What do you think?
Rate this book
Zvezdana knjiga
„Mi smo slušaoci proroka. Neki slušaju, a ne čuju. Neki čuju, a ne slušaju. Oni koji zaista čuju dirnuti su i izmenjeni.“
S jedne strane, Zvezdana knjiga je nežna priča o princu i devojci koji oboje prolaze kroz iskušenja u jednoj mitskoj zemlji u kojoj su umetnost, uvođenje u tajne i dinamični mir iznad svega.
Međutim, nije sve u idiličnom okruženju ovog raskošnog i izazovnog romana, kao što to na prvi pogled izgleda. Glavni junaci ove neobične ljubavne priče su pogođeni pretnjama izgnanstva, tuge i bola – zbog nailazećeg ropstva koje će svakako uticati na budućnost, sadašnjost i prošlost.
S druge strane, Zvezdana knjiga razotkriva prirodu stvarnosti i otkriva bit života i pokazuje da izvor čarolije može biti i u nama, kao i da su lepota, preporod i ispunjenje možda mogući. Neke od propratnih tema ove knjige su: kako možemo razrešiti čudnovati osećaj nemira; kako se ponovo susresti s čarolijom u srcu sveta; kako doći do saznanja da biti živ znači stvarati?
U Zvezdanoj knjizi, Ben Okri pokazuje isti onakav sjajan spoj mašte i ozbiljnog književnog dela koji mu je doneo Bukerovu nagradu za roman Put gladi. Zadovoljstvo je čitati njegov novi epski roman, koji ostavlja utisak na svakoga, bez obzira na to gde živi i šta misli o sebi. Svi mi imamo pristupa proročanstvu i viziji života daleko većoj od nas samih, što potiče iz „knjige života među zvezdama“.
S jedne strane, Zvezdana knjiga je nežna priča o princu i devojci koji oboje prolaze kroz iskušenja u jednoj mitskoj zemlji u kojoj su umetnost, uvođenje u tajne i dinamični mir iznad svega.
Međutim, nije sve u idiličnom okruženju ovog raskošnog i izazovnog romana, kao što to na prvi pogled izgleda. Glavni junaci ove neobične ljubavne priče su pogođeni pretnjama izgnanstva, tuge i bola – zbog nailazećeg ropstva koje će svakako uticati na budućnost, sadašnjost i prošlost.
S druge strane, Zvezdana knjiga razotkriva prirodu stvarnosti i otkriva bit života i pokazuje da izvor čarolije može biti i u nama, kao i da su lepota, preporod i ispunjenje možda mogući. Neke od propratnih tema ove knjige su: kako možemo razrešiti čudnovati osećaj nemira; kako se ponovo susresti s čarolijom u srcu sveta; kako doći do saznanja da biti živ znači stvarati?
U Zvezdanoj knjizi, Ben Okri pokazuje isti onakav sjajan spoj mašte i ozbiljnog književnog dela koji mu je doneo Bukerovu nagradu za roman Put gladi. Zadovoljstvo je čitati njegov novi epski roman, koji ostavlja utisak na svakoga, bez obzira na to gde živi i šta misli o sebi. Svi mi imamo pristupa proročanstvu i viziji života daleko većoj od nas samih, što potiče iz „knjige života među zvezdama“.
350 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
60 people are currently reading
867 people want to read
About the author
Ben Okri
86 books987 followersPoet and novelist Ben Okri was born in 1959 in Minna, northern Nigeria, to an Igbo mother and Urhobo father. He grew up in London before returning to Nigeria with his family in 1968. Much of his early fiction explores the political violence that he witnessed at first hand during the civil war in Nigeria. He left the country when a grant from the Nigerian government enabled him to read Comparative Literature at Essex University in England.
He was poetry editor for West Africa magazine between 1983 and 1986 and broadcast regularly for the BBC World Service between 1983 and 1985. He was appointed Fellow Commoner in Creative Arts at Trinity College Cambridge in 1991, a post he held until 1993. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1987, and was awarded honorary doctorates from the universities of Westminster (1997) and Essex (2002).
His first two novels, Flowers and Shadows (1980) and The Landscapes Within (1981), are both set in Nigeria and feature as central characters two young men struggling to make sense of the disintegration and chaos happening in both their family and country. The two collections of stories that followed, Incidents at the Shrine (1986) and Stars of the New Curfew (1988), are set in Lagos and London.
In 1991 Okri was awarded the Booker Prize for Fiction for his novel The Famished Road (1991). Set in a Nigerian village, this is the first in a trilogy of novels which tell the story of Azaro, a spirit child. Azaro's narrative is continued in Songs of Enchantment (1993) and Infinite Riches (1998). Other recent fiction includes Astonishing the Gods (1995) and Dangerous Love (1996), which was awarded the Premio Palmi (Italy) in 2000. His latest novels are In Arcadia (2002) and Starbook (2007).
A collection of poems, An African Elegy, was published in 1992, and an epic poem, Mental Flight, in 1999. A collection of essays, A Way of Being Free, was published in 1997. Ben Okri is also the author of a play, In Exilus.
In his latest book, Tales of Freedom (2009), Okri brings together poetry and story.
Ben Okri is a Vice-President of the English Centre of International PEN, a member of the board of the Royal National Theatre, and was awarded an OBE in 2001. He lives in London.
He was poetry editor for West Africa magazine between 1983 and 1986 and broadcast regularly for the BBC World Service between 1983 and 1985. He was appointed Fellow Commoner in Creative Arts at Trinity College Cambridge in 1991, a post he held until 1993. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1987, and was awarded honorary doctorates from the universities of Westminster (1997) and Essex (2002).
His first two novels, Flowers and Shadows (1980) and The Landscapes Within (1981), are both set in Nigeria and feature as central characters two young men struggling to make sense of the disintegration and chaos happening in both their family and country. The two collections of stories that followed, Incidents at the Shrine (1986) and Stars of the New Curfew (1988), are set in Lagos and London.
In 1991 Okri was awarded the Booker Prize for Fiction for his novel The Famished Road (1991). Set in a Nigerian village, this is the first in a trilogy of novels which tell the story of Azaro, a spirit child. Azaro's narrative is continued in Songs of Enchantment (1993) and Infinite Riches (1998). Other recent fiction includes Astonishing the Gods (1995) and Dangerous Love (1996), which was awarded the Premio Palmi (Italy) in 2000. His latest novels are In Arcadia (2002) and Starbook (2007).
A collection of poems, An African Elegy, was published in 1992, and an epic poem, Mental Flight, in 1999. A collection of essays, A Way of Being Free, was published in 1997. Ben Okri is also the author of a play, In Exilus.
In his latest book, Tales of Freedom (2009), Okri brings together poetry and story.
Ben Okri is a Vice-President of the English Centre of International PEN, a member of the board of the Royal National Theatre, and was awarded an OBE in 2001. He lives in London.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
December 27, 2007
I didn't like this book at all. I don't like to write scathingly negative reviews--hey, every author is trying something different, right? So I try to have respect for that. But I can't muster any repect for this at all.
Okri uses a faux-fable style to tell the story of a prince and a maiden, who live in a magic kingdom, and fight spirits and have dreams and face portents of all sorts. It's eye-glazingly dull, in part because his style necessitates endless lists; at one point he lists all the different kinds of people who come into the kingdom, and he lists 45 types of people! "...the mad, the merchants, jugglers, pregnant women..." etc. It just goes on and on. This is only one example; they seem to happen on almost every page. Okri seems to think that piling on endlessly with adjectives or noun clauses or whatever will make the story interesting. It doesn't.
My other problem is the faux-philosophy, a la: "By giving up what they were looking for, they found it," or some such. This rubbish clutters up the pages where the lists don't. I hate Paolo Coehlo and his five-cent parables masquerading as deep thinking, and Okri often sounds like he's trying to mimic him, which is unfortunate for everybody.
What's too bad is that there's a hint of something bigger here--intimations of a pre-slave-trade Africa that was destroyed by the Europeans and lost forever. But instead of being bold and attempting to really show what was really there and really lost, Okri falls into this noble savage magical land trope, which is unconvincing--statues made of light, magic stones, golden herons, unicorns, wise kings, etc--instead of grappling with a reality which would have been far more compelling: mud, malaria, war, exploitation, and yes, some joy, love, humor and nobility too.
I never read THE FAMISHED ROAD, which won the Booker in 1991, and is supposed to be pretty good. But man, I could hardly force myself through this thing.
Okri uses a faux-fable style to tell the story of a prince and a maiden, who live in a magic kingdom, and fight spirits and have dreams and face portents of all sorts. It's eye-glazingly dull, in part because his style necessitates endless lists; at one point he lists all the different kinds of people who come into the kingdom, and he lists 45 types of people! "...the mad, the merchants, jugglers, pregnant women..." etc. It just goes on and on. This is only one example; they seem to happen on almost every page. Okri seems to think that piling on endlessly with adjectives or noun clauses or whatever will make the story interesting. It doesn't.
My other problem is the faux-philosophy, a la: "By giving up what they were looking for, they found it," or some such. This rubbish clutters up the pages where the lists don't. I hate Paolo Coehlo and his five-cent parables masquerading as deep thinking, and Okri often sounds like he's trying to mimic him, which is unfortunate for everybody.
What's too bad is that there's a hint of something bigger here--intimations of a pre-slave-trade Africa that was destroyed by the Europeans and lost forever. But instead of being bold and attempting to really show what was really there and really lost, Okri falls into this noble savage magical land trope, which is unconvincing--statues made of light, magic stones, golden herons, unicorns, wise kings, etc--instead of grappling with a reality which would have been far more compelling: mud, malaria, war, exploitation, and yes, some joy, love, humor and nobility too.
I never read THE FAMISHED ROAD, which won the Booker in 1991, and is supposed to be pretty good. But man, I could hardly force myself through this thing.
August 27, 2012
Brilliant love story. The imagery of this book simply takes your breath away. With the simplicity of characters (there's only one who's actually named), and the amount of description that goes into the scenery, the book paints a beautiful picture of love that triumphs through difficulty.
October 21, 2017
I kind of dont know where to start with my review on this one I feel I will fall short and give it none of the justification it requires.
So in short I have never read a more beautifully written book than Starbook, Okri's poetic way of writing takes you on a dreamlike journey full of spirits and demons, light and darkness, happiness and despair and finally heartbreak and love.
I fell in love with the story of the determined Prince and the Maiden, I found this book breathtaking and by the end I found myself hugging it close to my heart and whispering Wow.
So in short I have never read a more beautifully written book than Starbook, Okri's poetic way of writing takes you on a dreamlike journey full of spirits and demons, light and darkness, happiness and despair and finally heartbreak and love.
I fell in love with the story of the determined Prince and the Maiden, I found this book breathtaking and by the end I found myself hugging it close to my heart and whispering Wow.
December 28, 2010
I struggled to finish this book before the year ran out. Okri has beautiful language granted; but he can be a little verbose. There are passages that are so beautiful that they made me cry. The story was a little out there (magical kingdoms and tribes). For lovers of language and musical language then Okri is a must-read.
July 12, 2019
"Beware of the stories you read or tell; subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they are altering your world."
I suddenly came across this book while browsing on a site of one publishing house, it was tagged under fantasy and the synopsis seemed interesting so I wrote it down. Before reading it I was surprised to see that the writer is a member of The Royal society of literature and has an Order of the British Empire, how come this book wasn’t advertised more? So I went digging for some information on the said writer and got a hold on a few more of his books. Starbook is his less known work, published in 2007 and translated in my native language a year later.
The first thing to note about this book is that it isn’t a book you will read fast, you need time to understand the depth and meaning behind certain chapters. This is one of those books that require your undivided attention. I usually listen to some slow music suitable for reading but here that was not the case, it took me more time than usual for reading this book. The outer appearance of the book: the covers are minimalistic and beautiful, it is divided into 4 parts and the chapters are most of the times very short, about three pages or so.
“We are listeners at the Oracle. Those who truly hear are touched and changed.”
Okri used a story his mother once told him and made an entire book around it. It is, on one hand, a magical love story of a Charming kind prince and the girl of the artistic tribe. On the other hand, it is a story of love and finding yourself, full of myths and legends and stories we tell ourselves late at night, a story of regeneration and self-discovery, a story of the meaning of art and life. It is very inspired by Oral lore/folklore which is one of the reasons why I loved it. Other reason may be the way Okri writes. I have to say that the Laughing king’s speech for his sleeping son in the third part of the book around chapter 52 is one of the most beautiful chapters I had a pleasure of reading in a long time. So much that my eyes started tearing up the first time this year for a book.
The problem with the catalog(ue) – Okri uses a literary device known as the catalog(ue) it is a way of listing and enumerating elements/things to give a reader an enjoyable effect and to accentuate the said element. The catalog provides writers with a tool to portray their feelings, emotions, and ideas in a logical sequence. The repetition of the words strengthens the importance of the ideas discussed. One of the most famous examples of catalog goes back to ancient times and Homer’s Iliad. But the problem with this is that some readers have a feeling that this technique drags the plot out, that the book can do fine without it. And in some cases, it awakes the feeling of boredom or irritation which I completely understand.
All in all, reading this book was a very interesting adventure for me and it reminded me of the importance of patience, among other things. But I do believe that this book wouldn’t suit the taste of the majority of people and that’s okay. In the end, here is a thing Okri said about his writing that sums up his work:
"I grew up in a tradition where there are simply more dimensions to reality: legends and myths and ancestors and spirits and death ... Which brings the question: what is reality? Everyone's reality is different. For different perceptions of reality we need a different language. We like to think that the world is rational and precise and exactly how we see it, but something erupts in our reality which makes us sense that there's more to the fabric of life. I'm fascinated by the mysterious element that runs through our lives. Everyone is looking out of the world through their emotion and history. Nobody has an absolute reality."
I suddenly came across this book while browsing on a site of one publishing house, it was tagged under fantasy and the synopsis seemed interesting so I wrote it down. Before reading it I was surprised to see that the writer is a member of The Royal society of literature and has an Order of the British Empire, how come this book wasn’t advertised more? So I went digging for some information on the said writer and got a hold on a few more of his books. Starbook is his less known work, published in 2007 and translated in my native language a year later.
The first thing to note about this book is that it isn’t a book you will read fast, you need time to understand the depth and meaning behind certain chapters. This is one of those books that require your undivided attention. I usually listen to some slow music suitable for reading but here that was not the case, it took me more time than usual for reading this book. The outer appearance of the book: the covers are minimalistic and beautiful, it is divided into 4 parts and the chapters are most of the times very short, about three pages or so.
“We are listeners at the Oracle. Those who truly hear are touched and changed.”
Okri used a story his mother once told him and made an entire book around it. It is, on one hand, a magical love story of a Charming kind prince and the girl of the artistic tribe. On the other hand, it is a story of love and finding yourself, full of myths and legends and stories we tell ourselves late at night, a story of regeneration and self-discovery, a story of the meaning of art and life. It is very inspired by Oral lore/folklore which is one of the reasons why I loved it. Other reason may be the way Okri writes. I have to say that the Laughing king’s speech for his sleeping son in the third part of the book around chapter 52 is one of the most beautiful chapters I had a pleasure of reading in a long time. So much that my eyes started tearing up the first time this year for a book.
The problem with the catalog(ue) – Okri uses a literary device known as the catalog(ue) it is a way of listing and enumerating elements/things to give a reader an enjoyable effect and to accentuate the said element. The catalog provides writers with a tool to portray their feelings, emotions, and ideas in a logical sequence. The repetition of the words strengthens the importance of the ideas discussed. One of the most famous examples of catalog goes back to ancient times and Homer’s Iliad. But the problem with this is that some readers have a feeling that this technique drags the plot out, that the book can do fine without it. And in some cases, it awakes the feeling of boredom or irritation which I completely understand.
All in all, reading this book was a very interesting adventure for me and it reminded me of the importance of patience, among other things. But I do believe that this book wouldn’t suit the taste of the majority of people and that’s okay. In the end, here is a thing Okri said about his writing that sums up his work:
"I grew up in a tradition where there are simply more dimensions to reality: legends and myths and ancestors and spirits and death ... Which brings the question: what is reality? Everyone's reality is different. For different perceptions of reality we need a different language. We like to think that the world is rational and precise and exactly how we see it, but something erupts in our reality which makes us sense that there's more to the fabric of life. I'm fascinated by the mysterious element that runs through our lives. Everyone is looking out of the world through their emotion and history. Nobody has an absolute reality."
January 6, 2019
I will be forward: I love Ben Okri as a writer. I will be honest: this is not an easy book to read. It is a modern classic in the making: floral, figurative, philosophical, and oh so deep! It took me several months to finish this book (I read it last year) and I just flicked through it again, re-reading my comments and quotes that I underlined. I loved this book because of it's intensity and mysticism. As I can imagine, it won't be everyone's cup of tea, but if you want to be taken elsewhere, there is nothing I would recommend higher. Be enchanted
:)
:)
June 28, 2019
I admire Ben Okri and a lot of the works of his that I’ve read to date. ‘Flowers and Shadows’ is a magnificent debut, ‘What the Tapster Saw’ is probably my favourite short story of all time, and ‘The Famished Road’ trilogy isn excellent (albeit progressively less enjoyable with each volume). I’m even currently completing my Masters dissertation on the aforementioned works in relation to the Nigerian oil situation.’ Starbook’ just seems a little overcooked and pretentious for my tastes.
It’s a frustrating book, because some of its ideas are fantastic in both senses of the word. But the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Okri’s writing style is an acquired taste. Sometimes the repetitive lists work, but here they don’t. They just seem a bit meandering and purposeless. This works for ‘The Famished Road’, but not here.
The brief chapter structure also works for ‘The Famished Road’ because it has a plot and a political purpose worth pursuing and unravelling, whereas here you just want to take a break after every chapter, even if it is half a page or two pages.
Maybe its charm will unravel itself on me in future if I give it another try sometime. It has redeeming features, and certainly hasn’t put me off reading more Okri.
It’s a frustrating book, because some of its ideas are fantastic in both senses of the word. But the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Okri’s writing style is an acquired taste. Sometimes the repetitive lists work, but here they don’t. They just seem a bit meandering and purposeless. This works for ‘The Famished Road’, but not here.
The brief chapter structure also works for ‘The Famished Road’ because it has a plot and a political purpose worth pursuing and unravelling, whereas here you just want to take a break after every chapter, even if it is half a page or two pages.
Maybe its charm will unravel itself on me in future if I give it another try sometime. It has redeeming features, and certainly hasn’t put me off reading more Okri.
May 14, 2021
A mythical love story presented in magical surrealist language. I love the first 200 pages of it but the rest is too draggy. The writing is stunning but the plot does not move, LITERALLY! Overall, an average read for me.
.
So the story is fascinating. I must give it that. There was a kingdom with an outcast prince who was slightly off. The heroine was a female sculptor who hailed from a mysterious tribe in the forest. All 400 pages, they were yearning for each other without even meeting. Lots of dreams and prophecies and massive descriptions of their lives. As a reader, I myself was not sure what’s real and what’s not.
.
You would love this book if you are into magical stories. It does transport you to a different world. The author credited the elders in his family for introducing him to the magical art of storytelling and this shows in the book. Parts of the book I enjoys are about the power struggle – the king who wanted to pass the throne to the son but the latter was not into it, the heroine who did not know her power and charisma.
.
Why am I not giving this a high rating? I was expecting more in terms of the plot. It turned out to be a love story and that was it. The story ended with the two main characters manifesting their love. The book is too thick to cover only this aspect. By the last 100 pages, I was just forcing myself to finish reading it.
.
Still, an interesting read, I guess
.
So the story is fascinating. I must give it that. There was a kingdom with an outcast prince who was slightly off. The heroine was a female sculptor who hailed from a mysterious tribe in the forest. All 400 pages, they were yearning for each other without even meeting. Lots of dreams and prophecies and massive descriptions of their lives. As a reader, I myself was not sure what’s real and what’s not.
.
You would love this book if you are into magical stories. It does transport you to a different world. The author credited the elders in his family for introducing him to the magical art of storytelling and this shows in the book. Parts of the book I enjoys are about the power struggle – the king who wanted to pass the throne to the son but the latter was not into it, the heroine who did not know her power and charisma.
.
Why am I not giving this a high rating? I was expecting more in terms of the plot. It turned out to be a love story and that was it. The story ended with the two main characters manifesting their love. The book is too thick to cover only this aspect. By the last 100 pages, I was just forcing myself to finish reading it.
.
Still, an interesting read, I guess
November 29, 2017
Just a few minutes after I read the last page in Ben Okri's 'Starbook,' I find myself struggling to put together the words to express what I feel. At one level, 'Starbook' was one of the most lyrical books I have ever read. If poems could be compressed into sentences, then Ben Okri has done just that.
A parable of a prince and the almost-mythical love affair with the 'maiden' - Okri weaves in a lamentation for art, for colonization, for the loss of the world's beauty as we know it. He also drew me into a world where gaps exist in forests and where art is pure and the symbol of the soul and the Universe. In the end, I was kind of puzzled what I felt about the book. I loved the lyricism. But this is not an easy read.
A parable of a prince and the almost-mythical love affair with the 'maiden' - Okri weaves in a lamentation for art, for colonization, for the loss of the world's beauty as we know it. He also drew me into a world where gaps exist in forests and where art is pure and the symbol of the soul and the Universe. In the end, I was kind of puzzled what I felt about the book. I loved the lyricism. But this is not an easy read.
January 17, 2018
Sama prica je zaista predivna,carobna,ocaravajuca,ali stil pisanja mi se nije bas dopao...
February 28, 2025
Love the magical world, love the metaphors, the characters. Beautifully written 🫰🏽 But too much magic is too much magic for me. To many fluflafloe descriptions which made sentence’s exhausting to read. Clearly this is a book you read verrreeey slowly and not every day. The world is beautiful, the imagination is great; the links to real lovelife are very clear but the repetition of whats what is unnecessary for me.
February 17, 2008
At a few points, for maybe thirty or forty pages at a time, Okri's narrative gathers speed and escapes his overdone myth-making and oracular wisdom in favor of genuine story-telling. These reprieves, in concert with my high regard for Ben Okri, are the only reason I was willing to consume the repetitive lessons that constitute this predictable "legend."
I recognize that my criticisms of this book only prove that I have not fully absorbed the ideals that it was composed to elevate and that it is a well-intentioned, gentle fiction rejoicing in the triumph of patience, silence, humility, truth and self-sacrifice. But there are ideals in writing as well; and it is not forgivable to tell 80% of your stories from a telescopic remove--as if you have so much to say, that all you can do is summarize the tales that have the most pedagogical value.
Sadly, the book lacks grit or any memorable portrayals of the ground-level people in whose honor it was composed. I can't help holding it to the standard set by Okri’s, "The Famished Road," in which succinct and purposeful departures into legend and magic are contrasted harmoniously with memorable details of poverty and African existence.
"Starbook" sorely needs an anchor, whether in a character that behaves like a real human or in a place that could be inhabited. Instead, the story hovers in an ambiguous place and time: the golden, untouched, natural and spirit-filled Africa that has been written to death in so many works from the continent. This far too convenient and gutless backdrop is populated with characters that live for hundreds of years, characters who are initiated into cosmic brotherhoods or sisterhoods of ultimate wisdom, characters who are erased by their duty to represent particular nodes of Okri's belief system. Is it not obvious that forcing yourself to narrate a story almost entirely about semi-deities with absolute wisdom and knowledge is a trap? Around these monochromatic and unsympathetic super-beings, all Okri can do is scatter evidence of their perceptiveness and unexceptional samples of their wisdom--tiny fables and truisms with little merit.
The antagonists are as burdensome as the purity they attempt to destroy. Choose between a council of self-serving elders that scheme against a blameless and fragile prince, a selfish warrior blinded by pride and acquisitiveness and a crudely metaphorical representation of Western Culture's ugly assault on the African people. Oh, and give up on the idea of being propelled by any desire for resolution; from the very beginning, Okri is addicted to obvious prophecies that hold forth empty promises of narrative tension and a grueling account of suffering in the real world. The book never gets down to business; it just spoils its own surprises again and again in an accidental indictment of an omniscience that can't hold its tongue.
I recognize that my criticisms of this book only prove that I have not fully absorbed the ideals that it was composed to elevate and that it is a well-intentioned, gentle fiction rejoicing in the triumph of patience, silence, humility, truth and self-sacrifice. But there are ideals in writing as well; and it is not forgivable to tell 80% of your stories from a telescopic remove--as if you have so much to say, that all you can do is summarize the tales that have the most pedagogical value.
Sadly, the book lacks grit or any memorable portrayals of the ground-level people in whose honor it was composed. I can't help holding it to the standard set by Okri’s, "The Famished Road," in which succinct and purposeful departures into legend and magic are contrasted harmoniously with memorable details of poverty and African existence.
"Starbook" sorely needs an anchor, whether in a character that behaves like a real human or in a place that could be inhabited. Instead, the story hovers in an ambiguous place and time: the golden, untouched, natural and spirit-filled Africa that has been written to death in so many works from the continent. This far too convenient and gutless backdrop is populated with characters that live for hundreds of years, characters who are initiated into cosmic brotherhoods or sisterhoods of ultimate wisdom, characters who are erased by their duty to represent particular nodes of Okri's belief system. Is it not obvious that forcing yourself to narrate a story almost entirely about semi-deities with absolute wisdom and knowledge is a trap? Around these monochromatic and unsympathetic super-beings, all Okri can do is scatter evidence of their perceptiveness and unexceptional samples of their wisdom--tiny fables and truisms with little merit.
The antagonists are as burdensome as the purity they attempt to destroy. Choose between a council of self-serving elders that scheme against a blameless and fragile prince, a selfish warrior blinded by pride and acquisitiveness and a crudely metaphorical representation of Western Culture's ugly assault on the African people. Oh, and give up on the idea of being propelled by any desire for resolution; from the very beginning, Okri is addicted to obvious prophecies that hold forth empty promises of narrative tension and a grueling account of suffering in the real world. The book never gets down to business; it just spoils its own surprises again and again in an accidental indictment of an omniscience that can't hold its tongue.
May 25, 2011
I was on a journey with the beautiful Prince and the awkwardly lovely maiden and watched as they come to realization of their love and what it could conquer. But underlining all these are serious issues and bravery. Okri has been able to use language with such poetic essence that I was spell bound and dreamed dreams even with his characters. To understand this book is to share a common experience or to know your history well. Howbeit, there were to loud cry as regarding any issue and you just have to infer which of these dreams (experience) you are either a victim of or an activist in...a beautiful book from a beautiful mind. Totally mesmerizing!
December 22, 2019
I know that Ben Okri is sometimes criticised for not having clearly defined plotlines. However, I absolutely loved this book. The imagery, the symbolism, the magic realism and his brilliant use of the English language. It is not always easy to read his books, but mostly very rewarding. This sort of book is why I prefer reading to watching TV dramas. It creates a fantastic world in your mind which could not exist anywhere else apart from just there. The visual images conjured up whilst reading become personal to you as well as the shades of meaning that you can take from it.
May 28, 2011
Here's a few hours i'd like back. Picked this up looking for some surreal fantasy but what i got was some meaningless abstraction trying to dress up what is essentially a simple core. Completely put me off picking anything up by Okri again. And reminded me once again the risk associated with reading fantasy and surreal fiction. There is always a thin indistinct line between utterly awesome and bitterly incorrigible.
November 21, 2011
Twenty years after doggedly ploughing my way through The Famished Road, I came across this work in our local library. "I must give Ben Okri another try, it can't be as bad as I remembered", I thought to myself, thought I. It was, every bit as bad as I recalled. It was so bad I was grateful that I had to return it, unfinished, and I have no plans to get it out again.
September 18, 2017
When I first started reading this book, every sentence sounded like a nonsense. But I can't believe how wrong I was.
A few months later I picked it up again, and realised the beauty and complex of layers in this book. The way that the stories intertwine makes you feel like part of the story. But I wouldn't really say it was a great love story, I just didn't see it like that.
I would definitely recommend this book. Keep reading every detail will make sense eventually.
A few months later I picked it up again, and realised the beauty and complex of layers in this book. The way that the stories intertwine makes you feel like part of the story. But I wouldn't really say it was a great love story, I just didn't see it like that.
I would definitely recommend this book. Keep reading every detail will make sense eventually.
August 4, 2021
Contado como una fábula, este libro tiene descripciones y monólogos de una belleza y razonamiento impecables. Sin embargo, es tan denso, aburrido, complejo y tedioso, que los posibles mensajes que pueda contener, se te escapan entre cientos de páginas insoportablemente lentas e incoherentes.
Quizás es que yo no he pillado el significado final de todo, pero ni lo volvería a leer, ni recomendaría a nadie que lo hiciera.
Quizás es que yo no he pillado el significado final de todo, pero ni lo volvería a leer, ni recomendaría a nadie que lo hiciera.
February 16, 2022
Its is always good to remember that B Okri is a poet. Often his prose is extremely dense because of this. Starbook is beautiful but its not just an allegory and enchanting love story, there is a deep dark undercurrent, a poignancy and tragedy which is served by the romance and the magic. I think its the sort of book that needs to be read more than once.
April 12, 2025
Look. Props to those who enjoy this style of writing. For me it was like dragging myself through mud to read each word. The ENDLESS lists killed me and I feel like the gist of the story could be summed up in 2 pages. This is a writing style for poetry lovers who want to have a thoughtful take on every sentence, and that simply is not me.
August 10, 2019
AHAHA. No. This should be the type of book I love: surrealist fantasy, fable-like, full of symbolism and the like. But it was just so meaningless and each sentence was a repetitive slog. Two stars instead of one because it had the right spirit but terrible execution.
January 15, 2025
Filosofía novelada que cuenta la historia de un príncipe y una doncella que se conocen y comunican principalmente a través de los sueños. Lo más curioso es que los personajes no tienen nombre, solo dos de ellos y ni siquiera son los protagonistas.
November 13, 2025
As much as the writing was beautiful, I couldn’t hack the whimsical philosophy of it all. When I read ‘Starbook tells the tale of a prince and a maiden’ I got far too excited for all the wrong reasons.
June 11, 2017
Amazing read... So many life lessons hidden in the narrative. Worth a second and third read. Ben Okri is a master of words
July 28, 2017
Magic. When I finished it, I thought, "Did I read it or did I just dream it?"
December 28, 2017
It was a beautiful, simple live story. full of magic and mystic tribes. like a story that is told to kids. a bit too long and too descriptive.
May 16, 2020
For me, this book is a sacred text. Utterly remarkable. It is not to be devoured for plot. It requires patience. It is to be savored. I will need to read it again and again.
April 12, 2021
I really don't like this book. Language is hard and even book isn't intresting.
April 24, 2021
Absolute delight.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews