Customer Reviews

The Polished Hoe

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Austin Clarke's Giller Prize winning novel THE POLISHED HOE takes place on the island of Bimshire (also known as Barbados) in the "Wessindes." During one long night of confession and reflection between Bimshire lawman, Sarge, and Miss Mary Gertrude Matilda, a kept woman on the Bellfeels plantation, Clarke's characters ruminate about the lives they have led. Mary calls the police station and tells them she must confess her crime. Sarge comes to the Great House where Miss Mary resides to record her statement, but is caught in a whirlwind of memories about the woman he grew up with, his own experiences and transgressions, and the contempt circulating the island regarding Mister Bellfeels.

Enriched with native tongues and a sort of stream of consciousness writing, this is a novel that brought to mind some of the great writers of all time. The prose was lilting, and I often found myself caught in a reverie as the characters related memories from their lives. It is not a book for the drama lovers who live for fast paced reads; rather it seems to have been written for those who love narration, historical fiction, and carefully crafted characterizations.

Reviewed by CandaceK
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Almost mimicking the sense of time on a West Indian island, this mesmerizing novel begins slowly and then warms up with the Caribbean heat of noon's overhead sun. Now an old woman still living on a big-island plantation, Mary-Mathilda, in the process of confessing something having to do with the 'hoe' of the title to the local cops, reminisces about her past, chronicling the plantation's history as well as her own. The novel explores the brutality of plantation life not in the fields but in the Big House where as a girl, Mary M caught the manager's eye and became his mistress, the mother of his only son. Separated from her own people by her comforts and privilege, she is also separated from the white establishment by the barriers of racism, servitude, and sexual exploitation.

I am always interested in Caribbean fiction. This is definitely not a quick read on the train ride home. This book brings the horror of the slavery and post-slavery era home. Up close and personal. By telling the stories of the characters in his book, Clarke forces the reader to take a bigger bite of what has already left a bad taste in the mouth. The struggles of the "heroine", Mary Matilda, her mother and grandmother as well as the other characters in the book are painstakingly painted. I must say though that I found the pace a little slow at time. Clarke shifts between time and place, stretching dialogue and story to the near breaking point.

Altogether a good read but be patient. Reminds me of "A Hundred Years Of Solitude".

Sherman
CaribbeanAbroad.com

The book overall was very slow going, and had it not been set in Barbados (sometimes called Bim today, and known as Bimshire in the book) I may not have enjoyed it as much. However, the local language and references to many things I grew up with (eg clammy cherry trees) were enough to make it an enjoyable book. I was able to read about things I have not seen/heard since I left about 20 years ago. My husband enjoyed parts of the book that I pointed out to him - after only spending short holidays on the island every few years, he too was able to relate to some of the local references. A great book to give you a taste of life on the island.

The story is the confessional statement of Mary, a West Indian Field laborer, given the day after her revenge castration and murder of the plantation overseer. She'd been his mistress since chilhood-assuming the role her monther once had. Although well provided for with material things, beautiful home, servants, the best education and opportunities for their illegitaimate son, Mary suffers unconscionable sexual, and psychological abuse from this man. Her statement of the crime is given to the islands' police sargeant, her chilhood friend and lost love. In its telling, the tragedy and brutality of West Indian plantation life in the aftermath of slavery is revealed. The tragedy is amplified as we come to see its effects on generations of Mary's family and the whole island
community. Beautifully written with interesting parallels drawn to Black life in Post World war America.

This book reminds of a book a college professor would love. A great amount of detail in the times and events that will trick and confuse the average reader. If you read more difficult literature, this should be a breeze for you. The focus of the book was the events that took place over the life of Mary Mathilda and those close to her. The vivid course of actions shows the abuse,incest,love and survival of generations under one roof. The sexual exploitation described the hardship African woman endured as slaves or property of the British during that time and grapically described the sickness and horror of the abuse. The difference between African-Americans and Africans brought to the islands is highlighted through out the book made you wonder who had it better. You actually had to READ through the plot to undertsand the mental breakdown of the character and her pain of giving birth to a son by blood.

What surprised me was the ignorance of the owner of the plantation (Bellsfield sp?). Did he not know that he was father and lover? Did he not know that? The shame he caused.

The author drafted a deep and sensual story. I would recommend this and NO it is not an easy read, but if you take the time it will be well worth it.

I wanted so much to love this year's Giller Winner. Austin Clarke was the underdog against such big hitters as Wayne Johnston and Carol Shields but I found The Polished Hoe to be a long rambling tale with an unsatisfying climax.

Mary Gertrude Mathilda Bellfeels, a plantation field worker who luckily or unluckily caught the favor of the plantation manager Mr. Bellfeels becomes his mistress and bears him his only son. As a reward she lives and raises her son (he grows up to become the village doctor) in the Great House and no longer has to work other than being little more than a [mistress] to a man you come to truly hate.

The novel covers one long night of Mary giving her statement to a Sargent who has loved her from afar since they were both only 10 years old. In the build up to her crime, what she did and why she did it, we get the story of her almost 60 years on the plantation through anecdotes of the horrors of black life in the village of Bimshire in the West Indies where blacks are still treated like slaves even if they work for a wage.

The problem for me was that this book rambled over the same territory continually and although some of the history was compelling this novel lacked a continuity or a narrative that kept you wanting to read on. The carrot is that you know she's probably killed someone with that hoe she used to use in the north field but you don't find out who and why until the last 10 pages of the book and by then I just wanted to be done.

This is a good book for a sense of place, time and culture but don't look for a great love story or a novel of suspense in The Polished Hoe.

Although some reviewers suggest this book to be slow moving, it represented quite alot to me. Being a Barbadian, educated at the primary and secondary level in Barbados- it was refreshing to actually have a taste of Barbadian history in literature, as apposed to European and American history. The world is becoming a cultural melting pot and we have to remain open to different styles of writing and storytelling. Those looking for a fast moving, suspense filled book of crime and passion will not find it in "The Polished Hoe", instead they will find a common West Indian and African American story of love and pride inspite of hardship and the vestiges of slavery. It discusses the ramifications of slavery, which are still being felt by blacks all over the world in 2005. I believe this book would be an excellent book to be studied in schools in the West Indies and for those doing black studies worldwide. Forgetting our past has already made us comfortable with a present that still begs for change.

This is one of the few books I've started that I seriously
considered quitting. It is not easy to get into, but I am
compulsive about finishing books that my book club has selected.
There are always pay-offs for reading any book, and with this
particular novel, it was in the historical value of slavery
in one part of the world. It was fascinating to me that slaves
in Bimshire (Barbados) did not consider themselves slaves,
as compared to their black counterparts in southern "Amurca".
But, as Mary Mathilda points out, "slaves are slaves". I was both
incensed and saddened at the way in which women
slaves (beginnning at a young age) were obviously considered sexual property of any white
man, owner or non-owner, and a "quickie" even in the kitchen
during a dinner party, was his prerogative.

The book, occuring over a 24-hour period, has ongoing digressions
from the business of the day, which, though enlightening for
the history learned, are distracting and lengthy, and frequently
required re-reading because my mind wandered. In this context
I was reminded of my struggle to finish "Mrs. Dalloway" by
Virginia Woolf. This is not to say that both books are not
well-written.

Lastly, I enjoyed the exposure to much black slang.

An old woman, mistress to a white plantation master is confessing a murder she has commited. She also confesses the thousand little murders that she has gone through in being the man's mistress. Like old women around the world, she rambles through time..present and past intermingling with the stories of the people she tells the story to.

This is one of the best Caribbean books to date