Dominic Mulaisho

Tongue of the Dumb is a bit meh. It's a bit like an African village soap opera/ pantomime. The plot, a villain's plan to usurp the chief of the villages, using propaganda and heresy to convince the easily swayed villagers that their leader is in fact a witch. Quite a few witch accusations are thrown about which leaves the feeling in the book that tribal folk seem a little undiscerning. Having just read Ryszard Kapuscinski's 'The Cobra's Heart' which, in part illuminated ideas surrounding people of Africa's belief in witches, 'Tongue of the Dumb' seemed to make it a lot more melodramatic. I'm not sure whether this was actually how it was - whether these accusations were in fact levelled at people in this way, for political agendas, vendettas, fear etc. or if it just came across that way in Mulaisho's novel.

There was also a subplot of the relationship between the missionaries of Christianity plying their religion in Africa against the 'pagan' natives. this however is explored a lot more effectively in 'Things Fall Apart' by Chinua Achebe.

All in all I think it lacked a little skill, non more so than the final page crescendo coming a little too predictably and disappointingly late.… (meer)