Great Read

i think this was a nice play

It was such a small play and such an interesting one.

It explores the themes of westernization v/s traditional culture and shows the downsides of both. But more than that it tells us how women are always considered subservient by both.

The play left me with a lot to think about and discuss, as we must in our postcol class.

Sad ending, very funny though!

**read for lit class**

Bitingly critical of both Western colonial pompousness and slow-to-progress village thinking, this is a quick, laugh-filled, and yet problematic play that is worth anyone's full attention for a couple of hours.

Soyinka is my favorite African writer to date (admitting that I have only read a handful and often in translation). He is authentically funny and, most important, sensual. I taste the food, feel the rhythm and heat etc. An interesting contrast to fellow Nigerian, Ibu writer Chinua Achebe who thinks too much and tries too hard.

Fantastic book by Wole Soyinka. I wonder what took me so long to read this book.

A play!! I read and reread this book as a child but I can’t recall that I truly deciphered what Wole Soyinka meant with this story but with age comes maturity and a better understanding of this story.
The Lion and the Jewel is an epic tale of Sidi, the village belle, Baale Baroka; the Chief of Ilujinle village, Sadiku, his oldest wife and Lakunle, the village schoolteacher.
Sidi gains more recognition when her picture gets featured in a magazine and soon, Sadiku comes with news of her being invited to the Baale’s palace as well as the perks of being his last and favorite wife, she then reveals a secret of Baroka’s non-virility and Sidi, in a quest to taunt him with this information, gets to know why Baroka is indeed referred to as fox.
This story is a simple tale, very well embellished with words. It’s for no simpleton and it stays true to the title of how the Lion (Baroka) hunts the Jewel (Sidi). Certainly, a masterpiece

God should free women from the clutches of men shaaaa

This play was written by Nigerian playwright.
I found this collection 2 of his plays in the store at The Shakespeare festival in Oregon. This play is the first in the collection.

I checked out some other reviews. One suggested it as allegory of modern versus traditional while another called it predictable.

I didn't find it predictable, but I really didn't have expectations going in. I'd never heard of the writer before and don't know much about Nigeria.

The only specific thing I could name regarding Nigeria is Boko Haram, but still that's not what I picture when I think of Nigeria. I picture something more African, based on images I've seen in books or television which I don't associate with any particular country although I can name countries I don't connect those to. These images may be very off for Nigeria, but it did seem to match well with this play. I'm going to look on YouTube for some performances and I'll find out. Of course, the story is in a rural area and I'm sure the cities are much different.

As I was reading the play, I started imagining a #MeToo story and enjoyed that it was not. It gave a very different perspective on the bride-price than what Westerners think.

I don't know how to feel about this book. I should read more books by African authors ... a sadly under-represented category in my bookshelf