Search - The Poisonwood Bible

This story made me look at the world and other cultures in a way that I never considered. I have a new appreciation for Africa that I never had before. This is possibly the best story I have ever had the privilege of reading.

Reading this, I was reminded of another great long novel Lonesome Dove and again amazed that like McMurtry, Kingsolver could find a groove and keep the reader riveted, fascinated for 500+ pages. People who would like this book: 1) People who have worked overseas such as missionaries, PCVs, NGO & development specialists, and EFL teachers; 2) Social science types into intercultural interactions; 3) Readers who like novels told from multiple points of view; and 4) Victims of parents who practiced mean religion. People whose blood pressure will be raised: 1)People who like Ike and 2) People who don't get the idea, "There are Christians and then there are Christians." But beyond the religion and politics, the book is a work of art, with characters we feel we know, suspenseful narrative, intense setting.

This is one of my favorite books. Kingsolver has a rich narrative style and she describes the land the way other writers might describe a fine meal. The cultural and political subtext are intriguing. I highly recommend this book.

Everyone interested in the Congo, or the missionary era in Africa, should read this book. It is one of Kingsolver's most powerful works.

Kingsolver is undoubtedly a fine writer -- her prose is engrossing and often poetic in its beauty. I was just not that crazy about the plot -- it seemed to go on and on and was just not that interesting. The last 100 pages lost my interest and I just kept reading to finish the darn thing. I found the father missionary to be so unfeeling and stupid as to be unbelieveable as a character. I guess some men are that stupid, unrealistic, and uncaring about the safety of their families, and some mothers that cowed, but this man beggared belief, and I got fed up with the mother and four daughters for being so cowed, so willing to put up with his dream of converting those who did not wish to hear his message much less doused in a croc-infested river to be baptized. I enjoyed Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer more. Give it a go and see if you like it more than I did.

I have never had much interest in African history, but this book made me want to find out more. Her characters, as in her earlier books, are very well realized and fascinating. The story begins with the arrival in the Belgian Congo of Nathan Price, fire and brimstone Baptist preacher, and his reluctant family. The family's story is told by Nathan's wife, Orleanna, and their five daughters - shallow teen-age Rachel, twins Leah and Adah, and five-year-old Ruth May. The voices of the characters are authentic and believable.

I was absolutely spellbound by the way the voices changed and the way they stayed the same from the first to the last of the book. One believes in the characters, they change and grow as the book progresses.

I felt very complete when I finished the book. It was a satisfying experience.