Full Circle

by Frederick Kambemba Yamusangie

'"C'est l'arrivee," someone said. These were the first words the boy heard when the lorry on which he and the others had been travelling at last turned into the parking lodge at Bulungu, their final destination after a two-day journey from Kinshasa. The boy was impatient to find out more about this place, which might soon become his permanent home. With his little brain he had imagined that people everywhere lived like the people at his birthplace.' The idea of clashes or differences between cultures didn't make sense to the young boy who is sent by his international parents to a country village for his social education. For him, everybody, everywhere, had the same family structures, the same moral values, the same needs--the vision of different cultures was elusive if not beyond his grasp. But the impact of this new cultural environment, this formative excursion into the heart of the African darkness, will change his life--and destiny.

Genres: Fiction, The World, Africa, Democratic Republic Of The Congo

96 pages, Paperback

First published June 17, 2003

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This seemed like a fable of sorts, but without the lesson or moral. It was like reading an elementary schooler’s first creative writing story. Or a rambling bedtime story.

It starts rather slowly, and everything in the beginning feels like, “where is this going?” So okay, we keep reading but it doesn’t really make sense. And then, suddenly, a tragedy strikes — okay, fine — but from there everything just spirals hurriedly, but nothing else really happens and there’s not really a resolution, and it’s just over.

I thought this was going to be a story about a huge misunderstanding or distasteful prank. Instead, the story is essentially that the main character arrives in a new place, struggles to adapt, finally makes a friend but things get weird, tragedy & chaos, and then he leaves. But what about everyone else? They sort of disappear.

I’m not really seeing how anything in this story “will change his life — and destiny” (partly because it ends so abruptly and openly) but at least the book was short and somewhat entertaining in parts, even if it was ridiculous.

[Emma Gwynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A ten year old boy named Dada relocates from Kinshasa, the capital of DRC to Bulungu, a small town. His father is an important diplomat and he believes that living in Bulungu will be an enriching experience that will teach Dada a great deal.

However this experience is not without its challenges, namely: bullies, loneliness, friendship rituals and the threat of dangerous crocodiles.

This is a very interesting and worthwhile read. In addition to a charming story, Yamusangie also provides lots of information about the culture of DRC. I learned about: the importance of rivers in a country where it’s not always financially viable to build roads for trade; how families in villages like Bulungu raise children; and how the native languages were influenced by English and French. I will be rereading those chapters as there was a lot of detail provided.

[S.Ravkin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book for my reading-of-the-world project (Democratic Republic of Congo). I really wanted to like it. The premise is solid, a story of culture clash through the eyes of a child who doesn't understand all that is going on around him. But ultimately the story fell flat. Some of this may be a translation problem, but much of it seemed like poor storytelling. Either way, it is difficult to recommend this book for anything other than if you are looking for a book by a DRC author. And maybe you want to keep looking for a different author, there are others out there.

[Belinda Cole · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting insight into DRC culture. Plot was interesting but a few holes. Would the elite really leave their eldest son in the care of a guardian who was hardly ever in town? The second half of novel seemed to be written In a hurry. This certainly would have been improved by another draft but worthwhile never the less.

[Jane Wilkinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a well written book. The language is stilted, unimaginative and with no richness of vocabulary or expression. Nothing much happens for half the book then it all rapidly unfolds and winds up abruptly, with no real exploration of what is happening and why. The only interesting aspect is the conflict of faith in the established church with the traditional fetishism of the region.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Global Read Challenge 69: DRC

This book covered some interesting topics, that I enjoyed reading about, but it also tried to shove 250 pages of material into under 100 pages. As a result, it was kind of jumpy and a lot had to get a cursory overview.

[Caitlin Waddick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and short.
An upper class, privileged 10-year old boy moves to a small city without his parents and experiences being an outsider there.
There are some comedy of errors, as people jump to conclusions.
The ending was somewhat uncertain.

[Harisa- EsquiredToRead · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lacked connection and very short but a decent (small) snapshot of the Democratic Republic of Congo

[Ashleigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't know what to expect from this book.

[Clare Grové]

Still searching for a copy of Full Circle that won’t cost more for shipping than the book itself. Any copies available for sale in South Africa?