Roots by Alex Haley: The generational African-American struggle for freedom

Some dismissed this epic as a fake. But it doesn’t claim to be wholly fact. Granting that it is indeed a fake, then it would be like all the others- fiction. And granting that it is fiction, it is would still stand out as a classic. My copy of Roots by Alex Haley I bought for a mere P20 in a thrift shop. Multiply the price by a dozen and It’s still worth it.

The first part of Roots brings to mind Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Its first parts show that Africans and Europeans have different cultures but what they have in common is humanity. They have their own customs, practices, and traditions. They may not have centralized government but they have no need for such a system in the first place. They were living happily until the slave traders caught them one by one. By focusing on one person – Kunta Kinte – Alex Haley succeeds in presenting to us the real impact of slavery. The question here is: If a man is separated from his land, his people, his culture, and even his freedom, what is left of him? Since Roots spans seven generations (Biblical allusion?), it gives the answer: even if freedom is taken away; hope remains, and through his descendants Kunta Kinte is able to liberate himself from bondage.

The latter parts of Roots bring to mind Beloved by Toni Morrison and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. It presents racial discrimination and all the other dilemmas the African-Americans faced in their struggle.

It was the first part, however, that I enjoyed the most. For in there you can see Alex Haley at his finest. It took a lot of research, imagination, and creativity, for him to create a Gambian village with its exotic environment and fascinating people. The legends, the beliefs, the customs- it’s as if he were there; it’s as if I was there as I read the text. The theme of Roots? I think a major one is human suffering. Another is overcoming that suffering in the face of difficult circumstances. There are sub- and underlying themes, one of which asks the question: Is racial prejudice based on color alone? How come the earlier Africans were too eager to spite the slaves, when they were of the same color? All these questions require an understanding of American history and society and African culture; these elements weave together the fine fabric that is Roots. Even the adaptability of the slaves is significant, for it is a testimony to human fortitude.

Indeed, Roots, like Martin Luther King, Jr., Michael Jordan, and of course Barack Obama, is a triumphant proclamation that the African-Americans have succeeded in reclaiming their rightful place in our world.

The Temple of the Golden Pavillon by Yukio Mishima: The irony of beauty and destruction

The darkness and terror of this novel surpasses The Stranger by Camus, and equals The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky. I am still absorbed by the story and its depth, its sorrow. Having finished the novel just minutes ago, I am troubled and disturbed, though at the same time relieved. It would take awhile before I can fully grasp the meaning of the novel. It is an exploration in the psyche of the youth, and being a young one myself, I would have to fully discover my identity and my purpose to understand Mizoguchi. He was Holden Caulfield in the Japanese context, but he possesses something clearly universal in today’s youth: anxiety, rejection, and the depression that would follow.

I am only sad for him, and also for Tsurukawa, who is my favorite character in the novel. Why? For he offers such cheer in spite of his hidden sorrow. It reflects Mishima’s assertion of the state of the Japanese youth in his time. As Kashiwagi, he is the other side of the youth of Japan, who lives for the moment. He is not spared from having a distorted notion about things.

Like Mizoguchi whose last words in the novel were ‘I wanted to live.’, I too, want to live, and I will live. The difference between Mizoguchi and me is, I have direction. I have faith in my God whereas Mizoguchi had no real God to depend on; his faith was based on objects, and Superior Dosen who lived an immoral life. Perhaps family ties, that so called Hsiao or filial piety, is falling apart in Japan? If Mishima’s portrait is accurate this is so, as seen in Mizoguchi’s total apathy for his mother and father. The psychological approach may say otherwise, but that’s a different discussion.

Yukio Mishima, despite his confused life and violent suicide, did not disappoint me. I am very pleased with The Temple of the Golden Pavillon; it convinces all the more that the great works of Japanese Literature – Mishima’s novels counted – belong to such a high form of art.

Grass for His Pillow by Lian Hearn: The tale continues with same suspenseful, lyrical narrative

Still enchanted by the Across the Nightingale Floor, I didn’t hesitate to buy Grass For His Pillow by Lian Hearn for more than P1000. Again, despite my attempted restraint, I wasn’t able to last long without finishing Grass for His Pillow. And I tell you, the price I paid was more than worth it. This second book is more fast-paced than the first one, and we witness here the maturity of Takeo and the transformation of Kaede from a ‘mere pawn’ in the battles of the lords’ to the lady of her domain, capable in action and tactful in speech.

It begins as Takeo enters the world of the Tribe – crafty, skillful assassins possessing supernatural powers. He finds about his real father’s world, but, after enduring their training and apathy (they are only after his abilities, not him – that is, he is just a means to an end), he realizes that this is not the path he wants to for his life. Within him is a struggle between two loyalties – that to the Tribe and that to Lord Otori. It is also a struggle between his love for Kaede and his present life. Eventually, he makes the decision to leave the Tribe – choosing a path he wants no matter how it takes. Such decision echoes The Alchemist by Coelho: To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation. For Takeo, pursuing his dreams and risking death is far better than living and yet not realizing his destiny. Takeo may have foolishly risked his own life, but his courage is highly admired. Greatness never belongs to those unwilling to take paths to worlds beyond.

Meanwhile, Kaede bravely deals with her domain and the lords of the clans. While she knows Lord Arai is her liege, she nonetheless manages to put up a subtle defiance with her tact. In the end, her defiance culminates with her secret marriage with Takeo (reminiscent of Padme Amidala and Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars). There are side characters whose participation in the ‘Tales’ make it all the more full of verve and action. Shizuka, for instance, who is also torn between her loyalty to Kaede and her allegiance to the Tribe. Takeo, in his time of great difficulty, finds solace and friendship in Makoto, and in the temple where the story ends. The philosophy is: every action has a consequence. It is very much Zen Buddhism, but it is true. Thus, the secret marriage of Takeo and Kaede also has a consequence – what that consequence is we are yet to find out.

Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, The Tales of the Otori is a great inspiration for people who wish to make a difference in their lives – and that of others. It is an encouragement to those who have lost hope, and enlightenment to those have it. For young ones, it is a profound illustration of growing up and hurdling the challenges along the way. It treats life as one great adventure which we must cherish and make the most of.

Miguel Street by V.S. Naipul: Profound stories with humor and wit

This book is a must read for everyone who appreciated Mr. Biswas. Set in Miguel Street, Trinidad through the eyes of a teenage boy, every story in this collection deals with one personality, and again one can see Naipul’s characteristic humor and irony. There are colorful characters like Big Foot, Hat, and Popo. They are all poor, but ‘no one starves’. It’s like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, really. In the end, the boy leaves Miguel Street: it seems that he is the only who has succeeded among all its residents.

The variation of characters makes this collection of stories a good set of stories; but the unity of theme makes this collection of stories a very good 'novel'. Interestingly, though, there was no story centered on a female. This says something about the persona, and the section of society he personifies. Colonialism, poverty, and the frailty of human relationships are among the main themes of Miguel Street. As the persona matures, his opinion on things differ. This maturity is quick, though, for he is exposed to the things of the world early on. Miguel Street is no profound read, but it has humor- that is more than enough.

A House for Mr. Biswas by V.S. Naipul: A vivid portrayal of post-colonial struggle

The ending was so sad, but more significantly it was triumphant. In A House for Mr. Biswas by V.S. Naipul, the last words read, “…while Shama and the children went back in the Prefect to the empty house.” Mr. Biswas gained his house, but it took him a lifetime. This struggle in life and against its cruelty is universal to all cultures, although it has a special similarity with Philippine culture: the impact of colonialism is tremendous. Owad is the typical Indian who goes to England to earn a degree; he is also the typical Filipino who goes to the United States for the same purpose. In A House for Mr. Biswas, the far-reaching and long-lasting consequences of British colonial rule are implicitly written, in detailed and sometimes ironic prose. That Naipul would include someone who ‘started a conversation on anchors’ or the expectation of a ‘someone who would take notice’ is proof of his literary flair. The Tulsi family is matriarchal; it has something to say about the condition of women in Trinidad. Just look at the Tulsi daughters. The relationships among in-laws is also seen.

A very interesting thing in A House is Mr. Naipul’s treatment of education. Everyone has a chance to go to school, but Anand and Savi earn their chance to go to England. So he is saying that hardwork nullifies the handicap of poverty. However, education itself cannot be treated positively all the time. Like Owad, who became a Communist after going to England. He belittles and disapproves of the cousin of Shekhar’s wife, who, in his words “went to all the way to Canada to learn the violin… [while] people are starving, not getting enough to eat here in Trinidad.” He later marries her. It goes to show how comic, but at the same time tragic (hence “tragic-comic”, a term often used by reviewers of this book) Naipul’s work is.

No wonder he won the Nobel Prize. I may check out another work of his later, so that I will see Trinidad more. Or maybe I’ll try to reread The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, and see it in a new light. Whatever I do next, I know that through Mr. Biswas I have gained knowledge of Indian life, and found it strangely familiar.

My Antonia by Willa Cather: Great love story of American countryside

It was F. Sionil Jose, one of my country’s foremost novelists, who recommended to me My Antonia by Willa Cather. He said it was one of his ‘early influences’, along with Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Naturally my curiosity was aroused, but I couldn’t find a copy of the book. Not until one day when my sister told me she bought one from a BookSale outlet. She read it before I did, and she – who has read more classics that I have – told me that it’s one of the best books she has read. Wow! My expectations already high, I took to reading the novel. In a few days I was done, and now I can only repeat what they told me: it’s a beautiful, very beautiful masterpiece. Of a landscape so majestic and of a love so deep. I can almost see the endless ocean of countryside.

As for the love, its profundity lies in the fact that between Jim and Antonia it was never a love that is romantic. It was rooted on their nostalgic childhood spent in that small town in Nebraska. And that same love was powerful enough for Jim to add his possessive adjective to Antonia, hence the title ‘My Antonia’.

Any reader of the book shouldn’t miss the way Cather inserted her feminist ideas into the book. Antonia, who worked like a man for some time, can do what a man can do; it’s only that it won’t be proper for her to- in the eyes of society. Women are women; the difference between and women doesn’t necessarily lie in the latter’s abilities, but it’s more of an individual and collective choice.

Up to date Willa Cather’s book hasn’t been equaled, and I believe the critics when they say it’s one of the greatest love stories of all time. I think My Antonia is a far cry from the newer novels about rural US. However, she should not be seen as competing with the contemporary authors, for her books have already attained the level of ‘classic’.

Soul Mountain by Gao Xingjian: Excellent modern prose from and about China

Want to know China? Read this book. Want to appreciate Chinese culture? Read this book. I just love it! The story within Soul Mountain by Gao Xingjian is Nobel Prize-quality enough, but what enthralled me the most are the folktales, the poems, the songs, and the anecdotes- from the time of Yu the Great to Chairman Mao. It’s bucolic, romantic, and evocative all at the same time. It was really fun reading story after story while reading a story. I was a bit confused about the use of personal pronouns (the point of view shifts from I to you and there is a he and a she, which according to the instruction ‘compose the protagonist’). But once you get used to the shifts the reading is smooth. The story proper deals with one man’s search for his identity and the purpose of life. He ends up saying that he still doesn’t understand. But in searching for the meaning of life, you understand life better.

The vivid descriptions of all the places- from villages to mountains; rivers and lakes- also reflect the author’s grasp of his subject matter. His imagery is so successful that I am reminded of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, and my own experiences in climbing mountains.
Combine all these elements and you have a masterpiece- one that cannot be easily forgotten. Chinese culture, which is so rich and complex, has comprehensively been compressed in Soul Mountain. Although I consider Ha Jin’s works very good fiction, they are still lacking in depth compared to Soul Mountain. Ha Jin only presents the realities of China today; Gao Xinjiang traces them to the past and heavily connect them to the psychology of the individual.
What else can I add? The book speaks for itself; I can only do one thing more: recommend the book to anyone I find interested in literary prose.