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Matigari

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Who is Matigari? Is he young or old; a man or fate; dead or living...or even a resurrection of Jesus Christ? These are the questions asked by the people of this unnamed country, when a man who has survived the war for independence emerges from the mountains and starts making strange claims and demands. Matigari is in search of his family to rebuild his home and start a new and peaceful future. But his search becomes a quest for truth and justice as he finds the people still dispossessed and the land he loves ruled by corruption, fear, and misery. Rumors spring up that a man with superhuman qualities has risen to renew the freedom struggle. The novel races toward its climax as Matigari realizes that words alone cannot defeat the enemy. He vows to use the force of arms to achieve his true liberation. Matigari is a satire on the betrayal of human ideals and on the bitter experience of post-independence African society.

148 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1986

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About the author

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o

104 books1,811 followers
Kenyan teacher, novelist, essayist, and playwright, whose works function as an important link between the pioneers of African writing and the younger generation of postcolonial writers. After imprisonment in 1978, Ngũgĩ abandoned using English as the primary language of his work in favor of Gikuyu, his native tongue. The transition from colonialism to postcoloniality and the crisis of modernity has been a central issues in a great deal of Ngũgĩ's writings.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o was born in Kamiriithu, near Limuru, Kiambu District, as the fifth child of the third of his father's four wives. At that time Kenya was under British rule, which ended in 1963. Ngũgĩ's family belonged to the Kenya's largest ethnic group, the Gikuyu. His father, Thiong'o wa Nducu, was a peasant farmer, who was forced to become a squatter after the British Imperial Act of 1915. Ngũgĩ attended the mission-run school at Kamaandura in Limuru, Karinga school in Maanguu, and Alliance High School in Kikuyu. During these years Ngũgĩ became a devout Christian. However, at school he also learned about the Gikuyu values and history and underwent the Gikuyu rite of passage ceremony. Later he rejected Christianity, and changed his original name in 1976 from James Ngũgĩ, which he saw as a sign of colonialism, to Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o in honor of his Gikuyu heritage.

After receiving a B.A. in English at Makerere University College in Kampala (Uganda) in 1963, Ngũgĩ worked briefly as a journalist in Nairobi. He married in 1961. Over the next seventeen years his wife, Nyambura, gave birth to six children. In 1962 Ngũgĩ's play THE BLACK HERMIT was produced in Kampala. In 1964 he left for England to pursue graduate studies at the Leeds University in England.

The most prominent theme in Ngũgĩ's early work was the conflict between the individual and the community. As a novelist Ngũgĩ made his debut with WEEP NOT, CHILD (1964), which he started to write while he was at school in England. It was the first novel in English to be published by an East African author. Ngũgĩ used the Bildungsroman form to tell the story of a young man, Njoroge. He loses his opportunity for further education when he is caught between idealistic dreams and the violent reality of the colonial exploitation. THE RIVER BETWEEN (1965) had as its background the Mau Mau Rebellion (1952-1956). The story was set in the late 1920s and 1930s and depicted an unhappy love affair in a rural community divided between Christian converts and non-Christians.

A GRAIN OF WHEAT (1967) marked Ngũgĩ's break with cultural nationalism and his embracing of Fanonist Marxism. Ngũgĩ refers in the title to the biblical theme of self-sacrifice, a part of the new birth: "unless a grain of wheat die." The allegorical story of one man's mistaken heroism and a search for the betrayer of a Mau Mau leader is set in a village, which has been destroyed in the war. The author's family was involved in the Mau Mau uprising. Ngũgĩ's older brother had joined the movement, his stepbrother was killed, and his mother was arrested and tortured. Ngũgĩ's village suffered in a campaign.

In the 1960s Ngũgĩ was a reporter for the Nairobi Daily Nation and editor of Zuka from 1965 to 1970. He worked as a lecturer at several universities - at the University College in Nairobi (1967-69), at the Makerere University in Kampala (1969-70), and at the Northwestern University in Evanston in the United States (1970-71). Ngũgĩ had resigned from his post at Nairobi University as a protest against government interference in the university, be he joined the faculty in 1973, becoming an associate professor and chairman of the department of literature. It had been formed in response to his and his colleagues' criticism of English - the British government had made in the 1950s instruction in English mandatory. Ngũgĩ had asked in an article, written with Taban lo Liyong and Henry Owuor-Anyumba, "If there is need for a 's

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
Profile Image for Rowena.
501 reviews2,702 followers
August 14, 2016
"Where can a person girded with a belt of peace find truth and justice in this world?" - Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Matigari

The story takes place in a newly-independent Kenya. Like in other recently independent countries, their former masters still have a very strong presence and much control. Matigari ma Nijiruungi, whose name means "the patriots who survived the bullets" in Swahili, is a Messiah-like figure who has returned from fighting for independence and finds that his country has become corrupt and depraved. Matigari travels with a young Kenyan boy and a Kenyan prostitute while trying to find truth and justice, and take back what he believes is rightfully his. Due to several near escapes, Matigari's image becomes more and more mythologized as the story goes on:

"Who is Matigari? they asked one another. How on earth are we going to recognise him? What does he look like? What nationality is he? Is Matigari a man or woman anyway? Is he young or old? Is he fat or thin? Is he real or just a figment of people's imagination? Who or what really is Matigari ma Nijiruungi? Is he a person, or is it a spirit?"

I'm fascinated by post-colonial Africa and all the political intrigue that happened afterwards.It's quite disappointing that so much corruption happened, dictators were born and so on even though the people had so much hope for the future. Despite wanting the colonialists out of their countries, many decided that the colonialists' ways were far superior to their own culture. wa Thiong'o calls them "sell-outs."

The sociologist in me couldn't help but be intrigued by the discussion about the supposed differences between the collectivist (African) and individualist (Western) cultures:

"White people are advanced because they respect that word ("individual"), and therefore honour the freedom of the individual...But you black people? You walk about fettered to your clans, nationalities, people, masses. If the individual decides to move ahead, he is pulled back by the others."

In an undergrad sociology class I learned that the British colonizers introduced a hut and poll tax to Kenya. Most Kenyans didn't use money back then, so how were they ever meant to pay their taxes? By working for their masters almost as slaves. The British now had lots of cheap labour with which to produce cash crops. Despite all the hard work the Kenyans put in, they had nothing to show for it and still lived in poverty. As wa Thiong'o laments:

"The house is mine because I built it. The land is mine too because I tilled it with these hands. The industries are mine because my labour built and worked them. I shall never stop struggling for all the products of my sweat."

Despite the heavy subject matter, or perhaps because of it, the tone of this book was quite satirical. Throughout the book it's hard to miss the Christianity allegory. It is done quite cleverly, reminded me a bit of The Master and the Margarita. I think some knowledge about Kenya's history would make the book more enjoyable.
Profile Image for Sidharth Vardhan.
Author 23 books754 followers
September 12, 2018
This African classic might read like a polictical parable but it is also a very correct description of society of its times. Not that parables are a bad thing. The most interesting thing about the book is Matigari, the character symbolic of humanity's search for justice, became a sort of real ghost. People in Kenya were talking about a supposedly real man asking everyone where he could find justice, leading the government (no surprises here) to censor the book and destroy all the copies already printed.
Profile Image for Pedro.
658 reviews258 followers
June 25, 2022
La novela narra la historia de Matigari, un personaje mítico, una especie de Patoruzú, noble, un poco inocente e invencible (o un Asterix, que algunas versiones afirman que fue inspirado cacique de la Patagonia; y Obelix sería Upa).

Tiene una serie de enfrentamientos con los colonizadores y sus herederos en Kenia, resultando siempre indemne. Un redentor justiciero para los keniatas.
Un libro entretenido, con un objetivo más pedagógico que literario.

Lo más notable de esta publicación, y más disparatado aún que la novela misma, es el impacto que tuvo en Kenia cuando fue publicada, y empezó a correr de boca en boca entre la gente, como entretenimiento reconfortante y cierto deseo de creer en la realidad del personaje; tanto que llevó al gobierno, preocupado, a ordenar la detención del ciudadano Matigari.

La extraña relación entre la ficción y la realidad.
Profile Image for Forrest.
Author 46 books833 followers
April 26, 2024
To the common reader Ngugi's Matigari sounds like a naive, almost quaint sort of fable. But those who have studied the history of colonial Kenya, particularly the Mau Mau rebellion and it suppression by British Authorities, will recognize a bitter critique of post-colonial Kenya from the viewpoint of those who fought and suffered for the country's independence. Matigari is a sort of "everyman" representing the Mau Mau guerrillas and their displacement in an independent Kenya where the players have changed, but the structures of power have not, despite the freedom fighters' efforts and sacrifice. The book was outlawed in Kenya because it was thought to be a literary provocation to violence. This might be true. The main character, returning from war, attempts to use peaceful means to unite his family (representative of the country) but finds that, in order to survive, he must return to the violence that he had previously buried with his weapons of war. It is a beautifully-realized work that doesn't get due credit, largely because most readers are unfamiliar with the historical context from which the book was born. I would recommend reading some of the accounts of Mau Mau fighters (several have been published) before tackling Matigari, since one's appreciation of the themes and the emotional landscape of the book are dependent on some familiarity with the suffering and idealism of the Mau Mau fighters.
Profile Image for Darkowaa.
179 reviews442 followers
November 7, 2015
!!! http://africanbookaddict.com/2015/11/...
Lots of major themes in this! 'Matigari' is the ultimate African post-colonial, social justice novel. And of course, Ngugi executes the storyline brilliantly with the courage and strength of Matigari ma Njiruungi - a patriot who goes to great lengths to ensure there is justice for the oppressed in a nation (this is a fictitious/imaginary nation). I don't think this book is for everyone... it may be a dry read for some. But if you appreciate African oral literature and post-colonial stuff - read this! It is indeed powerful.
Profile Image for Amine.
128 reviews32 followers
April 26, 2019
"Matigari who was roaming the whole country making demands about truth and justice. There were orders for his immediate arrest, but the police discovered that Matigari was only a fictional character in a book of the same name. In February 1987, the police raided all the bookshops and seized every copy of the novel.
Matigari, the fictional hero, and the novel, his only habitation, have been effectively banned in Kenya. With the publication of this English edition, they have joined their author in exile."


Matigari is a tale with the air of an epic, it is a tale of colonialism, postcolonialism, oppression, and exploitation, it is also a call for a revolution.
The novel's main concern is the everlasting fight against neo-colonialism, as it is the main theme of the author. However, Matigari is different from Ngugi's earlier works, being written in exile, the commitment and idealism we are used to are somewhat reduced. In the words of my professor, in Matigari, Ngugi attempts to tell a universal tale.
Matigari is neither confined by space nor time, it is a story for everyone. The colonial setting makes it applicable for most African countries, but the message conveys transcends even that.
Matigari is also an allegory of the struggle for freedom in a world full of injustice, written in magic realism, making use of oral tradition, Marxism and Christianity.

"Great fear breeds great misery in the land. Give a little sacrifice to appease a thieving evil spirit, and this will only whet its appetite and greed for more ..."
Profile Image for Don.
632 reviews83 followers
May 17, 2011
Ngugi's feverish fantasy of the return of a struggler for African independence to his post-colonial country. Believing he can don a 'belt of peace' and resume a civilian life with his family in the house he had built, Matigari discovers a corrupt society of scavenging children, oppressed factory workers and women forced into prostitution.

Matigari assumes the role of mentor of lost souls, then wandering questioner, and finally warrior returning to reignite the battle for liberation. He seems to the citizens of this imaginary land to be a Christ-figure mixed with the legend of a returned African hero. He asks where truth and justice can be found in his benighted land, and the answer appears to be, nowhere but in the prospect of further struggle for freedom.

A truly elegiac tale which derives its force from a wholly African style of story. Eternal joy to the memory of Matigari
1 review
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March 9, 2010
This is my most favorite novel. From the day i read it, entire way of thinking and perception of my country Kenya changed. I realized that true patriots who fought for our country against colonial imperialism never saw the corridors of power, neither their children.
The novel gives a true picture of our country Kenya, where sons of our colonial collaborators, home guards and sell outs replaced the colonial regime leaving the true liberators in the cold.
But, the struggle continues since "Justice for the oppressed comes from a sharpened spear"
Profile Image for Jaclyn.
66 reviews446 followers
July 11, 2017
I fell in love with the work of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o while studying him at varsity. Nowadays I’m probably less idealistic than I was before, but I still thoroughly enjoy his writing. I don’t agree with some of his opinions (which some could criticise me for), but he truly is a writer with great principles - those of equality, community alongside self-sufficiency, empowerment and of valuing one’s own culture. This was, as always, an entertaining and thought-provoking read, at times funny and at others extremely sad.
Profile Image for Dora Okeyo.
Author 25 books201 followers
May 15, 2014
Ngugi has long excelled in creating characters that embody qualities you'd recognize in those around you without much thought or struggle.

In Matigari, he uses symbolism to expound on the protagonist's cause. Matigari returns to his land after battling with settlers in the hills and forest only to discover that the battle is ongoing, and now the women and children suffer because the people live in fear. They do not speak up lest they are imprisoned or killed, and there's no respect for women and men.

What follows are acts that lead the people to make him into a legend.
They liken him to Christ.

It's this symbolism that is memorable about this book. Kenya and Africa has been under poor leadership, and it's sad that most people still believe that some kind of messiah would save them from their bad leaders forgetting that they have the power to speak up and vote for the god leaders not the bad ones.

This is what I learned from reading Matigari.
Profile Image for Brooke Corwin.
16 reviews
June 23, 2010
I read Matigari for an African Literature class in college. I enjoyed it because the way it is written imitates that of oral storytelling methods, especially those that originate in Africa. Matigari is an ambiguous, yet strong character. He fights the oppressors. He is in an unknown place, in an unknown time. Thus, he is nearly everyone. This is such an interesting novel that I would recommend everyone to read it to broaden a perspective of humanity that is whole-heartedly honest and relatable.
Profile Image for Jerome Kuseh.
184 reviews18 followers
May 23, 2015
Biting satire of the 1980's Kenyan government. It's an okay read but the themes are powerful.
Profile Image for Suzanne Moore.
631 reviews123 followers
January 25, 2019
Ngugi wa Thiong'o, previously known as James Ngugi is a Kenyan author in exile from East Africa, his native country. He grew up in a large peasant family, son of his father's third wife. His father 's polygamist marriage consisted of four wives and Ngugi recalls the familial bond of having twenty-seven siblings along with multiple mothers. During the day, women and children worked the land, but at nightfall they would gather around a fire to hear stories. This was Ngugi's favorite time and he couldn't wait until dark for the stories. When he was old enough to attend school, where Shakespeare was a daily subject of study, Ngugi was glad that stories didn't have to wait until dark. He compares imagination to a time machine, “you can travel through time and space with your imagination.”

During years of the Mau Mau rebellion Ngugi vividly remembers returning home to his village after being away at school for several months and finding everything burned … no one was there. Everyone had fled to safety when fighting broke out. It is this memory that seems to be a part of all his novels. A scene in which one returns to find some unexpected happenings.

In his novel Matigari, Ngugi tells the story of a legendary patriot whose name means, “one who survived the bullets.” This story takes place in Kenya, following liberation from British rule. Matigari has returned from fighting in the mountains and is resolved to reclaim his land peaceably. Instead Matigari finds more resistance and trouble from the children of his oppressors. One phrase repeated throughout the story is “too much fear breeds misery in the land.” People are afraid to speak up for fear of being imprisoned. Police brutality threatens and the rich rule over those in extreme poverty. At one point, Matigari is detained in jail and later mysteriously escapes. His notoriety can be compared to the Messiah and soon he has many followers that view him as their hero. There are several biblical references throughout, camouflaged by historical fiction of African struggles. For example, when Matigari starts out he has buried his weapons under a fig tree and wrapped himself with a belt of fig bark to symbolize peace. Throughout the Bible the fig tree is referred to as a sign of peace and prosperity. When Matigari comes to the defense of Guthera, a prostitute, I was reminded of a Jesus and his protection of prostitutes on whom he had compassion because they were trapped in sin. Comparisons can also be made to ‘fake news’ when the Voice of Truth and His Excellency Ole Excellency, are heard daily on radios and loudspeakers making announcements that discourage listeners from voicing their own opinions. Judiciary members of the government are referred to as parrots. This symbolism illustrates the blind acceptance of leaders and the mechanical mimicking (parroting) of corrupt propaganda. The character Matigari became so famous among Ngugi’s readers that Kenyan officials believed Matigari to be a real person and a threat. The fictional character was on a list of most wanted throughout East Africa, and later when it was learned that Matigari was not a real person, the book was ordered removed from public circulation and banned.

When remembering the history of the Civil Rights Movement I thought about how this movement is global. While Dr. Martin Luther King was leading non-violent demonstrations in America, a violent revolution was going on in Africa. Similarly, though not simultaneously, Ngugi wa Thiong’o was jailed for writing material deemed a threat to the ruling elite. He had decided to write only in Gikuyu, his native tongue, and to drop his European name. This decision was criticized by dictatorial government leaders and contributed to reasons for his incarceration. The readers he wanted to write for did not consider English as a primary language and he began to feel that writing in English was essentially cultural treason. While in jail he wrote his next book on toilet paper, to be smuggled out and prepared for publication. After a year of imprisonment, Amnesty International secured Ngugi’s release and he left Africa to reside in America. He is a professor of English and Comparative Literature at University of California, Irvine and has been a perennial favorite for the Nobel Prize.

My book club enjoyed discussing Ngugi’s book while sampling Kenyan foods. Roast chicken was favored over ugali, a boiled (tasteless) cornmeal mush, and of course black tea was served. Tea is a major cash crop in Kenya. We also listened to authentic Kenyan music, discovered on a Folkways Smithsonian website. The conversation surrounding Ngugi’s book led us in exploring issue-oriented themes related to class and race. It was noted that progress isn’t linear and with every step forward there may seem to be two steps back. Still we must lurch on towards higher callings and higher ground. Matigari is a book that inspires thought for overcoming barriers. Other books by Ngugi wa Thiong’o on the list of books we “must read” include Petals of Blood and The River Between.
Profile Image for Anfel.
37 reviews34 followers
April 20, 2019
"Matigari" is the ultimate post colonial novel that features a bundle of exilic writing themes mashed up with a peculiar style of writing (it almost sounds like it should be sung not read) to produce the biggest slap in the face to both the white settlers and the pathetic African supporters of colonialism. Compared to previous works, Ngugi tuned down the blatant ideological writing to adopt a rather magical way of conveying his ideas. Throughout the novel, and especially through the main character Matigari, the reader can really feel Ngugi's yearning to his country and its people. It gave the novel both a melancholic undertone (knowing that the author wrote it in exile), as well as made it even more special because being away from home, the author was not under pressure to address his homeland's problems. However, the latter does not, in no way, mean that the author neglected those problems. It's just that his treatment of them was a bit more subtle than earlier works.
Fav quotes:
"Show me a person who does not ask questions, and I will show you an idiot."

"The true seeker of truth never loses hope. The true seeker of real justice never tires. A farmer does not stop planting seeds just because of the failure of one crop. Success is born of trying and trying again. Truth must seek justice. Justice must seek the truth. When justice triumphs, truth will reign on earth.

"Too much fear breads misery in the land."

"Go then and plead with those who study books. Books are the modern stars. Those who study them are the wise men of today. Why do you think they are being harassed so much? Why do you think they are being asked to sing only to the tune of the one person? That they must only echo the one man, singing "his master's voice"? Happy are they who suffer in search of truth, for their minds and hearts are free, and they hold the key to the future."
Profile Image for Kudakwashe Manjonjo.
37 reviews7 followers
February 9, 2018
Reading Matigari makes you look around and want to stand up for a cause you believe in!!

Set in a fictional country (probably Kenya) Ngugi masterfully dictates how freedom fighters felt in a post independent Kenya, a story that is repeated across Africa.

Ngugi advocates through the main character, Matigari a former freedom fighter marxist-socialist causes and even though the plot leaves us hanging as to whether there was success, Ngugi calls for the coming generation to carry the fight forward.

He argues for women emancipation and rule of law in a refreshing way too. The books makes no qualms of showing how capital, religion, and power can be abused to keep certain people in power.

Ultimately the one unanswered question that repeats itself in the book is "who is Matigari?" I think the lack of an answer is the answer. Anyone can be a Matigari: someone who fights for a better nation.
The best quote from the book is,

"Show me the way to a man
Whose name is Matigari rna NjiriiUngi
Who stamps his feet to the rhythm of bells.
And the bullets jingle.
And the bullets jingle"

Let us make the bullets jingle!!!
Profile Image for Sue Kozlowski.
1,313 reviews67 followers
January 5, 2021
I chose to read this book as part of my quest to read a book written by an author from each of the 196 countries of the world. The author of this book is from Kenya, Africa.

First, here are a few observations about the country of Kenya. Whenever I read a book, I use Google maps street view to look at various areas of the author's hometown. The author's hometown in this case is Kamirithu, Africa. This is a very mountainous and fertile area south of Africa's horn on its eastern coast. I think that like most Americans, I always think of Africa is a dry, flat desert. But this could not be further from the truth. Africa's climates range from scorching deserts to icy glaciers to steamy rainforests. With the equator cutting across its center, it is the world's most tropical climate. The center of the continent where Kamirithu is close to, has a wet tropical climate.

Another observation I made while tracing through the streets of this city is that many of its citizens live in shacks and slums that rival more well-known slums such as those in places like Argentina and Brazil. Developed nations never hear about the poor in small cities and towns throughout the world. Seeing a lush green golf course only miles from the slums really emphasizes the unfair dichotomy between the rich and the poor in this world.

This book was originally written in 1986 Gikuyu, the author's native language. By 1987, rumors spread through Central Kenya that there was a man named Matigari roaming the country and making claims about truth and justice. Matigari is a fictional character, created by the author in this book. This book is now banned in Kenya.

The author writes that this story is imaginary and that it takes place at 'no fixed time'. Reading through the history of Kenya though, I can see similarities between this story and real events. During the early 1900's, Kenya was settled by European and British settlers who became wealthy in farming tea and coffee. More than a million Kikuyu people already lived in this area. These people soon became landless, paying taxes and working for the settlers. In 1952, the Mau Mau group, primarily made up of Kikuyu group, rebelled against British rule.

Matigari appears to take place right before this uprising. Matigari wanders the country, saying he is searching for 'truth and justice'. The country's leadership announces they will have a meeting to address this issue. It is actually comical. The leadership announces that he will be joined by "the professor of the PH. D in Parrotology, the Editor of the Daily Parrotology, and the hooded justice".
Each member that stands up to speak, first sings words and the chorus from 'Songs of a Parrot'. This is making fun of a government that is just 'parroting' (mindlessly repeating) what they are told by others.
Profile Image for Darryl.
415 reviews1 follower
April 4, 2010
In the preface to this novel, Ngũgĩ informs us that Matigari was written in 1983, while he was living in exile in London. It was published in the Gĩkũyũ language in 1986, and translated into English the following year. He also tells us that copies of this book were removed from bookshops by the Kenyan police that year, due to the controversy that its release caused there.

Matigari ma Njirũũngi, which means 'the patriots who survived the bullets' in the Gĩkũyũ language, is an old man in an unnamed postcolonial African country who, after years of struggle, has finally killed his lifelong tormentor and oppressor Settler Williams and his assistant John Boy. He leaves the forest which had been his home for many years, to return to his home village. He intends to gather up his family and people that he left behind during the struggle for independence, in order to move into the spacious home that he built, which was stolen from him by Settler Williams.

Upon his arrival to the village, he finds a shocking amount of poverty and corruption: orphaned children live in abandoned cars, and obtain scraps of food and clothing from a dump; workers toil in factories and the fields, and do not make enough money to feed their families; a group of women prostitute themselves to survive. The country is now run by His Excellency Ole Excellence and his assistant The Minister of Truth and Justice, and a fragile peace is maintained by fear, violence and the ever present Voice of Truth radio broadcast, which informs the public of the punishment meted out to those who oppose the one party government.

Matigari finds the home that he has built, with the help of a young boy, who has rescued him from a mob of stone throwing youth, and a prostitute who he has rescued from two policemen. However, it is now occupied by the son of John Boy; he has obtained a Western education and, along with the son of Settler Williams, runs a major factory and plantation in the village. They are more corrupt and oppressive taskmasters than their hated fathers. Matigari attempts to claim his house, but he is beaten and jailed. However, he is not defeated, and soon escapes from prison. He travels throughout the village, a mysterious Christ-like figure who becomes a legend amongst the villagers, and a feared opponent of John Boy, Jr. and the government. All efforts to discredit or capture Matigari prove fruitless, as the villagers become less fearful of the government and more willing to stand up for their rights. A final and inevitable confrontation with John Boy, Jr. at the plantation home occurs, as the stability of the government hangs in the balance.

This was a tingling and fast-paced novel, which I read in one sitting this morning, and is based in part on an African folk story. The ending was especially good, and unpredictable despite the confrontation that was obviously going to take place. It was banned by the Kenyan government, as Matigari teaches its readers that only armed struggle would result in freedom from corrupt and oppressive African dictatorships. Highly recommended!
Profile Image for Kike Ramos.
225 reviews32 followers
June 8, 2017
Español / English

Matigari es un hombre que luchó contra su jefe en la selva y lo mató. Entra a la lucha como un obrero con un salario miserable y sale como un revolucionario. Se aleja de la selva dejando sus armas atrás y busca a sus hijos: otras personas con sus ideas socialistas revolucionarias que sigan su camino, pero se encontrará con un país bajo un gobierno capitalista autoritario, y comenzará a encenderse el fuego de la revolución.

Como siempre, la parte de atrás del libro me llamó la atención y lo saqué de la biblioteca. Decía que incluso el gobierno de Kenia (el autor es de Kenia) empezó a buscar al personaje de este libro para detenerlo por insurrección, pensando que era real, y que se prohibió en ese país. Es por eso que quise leerlo.

Debo decir que sí, entiendo todo esto y todos los simbolismos con respecto a la lucha de poderes y de clases sociales son muy interesantes y ayuda a entender ese espíritu de lucha socialista. Sin embargo, el autor recae mucho en parábolas, ya que el personaje Matigari es visto a su vez como un jesucristo resucitado, y repite muchas cosas una y otra vez, lo cual lo volvió bastante tedioso y me hizo saltarme páginas.

Le doy 3 estrellas por el mensaje que tiene y los símbolos que utiliza para transmitirlo, pero es bastante cansado aunque sólo es de 200 hojas.
_________________________________________________

Matigari is a man who fought a war against his boss in the middle of the jungle and he won by killing him. He goes in as a worker and comes out as a revolutionist. He leaves the jungle, leaving his weapons behind, and embraces peace while he looks for his children: other people who have the socialist fire burning within them, but he will find a capitalist country that opresses its people, so he will try to light the fire of the revolution.

As always, the blurb in the back of the book caught my attention. It said that the goverment of Kenya started looking out for Matigari, the character, as if he was a real persona to prevent his socialist ideas from spreading, then they banned the book. So I wanted to know why.

So I read it, and I get all the symbols used and what they represent, or at least I tried really hard. I thought this was such a smart book, but also a beautiful one. BUT, the author uses a lot of parables since Matigari is seen as a second Jesus Christ, and he starts getting really repetitive, you could find whole paragraphs just being written over and over again, so I started skipping those parts, because it gor really heavy and tiring.

So this was a really nice book about socialist ideals, revolution and comflict between social clases, race and power, but it can get really tiring even if its only 200 pages long.
Profile Image for Marna.
306 reviews
December 13, 2018
Matigari has finally killed his nemesis, buried his weapons, and put on the belt of peace. Now he seeks his family and his home in post-independence Africa where everything seems turned against him. A revolutionary book, written almost biblically, the book itself has a fascinating history of suppression.
Profile Image for Murimi Kinyua.
14 reviews6 followers
April 5, 2019
This is African post colonial disillusionment literature at it's best. Matigari ma Njiruungi embodies all those who fought hard for independence, only to wake up to a new day which still lacks equality and freedom. When the book opens, Matigari is actually laying down his weaponry. He plans to find his lost family and start rebuilding his life. However, there is Truth and Justice to fight for.
You've got to love Ngugi's characters in this text. Guthera, Muiruki and Ngaruro represent the plight Kenyans suffer in the 80s and indeed even today. Matigari is enigmatic enough to reflect how great and powerful a people can be. He is all of them, he is the spirit in them, he is the fearlessness. He is this great force that is needed to contest the despotic rulers of the time.
"Who is Matigari ma Njiruungi?"

Literature is super affective and effective too; The night I finished reading this text, I saw myself with Ngugi. We conversed about Kenya. I told him that bar democracy, we are still grappling as a nation. We have not yet attained truth and justice on so many more levels.

5 reviews
November 28, 2007
If you want to have your mind blown, read this book. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. This is one of my new favorites. So cool.

(It's by Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong'o - it's set in a fictional country and is based around this character Matigari, who is kind of a mythical figure. The book uses tons of symbolism and legend language to make social commentary. It's awesome.)
Profile Image for Kirsten Kinnell.
171 reviews
May 23, 2009
recommended for anyone with an even passing interest in Africa. very interesting examination of the post-independence period in Africa. so good, so moving, the Kenyan government put out an arrest warrant for the (fictional) title character.
288 reviews13 followers
December 28, 2014
Worthy but dull. Can't argue with its merits as a comment on post-colonial Africa, but it is so overtly allegorical and full of repetition that I found it quite tedious to read. It has some Brechtian qualities, but imagine a Brecht drama in which all the songs are the same...
Profile Image for Krishna Avendaño.
Author 2 books54 followers
August 10, 2015
Un panfleto marxista disfrazado de novela. La ideología es lo de menos. Yo es que no puedo con estos libros que aparentan ser literatura pero no son otra cosa que propaganda sin sustancia de un credo. Lo mismo me pasa con Ayn Rand, por ejemplo.
Profile Image for Lukorito Jones.
110 reviews9 followers
November 29, 2017
I never used to like Ngugi wa Thiong'o until I read this. Now I am going to look for all his books. It speaks of a Kenya shortly after independence. Funny enough, the problems that plagued us in the 70s are still the problems that afflict today.
Profile Image for UptownSinclair.
23 reviews1 follower
May 18, 2008
'Where can a person girded with a belt of peace find truth and justice in this world?'
Profile Image for Charlene.
38 reviews3 followers
April 5, 2014
The warrior seeking truth and justice for a people dispossessed. Very easy to read and what a pleasure!
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