From Book Break To Bookworm: A Dive Into Memory Of Departure By Abdulrazak Gurnah

After what feels like an eternity of neglecting my reading adventures, I have finally embraced the joy of reading books once again. The journey back to the smell of fresh books was well worth it. The pages of this book, like Alladin’s mat, led me into a new world of imagination and wonders. A world that had laid silent, dormant for far too long. Thanks to the courses I'm taking this semester. I have read a lot of books whether I like them or not. The title of this course is Special Authors. As the name implies, books written by special literary writers.

The first time I heard this title, the first question that came to my mind was: why are they special authors? The literary world is filled with lots of gurus, and award winners. Over the years, so many writers have brazed the world with their amazing works, winning awards such as the Nobel prize, a prestigious award given to an author who has made outstanding contributions to the field of literature. However, not all awards winners are tagged special authors.

In the world of literature, respect and recognition are earned by those who not only create works but contribute to the literary canon. Thus, they are given the tag “special authors.” In literature, canon refers to essential books that everyone must read in order to be considered literary intelligible. One notable special author is Abdulrazak Gurnah. Abdulrazak Gurnah is a Tanzanian-born British novelist who won the Nobel Prize award in 2021. He is one of the few African writers to win this award. Another notable African who has won the Nobel Prize award is Wole Soyinka, a Nigerian. Gurnah’s first novel is Memory of Departure which I'll be reviewing in this post.

PLOT SUMMARY

The opening passages of Memory of Departure by Abdulrazak Gurnah paints a vivid picture of a world of hardship and struggle of people who labor under the weight of poverty. We are introduced to Kenge, a place that crawls with failures and corruption. The author introduces Hassan, who is the narrator and also the main character. He lives with his parents, siblings and grandmother.

Just like every other kid in Kenge, Hassan’s world revolves around corrupt practices. The author introduces another character, Said, Hassan’s brother. Said is a foil character to his brother. His character presents a youth hungry for atrocities and worldly pleasures. The author uses flashbacks to reveal the backstory of Hassan’s family. Hassan grew up with an abusive father who would always beat his mother and his children. His father is an homosexual and a drunkard. Ironically, the author also presents his character as a religious person.

Hassan and his brother suffered under the strong hands of their father. After the tragic death of Said, things took an interesting turn. Hassan became the main enemy of the family, and the hatred for his father tripled. Finally, he manages to complete his high school exams with the hope of traveling abroad based on his results. Hassan becomes the last beacon of hope for the family, and they start to gather money. He is absent to meet his uncle, Bwana Ahmed, who lives in Nairobi. Hassan becomes a “man” when he travels to Bwana Ahmed and meets Salma, Ahmed's only daughter. Although things did not entirely go his way, he learnt valuable lessons.

MY REVIEW

Memory of Departure by Abdulrazak is truly a masterpiece, and one of the reasons that makes it so is the use of literary devices like flashbacks. One thing I love about "Memory of Departure" by Abdulrazak Gurnah is the flashbacks. The author uses flashbacks to tell us about the characters and events, which helps us understand them better. It makes the story more vivid and interesting. The author uses flashbacks in the opening passages of the novel when he recounts the 18th birthday of the main character, Hassan.

Another reason that makes Gurnah's "Memory of Departure" stand out is the well-built characters and the chronological order of the story. Nothing makes a novel better and more interesting to read than well-built characters and chronological arrangement of the story. When characters are well-developed, it allows us readers to connect with them and become more interested and invested in the story. Also, having a chronological arrangement helps readers to follow events and understand the narrative easily.

"Memory of Departure '' is indeed a masterpiece, but it has a few lapses. It's not uncommon for even great works to have a few lapses. In Memory of Departure, some events are unrealistic. For example, the death of Said, Hassan’s brother seem unrealistic. After receiving his life’s bearing from his father, Said is injured and alone in the room when a fire suddenly started. In my opinion, I feel the scene is unrealistic because Said could have struggled to walk or even crawl out of that room.

Overall, Memory of Departure by Abdulrazak Gurnah is a masterpiece and I recommend that every book lover read it. I rate this book a solid 8 out of 10.

Note: All images in this post are mine, otherwise stated.

Thanks for reading.

Posted Using InLeo Alpha