Ultimately heartwarming
5 steloj
I had Black Moses stored on my Kindle for well over a year after purchasing it and I have no idea why it took me so long to get around to reading this book. I'm now kicking myself for the delay! Moses himself, or Little Pepper as he later comes to be known, is a particularly engaging narrator who tells his story in such a humorous way that I often found myself distanced from the true darkness of this novel.
Little Pepper's childhood is scarred by repeated abandonment and delinquency which results in his suffering from delusions and mental health problems as an adult. The orphanage which houses him for fifteen years isn't a happy home for the children, with Little Pepper being one of the harsh Director's least favourite children. I loved Mabanckou's skill at illustrating the conditions for Little Pepper in that orphanage and, later, on the streets …
I had Black Moses stored on my Kindle for well over a year after purchasing it and I have no idea why it took me so long to get around to reading this book. I'm now kicking myself for the delay! Moses himself, or Little Pepper as he later comes to be known, is a particularly engaging narrator who tells his story in such a humorous way that I often found myself distanced from the true darkness of this novel.
Little Pepper's childhood is scarred by repeated abandonment and delinquency which results in his suffering from delusions and mental health problems as an adult. The orphanage which houses him for fifteen years isn't a happy home for the children, with Little Pepper being one of the harsh Director's least favourite children. I loved Mabanckou's skill at illustrating the conditions for Little Pepper in that orphanage and, later, on the streets of Pointe-Noire so I could understand what he was running from, yet managing to keep Black Moses as an upbeat novel at the same time. Seeing events through Little Pepper's eyes doesn't shield us from knowing the truth, but his distinctive spin on the situations he faces allowed me to empathise with his outlook, even as it becomes obvious that his grip on reality is sliding. The circular structure of Black Moses made for a happy ending in a way. Although in writing this review I keep being assailed by the dark themes of Black Moses, I also remember it as a heartwarming novel which I very much enjoyed.