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Bezig met laden... The Hairdresser of Harare (2010)door Tendai Huchu
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Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden. Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek. A light read with some heavy topics. This short story depicts daily life in Zimbabwe as well as some serious social issues, such as injustice, corruption, and homophobia - though mostly from the surface. The writing might have benefited from more editing, but it was a pleasant and quick read. ( ) I saw this on a list of recommended books by non-American authors and am glad I did. Images I am still thinking about: carrying thick bricks of cash that would be worth less tomorrow, the resultant barter system, life expectancy in Zimbabwe being 37 (Just googled and am getting 59 men/ 62 women so maybe that's not the number to remember), how rare for citizens to be able to visit Victoria Falls. I had thought it would be a rom com and it is *not*. Still recommended even though the characters are all struggling with something. The main conflict is visible coming down mainstreet except to our protagonist narrator who is convincingly naive. I admit, coming into The Hairdresser of Harare, I didn’t know much about Zimbabwe beyond its geographical location. Sure, I had some half-formed assumptions and expectations, but nothing upon which to confidently rely in exploring the world Tendai Huchu has so skilfully portrayed. Like any book that tackles social and political prejudices, this is a dark, heavy, often challenging read, but the language and the vibrancy of the writing lifts us above the world we’re reading about. In a sense, you almost want to be dragged down by stilted, heavy, academic prose . . . to suffer alongside the characters . . . but then the book becomes more about your experience, and less about the story. I think Huchu has done an admirable job here of balancing entertainment with education, making us want to not only care about what we’re reading, but to enjoy the read itself. Had this just been the story of a gay hairdresser, living and working in an oppressive society, it would have been an interesting read. For those of us raised on North American television and film, the concept of a gay hairdresser is hardly a novel one, but one most likely to be explored either for comic relief, or to reinforce a stereotype. Here the concept is both novel and significant. Dumisani is a well-rounded, exceedingly likeable – and, more importantly, admirable character. Hardly a stereotype, he’s an outcast, with his sexuality a secret to most (including, for a time, the reader), but immediately recognizable once it’s revealed. What makes this something more than just an interesting read is the complex and delightful presence of Vimbai. Hardly perfect, she serves to develop Dumi’s character, and to provide some intimate insights into the controversy of his homosexuality. She’s a strong character on her own, likeable (in a slightly exasperating way), amusing, and cautiously friendly. She seemed a bit too oblivious to the fact that Dumi is gay, but given the culture in which we’re so expertly placed, and the discretion with which he leads his life, it’s an easily forgivable aspect of the story. Overall, this is a lovely novel to read, with the casual use of local slang and phrasings serving to enhance, rather than confuse, the experience. We get a lot of colour through the writing itself, and the narrative voice is such that we can ‘hear’ the culture, without the intrusion of an interpreter to explain or offer any unnecessary asides. If I have one complaint about the novel, it’s the ending. While I knew going in that this would not be a happily-ever-after story, the power of the ending still unsettled me. I think part of the reason is that it seems such an abrupt end, without any of the usual cut-away or wrap-up scenes so often used in Western literature to soften the blow. Having said that, such scenes would have been entirely out of place here – the ending should be unsettling and slightly unsatisfactory, in order to validate everything that has come before. If you’re open to a different read, a literate story that explores difficult ideas and opinions, this is a book that’s well worth the read. It’s a refreshing addition to the bookshelf, and one that will leave you both entertained and enlightened.
Tendai Huchu's tale of rivalry between two hairdressers in contemporary Zimbabwe is an entertaining comedy of manners and class, an education in the shocking ruination of Zimbabwe by the Mugabe regime, and a reminder of the visceral intensity of homophobia in some cultures. Immediately after reading Tendai Huchu’s novel, The Hairdresser of Harare, the first thought to form in my mind was that the author is uncommonly brave. Set in current day Harare, this contemporary novel tells the story of Vimbai, a hairdresser whose dominance as Khumalo Hair and Beauty Treatment Salon’s finest is challenged by the arrival of the enigmatic character, Dumi, the male hairdresser who is able to bring out the woman in even the most ungainly of female creatures....All in all, The Hairdresser of Harare is a great achievement and a refreshing addition to Zimbabwe’s growing body of post-2000 literature. And by the time you are done reading, you too might be left with this debatable question, “Just who is the hairdresser of Harare?” Drum says: A stunning debut, funny, dramatic with a powerful punch in the end. The protagonist of Tenda Huchu's first novel is an ambitious, young, single mother, Vimbai, who battles with the difficulties of living in modern-day Harare while making a life for herself and her daughter....The book was mostly a pleasure to read, but it becomes annoying when Vimbai confronts, and challenges, her prejudice towards homosexuality. To interrupt a perfectly good story line with pages of didactic writing is a pity. Onderdeel van de uitgeversreeks(en)PrijzenErelijsten
"Vimbai is the best hairdresser in Mrs. Khumalo's salon, and she is secure in her status until the handsome, smooth-talking Dumisani shows up one day for work. Despite her resistance, the two become friends, and eventually, Vimbai becomes Dumisani's landlady. He is as charming as he is deft with the scissors, and Vimbai finds that he means more and more to her. Yet, by novel's end, the pair's deepening friendship - used or embraced by Dumisani and Vimbai with different futures in mind - collapses in unexpected brutality. The novel is an acute portrayal of a rapidly changing Zimbabwe. In addition to Vimbai and Dumisani's personal development, the book shows us how social concerns shape the lives of everyday people."--provided by publisher. Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)823.92Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern Period 2000-LC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
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