Thursday, January 05, 2006

The Roots

I finally finished 'Roots'. It was marvelous, to say the least. In the end, the author writes about how he set about his research, the griots he met and the way he wrote the book for over 12 years.
It was, like my lecturer told me, like reading an epic. I cant wait to watch the movie.

My only complaint is that there is nothing in the book about the way Kunta Kinte died. I had gotten so attached to him that I had even become incredibly depressed when he was captured as a slave. I had been with him when he travelled to America, felt his anguish at being a slave, rejoiced at his attempts to escape, felt his pride about his Africa as if were my own. The book takes off from when his daughter Kizzy is sold off. I needed to know how he spent the rest of his days. I needed some closure on him.

If you can, read it. It is a marvelous account of the cruelty, fortitude, bravery, endurance and pride that human beings are capable of.

1 comment:

Divya K said...

Check this out...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbK_ainxyrM
The Roots And The roots next generation were a popular TV miniseries in the USA 30 years ago. U can see bits of the show on YouTube or you can buy the whole series online. Its definitely worth watching...