Quite a fascinating angle of storytelling with an unique style providing an insight into two Colonial East African countries and its select inhabitants. The story centers on settlements around the Mount Kilimanzaro of the British East Africa (Kenya) and the German East Africa (Tanganyika). Pius Fernandes, an ex-school teacher comes across a personal diary (The Book of Secrets) of Alfred Corbin, a colonial administrator, with the entries from 1913 that’s sketchy and apparently incomplete What follows is a multilayer investigative narration indulging various sources - covers mysteries, historical events, intrigues, settlers’ daily life and such, in a time span up to 1988 spiked with metaphors, aphorisms and allegories. Corbin losses his diary (stolen) and Pipa (one of the major protagonists) once reflects on this diary thus - “That it had value to its previous owner he had no doubt – someone who had meticulously written in the book time and again, whose comfort he had sought like woman, was bound to it by his memories...”. Other major protagonists include mysterious Mariamu (a wild beauty; married to Pipa), her charismatic son Aku (for Akbar; controversy surrounds him); dreaded Frank Maynard (Native & lion killer); the albino and few other interesting characters. Many characters invite you to its own mystery along with the time and places that come vividly alive.My only discomfort was in Pipa’s interaction with an apparition that was beyond delusional, granted his grieving was partly to blame. Also, the frequent use of some native terms (one could refer in the back of the book), for me, made the narration a bit choppy (although the intent of an authentic flavor is appreciated). But what I liked most of this book is that important plots or episodes and characters, in some sense remain unfinished, challenging the reader to ponder upon the clues provided!
I went into this book with high expectations, but I soon found that it didn't exactly meet those expectations, especially compared to the first book I read by the author. The book lacked a lot in what I look for in a good read and even compared to a previous book I read by the author, the book didn't work well for me. The story didn't connect well for me. I found it to dragged a lot and failed to keep me engaged. The characters were lacking in their development. They felt very stiff to me and there wasn't anything about them to make me want to continue reading about them. I had the same problem with the plot of the book. It felt very scattered, and while the premise sounded interesting enough, the overall execution didn't work for me. The book took its time to explore the plot, which I appreciated, but I felt the book was in the same place it was in the beginning of the book as it was in the end. Events, tragedies happened, but the book was lacking in the necessary pull other boos like it have, so it didn't have the emotional effect and connection to the reader it should have. For the most part, the book dragged for me and was a constant effort to get through. In the end, it wasn't the best book choice for me. Also found on my book review blog Jules' Book Reviews - The Book of Secrets
What do You think about The Book Of Secrets (1996)?
First: what I liked about the Book of Secrets. I've never read a book set in this part of the world and so that was new to me. I know very little of the colonial history of Kenya and East Africa. Also, the women in the story, particularly Mariamu, were vivid compared to the male characters.Sadly, I did not enjoy this book as much as I had hoped I would. I found the cast of characters somewhat confusing because of the past/present timelines. Perhaps my attention span is suffering so I won't blame
—Angela
I read and loved The In-Between World of Vikram Lall a few years ago, so I tried out this earlier work by Vassanji. It was a big let-down. I stopped and started it a couple of times, because the opening section - a POV-shifting look at a colonial official's diary circa 1913 - was so tedious! Even when my Kindle was telling me I only had 15% of the novel left, it was a chore to pick it up.Some elements here are nice. Vassanji's descriptive writing is frequently beautiful, and his attention to detail in terms of local colour is superb. But the plot is terrible. It's several stories within a story, following a retired teacher (an Indian expatriate living in Tanzania) who comes to own this diary and starts obsessing over it, despite the fact that it is boring as hell. As the plot progresses, you read sections that seem like vague, uninteresting tangents and suddenly realise that they are essential elements of the story. Because the narrative voice is so removed from the action, there's little dialogue, lots of "then time passed" passages, and it's hard to care about any of the characters. I was also frequently confused by the longevity of the characters - it seems anyone who doesn't die violently lives forever!I really didn't enjoy this novel, but I'd still strongly recommend The In-Between World of Vikram Lall, which deals with similar themes - the experience of Indian expatriates in East Africa at the end of colonialism - but is actually an interesting and compelling read.
—Kiera Healy
Disappointing. The center of the story focused around Corbin's lost diary from his years in East Africa. I read the book wondering who and how the secret would be revealed. How disappointing to find out we will never know. The book had too many characters whose lives were intertwined in far too much of a coincidental fashion. Just when I thought one of the characters might reveal the truth, suddenly the author switched over to yet another character's perspective. In the end, the diary was quite
—Melissa Williams
