Reading a novel set in a real world circumstance, one can forget that the story is nonetheless fictitious. And this might just be what Barbara Kingsolver intended on happening in her novel "The Poisonwood Bible". The story is a wonderful and complex character study set in the exotic land of Congo in the late 1950's and extending until the 80's (where the book storyline ends). The book explores injustice at various levels but most poignantly as it occurs from the emulated figure of Nathan Price- who represents the kind of personal, painful, domestic and religious antagonist that we both hate and pity. Kingsolver is intent on demonising the Baptist missionary as preacher, husband, father and human being with a subordinate purpose of political preaching on the part of the author. Don't get me wrong, I found the book to be very well written and very accurate of some Christian leaders across history. The arrogance and insensitivity portrayed through Nathan Price typifies what most Christians (let alone people) despise about religion- that within it's ranks are voices more harmful than healing.
But the author fails to place a voice of reason within the scope of the story that can represent the missionary vocation as anything good. The other missionaries explored in the story are either white snobs who profit and exploit the country and its riches or protestants who convert to Catholicism in the course of their mission. Kingsolver does not give us a realistic contrast to Nathan's evil and we are left with a darkness that reveals truth but grows to expose the author's own prejudices. We can believe a man can be as arrogant and unkind as Nathan Price, and that his family can survive (at least partially) from his influence- but we are left feeling like the story was artificially built against the man rather than just naturally revealed as part of the narrative.
That said, "The Poisonwood Bible" is excellent writing with vivid characters, undulating dialog that feels absolutely real, exotic settings to be explored and real life, joy and pain to be experienced. Kingsolver is brilliant as a novelist, making situations feel like real motion. And when things are interrupted, by pain, joy or surprise, the reader is given space to feel the experience through her vivid prose. One chapter especially had me nearly in tears- as a young child dies and a painful, haunting day as lived by the family members is recounted.
This novel is a story, but it is a good story and it does teach us something of moral value. The lesson are not contrived, even if the platform is occasionally stolen for political stumping about American imperialism and European colonialism. The life and gift of this work is its characters, its setting and its revelation about human character in its strain to indoctrinate others into a system of belief. The author uses multiple points of view to tell the story- a mother and her four children are the voices of this prose. The father (our antagonist) is never given his own voice. As a man, I think this was a wise choice of the author- since it allows the reader to interpret the mind of Nathan Price simply by his speech and actions. And it is this kind of judgment that his family members must make about him as well- and they do.
This is a very good novel by an exceptional writer- if you like character built stories, this is a good choice.
Amazon Link: http://amzn.to/VZkGo7
Review by Kim Gentes
baptist,