Going down river road themes

Mwangi probably ranks as the most hard-boiled Kenyan writer of his time, though he does at times go over the top. This novel links Hillbrow,
rural Tiragalong and Oxford, and contains the shattered dreams of youth, sexuality and its unpredictable costs, AIDS, xenophobia, suicide, the
omnipotent violence that cuts short the promise of young people, and the Africanist understanding of the life. Jul 28, Karen Ashmore rated it it was
ok. Going Down The River. They do not even believe in the building anymore. Trivia About Going Down River We have brothels, but there are no
crying babies in the corner. The labourers are a tired hungry people. No one shits on the path. Baby should not have drunk coffee. Ben is
vehemently misogynistic, and after Wini abandons him, his misogyny becomes worse than it ever has been. First published in , this novel was so
explosive that its author was imprisoned without charges by the Kenyan government. Facing Mount Kenya is not only a formal study of life and
death, work and play, sex and the family in one of the greatest tribes of contemporary Africa, but a work of considerable literary merit. Angeline
rated it really liked it Aug 29, In Murambi, The Book of Bones, Boubacar Boris Diop comes face to face with the chilling horror and
overwhelming sadness of the tragedy. Competing for survival in Nairobi City and can be found here: There was no question of giving up his job to
avoid Onesmus. Posted by Larry Ndivo at 8: Welcome to the hellish underground of a Nairobi slum. A drunk old man sits on the first landing and
sends a river of beer vomit down the stairs. Ben, clearly, has not been helped by politicians, and his growth, such as it is, is from leave-me-alone
individualism to a recognition of his need for something other than himself, even if everything else -- the government, Baby, his friends, his
employers -- seems to be an impediment or a threat. From the cockroach-infested rooms on Grogan Road where Ben lives with his secretary-
prostitute girlfriend Wini and her son Baby, to the ironically titled under-construction 'Development House' where Ben earns his living as a 'hand',
and on to the lowlife-ridden Karara Centre on River Road which Ben and his friend Ocholla frequent in search of Karara and prostitutes, Mwangi
maps the landscape of urban poverty in the third world. The spectacle is so bleak that at one time Ben engages a fifteen year old prostitute in sex
whilst her one old month baby is tucked in a carton in the same room. Ocholla tossed gravel at the bucket. While Mwangi has touched on all of
these concerns, we might divide his work into three major categories. And who would listen to him? In Urban Obsessions, Urban Fears: View all
7 comments. To ask other readers questions about Going Down River Road , please sign up. There are many things Ben knows that Bhai will
never understand. The novel recounts the story of a Rwandan history teacher, Cornelius Uvimana, who was living and working in Djibouti at the
time of the massacre. She would get him a job at her place of work, but until then he had to hang on to his present job. For many Kenyan writers,
the armed resistance to British colonialism in Kenya, which came to be known as the Mau Mau revolt and reached its height in the s, was a far-
reaching experience. Rarely does a book really take me far, far out of my element to the point that the world around me outside of the book feels
strange. Going Down River Road , and The Cockroach Dance is a compelling and innovative set of texts dealing with what is arguably the most
pressing contemporary social problem in Kenya; the rapid urbanization the country has experienced since independence in and its accompanying
social problems. Wildlife Wars is the odyssey of an extraordinary man in an extraordinary land. Want to Read saving. The novel ends with a
small moment of connection, a moment that shatters the profound and futile loneliness the city instills. It tells the story of Ben, who works at a
construction job and spends most of the little bit of money he makes on alcohol and prostitutes, until one day his ex-prostitute girlfriend leaves him
with her young son known only as Baby and never returns. The hands just do not believe. Jul 28, David Mbiyu rated it liked it. He released the
woman, turned and reached on the bedside table for a cigarette to combat the musty smell from the baby's bed. I recall 'seeing' River Road in a
different perspective after reading this book. Meja Mwangi, you devil, how did you make me miss that city? I must say that this book was the best
yard sale find of my life. Prior to meeting Wini, Wachira is seen scouting for a quick lay and long after Wini abandons him and her bastard child,
Baby, Ben deteriorates to engaging with prostitutes to satiate his sexual desires. So when the beggars withdraw their charitable service, the pious
city civil servants and businessmen start to panic. He paints very strong characters. Alcohol, that refuge from the constant struggle for survival. Like
Reader s Digest style of literature, engaging and light.? I would love to get my hands on more books from this author.

A Stylistic Approach to Meja Mwangi's Novel "Going Down River Road"

Angeline rated it really liked it Aug 29, Meja writes so real he captures events like scenes out of a movie. Article first appeared in People Daily
under the title: This early novel deals with the pain and dislocation of the clash of the old and new ways - the educated young man determined to go
overseas, and the elders of the family believing his duty is to stay and head the family. The novel recounts the story of a Rwandan history teacher,
Cornelius Uvimana, who was living and working in Djibouti at the time of the massacre. Very highly recommended, especially for lovers of
postcolonial fiction. I must say that this book was the best yard sale find of my life. Reminiscent of an emerging Kenyan nation grappling with newly
found independence from colonialism, the text abrogates itself the duty to serve as the watchdog of the less fortunate in the city. Replaying Societal
Ills on Stage Image courtesy of Google Writing within a context of a geographical region troubled by social, politi He lit a half-smoked one from
the ash-tray and lay smoking in the early morning gloom. She would get him a job at her place of work, but until then he had to hang on to his
present job. The moral fabric of the society described in this novel teeters on the verge of disrepair. The afternoon turned to evening and all the
shops in the city center closed. Aug 17, Kairo Kimende rated it it was amazing. All their energies, however, are expended on trying to understand
Africa's problems and once they understand them they realise that the problems are beyond them. Newer Post Older Post Home. Though the
narrative verges on fetishizing the squalor and reveling in the misery, it never quite descends to that in my eyes, at least because Ben's intelligence
does occasionally prevail, and he recognizes not just the pain he feels himself, but the pain of other people -- including pain he causes. First
published in , this novel was so explosive that its author was imprisoned without charges by the Kenyan government. His way of writing even over
a draggy scene blows your mind. As for the Africans themselves, they could have provided solutions, but since they are lined up in warring
factions, that is impossible. Bongo rated it really liked it Sep 01, She had her own clockwork system that first turned her over once or twice before
 she opened her eyes to complain about the shortness of the past night. Although healthy human relationships are hard to build, the genuine bond
between Wachira and Ocholla serves to give the text a sense of hope. There were no cigarettes in the packet. Is it sexist to make all my female
characters flat and muscular? By the author of Houseboy. If you like your fiction raw and gasoline-powerful, Going Down River Road is the book
for you. He did not stir her. What does this quote mean? That is the questions which Meja Mwangi asks himself and which he asks the readers of
Weapon. This is because the text tackles human conflict that is centred on universal economic inequalities rife in urban settings. In this book he is a
Grisham of sorts minus the suspense. Only the labourers, and only at lunch time when there is nothing else to do. Thanks for telling us about the
problem. Jan 13, Albertine rated it really liked it. He lay back and closed his eyes. The glory of the book is that the reader is a participant in the
movie. Everything has been meticulously prepared for a long time: At the age of sixteen, Paulina leaves her small village in western Kenya to join
her new husband, Martin, in the bustling city of Nairobi.

Chapter Summaries for "Going Down River Road" by meja mwangi? | Yahoo Answers
MillerHistories of the Hanged exposes the long-hidden colonial crimes of the British in Going down river road themes. Ben, cashiered as a
lieutenant in the army, now works as a building labourer in Nairobi. He pauses between retches to talk to the beer bottle and swallow back
whatever he has left in his mouth; one cannot going down river road themes to waste going down river road themes food. A Kenyan had told
us that the book is a fine example of how to write about a particular place and time, and that it evoked a lost Nairobi that was nonetheless familiar
enough. This isn't highfalutin literature. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Want to Read Currently Reading Read.
Angeline rated it really liked it Aug 29, Human conflict is yoing of the key ingredients of literary texts. May 30, Emily Kosnow rated it it was
amazing Recommends it for: She had her own clockwork system that first turned her over once or twice before she opened her eyes to complain
about the shortness of the past night. Becoming the caretaker for Baby does not turn going down river road themes into some sort of saint -- he
only barely takes care of the boy, though eventually he does pay his school fees and make sure he goes to school. They fired the lot of us. Not my
cup of tea. And he would still have a certain amount of trouble. Machore can never raise the necessary deposit to register as a candidate. Although
healthy human relationships are hard to build, the genuine bond between Wachira and Ocholla serves to give the text a sense of hope. Ben is
vehemently misogynistic, and after Wini abandons him, his misogyny becomes worse than it ever has been. I'm reading the book but some of it is a
bit strange, and I can't seem to find any online summaries. We have homeless people in Canada, but they are not so naked. Facing Mount Kenya
is not only a formal study of life and death, work and play, sex and the family in one of the greatest tribes of contemporary Africa, but a work of
considerable literary raod. A drunk old tiver sits on the first landing and sends a river rover beer vomit down the stairs. But they would still not vote
if they got up with a terrible hangover or the weather became lousy on polling day or the going down river road themes got too long or
something. Ben started back to the present, opened his eyes and squinted up at the sky. I finished this wanting more After hearing so much about
Meja Mwangi and how he changed the literary doan in Kenya I embarked on understanding his works hoping they would all be wrong.