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69th out of 139 books
—
207 voters
The Magic of Saida
"The Magic of Saida "tells the haunting story of Kamal, a successful Canadian doctor who, in middle age and after decades in North America, decides to return to his homeland of East Africa to find his childhood sweetheart, Saida. Kamal's journey is motivated by a combination of guilt, hope, and the desire to unravel the mysteries of his childhood--mysteries compounded by t...more
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
September 25th 2012
by Doubleday Canada
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There's really no way to read a Vassanji book quickly. His stories are so rich with historical and cultural details that if you don't take stock of the timelines and explorations of cause-and-effect throughout, you miss out on a lot. I admittedly had a difficult time with the first book of his I read, but something compelled me to try another, and now I relish the feeling of being drawn into one of his generational epics. The Magic of Saida was no exception.
Kamal Punja has been called chotara, g...more
Kamal Punja has been called chotara, g...more
A magical novel of a quest for homecoming to East Africa. Vassanji seamlessly weaves themes of family,immigration,religion, politics, history,slavery,colonization,love,spirituality,and identity over the life cycle. Vassanji is a master, mystical storyteller whose prose seems to be talking directly to you-the reader. A must read!!
Objectively I understand the value of this book. Objectively it's interesting. It's very obviously about place and race and ancestry and where a person is from/where their home is. It made me think about several things I haven't before. For example, the people who were half-Asian, half-African, living in Africa over the 20th centruy. It's also a book about family and and belief systems and values survival and betrayal.
Honestly, I think it's just a book about too many things. It's an interesting...more
Honestly, I think it's just a book about too many things. It's an interesting...more
M.G. Vassanji is, in my view, one of Canada's most powerful and evocative authors. Two of his novels have won Giller Prizes, given annually to the country's best English fiction work. "The In-Between World of Vikram Lall" is especially compelling in capturing the detailed texture of post-1945 Kenya, the relationships amongst different races and the complexity of Africa-Canada migration -- while "The Assassin's Song" is equally dramatic in conveying the lives of Indians caught between the histori...more
M.G.Vassanji is surely the consummate storyteller as this book will attest. The story takes you from Kamal Punja's homeland in East Africa to Canada where he is a doctor in Edmonton. How this happened and what the unintended consequences were is the journey we are taken on. Punja's lifestory is a contemplation of how events in life can change your future so that your heart's desire must take second place. How would your life be different if you had been able to follow your heart? As such, the no...more
Vassanji is a beautiful writer and in this novel, he powerfully evokes a time and place. Some critics have said this is borderline magic realism. In reality, it delves into African magic and, yes, there is a suspension of disbelief required, but it's different than MR. Not less, just different and I attribute that to it's place of origin: Africa. Perhaps a new term is needed: African magic realism? That's lame, but perhaps explains it in part.
The story is compelling as it slowly unravels to rev...more
The story is compelling as it slowly unravels to rev...more
I received this book as an ARC, sent to me by the publisher as a Goodreads First Reads.
This will be a bit of an odd review (but really, most of mine have been recently). I think what's holding me back is I always want to write a review that lets people know what I felt about the book, and if I think they would enjoy it. I keep coming up empty, because all I can think is that this book was just lovely. In the best possible way, I don't quite know what to make of this book. The book is a soft tale...more
This will be a bit of an odd review (but really, most of mine have been recently). I think what's holding me back is I always want to write a review that lets people know what I felt about the book, and if I think they would enjoy it. I keep coming up empty, because all I can think is that this book was just lovely. In the best possible way, I don't quite know what to make of this book. The book is a soft tale...more
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This is an ARC, sent to me by the publisher. Finished it last week and am still processing. Beautiful interweaving of the story of Kamal Punja searching for his identity, and that of his country of birth, Tanzania. Kamal is a successful Canadian doctor who travels back to Kilwa in Tanzania to search for his childhood sweetheart, Saida. His search takes him deep into the colonial and chaotic history of the country, while he also grapples with his own turmoil. He is part Indian and part African, w...more
My Thoughts;
I got this book from publisher through Netgalley; I requested it because I was intrigued by the book description and also I wanted to read something other then YA.
I loved this book, it was hard to put it down once I started to read it. There was something magical about it, it hard to pinpoint what that was though. This is a story about Colonialism in 20th century. It's tells a story from a different side of Colonialism. Colonialism is not a main plot in this story, its more of a se...more
I got this book from publisher through Netgalley; I requested it because I was intrigued by the book description and also I wanted to read something other then YA.
I loved this book, it was hard to put it down once I started to read it. There was something magical about it, it hard to pinpoint what that was though. This is a story about Colonialism in 20th century. It's tells a story from a different side of Colonialism. Colonialism is not a main plot in this story, its more of a se...more
I won this book from a first reads giveaway here on Goodreads.
Being my very first book to win I was eager to start reading it. I really enjoyed "The Magic of Saida" by M. G. Vassanji.
Reading the first few pages my imagination was captured as the protagonist was revealing the history and the natural beauty of the coast of East Africa, leaving me wanting to know more.
The main character, Kamal Punja, seems lost, trying to find where he belongs, his long lost childhood sweetheart and the promise he...more
Being my very first book to win I was eager to start reading it. I really enjoyed "The Magic of Saida" by M. G. Vassanji.
Reading the first few pages my imagination was captured as the protagonist was revealing the history and the natural beauty of the coast of East Africa, leaving me wanting to know more.
The main character, Kamal Punja, seems lost, trying to find where he belongs, his long lost childhood sweetheart and the promise he...more
Thought provoking and informative if 20th century East Africa is of interest to you but in stark contrast to two other novels I have read by Vassanjii, I found this title tough going, especially at the beginning. If it were not for the fact that my two other encounters with his work were so enjoyable, I would never have finished this title as the first half was so tedious. I can't begin to recall how many times I picked it up and put it down again after reading just a few pages. It was only in t...more
I won this book through Goodreads First Reads.
I found this book hard to get into and start reading. It wasn't until the third part of the book that I started to find it interesting. It's a really descriptive book and there are parts of Kamal's life that are heartbreaking. When Saida is finally found by Kamal after all the years apart it was anti-climatic. He searched forever to find her and then all they really do is have a conversation and that's it?!
I found this book hard to get into and start reading. It wasn't until the third part of the book that I started to find it interesting. It's a really descriptive book and there are parts of Kamal's life that are heartbreaking. When Saida is finally found by Kamal after all the years apart it was anti-climatic. He searched forever to find her and then all they really do is have a conversation and that's it?!
An incredible read. It grips you and holds you in its spell as the story weaves from continent to continent, character to character, child to manhood, and beyond. It reveals our humanity and our vulnerabilities in handling life's successes and challenges. Don"t we all hold onto our memories of someone who touched our soul and can one truly go back?
Can an immigrant return "home?" Can you find a past or lost love? Duel questions that are difficult to answer but occur often in the books I choose. The first question provides a tension and a clearer/skewed eye to engage a reader. Here Vassanji adds an additional layer: a biracial Asian Indian-African immigrant to Canada returns to his native Tanzania.
And the book reveals his story...one that portrays and critiques the colonial and post-colonial climates along with depicting cultural adaptation...more
And the book reveals his story...one that portrays and critiques the colonial and post-colonial climates along with depicting cultural adaptation...more
A magical book that had me spellbound from beginning to end. Very believable, the book rang true throughout although it was a subject and area I knew nothing about. I was a little disappointed in the ending. It seemed contrived in comparison to the rest of the book. Maybe if he had never found her?
"Written in poetically intense language with a keen eye for detail, Vassanji’s signature sense of humor enlivens The Magic of Saida."
This book was reviewed in the March 2013 issue of World Literature Today. Read the full review by visiting our website: http://bit.ly/13oLKnC
This book was reviewed in the March 2013 issue of World Literature Today. Read the full review by visiting our website: http://bit.ly/13oLKnC
A very rich book, a love story with historical/social/religious/psychological layers. This is not a good book, it's a great one, like everything else I have read by this author. I finish the book with the desire to have time to re-read it, certain that with each reading, I will discover more depth.
Don't read this book for the writing. Don't read it for the love story either, since it is not at all convincing. I for one did not buy for a minute that a 50+ man would leave behind his kids and life in Canada in search of his "Beatrice" so to speak--a girl he loved as a little boy. Tanzania and its history are new to me; at least I learned a few things about the people who live there.
Interesting book about East Africa in particular Tanzania. Lot of historical context. Complex and not an easy read it surprises you on so many levels.
Vassanji is one of my favourite authors, but - I dunno - this book just didn't grab me until maybe the last 75 pages. Somehow I got bogged down, which is unusual. Still though I've learned a lot from Vassanji about Tanzanian (and Kenyan) history. It's a whole other world, and a fascinating one.
I read this quite a while ago, but remember it as being a good read, I am intrigued by the culture and descriptions.
Sep 25, 2012
Kokeshi
marked it as to-read
I won this book from a first reads giveaway here on Goodreads. Many thanks to Double Day for sharing their abundance!
Sep 06, 2012
Kayla
marked it as to-read
I won this book from a first reads giveaway here on goodreads. I'm looking forward to reading and reviewing it soon!
A little too dense for now. Needs too much focus. Another day.
Not my favorite of Vassanji's books, which I normally love. The ending rushed up on me, and felt significantly less satisfying and solid than his previous works. That said, the strength of his prose throughout the rest of his book is - as per usual - brilliant and moving. It makes up for the ending.
Didn't finish
Difficult book to read. A bit tedious, but still intriguing.
An interesting read...
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Moyez G. Vassanji was born in Kenya and raised in Tanzania. Before coming to Canada in 1978, he attended MIT and the University of Pennsylvania, where he specialized in theoretical nuclear physics. From 1978-1980 he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Atomic Energy of Canada, and from 1980 to 1989 he was a research associate at the University of Toronto. During this period he developed a keen interes...more
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