Marc's Reviews > Petals of Blood

The plot goes nowhere after the initial murder mystery dissolves into a sparsely conceived framing device, dislocated in both time and attention by the agonizingly slow progression of the main narrative, itself enacted via extended flashback. The characters are abstract and lifeless, and the novel's sociopolitical impetus, though admirable and understandable, impede the development of anything of interest. The prose is generally flavourless, if technically sound, but the descriptions of a Kenya struggling for an identity in the wake of independence are quite evocative.

As a historical and cultural document, Petals of Blood is undoubtedly important, but I can't recommend it on any other grounds. As a novel, it is boring, under-conceived, and directionless, and possesses neither the stylistic strength nor the depth of character necessary to overcome those faults. Had I been less neurotic (i.e. able to stop reading anything before the end), I would never have finished reading this book; having done so, I can't say that I got anything from it that a chapter from a history book on post-independence Kenya wouldn't have more succinctly provided.