Literature

The title sounds so academic but it is the best I could come up with to cover the three things I would like to write about.

The weekend after valentine's, I watched a play titled an Ideal Husband by Igiza Arts Production. It is not the title of the play that drove me to buy the ticket, neither is it the producers of the play, but knowing that it is an adaptation from Oscar Wilde and trusting the capability of the Producers and the director who is well known to me, I knew I had to have a ticket. I considered reading the book before watching the play but my hands were full as I had 3 other books that I needed to finish within the month, I ended up watching the play having not read the book and I was thoroughly entertained.

Of the three books I was reading, I managed to finish Lucky Girl by Irene Muchemi. I loved the pace of the book, the coming to age storyline, the experiences Soila had being born and bred in Kenya and getting an opportunity to study in the USA. I bet my Kenyan friends with similar fates would relate to her experiences, if only I can get them to read the book. I am having trouble freely addressing my reservation about the book, mostly because I already know the critic that would come from it. At this juncture in my writing, I cannot ruffle feathers and much as it bothered me while reading the book, it did not prevent me from enjoying the author's work, her first. 

There is much I am dying to talk about but I feel gagged because I would spoil it for those who intend to read, which I think you should. Was Soila really Lucky? How has our Kenyan upbringing affected our values as adults and the choices we make? The African setting of having family around and their approval and how growing up detached from one side of the family impacts our lives. The position of 'the second family' and how one choses whether or not to relate with them.  The choice of a partner and how much family approval should weigh in on that choice. How can we create a family from two individuals with glaring differences in their beliefs, and culture?

I was having a conversation with one of my girlfriends about the last question and she strongly believes that two people cannot walk together unless they are in agreement. Her position is hinged on Amos 3:3 and 2nd Corinthians 6:14 which says  "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" I shall leave it at that as this is a conversation that requires more depth.

My book club read for the month was Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden.  I really struggled with this one. I had tried reading it before and it proved difficult even then. My book club members encouraged me to just start page one and I was happy to have reached page 190. The tea parties were too many for me and the process for each was similar, she gets an invitation, she dresses up, we learn about the guests present and the conversations they have, and then there is the next tea party or even up to three in  a day and then we repeat, or have breaks when she is learning.

There is a lot of plotting by the characters. I thought office politics is where it is at but I could sure learn a thing or two from the Geishas'. The discussion about the book sure did heighten our perception. Going in, only two members had been thrilled by it but through the discussions, we realized there was more depth to the book and the characters and indeed there was much to love. It was my first seating where I had not finished a book, I did not mind the spoilers and I feel that I would have been satisfied if I had read it all the way to the end.

The writing style is highly descriptive, the people who help Sayuri along the way each have something they are getting. We see how naivety affects our choices and how unfortunate being constantly exposed to schemers develops you into a schemer. We loved it when a character finally learnt how to play the game. We loved it when a poorly written character still had a role to play, we loved discussing the long game and grappled answering if the best thing and worst thing that happened to a character was an encounter they had. Sayuri's humor is really a plus for the book. 

We never got to discuss our beliefs in consulting an almanac to know auspicious days. From the book it seemed that our actions or inactions although inconsequential at first glance affect our destinies. I will leave you with the book club read I selected for our March read, The Mothers by Brit Bennet which I have now read twice and written as much about it in my posts. By now you are in agreement that literature is how best I could title this post.