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Masters of the Dew (Caribbean Writers Series)
This outstanding Haitian novel tells of Manuel's struggle to keep his little community from starvation during drought.
The genre of the peasant novel in Haiti reaches back to the nineteenth century and this is one of the outstanding examples. Manuel returns to his native village after working on a sugar plantation in Cuba only to discover that it is stricken by a drought an...more
The genre of the peasant novel in Haiti reaches back to the nineteenth century and this is one of the outstanding examples. Manuel returns to his native village after working on a sugar plantation in Cuba only to discover that it is stricken by a drought an...more
Paperback, 192 pages
Published
January 1st 1978
by Heinemann Educational Books
(first published 1944)
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"Masters of the Dew" written by Haitian author Jacques Roumain and orignally published in 1944 was a very interesting and entertaining read. Although i would not designate this novel as one of the best works from Haiti that i have read it is decent in its own respects. If i had to categorize "Masters of the Dew" i would place it in the genre of the 'peasant novel experience' so common to the caribbean and Latin America. The novel follows the struggles and efforts of villagers to overcome divisio...more
When I opened the package and saw the cover, I thought for a moment that the bookseller had cocked up and sent me a romance novel by mistake. But they hadn’t; Masters of the Dew is that slightly curious thing, a peasant novel. Curious because, generally speaking, peasants don’t write novels — the hero of this story is illiterate, in fact — so these books are written by outsiders, for whatever reasons of their own.
Jacques Roumain was from a wealthy Haitian family, educated in Europe, a politician...more
Jacques Roumain was from a wealthy Haitian family, educated in Europe, a politician...more
I found this novel appalling, though I seem to be in a minority...
The main character is such a blatant "Mary Sue" or whatever the male equivalent would be, that my literature professor, who loved the book, even admitted that his character was meant to be likened to Jesus. He is perfect in every way, woos women effortlessly, and is loved by all, to the point that it's sickening to read.
His lover, a shy woman, falls deeply in love with him from just one conversation, and they make gross love on th...more
The main character is such a blatant "Mary Sue" or whatever the male equivalent would be, that my literature professor, who loved the book, even admitted that his character was meant to be likened to Jesus. He is perfect in every way, woos women effortlessly, and is loved by all, to the point that it's sickening to read.
His lover, a shy woman, falls deeply in love with him from just one conversation, and they make gross love on th...more
La première fois que j'ai lu ce roman remonte à environ dix ans. de lui, je me rappelais la silhouette fine d'une femme qui remontait un sentier, une jarre sur la tête.
Je me rappelais une histoire d'amour, tendre et simple. Je me rappelle qu'après l'avoir refermé, j'avais soupiré et je m'étais dit "quelle belle histoire"
J'ai ressenti à peu près la même chose à cette deuxième lecture, mais ai été plus sensible à la force et à la poésie de ce récit.
L'histoire se passe en Haïti.
Dans la commune de...more
A small community in Haiti is suffering from the lack of water, as well as from being divided due to a family dispute. One man who has been away for 15 years returns and vows to find a solution to the situation.
This book was a nice quick read, interesting and moving. However, I found it to be extremely sexist - which is partly due to its context, but it was just ridiculous - as well as fairly predictable. I suspect it also suffered from the translation into English.
This book was a nice quick read, interesting and moving. However, I found it to be extremely sexist - which is partly due to its context, but it was just ridiculous - as well as fairly predictable. I suspect it also suffered from the translation into English.
A masterful example of the Caribbean literature staple, the peasant novel, Roumain's Masters of the Dew is a beautiful story of triumph over poverty and harmony with nature. Roumain's Marxist ideology permeates the undercurrent of the novel, however the narrative is generally free of any overt political expression. Langston Hughes translation is masterful and conveys the story extremely well. For any reader, this book couldn't come with a higher recommendation.
Definitely a communist text, which, considering the history of Haiti (the setting) I don't really find that surprising. I would probably think communism is a good idea too if I lived in such an extreme wealth divided country.
I think the death of the main character, Manuel can be read as a christ figure, which is pretty interesting considering Marx's views on Christianity.
I think the death of the main character, Manuel can be read as a christ figure, which is pretty interesting considering Marx's views on Christianity.
Love this book! It's like the Caribbean version of Romeo and Juliet; so poetic and lyrical at times that you forget you're reading a novel. The writing was very powerful, and I definitely found myself feeling very strongly for the struggles of the characters. The ending is sad and uplifting all at the same time. This is a very heartfelt novel.
I read this right before I went to Haiti and so much of it could still apply today. I actually got to see a combite while I was in the countryside and I felt a special connection to it because of the book.
fantastic philosophical message that captures a universal reality of Haiti
LOVE< LOVE< LOVE!! possibly my all time favorite . . .
Sad sad sad, but very powerul.
This is a cool little novel with its share of problems. It ends with an ultra-cheesy twist, and some of the characters are thin: the villain is almost mustache-twirlingly Evil. But it's a great investigation of Haitian society, and the way Roumain blends first- and third-person narration is really interesting, especially given his culture's narrative tradition.
This is a story about the land in Haiti and a bold proposal to reconcile an old feud to save it. I was especially interested in the connection with the main character's experience in Cuba. Be sure to read the introduction by Michael Dash explaining, among other things, the context and problematic translation by Langston Hughes of the Haitian term "neg."
This book is a great reading, undertaking this task was the best decision i made
The writer's who said this novel was seminal were more than right. A romantic homage to a misunderstood country. The story is as relevant today as when it was first published.
A great Haitian novel, with views into poor Haitian life, the things people face, interactions with an oppressive state regime, etc. A nice story besides.
Nov 14, 2011
Purple Iris
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
haitian-literature
This was lovely. It's so easy to see why it's the classic Haitian novel. It's going to be hard to choose just one excerpt to translate.
In retrospect, I should have skipped the Introduction. But because I read it first, the book felt a bit like a lecture in rural development studies.
Style ampoulé, récit s'annonçant ennuyeux et nombreuses fautes de grammaires dans mon édition = j'ai abandonné à la page 20...
This is the most beautiful Love story. It connects every human being to their roots no matter where or how deep they lie.
worth reading as part of studying Haiti - not great literature.
Read this if you are an aspiring commie pinko.
Insight into Haitian peasant culture
May 02, 2013
Mae
marked it as to-read
Apr 22, 2013
Will Felix
marked it as to-read
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Roumain est né le 4 juin 1907, à Port-au-Prince, dans une famille aisée. Son grand-père, Tancrède Auguste, fut président d'Haïti de 1912 à 1913. Il fréquenta des écoles catholiques à Port-au-Prince et, plus tard, étudia en Belgique, en Suisse, en France et en Allemagne. À vingt ans, il revint en Haïti et fut co-créateur de "La Revue Indigène" avec Émile Roumer, Philippe Thoby-Marcelin, Carl Brouar...more
More about Jacques Roumain...
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May 14, 2012 06:30am