imagine_stars's Full Review: Barbara Kingsolver - The Poisonwood Bible
In 1959, fiery Baptist preacher Nathan Price took his wife and his four daughters to the Congo. "Took" is perhaps too light a word. "Forced" might be better, or at least "commanded." His goal? To save the souls floundering in the darkness of sin. Theirs? Simply to survive. None of the Prices knew exactly what they were in for--and they proved their ignorance by packing their suitcases with kitchen utensils and Betty Crocker cake mixes.
As they settle into their hut in Kilanga, five separate stories begin to emerge. Eldest daughter Rachel, sixteen at the time, quickly loses respect for "Our Father" and his vehement attempts to sacrifice the family's well-being for the sake of the Congolese people. Leah is nearly tripping over herself to please her father and retain her place as his favorite, while twin sister Adah is content to write evil-sounding palindromes that distort old familiar hymns and verses. Little Ruth May hasn't a clue about all the political issues her father is stirring up within the village, nor about the cultural implications. Her main concern is finding a pet and figuring out why the little boys don't wear pants.
And their mother, Orleanna, speaks seldomly--but just enough to let us know about the burden she is carrying, the penance she is constantly paying, and the way she has slowly been broken from a beautiful, young woman into a disheartened, lonely wife. All the while, Nathan is doing his best to impose American standards on the village, uncertain and upset because the village leaders are clueless about democratic elections and refuse to baptize their children in the river.
As the story unfolds, the Price daughters grow increasingly farther from both their father and the faith they thought they knew. Political tensions in the Congo rise, tragedies occur, hearts are cracked apart and mended again, and Africa sears an indelible tattoo on each person's soul: scars of compassion, scars of fear, and the never-healing wound of loss.
If people were passing out Pulitzers based solely on writing imagery, author Barbara Kingsolver certainly could have nabbed one for The Poisonwood Bible. The words are beautiful. Beautiful. Her writing style is languid and intelligent, and I think it's brilliant how she switches narrative from daughter to daughter without dropping the small plot threads that eventually weave together. Each girl has a distinctive voice, from the somewhat flaky Rachel (who is constantly mixing metaphors) to the clever Adah (who peppers her writing with wry commentaries about life). The girls are each insightful--in very different ways--and every word is placed so carefully, so lovingly, that I feel like I am picking prime fruits off the literary tree. If I could bite into the pages, sweet-tasting streams of words would come trickling out. Out of all the books I have read in my life, the language of this one stands out as perhaps the most vivid, the most well-done. It's like Kingsolver is playing Rumpelstiltskin, spinning and spinning away at her computer, churning the chaff into gold.
The plot is fairly straightforward--the decline of a family and a nation. As if that's straightforward! But it's mostly a chronological, day-to-day account consisting of the details of African life, with a few big surprises thrown in. The book slows down during the last 150 pages or so--mostly because the girls are women by then, and the grown-up voices aren't quite as compelling as the child ones.
Kingsolver does a good job presenting a holistic view of the then-Congo (now Zaire), both good and bad: the poverty and the simplicity, the disease and the ignorance, the wisdom and the pain and the loveliness. Her African landscape is believable, stirring your heart toward the place in genuine care, not just pity. The girls can be critical in their honest reflections on Africa, but most of them also come to understand and appreciate it as they grow in the Congo and with it.
But Kingsolver is no so understanding toward Nathan Price. Let's face it: he's despicable. There, I said it. Maybe it's not a fair judgment, as he's the only member of the Price family who doesn't get to share the story from his point of view. Basically, Nathan is a manual on what not to do as a missionary. He spits hellfire sermons like no one's business, and his job seems more like a condemnation seminar than a demonstration of love and forgiveness. He also seems to have missed that part in the New Testament where Paul mentions "becoming a Roman to the Romans." For example, Nathan bereates the women for baring their breasts because "nakedness is an abomination"--without ever considering that his standards are more American than biblical.
You can understand why his family members (and the mission league...and the villagers) aren't thrilled about supporting him. And this is the part where my opinion gets torn every time. The first time I read this, I loved the message that came across: you can't beat people with your beliefs. Jesus' command is to love others and to make disciples, not to follow a bunch of religious rules and try to conform people to a particular religious system. All of the Prices get so lost in "religion" and good works, trying to please a vindictive God in all the wrong ways.
But the second time I read it, it seemed a little more hopeless. I still like that message, but I also felt more despair. It's as if Kingsolver gets angry and starts to pull out every awful stereotype she has ever encountered in the "Christian" world, packaging them into the man Nathan, who is really more object than human. Several ladies in my book club were also upset by the disdainful tone and the way the Price lives devolved into a trainwreck! The Poisonwood Bible does not leave you with happy feelings! It's one of those books that ends at a place of wistfulness, of lingering pain. While there is some redemption, it has nothing to do with Jesus. The only god we see is Nathan Price, a poor depiction of a father, a horrendous representation of the savior he claims to love, and, ultimately, the god who turns his family away because of his inability to save them.
So where does that leave us? I think any intelligent reader can discern that not all missionaries are this way. Good things have been done in the name of God for centuries, and so have horrible things. This book certainly dissects the horrible things and pulls them toward the light. As they are revealed, they teach us a lot about arrogance, injustice, and love.
The Poisonwood Bible is bothersome, yes, in its startling honesty. It might be offensive to some. It doesn't shy away from anything: not vivid descriptions of dead chickens nor naked children nor sexually transmitted diseases. There are some profanities throughout, and some disturbing descriptions. I mean, if you want sanitized characters and neat little life lessons, this is not going to be your book! But is it a good book? Yes. Absolutely. In the sense that "good" means beautiful and thought-provoking and difficult. It is uplifting? Um...no, pretty depressing.
The big question: is it truthful? Well, in the sense that it is a very candid observation of one family, yes, it's true. It shows the truth of the situation, the truth of what has, unfortunately, happened around the world when people approach others with an air of superiority rather than a manner of servanthood. It shows the truth of human nature, of pride, of sinfulness.
But is it a true depiction of who God is? Not at all! And that's perhaps where any controversy comes in. Can an author depict God from one perspective without claiming that perspective to be correct? Should we not write about the imperfections of life as well as the victories?
That is a judgment call I will leave to you. Even though my second go-round was more disheartening, The Poisonwood Bible is still in my top favorite books of all time. And I think your enjoyment (or dislike) of it will come down to perspective. Are you willing to empathetically read an account of someone else's experience, learning from it even if you don't agree with their choices? Or are you approaching the story with a critical eye--either because you want to defend "real" Christianity or because you have something against so-called "Christians"? As with any book, your view will color the whole story. Expect to be stretched, and expect to be offended!
I'm not saying the book is perfect, and you won't feel good about it once it's done! But if you have a taste for good literature, if you have an interest in Africa or missions, even if you want to get a little angry--then check it out. Because sometimes poison kills us, and sometimes it helps us find a cure.
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