Customer Reviews

Forest of the Pygmies (P.S.)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The finale of the acclaimed trilogy, that began with Kingdom of the Golden Dragon, has had a lot to live up to. Alex, now 18, along with his grandmother and friend, Nadia, travel to Kenya on an elephant safari. Like the previous two books, things do not exactly happen simply, and the trio encounter a whole host of problems such as after a plane crash, they end up trying to help save primitive Pygmies from slavery. A mixture of magic, adventure, and a sensous surrounding gives this book an edge that many children's books do not have.

Having read a few of Isabel Allende's books I was certainly looking forward to this one, as I thoroughly enjoyed reading the first two. However, by the time I got around to reading this one, I realized something was missing; it may have been that I was older and a more experienced reader, for it has been a while since I have read the first two. The character's still amused me, and the magic they possesed created something far more interesting than the trilogy would have been had they not had it. However, I found myself bored with a long drawn out plotline that, although had twists, followed the same basic outline as the first two. Despite my problems with it, and my need for a change, I feel that many people will enjoy it, and I am certainly going to reread the first two books. The blend of magic and fantasy with realism, and an amazing setting, certainly gives this book a head start to many children's books.

Reviewed by a student reviewer for Flamingnet Book Reviews

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Preteen, teen, and young adult book reviews and recommendations

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the rest of the trilogy by Allende. The entire story of Alexander was my first introduction to Allende's writing and has made me want more young adult fiction by this author.

Hace poco terminé de leer este libro el cual a diferencia de La ciudad de las bestias y El reino del dragón de oro me tardé en leer más de dos semanas, y no porque lea muy poco o muy lento, sino porque jamás logró pescar mi interés y atención como lo hicieron los otros dos libros, de verdad que quedé terriblemente decepcionado en la forma que la señora Isabel escribió y dio fin a la que yo pensé sería una muy buena trilogía, había momentos en que me parecía estar leyendo el libro de un neófito escritor, de plano me dio tanta pereza leerlo que ni ganas me dieror de volver a leer El zorro y otros dos o tres libros que todavía no he leído de ella.

Espero que su creatividad y lo que me hizo interesarme por sus libros no haya muerto todavía y que pronto nos sorprenda con un nuevo libro como La hija de la fortuna, Retrato en sepia o el mismo La casa de los espíritus que tanto amé.

En serio que si la trilogía estaba dirigida hacia un público lector adolescente o infantil yo no se lo daría a leer a ninguno de mis sobrinos.

Isabel Allende CAN WRITE. This series of three tales in the lives of two young heroes who travel to three exotic lands. Should keep most teenagers reading for the pure enjoyment of watching the young American boy and the young South American girl come of age through challenges that test their hearts and minds. Always there

is one foot in the physical world, and the other in the metaphysical world. Allende presents these two states

of being as one in the same in the world of these three stories. Not hokey, not Magic-on-demand, but a widening of awareness for the reader.

I really liked this book, although it was a bit slow at the start, and i didn't think it was quite as good as the two books before it.

I love the Alex and Nadia trilogy, there's a twist at the end of each excellent book and i always finish each book wanting to hear more from Alex and Nadia. Isabel Allende is, i think, a fantastic children's author.

I think in this book Alex and Nadia didn't really seem to use their totemic powers, and i wish they had, because for me, that was what separated this trilogy from the other children's books.

I guess i was a little bit disapointed, as i was expecting more from isabelle allende, but this book is still one of the best i have ever read.

Isabel Allenge's tepid trilogy finally ends in her third book for young adults, "Forest of the Pygmies." And it's fortunate that this was only a trilogy, rather than a series -- Allende's convenient magic, annoying characters and plodding characters make this a chore rather than a pleasure.

Alexander and Nadia are accompanying Alexander's grandmother Kate to Africa, on an elephant safari. While there, Nadia and Alexander receive some ominous voodoo fortunetelling, which predicts that they will die if they are separated. Soon after, they encounter a European missionary who reveals that some of his brethren have vanished.

So the gang sets out into the jungle in a plane -- only to suffer a crash landing. Stranded in the wilderness, they then learn that the missionaries are the captives of a ferocious military leader, who has also enslaved the native tribes. Now our heroes must singlehandedly set up their own "David and Goliath" fight, or face a horrific death.

When the first book of this trilogy debuted, many readers were appalled at the sloppy storytelling that Allende had put into it. Apparently she doesn't think that younger readers will notice. Unfortunately, that sloppiness is still in her juvenile writing, making it seem that "Forest of the Pygmies" was dashed off over a long weekend.

Deus ex machinae, preachy storytelling and absurd villains abound in this dull story. Unfortunately, "Forest of the Pygmies" is not just boring -- it's stretched as well. There doesn't seem to be enough plot for an entire book, so Allende fleshes it out with pseudo-mystical prattle, religious arguments and a bad acid trip.

There's a faintly ridiculous quality to many of the things in this book, such as a scene where the missionary plays bullfighter with African wildlife, the adoration of the female sex, or the climactic "David and Goliath" duel. The evil enslaving villain is perhaps the silliest of all. It's not enough that he's evil -- he has to have a necklace of fingers too.

It's also difficult to sympathize with know-it-all characters who suffer no serious doubts, struggles or difficulties. The smug, pseudo-mystical teenagers Alexander and Nadia are given convenient magic powers -- transformation, invisibility, speaking with animals -- whenever Allende gets them into a jam. They never get out of anything by brains or talent, only magic, and so it's difficult to care whether they succeed or not.

Like the trilogy itself, "Forest of the Pygmies" ends on an awkward, sputtery note, with nothing of any note happening. Hopefully this will spell the end of Allende's ridiculous young adult novels.

Been considering purchasing this book for some time now and finally did it. It came to me quickly and no problems. Thanks.

Like the precedent volumes of the trilogy, this book is great. Allende descriptions are enchanting, and one can learn a little about the misconceived continent Africa. However, the plot is totally predictable for anyone who has read the previous books of the threesome, though Alex and Nadia's relationship is finally evolving. And if you're over 20 years old, the reading will probably not be as magical and intriguing!

I read Forest of the Pygmies by Isabel Allende, published by HarperCollins Publishers in 2005 and third book in the City of the Beasts series. This book was about 18 year old Alexander Cold, and his best friend, 15 year old Nadia Santos and their journey through Africa. Alex's grandmother, Kate Cold, is the writer of International Geographic magazine was sent to Africa to get a story. When, in Africa, they had finished their safari on the backs of elephants and were packing the plane to return to civilization, a missionary emerged from the bushes and introduced himself as Brother Fernando. He told them that he was looking for his fellow missionaries who had disappeared in a village called Ngoubé, located in the hottest, the least hospitable, and the most inaccessible area of Africa. He said the region was controlled by someone called Maurice Mbembelé and that he was "a psychopath, a madman, a brute who has been accused of acts as horrific as cannibalism" (Allende 50).
Eventually Brother Fernando convinced them to help him find Ngoubé and his fellow missionaries, so they asked their pilot, Angie Ninderera, if she would fly them to Ngoubé. After much bribing, she agreed. The trip itself was uneventful, but they had to basically crash land to get out of the sky. They were stranded next to a river. Finally, after a day, some natives called the Bantu came up the river and Angie asked them to help the group get to Ngoubé. Eventually after much bribing of beer and cigarettes, the Bantus agreed to take them upriver. They came upon a gruesome statue that marked the beginning of King Kosongo's territory, the King of Ngoubé. The terrified Bantus would go no further, so the group had to go by foot. They ran into some natives of the inhospitable area, called the Pygmies, who said they were slaves of King Kosongo and his Commandant Maurice Mbembelé. The Pygmies took them to Ngoubé, where they were welcomed not as guests, but more like prisoners. What happens next? Read the book to find out.
I liked this book because it was very descriptive and captured my attention with all the different cultures and ways of life mixed into it. An example of the strange Pygmy culture is "He explained that they'd had to make a long detour to reach Ngoubé in order not to pass through the lands of the ancestors, where the spirits of the dead wandered. `Nobody go there. If the spirits are disturbed, they take revenge. They enter the bodies of the living, they control they will, they cause sickness and suffering, sometimes death'" (Allende 111). I learned that Africa has many different languages and cultures. I would recommend this book because it was a lot of fun to read, with the witty sarcastic pilot, to the calm Brother, to the determined grandmother and youngsters, and it enchants you from the very beginning with all the diverse, mystical, and strange cultures of the natives of Africa.

All of the books in this series are fun easy reads, more for children coming of age. I did enjoy the mature and sometimes paranormal concepts these books have to offer. The characters are engaging and have thought provoking adventures. While this is definitely a read I would have enjoyed more as a young adult, I liked them enough to finish all 3 within a week or so.