“We have been meek, all of us, and what has our meekness brought us? We have lost our land and ourselves. With meekness we accepted the West, took on all its values and ideals. So much so that we have grown to be ashamed of our own people. That is what the meek have inherited – shame!”
This seems to be the least popular of the Booker longlist last year (2021) but my favourite of what I've read so far.
"A young refugee washes up unconscious on the beach of a small island inhabited by no one but Samuel, an old lighthouse keeper. Unsettled, Samuel is soon swept up in memories of his former life on the mainland: a life that saw his country suffer under colonizers, then fight for independence, only to fall under the rule of a cruel dictator; and he recalls his own part in its history."
I found this book to be a well written and powerful political allegory that explores so much for such a short book (under 200 pages).
We follow Samuel from the day a refugee washes up on the island. As he deals with having to accommodate this man, we get glimpses of his past through flashbacks. The saying "no man is an island" came to mind throughout the book as we see how the author makes a convincing case for the contrary. Can we really be happy in total solitude?
Having been alone for decades on the island, Samuel is wary about the man who washes up. We see the distrust Samuel has towards him, and the author did an excellent job concerning the psychology of paranoia and how distrust can extend towards a country as well.
The only thing I didn't like was how disconnected I felt from the main character. I say this because with themes like isolation or loneliness I often want to get deep inside the person's head to truly know their feelings. I don't think we were meant to get a lot out of the main character in this regard, but I think more development character wise would've helped a bit with the connection.
I also have to include the cover of the book. The picture alone tells a story and captures the essence of the book perfectly. Overall I think this was a great short read.
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