The Rope of Man

by Witi Ihimaera

THE ROPE OF MAN is two books in one. The first book, TANGI, is set in 1973 and focuses on Tama Mahana, a young 20-year old newspaper reporter working in Wellington, as he attends his father's funeral in Waituhi. The second book, THE RETURN is a sequel, set in 2005; Tama Mahana, now 52, is living in London and is a successful TV anchorman of an international news show. This time it is his mother, Huia, who is dying, and as Tama travels back to New Zealand he realises that both he and his mother are powerless to prevent the secret that they have been harbouring for the last 32 years from blowing their family apart. Epic in scope, THE ROPE OF MAN is a story of love, loss and redemption. It is also a triumphant extension to Witi Ihimaera's exploration of Maori identity - but, this time, on a world stage. Engaging, passionate and lyrical, the novel is pure Ihimaera - blending dramatic flair and humour. It is bound to be one of the most talked-about books of the year.

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Witi Ihimaera is a novelist and short story writer from New Zealand, perhaps the best-known Māori writer today. He is internationally famous for The Whale Rider.

Ihimaera lives in New Zealand and is of Māori descent and Anglo-Saxon descent through his father, Tom. He attended Church College of New Zealand in Temple View, Hamilton, New Zealand. He was the first Māori writer to publish both a novel and a book of short stories. He began to work as a diplomat at the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1973, and served at various diplomatic posts in Canberra, New York, and Washington, D.C. Ihimaera remained at the Ministry until 1989, although his time there was broken by several fellowships at the University of Otago in 1975 and Victoria University of Wellington in 1982 (where he graduated with a BA).[1] In 1990, he took up a position at the University of Auckland, where he became Professor, and Distinguished Creative Fellow in Māori Literature. He retired from this position in 2010.

In 2004, his nephew Gary Christie Lewis married Lady Davina Windsor, becoming the first Māori to marry into the British Royal Family.

Reviews

[Jonas Lamarche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part 1 (Tangi) - 5 Stars

Part 2 (The Return) - 3 Stars

[RobdawgReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic sequel to Tangi. This story brought tears to my eyes multiple times and it also made my heart burn with passion for humanity. Thank you for this gift.

[Rob Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first book in this (tangi). It was great writing and unusual insight into Maori culture. The second I was less keen on. This is perhaps because as a result of having a closer knowledge of how the media works it was less believable.

[Orlando Fato · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Rope of Man" is an ambitious work that combines elements of Maori culture, fiction, memoir and non-fiction. It comprises two books: Tangi, written in 1973 (rewritten for this edition), and The Return, written in 2005.

As a work of fiction, I think it has a solid plot. Tangi ("funeral" in Maori) is stirring to read. It almost feels like you are attending your own father's funeral, and the author is expressing with words what you are unable to express. It made me reflect a lot about my relationship with my father. The Return has a somewhat far-fetched plot that depicts Tama Mahana as a larger-than-life character, who is always in the right place and at the right time. In The Return, Tama narrates how he rose to fame as a TV anchorman and about a secret of his mother's that must be revealed. In terms of a work of fiction, I enjoyed Tangi better, for Tama was a more humble and introspective character than in The Return. In the latter, Tama did quite a bit of self-glorification, which I found off-putting. However, the family secret was somewhat unexpected and it kept me interested.

As a work of non-fiction, I really enjoyed this book. It is quite ambitious, but it was a great pleasure to read. In Tangi, Ihimaera tells us about the creation of Aotearoa and men according to Maori mythology. In The Return, Tama narrates how he, as a reporter, witnessed major events in modern history (especially in Southeast Asia) and current world events. However, the use of Maori words can be a bit overwhelming in Tangi. I was able to figure out the meaning of some words because of the context, but some others I couldn't, and it seemed important to know what they meant. As a memoir, if you have read about Witi Ihimaera, you can see a lot of him in Tama Mahana; especially, when it comes to describing the journey they both went through from being a simple Maori boy to becoming an international figure.

I am planning on reading the original version of Tangi, for this is the book that I enjoyed the most. However, as interesting as The Return was for its non-fiction elements and his mother's secret, I don't think I will ever reread it. Even though Tama Mahana was depicted as a real character with flaws and virtues, his super heroic qualities and the improbable plot of his rise to fame were not exactly my cup of tea.

[Ctalreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The rope of man
Witi Ihimaera

Dit prachtige boek stond al langer in de kast maar van lezen was het nog niet gekomen. Tijdens het lezen besefte ik weer wat een geweldige schrijver Witi Ihimaera toch is. Ik kan het niet vaak genoeg zeggen hoe jammer ik het vind dat zijn boeken niet vertaald zijn in het Nederlands zodat een breder publiek zijn verhalen kan lezen.

The rope of man bestaat uit twee delen, het eerste deel geschreven in 1973 en destijds ook uitgegeven onder de titel Tangi. Het vervolg, The Return, geschreven in 2005 en samen uitgebracht onder de titel The rope of man.

In dit boek lees je het levensverhaal van Tama Mahana, een Maori man geboren in de jaren 50, die zijn weg probeert te vinden in de wereld. De wereld waarin de traditionele Maori gewoonten langzaamaan samengaan met de gewoonte van de Pakeha (de blanke Nieuw Zeelanders).

In het eerste deel staat het plotselinge overlijden van de vader van Tama centraal. Witi Ihimeara weet op mooie wijze niet alleen de rouw te beschrijven maar ook hoe een traditioneel afscheid er bij de Maori uitziet. Afwisselend tussen heden en verleden leer je de familiegeschiedenis kennen. Hierbij staat de worsteling tussen enerzijds vasthouden aan oude tradities en aan de andere kant vooruit denken en je eigen weg vinden in het leven centraal. Wat doe je als je aan het begin van een prachtige carrière staat maar door het overlijden van je vader de familie vraagt om alles op te geven en terug te keren naar je tribe om je plicht te doen als oudste zoon?

In het tweede deel, vele jaren later, vlak voor het overlijden van zijn moeder leer je welke keuze Tama gemaakt heeft en hoe dat heeft uitgepakt voor zijn carrière, zijn eigen privéleven en zijn contact met familie. Wederom prachtig beschreven.

Ik realiseer mij dat ik meer dan de gemiddelde Nederlandse lezer kennis heb van Maori tradities en gewoonte waardoor voor anderen dit boek misschien wat moeilijker te lezen is. Maar ik gun meer mensen kennis van de Maori cultuur. Zo inspirerend en hoopgevend. The rope of man verdient het om gelezen te worden.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tangi, a definite 5 stars. This is my second read, the first as a young Uni student who wanted to understand Tangi so it was kind of like a text book for me. I now have a much deeper understanding of Te Ao Maori, and have been to many tangi, and this time reading it I felt an emotional connection. Tangi is a significant literary work from one of Aotearoa's most important Maori authors, enjoy the journey Ihimaera takes you on.
The sequel, Rope of Man, didn't gel with me. The protaganist Tama, becomes Tom, a pakeha-fied character who seems to have a disconnect with his taha Maori. We hear all about Tom's career which I personally found a bit tedious. Without spoiling, there's a whanau issue that is resolved but I felt that this wasn't really explained in depth.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book while I was sick and miserable with the flu. The first half of this book is an update on Witi's first novel (the first published novel written by a Maori). And it is beautiful, poetic and poignant. But it was also slow, introspective and sad, when what I really needed was a fast, action-packed, happy book. The narrative in the second half of the book - the sequel - is a lot snappier (and I was slowly recovering), so I was able to trundle along much more easily. For me, I loved the strong, stubborn women, and seeing te ao Māori lived in, abs reflecting on the tension between staying home and doing your duty to whānau and iwi and exploring the wide world.

[Rain Mirage · Rating 2 out of 5]

the first half is incredible and moving, easily one of the best pieces of writing i've experienced, and is then immediately bogged down by the preening, we-didn't-start-the-fire-esque second half that undercuts the intimacy and personal depth of the first half.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favourite book

[Doug Barry-Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book is lyrical, poetic and moving. The second is pedestrian and lacks authenticity. I have gave up on it. It's like two very different authors.

[Chris Meehan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Completing this wonderful book at the same time as my submission on the Treaty Principles Bill feels like validation for objecting to the bill as strongly as I do.

[Saya · Rating 4 out of 5]

While parts of the second book somehow render pompous New Zealanders' mal du pays, there is so much to love; the lengthy time frame from pre urban migration Maori to the present is written as two different books, and it works. I cried like a baby for some reason.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read, wept, and loved this story. All maori will see themselves in this story which is richly woven with whakapapa, whanau, aroha, manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga. beautiful references to Te Kore, Te Aol Marama, Rangi and Papa. Nga mihi me Nga kihi Witi Ihimaera.

[Anushka · Rating 2 out of 5]

First attempt at reading writing by Maori authors...was actually really difficult to relate to the cultural experiences that comes with the writing...