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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Lizard Cage,
By
This review is from: The Lizard Cage (Paperback)
Imagine serving a 20 year sentence for writing protest songs, or eating lizards (raw) to ward off starvation and disease. Imagine that possession of a pen could add another 10 years to your sentence, along with beatings and disgusting tortures. This is Teza's world, as narrated by Karen Connelly, in this honest portrayal of life under the generals in Burma (Myanmar). Connelly doesn't pull any punches. Nor does she offer false hopes and solutions for her characters to assuage the reader's sensibilities. This can make the book, at times, a hard read. However, don't let this put you off. Despite the horrors, one thing shines through - the indefatigable human spirit. Karen Connelly is a poet and this is her first novel. Her poetic talent is evident in the descriptions of the beauty of Burma, its history and its people. Her poet's soul leads me to my one minor criticism - I think it sometimes interrupts the story's momentum. But this small quibble doesn't prevent me from giving the book 5 stars.
I had known a little about Burma and its problems before reading The Lizard Cage, but had not given it much thought, because of, I suppose, lack of media coverage. A sad comment on our media (and me). Anyone who reads this book will surely be unable to extinguish Burma from their thoughts and, hopefully, will add their voice to the campaign against the inhumane regime of the generals.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful writing in a strong story!,
By Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Lizard Cage: A Novel (Hardcover)
How can a book be both beautiful and luminescent, and also dark and painful? The pain is because this book is based on stories out of Burmese prisons. Connelly, the author of Touch the Dragon, a Thai Journal, lived for almost two years on the Thai/Burma border among Burmese exiles and dissidents.
Teza, a young singer, is sentenced to prison for 20 years for his work against the repressive regime in Burma. Teza supports dissident leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was placed under house arrest. (Even though she won the election in 1989--this part of the book is based on actual events). Teza has been in prison for seven years, in solitary confinement. Teza calls his home the Lizard Cage, because of the importance of the little green lizards in his life. Sometimes he catches and eats them to help keep him alive. And sometimes he watches them, because they inspire him. One day he has a new warder, a food server, a young orphaned boy. The book follows their relationship, and their relationship with the Senior Jailor Chit Niang and other prisoners. They all seem to be a sort of insane dysfunctional family--one trying to survive incredibly brutal and inhumane conditions. Teza and the boy both find a different sort of release, with the boy truly freeing Teza. There is brutality and pain in the world and there is genocide, torture, families being driven apart, disease, abandoned orphaned children. It is hard to remember all this in our privileged, calm and stable lives. Can we do something? Yes, sometimes we can--and should. Is this book easy to read? Is it fun? There are light and beautiful moments, moments of transcendent joy. Connelly is also a poet, and her words are strung together almost like a long prose poem, like natural pearls strung on a cord, warm to the touch and reflecting light. Armchair Interviews says: Hard to read because of the subject but beautifully written.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Compelling and memorable,
By
This review is from: The Lizard Cage: A Novel (Hardcover)
This is one of the most compelling and haunting stories I've ever read, and I've read a LOT! I would say that this is in my top 20 all time favorites. If you have ever read Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning, then you will understand what this book is about. No matter how desperate, how demeaning, how hopeless the situation, you are always free to choose your attitude. The author, Karen Connelly, can magnify even the most insignificant detail into an entire day's focus for the main character. Very Zen. You will not soon forget this book once you've read it.
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