Customer Reviews

The Road Builder

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am currently right in the middle of this beautiful novel and I'm enjoying the hell out of it. It's a pure pleasure to read: the writing itself is so sensuous, flowing over page after page of reflections and descriptions. The author does a great job of giving the reader a sense of what it is like to be in a remote part of central Africa - after all, he was in the Peace Corps in Zaire ( now it is called Congo, as it was before it was Zaire ) back in the 80s, and I was there in 1983 myself. Eighteen years ago, and yet the language of this novel brings back all these memories! Wow! That's the power of books for you! The story he tells here is powerful as well; I could really relate to Will, the main character. I am reading this book slowly, savoring the beauty of the language and the gentle unfolding of the story. It is one of those novels you wish would go on forever - and in a way it does in its timelessness, its universality of meaning. I hope this book sells well; I can't recommend it enough!

An extraordinary first novel. The Road Builder is everything its fans say it is: epic in scope, rich and evocative in story, setting, characterization. But it's also a page-turner, providing juicy surprises in the spirit of fine mysteries. Just when you think you've figured out what's going to be around that next corner, Hershenow floors you with a shocker. An unexpected plot twist that adds to our understanding of the culture and history of central Africa...even as it subtracts from our confident (smug?) assumptions that we know how people will react to change, especially crises.

Having travelled to Africa many times, I found this novel truly evocative of the tropical center of the continent--its people and their lives, its complexity, its mystery. THe tensions between the Americans and their new African neighbors make clear that we cannot just drop ourselves into a new culture without serious ramifications. The main characters are beautifully drawn, and the plot is intricate, interesting and believable. I highly recommend this book.

This is one of those stories that invites big cliches: you won't want to put it down; it makes you feel as if you're right there yourself. It's a great book, and a grand beginning for Nicholas Hershenow (who's actually been writing for a long time). Highly recommeded.

I spent three years in the Congo. This book brought back so many memories, feelings, even smells to me. Although fiction, it is the book I fantasized about writing-- a personal journey, stories of realities of life in Africa now, an inside look at attempts by outsiders to do "development," and a romance to boot! Most of all I appreciated the honesty of Will's internal workings. I laughed a lot, too. I loved this book.

I could not finish this book. Unlike the other reviewers, I was not the least bit impressed by the quality of the writing. The dialogue was stilted and the characters were one-dimensional. Save your money. Read Mike Tidwell's Ponds of Kalambayi if you're interested in a Peace Corps novel set in Africa. Tidwell's book is everything that The Road Builder is not.

I could not finish this book. Unlike the other reviewers, I was not the least bit impressed by the quality of the writing. The dialogue was stilted and the characters were one-dimensional. Save your money. Read Mike Tidwell's Ponds of Kalambayi if you're interested in a Peace Corps novel set in Africa. Tidwell's book is everything that The Road Builder is not.