Customer Reviews

A Forest of Flowers (Longman African Writers Series)

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A Forest of Flowers is a collection of nineteen short stories split into two parts. The first deals with the happenings in the backwater village of Dukana, where superstition, corruption, and ignorance often have tragic consequences. The second part transports us to the city, where we find these same familiar human flaws alive and flourishing.

Don't let the title fool you. In this book, Ken Saro-Wiwa is unapologetically critical of the government, the church, and fellow Nigerians. The stories show the darkest sides of mankind. In an allegorical style, the author touches on everything from adultery to violent ethnic conflict to public apathy. But from within this sea of darkness comes an occasional story about a shining soul, determined to fight the tide.

I found this book to be captivating. Each story is quick (on average of eight pages) and to the point. They evoke a wide range of emotions. Some stories made me laugh out loud. Some made me angry. And others were very touching. It is an easy read, with a very limited use of pidgin which requires consulting the glossary. Despite the dark nature of many of the stories, A Forest of Flowers touches the heart.

While this book stands on its own as an outstanding contribution to Nigerian literature, it would also behoove the reader to learn about the author, who was a vocal human rights activist executed in 1996 for his criticism of the now defunct dictatorship.