Official Review: A Tale of the Builder by Jonathan Hatendi

Supergirl1 · Post by **Supergirl1** » 25 May 2018, 10:22

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Tale of the Builder" by Jonathan Hatendi.]

3 out of 4 stars

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A Tale of the Builder is a fictional account based on real life occurrences. Published in 2016, it follows the story of an illiterate man of African descent from his early childhood to his rather tragic end.

Mawara’s name means “letters.” His parents had perhaps hoped that giving him this name would light his path to an enlightened, educated future. All such hopes get dashed when he runs away from school after the first term, and absolutely refuses to go back no matter how many beatings he received as a result. He simply detests the school system with its heavyhanded teachers. He is also an extremely stubborn introvert who does not give a hoot about anyone’s opinion; not even that of his parents. Due to his lack of education, he has to take up jobs that only illiterates would do, such as growing vegetables and making mud bricks. Luck eventually smiles at him when he gets a job as an apprentice for a senior builder who shows him the tricks of the trade. In time, his reputation grows as a builder and he goes on to have a family of his own. He just has to ensure his devil may care attitude does not destroy all he has managed to achieve.

The setting of this story succinctly captures life in many African countries following the introduction of the school system by the missionaries. Guidance and counseling simply did not exist. All that mattered was authority and enforcement. Students would routinely get punished for being late to school, getting poor grades, and being noisy in class. In fact, a student could find himself at the receiving end of the stick for any and everything the teacher considered an infraction. The beatings were commonplace, and only required the principal’s attention if the student got extremely injured. Little wonder Mawara’s stubborn soul could not cope!

I really appreciate the author’s fine use of descriptive language; it made this book a fun read. In one instance, he describes Mawara “tearing off his clothes as though a snake had gotten into them”, in excitement over his first sexual encounter. Jonathan Hatendi has also furnished this book with enough details to ensure the reader is able to discern how the events are connected. His artful style of storytelling makes this book very engaging. The concluding parts bring in a rather unexpected twist that evokes strong feeling.

It was a little disappointing for me to discover a number of errors which could have been avoided. For these, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Not withstanding, I believe this book perfectly suited to anyone who enjoys tragedies.

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A Tale of the Builder
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revna01 · Post by **revna01** » 29 May 2018, 23:01

I will never understand the idea that brute force is the way to address any kind of issue or problem! People and their rigidity and lack of compassion are deplorable. I can understand why "letters" felt the way he did about the school system. Thanks for a lovely review.

Supergirl1 · Post by **Supergirl1** » 29 May 2018, 23:34

SABRADLEY wrote: ↑29 May 2018, 23:01 I will never understand the idea that brute force is the way to address any kind of issue or problem! People and their rigidity and lack of compassion are deplorable. I can understand why "letters" felt the way he did about the school system. Thanks for a lovely review.

It’s really damaging. Most people end up hating the school system. Even otherwise brilliant kids start reading just to ace exams with no intent of learning a thing.
That’s why in some African countries, it’s not strange to find an old professor who still teaches his students using his old school notes from the sixties or seventies.
Thanks for stopping by!

Ginnamassa19 · Post by **Ginnamassa19** » 30 May 2018, 10:17

I know this book is based on real-life events, but I still wanted to comment that Mawara seems like a really interesting character to read about. XD I'm also really happy to know that the writing is good! It's unfortunate about the errors, but I think this book is definitely worth a read.

Thank you for your review! You were very thorough

Supergirl1 · Post by **Supergirl1** » 30 May 2018, 10:40

Ginnamassa19 wrote: ↑30 May 2018, 10:17 I know this book is based on real-life events, but I still wanted to comment that Mawara seems like a really interesting character to read about. XD I'm also really happy to know that the writing is good! It's unfortunate about the errors, but I think this book is definitely worth a read.

Thank you for your review! You were very thorough

It’s a rather interesting story. Thanks for reading my review.