The theory of flight

330 pages

English language

Published 2018 by Penguin Random House, Penguin Random House South Africa.

ISBN:: 978-1-4152-0942-4
OCLC Number:: 1023048313

As Imogen Zula Nyoni, aka Genie, lies in a coma in hospital after a long illness, her family and friends struggle to come to terms with her impending death. Genie has gifts that transcend time and space, and this is her story. It is also the story of her forebears - Baines Tikiti, who, because of his wanderlust, changed his name and ended up walking into the Indian Ocean; his son, Livingstone Stanley Tikiti, who, during the war, took as his nom de guerre Golide Gumede and who became obsessed with flight; and Golide's wife, Elizabeth Nyoni, a country-and-western singer self-styled after Dolly Parton, blonde wig and all. With the lightest of touches, and with an overlay of magical-realist beauty, this novel sketches, through the lives of a few families and the fate of a single patch of ground, decades of national history - from colonial occupation to the freedom …

As Imogen Zula Nyoni, aka Genie, lies in a coma in hospital after a long illness, her family and friends struggle to come to terms with her impending death. Genie has gifts that transcend time and space, and this is her story. It is also the story of her forebears - Baines Tikiti, who, because of his wanderlust, changed his name and ended up walking into the Indian Ocean; his son, Livingstone Stanley Tikiti, who, during the war, took as his nom de guerre Golide Gumede and who became obsessed with flight; and Golide's wife, Elizabeth Nyoni, a country-and-western singer self-styled after Dolly Parton, blonde wig and all. With the lightest of touches, and with an overlay of magical-realist beauty, this novel sketches, through the lives of a few families and the fate of a single patch of ground, decades of national history - from colonial occupation to the freedom struggle, to the devastation wrought by the sojas, the hi virus, and The Man Himself. By turns mysterious and magical, but always honest, The Theory of Flight dwells not on what was lost and what went wrong in a nation's history, but on the personal triumphs and why they matter.

2 editions

Erin reviewed The theory of flight by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu

Review of 'The theory of flight' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This felt somewhat similar to my experience reading The Return of Faraz Ali - there’s a nonlinear story with multiple characters that feels melodramatic and overwrought at times. There’s family drama. There’s a political context hinted at but not delved into too deeply.

Like The Return of Faraz Ali, I actually wish the political landscape played more of a role. That it mattered more. But that’s not the story the author is telling. A Brief History of Seven Killings has spoiled me.

It also reminded me of The Death of Vivek Oji in that the power a particular person’s life is explored. Genie’s story is central, but we also never quite fully know it.

I enjoyed a lot about the family drama. I was a little scared when Vida got into art because I don’t enjoy art as a topic in fiction, but that portion is brief. The story focuses …

This felt somewhat similar to my experience reading The Return of Faraz Ali - there’s a nonlinear story with multiple characters that feels melodramatic and overwrought at times. There’s family drama. There’s a political context hinted at but not delved into too deeply.

Like The Return of Faraz Ali, I actually wish the political landscape played more of a role. That it mattered more. But that’s not the story the author is telling. A Brief History of Seven Killings has spoiled me.

It also reminded me of The Death of Vivek Oji in that the power a particular person’s life is explored. Genie’s story is central, but we also never quite fully know it.

I enjoyed a lot about the family drama. I was a little scared when Vida got into art because I don’t enjoy art as a topic in fiction, but that portion is brief. The story focuses on family legacy and secrets. There are also some really excellent scenes that highlight class with really sharp dialogue - like with Valentine and the Masukus. This book also touches on living as HIV positive, dealing with the stigma, especially in the 80s.

What I didn’t like were the more earnest, poetic moments. That just doesn’t speak to me as a reader. But overall a good read - glad I got to it.

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