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African Myths of Origin
African Myths of Origin
Oct 6, 2024 8:22 PM

Author:Stephen Belcher,Ben Onwukwe,Stephen Belcher,Stephen Belcher

African Myths of Origin

Brought to you by Penguin.

This Penguin Classic is performed by Ben Onwukwe. This definitive recording includes an introduction by Stephen Belcher.

Gathering a wide range of traditional African myths, this compelling new collection offers tales of heroes battling mighty serpents and monstrous birds, brutal family conflict and vengeance, and desperate migrations across vast and alien lands. From impassioned descriptions of animal-creators to dramatic stories of communities forced to flee monstrous crocodiles, all the narratives found here concern origins - whether of the universe, peoples or families. Together, they create a kaleidoscopic picture of the rich and varied oral traditions that have shaped the culture and society of successive generations of Africans for thousands of years, throughout the long struggle to survive and explore this massive and environmentally diverse continent.

© Stephen Belcher 2005 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Reviews

Higgins is a wonderful scholar, and a great story teller. I've been loving these retellings, cleverly centered around the theme of myths told in tapestry.

—— Madeline Miller, author of THE SONG OF ACHILLES and CIRCE

[Higgins] leads us through the labyrinth of interconnected stories in a startlingly fresh way. It throws radiant new light on their meanings... This excellent book should delight many generations of story lovers to come.

—— Edith Hall , Guardian

[An] erudite and exhilarating collection... luminous, astute retellings.

—— Hephzibah Anderson , Observer

[A] scholarly, capacious reimagining... Higgins makes you feel for these tormented, accursed mortals afresh.

—— Claire Allfree , The Times

We are in the hands of a fine, fluent storyteller... Higgins, like the bards who first unspooled these tales, creates the illusion of spontaneity and handles suspense brilliantly... Chris Ofili's drawings complement the lyricism of the prose descriptions. Higgins depicts art mediating life - the reason, I think, that we read books... I loved this book.

—— Sara Wheeler , Spectator

The feminism is subtle but persistent... This isn't about imposing modern values on ancient texts... her compendium deftly tracks the format of Ovid's Metamorphoses, one tale blurring into the next. But even readers who think they know their classics will discover some surprises.

—— Rachel Cunliffe , New Statesman

Exceptionally well researched... The prose is almost neoclassical, in being limpid and allusive, clear and nebulous at one and the same time.

—— Stuart Kelly , The Scotsman, Books of the Year

Charlotte Higgins captures the raw, magical originality of the Greek myths in this beguiling book, charmingly illustrated by Chris Ofili... She knows her classics - and her myths - inside out.

—— Harry Mount , Catholic Herald

A gritty and exhilarating new version of the ancient stories in which the female characters take centre stage.

—— Katy Guest , Guardian

Higgins invests the tales with surprising new meanings... The command of Higgins herself, as the master weaver of myths, emerges forcefully....Ancient myths here acquire compelling modern form.

—— Booklist, Starred Review

A beautifully designed book, with Chris Ofili's accompanying drawings giving it an extra sparkle.

—— Susan Swarbrick and Teddy Jamieson , Herald, *Christmas Gift Guide 2021*

Greek Myths is a gripping collection of stories... The addition of illustrations, done by Chris Ofili, add to the elegance of the book... I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Greek mythology.

—— Impact Nottingham

Wise, funny, and gorgeous... a masterpiece

—— Jen Hatmaker, New York Times bestselling author

Wise, wry reflections on living in the face of uncertainty. A sensitive memoir of survival.

—— Kirkus Reviews

Kate Bowler refuses to jump on the bandwagon of toxic positivity. Instead, she leads us to a truer truth: the work is unfinishable, and so be it. I find my interactions with the mind of Kate Bowler more useful and comforting than most all others combined.

—— Kelly Corrigan, NYT bestselling author

Bowler's prose is adept at capturing the dialectic of life's "splendid, ragged edges" showing through. And she's funny, too. This is a gem for cancer patients and their families and for survivors, but really, for anyone who understands the terror and beauty of being human.

—— Booklist

Bowler's affecting narrative offers fresh insight on life and chronic illness. Readers will be engrossed by this heartfelt memoir.

—— Library Journal

Higgins’ darting, spooling path connects myth with faith, art with literature, landscape with architecture, anecdote with interpretation… its images and schematic diagrams of labyrinths adding a visual dimension to a book already rich in thought and observation.

—— Ariane Bankes , The Tablet

Richly erudite and compellingly personal.

—— Louisa Buck , Art Newspaper

A rich cultural history of mazes and labyrinths… Beautifully designed and precisely structured, it’s also a personal book about childhood memories, dreams and feeling at times lost in life.

—— Guardian, *Summer Reads of 2019*

[An] immersive, unusual love tale

—— Claire Allfree , Metro

Stokes-Chapman can write fascinating, three-dimensional characters... Meanwhile, extensive research brings the period so much to life you can taste it... full of buried family histories and fantastical archaeological theories, Pandora is a readable, solid debut

—— Natasha Pulley , Guardian

Whether the discussion is about artificial intelligence, the future capacities of knowledge, politics, philosophy, intuition, history (philosopher Thomas Metzinger shares experiences from post–World War II Germany that are hard to look away from), religion, reason, or the nature of consciousness, Harris grounds lofty discussions with concrete examples and his gift for analogy . . . free and open debate, in the best sense of the word . . . the book’s advantage over the podcast is that readers can linger as they need to and cherry-pick interviews at will. Recommended for anyone who wants to spend time with intelligent minds wrestling not with each other but with understanding.

—— Kirkus Reviews

One of the most eloquent and inspiring memoirs of recent years... A Dutiful Boy is real-life storytelling at its finest

—— Mr Porter, *Summer Reads of 2021*

Mohsin Zaidi...in a compassionate, compelling and humorous way, tells his story of seeking acceptance within the gay community, and within the Muslim community in which he grew up

—— Gilllian Carty , Scottish Legal News

A powerful portrayal of being able to live authentically despite all the odds

—— Mike Findlay , Scotsman

Zaidi's affecting memoir recounts his journey growing up in east London in a devout Muslim household. He has a secret, one he cannot share with anyone - he is gay. When he moves away to study at Oxford he finds, for the first time, the possibility of living his life authentically. The dissonance this causes in him - of finding a way to accept himself while knowing his family will not do the same - is so sensitively depicted. One of the most moving chapters includes him coming home to a witch doctor, who his family has summoned to "cure" him. This is an incredibly important read, full of hope.

—— Jyoti Patel, The Guardian

A beautifully written book, a lovely story, life-affirming

—— Jeremy Vine

Zaidi's account is raw, honest and at times quite painful to read. It's so vivid that it feels almost tangible, as though you're living the experiences of the author himself.

—— Vogue

This heartfelt and honest book is beautifully written and full of hope

—— The New Arab
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