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Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Things Fall Apart in Books
Sep 10, 2017
How cultures are misconstrued and misunderstood
This book is intriguing for the fact that there is massive emphasis on pre-colonial times rather than post-colonisation in Nigeria. In this way you're able to gauge how much of a culture clash and cultural misinterpretation there is on the part of the white settlers. It is also written by someone who is of Nigerian descent which makes it all the more interesting as many of the books were written from a western perspective during this time.
It is a book about change and tradition in which protagonist Okonkwo befalls many trials and tribulations in order to appease both his heritage and live side by side with the new ideals of Christianity. Alone, he was unable to withstand the forces of transformation. An important book for people to understand pre-missionary Nigeria.
It is a book about change and tradition in which protagonist Okonkwo befalls many trials and tribulations in order to appease both his heritage and live side by side with the new ideals of Christianity. Alone, he was unable to withstand the forces of transformation. An important book for people to understand pre-missionary Nigeria.
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Awix (3310 KP) rated The Stepford Wives (1975) in Movies
Mar 30, 2018
Bryan Forbes' SF-horror-satire has left a cultural impression out of all proportion to its original box-office success. Nice modern couple leave grimy New York for idyllic small town of Stepford, where everyone seems happy and the women are thoroughly domesticated. What on Earth can the secret of the place be...?
Subtle storytelling and fine performances do a good job of masking the fact that the premise of the story is basically a paranoid fever-dream; oddly, some people interpreted the film as being anti-feminist and actually misogynistic, when it is actually about male objectification of women and fears of the same (maybe also has stuff to say about consumerism too). Perhaps a bit overlong, but the slow aggregation of details adds a lot to a convincingly unsettling atmosphere. An entertaining horror fable.
Subtle storytelling and fine performances do a good job of masking the fact that the premise of the story is basically a paranoid fever-dream; oddly, some people interpreted the film as being anti-feminist and actually misogynistic, when it is actually about male objectification of women and fears of the same (maybe also has stuff to say about consumerism too). Perhaps a bit overlong, but the slow aggregation of details adds a lot to a convincingly unsettling atmosphere. An entertaining horror fable.
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Cori June (3033 KP) rated Tiger's Curse (The Tiger Saga, #1) in Books
Dec 3, 2018
3.5 stars. I have read this book multiple times although it has been a while. I still enjoy the characters although the love aspect is a little trite to me. Kelsey is a great character full of emotion if a little naive and stubborn. Yes, there are somethings that happen too easily for her and she is a bit more go with the flow than one would really expect however it doesnt distract from the whole of the story. As a world building book i found it quite enjoyable and a pleasant read. Even if romance isn't your thing (it's not mine) the cross-cultural mythology is fantastic, literary licencing or not. Also some of the side characters are a little more than stereotypes which is a reason for the half star. The imagery is wonderful.
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Brian Raferty recommended Being John Malkovich (1999) in Movies (curated)
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Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) rated Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles (2019) in Movies
Apr 22, 2021 (Updated Apr 22, 2021)
Fascinating
I haven't seen Fiddler in the Roof yet but watched this documentary about the creation and history of the play on PBS. I was enthralled from start to finish. I was always intrigued by the Jewish religion but didn't know anyone who practiced it while I was growing up so it remained a mystery to me. A very sacred mystery that is filled with tradition and ceremony and secrets. It always felt like Fiddler was not meant for my eyes as it would unveil those secrets so I did not seek out to view a production of it. Watching this documentary brought the story of Fiddler, religious and cultural tradition, and a Jewish family from a Russian settlement to life. As soon as this quarantine, I am determined to find the nearest production of Fiddler and view it immediately.
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Phillip Youmans recommended Touki Bouki (1973) in Movies (curated)
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Brian Raferty recommended Election (1999) in Movies (curated)
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ClareR (5603 KP) rated The Good Women of China in Books
Nov 4, 2017
Eye opening
Xinran was a radio journalist in China who collected the stories of women who had stories to tell. This is a side of China that we don't really hear of: women who had lived through the cultural revolution and the damage it had inflicted on their lives. How women were still pretty much regarded as chattel, homosexuality was a criminal offence, women were sexually coerced, raped and unwillingly married off to high standing officials. This is just a small selection of the lives of women in these stories. You can hear the voices of these women as though they're in the room with you. The stories are often heartbreaking. I'm so glad I picked this book up - and all because the authors name began with an X (for an alphabet reading challenge!!).
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Awix (3310 KP) rated The Big Sick (2017) in Movies
Mar 13, 2018
Somewhat unorthodox rom-com with comedian Kumail Nanjiani playing himself and Zoe Kazan, er, not. Starts off looking like another of those love-across-the-cultural-barricades movies before turning into something quite different (I can't remember if they have The Smiths' 'Girlfriend in a Coma' on the soundtrack, but if they didn't, they should have).
Possibly I am just biased as Nanjiani seems like a man after my own heart (X-Files fan, plus the first thing he does when he takes a woman home is show her an early 70s Vincent Price horror movie - did I mention I'm single?), but this manages to be both touching and funny. Good support from Ray Romano and Holly Hunter as Kazan's parents; manages to deal with some fairly serious issues with a light touch. Works hard to earn its happy ending; an immensely likeable film.
Possibly I am just biased as Nanjiani seems like a man after my own heart (X-Files fan, plus the first thing he does when he takes a woman home is show her an early 70s Vincent Price horror movie - did I mention I'm single?), but this manages to be both touching and funny. Good support from Ray Romano and Holly Hunter as Kazan's parents; manages to deal with some fairly serious issues with a light touch. Works hard to earn its happy ending; an immensely likeable film.
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