mine boy. xuma and leah

kawambui · December 6, 2015, 6:42am

written by peter abrahams in 1946. this novel made a lasting impression and showed how the white race thought themselves superior.
the fisi from the north ambuliad patupu as the novel came to an end. i think writers should have written a sequel.
i read it fifteen years ago but can still recall the plot and some characters.
which novel made a lasting impression on you?

system · December 6, 2015, 6:48am

across the bridge. M. Gicheru. I read a copy that didn’t have a cover so I didn’t even know who wrote it or the name of the book. I have dreamt these many years of having a Caroline knock on my door in the middle of the night…

karema-hitI · December 6, 2015, 6:54am

Penthouse magazine.
Lasting impression, I assure you

kawambui · December 6, 2015, 7:03am

hehehe…
but caroline never came

Wilco15 · December 6, 2015, 7:23am

“Then Xuma lifted her onto the bed and took to the top of the hill”

My Teacher used to skip that part at iko too explicit!

hakimoto · December 6, 2015, 7:29am

Leah was a momo

kawambui · December 6, 2015, 7:43am

hehehe…
toi old skul

Rene_Descartes · December 6, 2015, 7:45am

The mine boy is a surreal affair. Things fall apart ilinibamba although its also a sad story of the clash between tradition and modernity.
There are these very nice short stories I read in my early teenage:
The truly married woman by Abioseh nicol:
https://www.unz.org/Pub/Encounter-1958jan-00031
and
Civil Peace by Chinua Achebe:
http://danielleharms.wikispaces.com/file/view/%2522Civil+Peace%2522.pdf

4makind · December 6, 2015, 7:53am

I also loved that book…read it many many years back…

Slartibartfast · December 6, 2015, 8:00am

Flowers for Algernon. The book is about a guy named Charlie Gordon , a mouse called Algernon and an operation that is intended to increases a subject’s intelligence. The subject in the book is Charlie who starts out as a simple minded dimwit who is very keen on education and improving himself. He is a approached by two scientists who propose to do the procedure on him. Earlier on, the two had performed the surgery on Algernon the mouse and thus far he had been showing a lot of progress in his mental performance. Charlie agrees (gains consent) and the surgery is done. The three months that follow see an increase in Charlies intelligence to a point where he starts to modify and add progress to the two scientist’s work. He goes out and enjoys the world in a way he wasn’t able to before. He becomes a celebrity as the news of the surgery’s succes gets out. He is invited to workshops and symposiums to give talks. Charlie becomes the man. This newly gained intelligence also has a downside to it as Charlie begins to see how people viewed him when he had a low IQ and how the scientists treat him as simply a specimen. He becomes resentful of his intelligence and so just like when he wasn’t smart Charlie finds it hard to relate to people once more in a different spectrum. His attempts to mend the relationship with his family also ends in futility. However, despite all his social troubles Charlie is able to have a brief romantic relationship with a woman who used to teach him, back when he was a retard.

While working on the theory by the two scientist, Charlie discovers a flaw which indicates a high possibility of him reverting back to his earlier mental state. A just as he had predicted himself, Algernon starts acting unpredictably and loses his gained mental aptitude and dies. Not long, Charlie goes through the same process, he howerver does not die and goes to live in a state sponsored home to hide from the public who knew about the proceedure.

The book is written from Charlie’s perspective and you can see the improvement in his intelligence through his grammar and thought processes.

Why did it leave an impression?

My youngest brother is eighteen now… at fifteen he was diagnosed with bipolar and has been on meds since then and probably will be for the rest of his life. Before the diagnosis we just dismissed him as a trouble child, the last born, the bad seed. This was until a ccounselort his school suggested he goes for some tests and everything just became clear. His “sudden” bad moods and erratic behavior interspersed with those moment where he is a complete joy to be around all made sense. He was given some meds and goes for regular check ups.

I sometimes think of the times I used to hate him as we were growing up and it kills me now that I know what he must have been going through. You see sometimes he used to get into these depressive cycles and then at others he would be completely “normal”… and now I read that book (went into a intellectualization period after his diagnosis) I see a parallel between him and Charlie… fuck this hio imetosha.

All that said and done… sometimes he can be an asshole intentionally.

mabenda4 · December 6, 2015, 8:14am

Liked

Flowers for Algernon. The book is about a guy named Charlie Gordon , a mouse called Algernon and an operation that is intended to increases a subject’s intelligence. The subject in the book is Charlie who starts out as a simple minded dimwit who is very keen on education and improving himself. He is a approached by two scientists who propose to do the procedure on him. Earlier on, the two had performed the surgery on Algernon the mouse and thus far he had been showing a lot of progress in his mental performance. Charlie agrees (gains consent) and the surgery is done. The three months that follow see an increase in Charlies intelligence to a point where he starts to modify and add progress to the two scientist’s work. He goes out and enjoys the world in a way he wasn’t able to before. He becomes a celebrity as the news of the surgery’s succes gets out. He is invited to workshops and symposiums to give talks. Charlie becomes the man. This newly gained intelligence also has a downside to it as Charlie begins to see how people viewed him when he had a low IQ and how the scientists treat him as simply a specimen. He becomes resentful of his intelligence and so just like when he wasn’t smart Charlie finds it hard to relate to people once more in a different spectrum. His attempts to mend the relationship with his family also ends in futility. However, despite all his social troubles Charlie is able to have a brief romantic relationship with a woman who used to teach him, back when he was a retard.

While working on the theory by the two scientist, Charlie discovers a flaw which indicates a high possibility of him reverting back to his earlier mental state. A just as he had predicted himself, Algernon starts acting unpredictably and loses his gained mental aptitude and dies. Not long, Charlie goes through the same process, he howerver does not die and goes to live in a state sponsored home to hide from the public who knew about the proceedure.

The book is written from Charlie’s perspective and you can see the improvement in his intelligence through his grammar and thought processes.

Why did it leave an impression?

My youngest brother is eighteen now… at fifteen he was diagnosed with bipolar and has been on meds since then and probably will be for the rest of his life. Before the diagnosis we just dismissed him as a trouble child, the last born, the bad seed. This was until a ccounselort his school suggested he goes for some tests and everything just became clear. His “sudden” bad moods and erratic behavior interspersed with those moment where he is a complete joy to be around all made sense. He was given some meds and goes for regular check ups.

I sometimes think of the times I used to hate him as we were growing up and it kills me now that I know what he must have been going through. You see sometimes he used to get into these depressive cycles and then at others he would be completely “normal”… and now I read that book (went into a intellectualization period after his diagnosis) I see a parallel between him and Charlie… f**k this hio imetosha.

All that said and done… sometimes he can be an asshole intentionally.

Loved the book. Used to teach it in an adult school very far from here. Its a very well thought book esp in artificial intelligence.

system · December 6, 2015, 8:19am

The Courage to Dream. Not a novel, just a story book I read way back in primary school.

jerrydubiz · December 6, 2015, 8:26am

Novel: The Godfather, Minus the drug dealing and the killing frenzy, It is the ultimate guide on Manhood,Fatherhood and Influence.
Non fiction: Psycho-cybernetics.

nairobilay · December 6, 2015, 8:35am

Flowers for Algernon. The book is about a guy named Charlie Gordon , a mouse called Algernon and an operation that is intended to increases a subject’s intelligence. The subject in the book is Charlie who starts out as a simple minded dimwit who is very keen on education and improving himself. He is a approached by two scientists who propose to do the procedure on him. Earlier on, the two had performed the surgery on Algernon the mouse and thus far he had been showing a lot of progress in his mental performance. Charlie agrees (gains consent) and the surgery is done. The three months that follow see an increase in Charlies intelligence to a point where he starts to modify and add progress to the two scientist’s work. He goes out and enjoys the world in a way he wasn’t able to before. He becomes a celebrity as the news of the surgery’s succes gets out. He is invited to workshops and symposiums to give talks. Charlie becomes the man. This newly gained intelligence also has a downside to it as Charlie begins to see how people viewed him when he had a low IQ and how the scientists treat him as simply a specimen. He becomes resentful of his intelligence and so just like when he wasn’t smart Charlie finds it hard to relate to people once more in a different spectrum. His attempts to mend the relationship with his family also ends in futility. However, despite all his social troubles Charlie is able to have a brief romantic relationship with a woman who used to teach him, back when he was a retard.

While working on the theory by the two scientist, Charlie discovers a flaw which indicates a high possibility of him reverting back to his earlier mental state. A just as he had predicted himself, Algernon starts acting unpredictably and loses his gained mental aptitude and dies. Not long, Charlie goes through the same process, he howerver does not die and goes to live in a state sponsored home to hide from the public who knew about the proceedure.

The book is written from Charlie’s perspective and you can see the improvement in his intelligence through his grammar and thought processes.

Hey, The Lawnmower Man is basically an adaptation of this book!!

aviator · December 6, 2015, 8:38am

Youth- Joseph Conrad. A short story narrated in a hilarious way.

The minister’s daughter. I like the quote " Passion overriding reason"

Weekend of Carousel- Also a short story in the collection “African Short Stories”

nairobilay · December 6, 2015, 8:38am

How is this possible when everything in that book about being man and exerting influence is being all macho and doing whatever it takes, including killing, drgu-dealing, wife-beating to show other men you fear nothing?
What im trying to get at is the violence, drug-dealing and all cant be separated from the other content…in my opinion anyway

Slartibartfast · December 6, 2015, 8:40am

A splendid and easy read that gives a very good insight into the human condition. Never thought the artificial intelligence side (blinded by my experience maybe) of it though I am seeing it now. Charlie’s progression and his new “sentience” followed by his resentment towards his “creators” Prof. Nemur and Dr. Strauss.

What are your general views on the issue of artificiall intelligence?

system · December 6, 2015, 8:41am

currently reading Abdulrazak Gurnah’s Paradise … its sad and horrifyingly true of what happens to so many african children. i think it would make for a really captivating film

Slartibartfast · December 6, 2015, 8:42am

Haven’t watched it yet lakini nimenagalia "Charly" thanks for the recomendation.

jerrydubiz · December 6, 2015, 8:44am

If you read it without moralizing, you might be able to look at it differently.