King, green misty spirits, lizard spirits, tree spirits – they are everywhere and mostly either evil or depressing, except for the King who appears as a protector. They talk and cause mischief and are generally best avoided. I can’t make up my mind as to whether Azaro has a mental illness and is hallucinating them or whether they are real! I’m hoping that things will become clearer to me as I continue reading…but already the prose is beginning to burden…sigh…but the story as it develops (achingly slowly in the manner of most Booker winners :P), still seems promising. We’ll see.
What did you recently finish reading? It would still have to be The Great Gatsby, The Taliban Cricket Club and The Good Man Jesus and The Scoundrel Christ.
What do you think you’ll read next? These remain the same too, although I’m beginning to wonder whether I should take a break and read something light after The Famished Road! One thing I know for sure – certainly NOT The God of Small Things 😛 Maybe Anatomy of a Disappearance by Hisham Matar – it looks like a thriller and I like those 🙂
www_wednesdays is originally hosted by Should Be Reading.
Happy Reading People 🙂
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