Is a writer
supposed to respond to a critical review of his story or book? We think not, unless if the reviewer
has mixed up facts, and one wants to point out corrections.
Other writers
might have a different take on this, but my argument is that the critical
review is an interpretation of one’s work as perceived by the reader, to whom
you sent your message as the writer/encoder. The critical reviewer is trained to make a fair attempt at
decoding the message or messages encoded into our text, and explain them to his
or her audience, and so when the piece has been published, no amount of
complaining by the writer will reverse anything, you just have to sit back and
be brave, and hope to walk out still sane from the whole experience.
The good
reviewer, whether s/he slams your story, or praises it, has this value to the
writer – s/he tries to explain your story for you, and if there are any
inconsistencies, to also shine a light on them, so that they are visible for
scrutiny.
What does the
writer gain from all this – if s/he is a good listener, the next time s/he
tries to write another book, s/he will carefully consider what was suggested in
the previously reviewed book, and maybe use, or not use the input, all in the
drive to become a better writer telling better stories.
As much as we
as writers hate reviewers sometimes, the fact is that they are a Godsend to all
forms of artistic endeavor.
But where does
the reviewer draw the line from making personal attacks on writers or
publishers?
With that, it
was with amazement when we read the so called review of Running With Mother
from The Partisan newspaper in Zimbabwe, a site which, ironically, if you try
to open it online, you get the message –‘ this site might be harmful to your
computer.’
Hahahahaha!
We showed the
so called review to a few people, and here are just two comments from them
about this ‘review:’
‘It is hate
speech…’
‘…spiteful…’
We are happy
that people are able to see what this ‘review’ really is, and that, despite
this attack from The Partisan, our resolve is still unchanged, we are writing
more stories about our beloved country and its beloved people, romances,
thrillers, political satires, you name it – no subject is taboo for us.
We leave you
with the review in concern, and like we mentioned, open the link at your own
risk.
We hope The
Partisan will be happy too at this free publicity we are giving their
newspaper.
Good luck.
Weaver Press, Oh Weaver!
Written
by Patriot Reporter, Evans Mushawevato
IT is
common knowledge that works of art be they books, sculptures or painting are
influenced by ideologies.
The
book we review this week, Running with Mother claims to paint
a picture and provide a vivid account of events surrounding the disturbances in
Matabeleland in the 80s.
The book published by Weaver Press and written by one
Christopher Mlalazi heaps the blame on the disturbances and unfortunate incidences
that happened in Matabeleland on the Government of the day.
The book tells the
story of how Government soldiers went on a killing spree butchering women and
children and burning them while alive in their houses.
“What had seemed one
thing was many, a mass of human bodies burnt together, charred limbs, bones
shining white in the moonlight and defaced skulls. The stench of burnt flesh
was intense,” says the protagonist Rudo.
The book that Weaver Press describes
as a ‘short, but powerful novel’ is a narration of horrors committed by
Government soldiers.
Last year, The Patriot published a
consolidated 64 page police report of the atrocities that the dissidents
perpetrated on the population in Matabeleland, Midlands and Mashonaland West
between 1981 and 1987.
Information about events of the time show that
soldiers went in to assist the police to contain the atrocities.
But in Running
with Mother villagers were more afraid of Government security forces and
atrocities were committed by soldiers on a ‘mission’ to ‘wipe out the
Ndebeles’.
Evidently the book is another offering with a heavy Rhodesian
influence.
Rhodesians having realised that they cannot overtly fight and
‘regain’ what they feel they ‘lost’, have resorted to mechanisms that create
animosity between the people of Zimbabwe.
And the country’s army has not been
spared as it is said its leadership is made up of ZANU PF apologists.
“Running
with Mother provides us with a gripping story of how Rudo, her mother,
her aunt and her little cousin survived the onslaught,” writes Weaver
Press.
And predictably, the book will be shortlisted for some skewed
award from the West.
The book is not based on fact and twists events to suit
the regime change agenda.
It is an attempt to ‘Indict’ the Government of the
period led by ZANU PF.
It is common knowledge that there are elements in the
country that have been tasked with the duty of gathering information that will
be used to charge the likes of Robert Mugabe with ‘crimes against humanity’,
whatever that means.
Thus in the book we are told of Government soldiers
wantonly killing villagers.
‘Come my child, we have to hide. The devil has come
to our village’.
“The soldiers came to the clinic and burned it down
too.”
“It’s hard to believe the people today were really government soldiers.
Government soldiers are trained and disciplined and they would not go around
burning up people and children in their homes,” the reader is
bombarded.
It is highly unlikely that Mlalazi said these words!
As we
celebrate silver jubilee of the signing of the Unity Accord one is best
reminded that the book is a typical example of the employment of the
divide-and-rule strategy.
Here is a book produced to fan the tensions between
the Shonas and Ndebeles.
“The message was chilling. It was speaking in Shona,”
states the writer.
Mlalazi is currently hopping from one Western capital, of
our former colonisers, to the next.
They are feting him because he is
spewing out the kind of story that they used to colonise us: to ‘stop the
Africans from exterminating each other’.
The writer may proffer all sorts
of argument for his work, but as he is hosted in Europe he must never forget
that there is more that unites us as Zimbabweans, as Shonas and Ndebeles than
divides us.
Seeds sown to cause disharmony among Africans by whites using
surrogate blacks might germinate, but will not grow.
Weaver Press does
not know this.
That is why Zimbabwe has survived the unprecedented
onslaught
Now to the opinions on the theme
