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Ryan's Reviews > Congo: The Epic History of a People
Congo: The Epic History of a People
by
by
Early on, I was prepared to give this book a 2- or 3-star review. I found Chapter 4 (about Congolese religion) quite interesting, but other than that there wasn't much in the first 5 chapters that really grabbed me.
The early chapters are a menagerie of names, places, dates. The years and characters change quickly. There’s not much to grab hold of. Every chapter feels like the start of a new book.
Finally, things start to pick up in chapter 6, at which point you're already 227 pages in. Chapters 8-12 are probably the best in the whole book, with chapter 9 perhaps being the best of all. This is the most cohesive part of the book because it all revolves around Mobutu and his three-decade dictatorial reign over Zaire (Congo).
During the first part of chapter 11 the Congolese are trying to create a new government with a new constitution (kind of like colonial America). Then, during the second part, Reybrouck describes the absolute horror of the Rwandan genocide spilling over into Congo.
And what's really weird/shocking/disturbing to me is this: During May 1997, I was finishing my final weeks of high school. I was celebrating. Hosted a graduation party at my house. Then went to Red Rocks, Colorado where I received my diploma. And while I was doing that, hundreds of thousands of people were being butchered in eastern Congo.
The crimes against humanity documented in this book are absolutely horrifying. Torture and murder are prominent themes throughout.
The final three chapters feel like picking up the pieces after a nuclear bomb has detonated. The narrative thread frays as we meet new characters, new places, new problems. Reybrouck covers corporatism, pop music, and religion in a country without a strong government, as well as recent developments with China. I found it humorous and appropriate that the book ends with a chapter that's set in China, not Congo.
Prior to reading Congo, I knew very little of African history. Now I feel like a huge blank spot has been filled in with the richest of color.
The early chapters are a menagerie of names, places, dates. The years and characters change quickly. There’s not much to grab hold of. Every chapter feels like the start of a new book.
Finally, things start to pick up in chapter 6, at which point you're already 227 pages in. Chapters 8-12 are probably the best in the whole book, with chapter 9 perhaps being the best of all. This is the most cohesive part of the book because it all revolves around Mobutu and his three-decade dictatorial reign over Zaire (Congo).
During the first part of chapter 11 the Congolese are trying to create a new government with a new constitution (kind of like colonial America). Then, during the second part, Reybrouck describes the absolute horror of the Rwandan genocide spilling over into Congo.
And what's really weird/shocking/disturbing to me is this: During May 1997, I was finishing my final weeks of high school. I was celebrating. Hosted a graduation party at my house. Then went to Red Rocks, Colorado where I received my diploma. And while I was doing that, hundreds of thousands of people were being butchered in eastern Congo.
The crimes against humanity documented in this book are absolutely horrifying. Torture and murder are prominent themes throughout.
The final three chapters feel like picking up the pieces after a nuclear bomb has detonated. The narrative thread frays as we meet new characters, new places, new problems. Reybrouck covers corporatism, pop music, and religion in a country without a strong government, as well as recent developments with China. I found it humorous and appropriate that the book ends with a chapter that's set in China, not Congo.
Prior to reading Congo, I knew very little of African history. Now I feel like a huge blank spot has been filled in with the richest of color.
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Reading Progress
November 14, 2018
–
Started Reading
November 15, 2018
– Shelved
November 15, 2018
– Shelved as:
history
February 27, 2019
–
Finished Reading
