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Tales of Freedom
Tales of Freedom offers a haunting necklace of images which flash and sparkle as the light shines on them. Quick and stimulating to read, but slowly burning in the memory, they offer a different, more transcendent way of looking at our extreme, gritty world.
197 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
9 people are currently reading
291 people want to read
About the author
Ben Okri
86 books989 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.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 5, 2022
4.0 Stars — A delightful mix of Haiku & prose, Okri’s playfulness works both for and against his often bleak-but-flashes-of-hopeful synopsis of the human-spirit.
Telling the tale of a slave named Pinprop — A name I for whatever unknown reason found rather irksome — and his thirst for freedom, which lay in the hands of his masters. Whom are an elderly couple whose treatment of Pinprop seems to dither & bob between sinister, cruel, tough-love and at times grossly-insane.
Okri is almost what I’d call an over-skilled writer, in the sense that he is so well equipped in his language and prose that I think he can — albeit, sparsely — drift into a kind of self-indulged-boredom. The good news however is that for the majority of this effort, he is in tiptop form, creating an engaging, fun yet also challenging read, that’s laden with social injustice and the typically morass, hellish nature of the inhabitants in an age of gross indigent discrimination & cruelty against those in minority.
One to read in spurts, I found this engaging for 25 minute periods, the longer sessions always seemingly drifted into a little bit of malaise, such is the fairytale storytelling style’s effect when carrying such weighty undertones.
Telling the tale of a slave named Pinprop — A name I for whatever unknown reason found rather irksome — and his thirst for freedom, which lay in the hands of his masters. Whom are an elderly couple whose treatment of Pinprop seems to dither & bob between sinister, cruel, tough-love and at times grossly-insane.
Okri is almost what I’d call an over-skilled writer, in the sense that he is so well equipped in his language and prose that I think he can — albeit, sparsely — drift into a kind of self-indulged-boredom. The good news however is that for the majority of this effort, he is in tiptop form, creating an engaging, fun yet also challenging read, that’s laden with social injustice and the typically morass, hellish nature of the inhabitants in an age of gross indigent discrimination & cruelty against those in minority.
One to read in spurts, I found this engaging for 25 minute periods, the longer sessions always seemingly drifted into a little bit of malaise, such is the fairytale storytelling style’s effect when carrying such weighty undertones.
July 12, 2016
This was a strange book. The first part 'The Comic Destiny' was a parable of sorts but with such profound meaning that it was lost on me. But, it was written with concise prose. It was very quick to read. Rest of the stories were 'stokus'. A Stoke, as author informs you, is amalgam of short story and haiku. I liked stories: The Belonging, Wild Bulls, The Legendary Sedgwick, The Clock. There were some metaphorical 'stokus' too. Some interesting quotes: it is always the harmless questions that cause the most trouble.
March 24, 2019
I found the first part of this book like being in a dream, it doesn't quiet make sense but in the moment of experiencing it everything is so vidid and real that it all seems to fit together in the moment and be just how it's meant to be. Some amazing prose from an incredible author. Not the kind of book I normally read, I'm very glad I picked it up.
July 6, 2018
3.5 ⭐.
This book divided to 2 main parts. Part 1 contains The Comic Destiny which have 5 chapters (or it was called Books) and Part 2 contains 13 short stories in the form of 'stokus' (short story + haiku). Each chapter & stoku is really short. Definitely a fast read but the content itself, reminded me of literature books we used back in high school. You read but you don't get it & you need someone to explain it to you. My brain had a lot of thinking going on to a point where it's easy to be distracted and forget what you're thinking before.
I think I get the message it's trying to relay from the writing. (I had to google it just to be certain.) The first part give the message that is quite strong. Whether we realize it or not, we are slaves to something; to our work, to our place in social circle, to social media and to desires. 😣 It's relevant to anyone at any level of 'slavery'/ 'imprisonment' and at any time. The story also poke fun of the way different generations think of different things & some of us are being unmoved from our believe system even when it's irrational. However, the way the story was told is REALLY confusing and that's my only complain.
March 17, 2022
Kisah-Kisah Kebebasan adalah sebuah kumpulan cerpen yang sempat melenakanku karena cerita pertamanya cukup panjang dan terdiri dari empat bagian. Cerita tersebut panjangnya tepat setengah dari keseluruhan buku ini. Ceritanya sendiri cukup absurd. Aku merasakan elemen nostalgia, penyesalan dan harapan di dalamnya. Pinprop seperti mengambil peran sebagai seorang joker di sini, semacam meresahkan dan nggak jelas tapi turut mewarnai dinamika dalam ceritanya.
Terdapat sedikit penjelasan tentang hibrida antara cerita dan haiku (stoku) setelah dua cerita pertama, namun sejujurnya aku tidak terlalu memahaminya. Ada banyak yang kurang kupahami dalam buku ini, sehingga kadang aku membacanya dengan pendekatan "don't think, feel!". Aku cenderung lebih menikmati cerita-cerita yang disajikan setelah penjelasan mengenai stoku tersebut. Cerita-cerita tersebut adalah episode-episode dan situasi janggal yang mungkin pada sudut pandang tertentu bisa dikatakan jenaka. Aku terutama menyukai cerita berjudul Neraka Keemasan, yang semacam alegori sebuah negeri penuh masalah pelik yang diabaikan hingga menimbulkan penyakit kronis di kalangan warganya sendiri.
Aku tidak terlalu merasakan elemen haiku saat membaca terjemahan Bahasa Indonesia dari buku ini, namun aku suka pilihan kata-kata dan rangkaian kalimat dari penerjemahnya.
Cerita-cerita favoritku yang lainnya: Musik Bagi Kota yang Hancur, Kerajaan Gaib
Terdapat sedikit penjelasan tentang hibrida antara cerita dan haiku (stoku) setelah dua cerita pertama, namun sejujurnya aku tidak terlalu memahaminya. Ada banyak yang kurang kupahami dalam buku ini, sehingga kadang aku membacanya dengan pendekatan "don't think, feel!". Aku cenderung lebih menikmati cerita-cerita yang disajikan setelah penjelasan mengenai stoku tersebut. Cerita-cerita tersebut adalah episode-episode dan situasi janggal yang mungkin pada sudut pandang tertentu bisa dikatakan jenaka. Aku terutama menyukai cerita berjudul Neraka Keemasan, yang semacam alegori sebuah negeri penuh masalah pelik yang diabaikan hingga menimbulkan penyakit kronis di kalangan warganya sendiri.
Aku tidak terlalu merasakan elemen haiku saat membaca terjemahan Bahasa Indonesia dari buku ini, namun aku suka pilihan kata-kata dan rangkaian kalimat dari penerjemahnya.
Cerita-cerita favoritku yang lainnya: Musik Bagi Kota yang Hancur, Kerajaan Gaib
March 30, 2021
3.75⭐
I went into this book blind, I heard never heard of haiku, a traditional Japenese form of poetry before, much less "stoku", because of this alone I am grateful to have crossed paths with this book. It was one of those books I put down with two thoughts:
1.I feel like I had learnt so much of life from this book and yet nothing.
2. I needed to meet Ben Okri, because I feel my interpretation of his book might be entirely different from the intended theme of the book.
I might interpret this book differently some time from now. But for now, here is my review:
A COMIC DESTINY
We are introduced to the characters of the first story, "a comic destiny", old man and old woman, Pinprop, the man, young man and young woman, then finally new man and new woman. This story discusses a range of topics in an enchanted yet fleeting way. It takes you into different scenes and topics beautifully, but never lets you digest one before moving to another.
The dynamic of Pinprop, old man and old woman is intriguing as from the start to the finish of the story. Young man and young woman introduce us to this seemingly unhealthy love relationship that turns out to an unrequited relationship of convenience but neither party seems to have resolve enough to do anything about it and even if they tried, they are physically shackled together at the ankles, bound to be exist in their bubble of self hatred, hunger and idiocy whilst desiring something more. The man is an enigma of mental health in this day and time, quick to tell of the story of another’s horrendous acts, only for the reader to find out it’s his story. While he is not in denial, he feels his state of being is inevitable, can’t be help, yet he hopes for help anyways. At the end, when he surrenders to the sound of redemption, redemption was as good as the figment of his imagination. New man and woman I’m guessing are meant to be more enlightened by any other character, in the book but whatever enlightenment their characters were to portray is lost in transit.
Pinprop is the first character portraying a slave I have ever seen in a book possessing distinguishable personality, but I just got into reading again. Witty, cunning and defiant, Pinprop has a lassiez-faire air of intelligence about him, the old woman’s tale of being a success yet feeling otherwise inside, and seeing her life on signs, and trying her best to tear them down even though they speak truth is relatable. I would have liked, love is far fetched this character had she been any other old woman and not a slave owner, but alas she is condemned to the bin with other characters i dislike for various reasons. Old man also had a tale of which my favorite part ( aka the only part whose meaning i could depict) was the man who recognizes his own skeleton and tries to rescue it only to become part of a house of skeletons for about a thousand years, wailing in despair, and having no one to frightens as everyone kept their distance from his haunted house.
I won’t go into great details of the others stories, but they were so good. I found myself having to change my favorite story as I read further, but I did get about a dozen new favorite quotes. Even more than a decade later i found myself in awe of just how much it still relates to present day social vices. Brilliant book, I am still digesting what i read. I’ll definitely read more Ben Okri from now on.
One of the reasons I wrote this review, was that a book good or bad, entertaining or boring deserves a review. I didn’t see a review as to why people felt a certain way about this book. I think almost every book deserves a review. This has been my first book review, and I hope you got something from it.
I went into this book blind, I heard never heard of haiku, a traditional Japenese form of poetry before, much less "stoku", because of this alone I am grateful to have crossed paths with this book. It was one of those books I put down with two thoughts:
1.I feel like I had learnt so much of life from this book and yet nothing.
2. I needed to meet Ben Okri, because I feel my interpretation of his book might be entirely different from the intended theme of the book.
I might interpret this book differently some time from now. But for now, here is my review:
A COMIC DESTINY
We are introduced to the characters of the first story, "a comic destiny", old man and old woman, Pinprop, the man, young man and young woman, then finally new man and new woman. This story discusses a range of topics in an enchanted yet fleeting way. It takes you into different scenes and topics beautifully, but never lets you digest one before moving to another.
The dynamic of Pinprop, old man and old woman is intriguing as from the start to the finish of the story. Young man and young woman introduce us to this seemingly unhealthy love relationship that turns out to an unrequited relationship of convenience but neither party seems to have resolve enough to do anything about it and even if they tried, they are physically shackled together at the ankles, bound to be exist in their bubble of self hatred, hunger and idiocy whilst desiring something more. The man is an enigma of mental health in this day and time, quick to tell of the story of another’s horrendous acts, only for the reader to find out it’s his story. While he is not in denial, he feels his state of being is inevitable, can’t be help, yet he hopes for help anyways. At the end, when he surrenders to the sound of redemption, redemption was as good as the figment of his imagination. New man and woman I’m guessing are meant to be more enlightened by any other character, in the book but whatever enlightenment their characters were to portray is lost in transit.
Pinprop is the first character portraying a slave I have ever seen in a book possessing distinguishable personality, but I just got into reading again. Witty, cunning and defiant, Pinprop has a lassiez-faire air of intelligence about him, the old woman’s tale of being a success yet feeling otherwise inside, and seeing her life on signs, and trying her best to tear them down even though they speak truth is relatable. I would have liked, love is far fetched this character had she been any other old woman and not a slave owner, but alas she is condemned to the bin with other characters i dislike for various reasons. Old man also had a tale of which my favorite part ( aka the only part whose meaning i could depict) was the man who recognizes his own skeleton and tries to rescue it only to become part of a house of skeletons for about a thousand years, wailing in despair, and having no one to frightens as everyone kept their distance from his haunted house.
I won’t go into great details of the others stories, but they were so good. I found myself having to change my favorite story as I read further, but I did get about a dozen new favorite quotes. Even more than a decade later i found myself in awe of just how much it still relates to present day social vices. Brilliant book, I am still digesting what i read. I’ll definitely read more Ben Okri from now on.
One of the reasons I wrote this review, was that a book good or bad, entertaining or boring deserves a review. I didn’t see a review as to why people felt a certain way about this book. I think almost every book deserves a review. This has been my first book review, and I hope you got something from it.
August 9, 2019
Didn't like it much. The first portion was better than the rest after reading the whole thing. And got introduced a new form called 'stoku' that is haiku and story together. It is described thus in the book. 'Its origin is mysterious, its purpose is relvelation, its form compact, its subject infinite. Its nature is enigma as it finds tentative form in fiction, like the figure materialising from a cloud, or a being emerging from a vaporous block of marble.'
I didn't like any of the stokus either. The language is not my kind. The blurb says of it that the author '...brings together poetry and story in a fascinating new form, which offers a key to the true spirit of our times. Refined over many years, these stories are deceptively simple. They are to be slowly savoured: a new kind of music is being played. They point towards deeper truth, a more transcendent way of looking at our extreme, gritty existence.' No thanks, i would prefer my Camus for this purpose. And maybe it is that it's a different kind of music that is being played and i don't have the ability to appreciate or understand it but i am certain that it is not my kind of music. The blurb continues, 'Each tale is a tiny epic, a delicate world in itself. When strung together they form a necklace of enigmas, and offer unusual glimpses of freedom.' I didn't see any of this in the book. Freedom was really far away and i really didn't understand why it was named 'Tales of Freedom' too.
But i do intend to read 'The Famished Road' as part of my Booker Prize series.
I didn't like any of the stokus either. The language is not my kind. The blurb says of it that the author '...brings together poetry and story in a fascinating new form, which offers a key to the true spirit of our times. Refined over many years, these stories are deceptively simple. They are to be slowly savoured: a new kind of music is being played. They point towards deeper truth, a more transcendent way of looking at our extreme, gritty existence.' No thanks, i would prefer my Camus for this purpose. And maybe it is that it's a different kind of music that is being played and i don't have the ability to appreciate or understand it but i am certain that it is not my kind of music. The blurb continues, 'Each tale is a tiny epic, a delicate world in itself. When strung together they form a necklace of enigmas, and offer unusual glimpses of freedom.' I didn't see any of this in the book. Freedom was really far away and i really didn't understand why it was named 'Tales of Freedom' too.
But i do intend to read 'The Famished Road' as part of my Booker Prize series.
December 28, 2025
Sadly, I was very disappointed by this collection of short stories (stokus, "an amalgam of short story and haiku"). Previously, I had read Okri's long poem Mental Fight, and I loved that. This, however, was not for me.
Especially the first and longest story, the Comic Destiny was so bring. Nothing of any substance really happened for 100 pages. The writing is so sparse that I don't even know if the story takes place on Earth or what.
Three of tge stories I did like, though, and a lot. The Unseen Kingdom tells about a magical book fair. Lovely! The Racial Colorist is a dystopian story about a man being followed. The last story in the book, The Message, comes closest to his philosophical poem, Mental Fight, in my opinion.
If you get your hands on this book, read the three stories mentioned. They are all very different and show real range of talent.
"The last part of the journey was the worst. Getting closer was also getting farther. It is easier to get lost within sight of the palace. it is easier to feel one has arrived when one sees the battlements and turrets, the flags and banners of the castle. Then in renewed hope and exultation one hurries. And yet the way is still far. Distances are deceptive. Hope makes all things near, and so can prove treacherous."
The Message, pp. 194
Especially the first and longest story, the Comic Destiny was so bring. Nothing of any substance really happened for 100 pages. The writing is so sparse that I don't even know if the story takes place on Earth or what.
Three of tge stories I did like, though, and a lot. The Unseen Kingdom tells about a magical book fair. Lovely! The Racial Colorist is a dystopian story about a man being followed. The last story in the book, The Message, comes closest to his philosophical poem, Mental Fight, in my opinion.
If you get your hands on this book, read the three stories mentioned. They are all very different and show real range of talent.
"The last part of the journey was the worst. Getting closer was also getting farther. It is easier to get lost within sight of the palace. it is easier to feel one has arrived when one sees the battlements and turrets, the flags and banners of the castle. Then in renewed hope and exultation one hurries. And yet the way is still far. Distances are deceptive. Hope makes all things near, and so can prove treacherous."
The Message, pp. 194
June 17, 2018
This was a strange collection for me. I have been meaning to read something by Ben Okri for a long time and this was the only one available in my tiny local library. I went into this short story collection knowing nothing about it, apart from it having a below average rating on Goodreads, and that Ben Okri is a Booker winning author.
The first story (more of a novella at 108 pages long) reminded me of 'Waiting for Godot' in that I was hooked but I didn't have a clue what was going on and I don't think the characters did either. 'Belonging' was a brilliant story that reminded me of the plot of 'The Accidental' by Ali Smith (which I haven't actually read yet). The third story, 'The Mysterious Anxiety of Them and Us', was completely forgettable and, though the idea was a good one, didn't really go anywhere. Then, towards the end, 'The War Healer' was interesting, but apart from that, the stories were not very memorable. The tone was very similar throughout the collection so I feel that they all blended together.
Overall, I was disappointed in my first experience of Ben Okri's work and I'm unsure when I will get around to anything else by this author.
The first story (more of a novella at 108 pages long) reminded me of 'Waiting for Godot' in that I was hooked but I didn't have a clue what was going on and I don't think the characters did either. 'Belonging' was a brilliant story that reminded me of the plot of 'The Accidental' by Ali Smith (which I haven't actually read yet). The third story, 'The Mysterious Anxiety of Them and Us', was completely forgettable and, though the idea was a good one, didn't really go anywhere. Then, towards the end, 'The War Healer' was interesting, but apart from that, the stories were not very memorable. The tone was very similar throughout the collection so I feel that they all blended together.
Overall, I was disappointed in my first experience of Ben Okri's work and I'm unsure when I will get around to anything else by this author.
December 27, 2015
The book’s first story are in Stokus – a hybrid of story and haikus, whereby the explanation to Stokus would have been much more helpful at the beginning of rather than at the end of “The Comic Destiny”. I found “The Comic Destiny” very opportune for reflection on politics, where:
1) Older generations are curious for answers, but do not want to hear answers of the truth.
2) People face denial of their own wrongdoings and often take liberty in skewing reality to suit their peace of mind.
3) Momentary peace between parties will always be momentary and therein the moment lies hope that things will change, but also hopes that it will not.
4) ‘Man’ represented those lost, fearful of what they can’t see and don’t know, convinced that they do not deserve any better, forever misunderstood. He lives in irony, pessimism, finding the negative in every positive, incapacitated by circumstances. He is the average man – bored and finding those who do not offer him attention insignificant. Never interested enough to be convicted.
5) Married life is about discovery, about pushing each other’s’ limits and the strive for understanding between man and woman allowing both to grow together is what keeps a relationship together. There will always be new things to discover, more of each other to understand. It highlights how man and woman share disparity in perspectives over the very same event, even of the love they share and the meaning of comfort in a relationship. There is a never-ending dream of comfort in a world where two people have only each other, and the thought of a third party is welcoming.
6) Ignorance is bliss, sometimes even necessary.
7) Men and women plays parodies in life. Women tend to be more ambitious, men prefer the simpler things. Men prefer less talk, and women are go-getters. Men more affectionate, women more objective. Women impatient; men tender. Men want recognition, women are dismissive. Despite familiarity breeding contempt, the struggle to reach a mutual state between two people will always persist but without each other both are eventless.
8) Communal hardship will eventually foster a bond between rivals, and each’s presence and role will be slighted with fondness and acceptance. Over time we take on our rivals point of view, habits and customs.
9) In reality, there is more beyond ourselves and our stories. But until they interact, they are at best left. Peace is found in ignorance; peace is found in acceptance; peace is found in what we know; returning to comfort zones; or being the master of our own ship, by forging our own paths; peace is found in your other half; peace is found in reality and the truth; peace is found in re-birth.
10) Perspectives make difference in happiness.
“Belonging” reminds me of my younger days when I would admire the wisdom of elderly yet at the same time am grateful for my youth. The revelation of our youth and potential is always refreshing, motivating, self-inspiring. However as it has more than once happened to myself - when we set ourselves towards a wrong destination in life, it is always advisable to avoid following through to such destinations at any cost.
“Golden inferno” sets a scene very similar to that having an elephant in the room. Citizens are living in ignorance of a dead cow (the equivalent of an elephant) in the sewer and what had to be done was so repulsive that no one stepped forward to do anything about it. It wasn’t until someone decided to bring change that others slowly follow. It only takes one person to do the right thing to bring courage to others. A great irony for the term “herd mentality” if it applied.
“The secret castle” makes me envision a cultural trap. This story was about a curious boy and a girl who knew her place in the world. The story symbolises that friendship and admiration can flourish despite differences in background and culture. I find in this story lingers a subtle hint of gender equality, where young women are watched over and protected to a stifling boredom.
“The war healer” is as simple as it gets, where in the midst of chaos and bloodbath, there will also be someone championing a great cause. This person will do what he does out of calling, and will continue to do it even without recognition and rest.
“The message” is the last short story in the book and aptly so. I had to read this story twice to affirm that it is about life and its temptations, on focus and of reaching goals. It describes delayed gratification, that moment in time when you shake your desires off and self-doubt and urge on because you know you have to keep your focus, because you know that the bounty at the end of your goal is much sweeter. It is only when you have reached the end of your struggle that you realise that the journey was life itself. At the end of the journey, the fulfilment of having lived your life the “right” way brings freedom and peace. I would liken it to the feeling of finishing your assignment way ahead of its due date and having a great time partying while others struggle to finish it last-minute.
As a whole, “The Comic Destiny” is befittingly entitled, however the comicality turned to flaky towards the end. As some readers have mentioned, drugs may have been involved in the birth of this story. When taken literally, the other stories were stoical at best. A great book if you have enough energy to let your mind wander and to be bothered to read between the lines for that extra good squeeze from Okri’s stories. Reading these stories as they are will not make sense or will be a complete bore. I almost feel like the cover of this book should have included a “Warning, imagination required” label. This book deserves a genre of its own.
1) Older generations are curious for answers, but do not want to hear answers of the truth.
2) People face denial of their own wrongdoings and often take liberty in skewing reality to suit their peace of mind.
3) Momentary peace between parties will always be momentary and therein the moment lies hope that things will change, but also hopes that it will not.
4) ‘Man’ represented those lost, fearful of what they can’t see and don’t know, convinced that they do not deserve any better, forever misunderstood. He lives in irony, pessimism, finding the negative in every positive, incapacitated by circumstances. He is the average man – bored and finding those who do not offer him attention insignificant. Never interested enough to be convicted.
5) Married life is about discovery, about pushing each other’s’ limits and the strive for understanding between man and woman allowing both to grow together is what keeps a relationship together. There will always be new things to discover, more of each other to understand. It highlights how man and woman share disparity in perspectives over the very same event, even of the love they share and the meaning of comfort in a relationship. There is a never-ending dream of comfort in a world where two people have only each other, and the thought of a third party is welcoming.
6) Ignorance is bliss, sometimes even necessary.
7) Men and women plays parodies in life. Women tend to be more ambitious, men prefer the simpler things. Men prefer less talk, and women are go-getters. Men more affectionate, women more objective. Women impatient; men tender. Men want recognition, women are dismissive. Despite familiarity breeding contempt, the struggle to reach a mutual state between two people will always persist but without each other both are eventless.
8) Communal hardship will eventually foster a bond between rivals, and each’s presence and role will be slighted with fondness and acceptance. Over time we take on our rivals point of view, habits and customs.
9) In reality, there is more beyond ourselves and our stories. But until they interact, they are at best left. Peace is found in ignorance; peace is found in acceptance; peace is found in what we know; returning to comfort zones; or being the master of our own ship, by forging our own paths; peace is found in your other half; peace is found in reality and the truth; peace is found in re-birth.
10) Perspectives make difference in happiness.
“Belonging” reminds me of my younger days when I would admire the wisdom of elderly yet at the same time am grateful for my youth. The revelation of our youth and potential is always refreshing, motivating, self-inspiring. However as it has more than once happened to myself - when we set ourselves towards a wrong destination in life, it is always advisable to avoid following through to such destinations at any cost.
“Golden inferno” sets a scene very similar to that having an elephant in the room. Citizens are living in ignorance of a dead cow (the equivalent of an elephant) in the sewer and what had to be done was so repulsive that no one stepped forward to do anything about it. It wasn’t until someone decided to bring change that others slowly follow. It only takes one person to do the right thing to bring courage to others. A great irony for the term “herd mentality” if it applied.
“The secret castle” makes me envision a cultural trap. This story was about a curious boy and a girl who knew her place in the world. The story symbolises that friendship and admiration can flourish despite differences in background and culture. I find in this story lingers a subtle hint of gender equality, where young women are watched over and protected to a stifling boredom.
“The war healer” is as simple as it gets, where in the midst of chaos and bloodbath, there will also be someone championing a great cause. This person will do what he does out of calling, and will continue to do it even without recognition and rest.
“The message” is the last short story in the book and aptly so. I had to read this story twice to affirm that it is about life and its temptations, on focus and of reaching goals. It describes delayed gratification, that moment in time when you shake your desires off and self-doubt and urge on because you know you have to keep your focus, because you know that the bounty at the end of your goal is much sweeter. It is only when you have reached the end of your struggle that you realise that the journey was life itself. At the end of the journey, the fulfilment of having lived your life the “right” way brings freedom and peace. I would liken it to the feeling of finishing your assignment way ahead of its due date and having a great time partying while others struggle to finish it last-minute.
As a whole, “The Comic Destiny” is befittingly entitled, however the comicality turned to flaky towards the end. As some readers have mentioned, drugs may have been involved in the birth of this story. When taken literally, the other stories were stoical at best. A great book if you have enough energy to let your mind wander and to be bothered to read between the lines for that extra good squeeze from Okri’s stories. Reading these stories as they are will not make sense or will be a complete bore. I almost feel like the cover of this book should have included a “Warning, imagination required” label. This book deserves a genre of its own.
May 4, 2019
The first story, Comic Destiny, has a beautiful rhythm. Each chapter is very short as fragmented but as a whole, they convey a gentle feeling of a journey to freedom.
The other short stories in the concern different forms of freedom, freedom from material fixation, from prejudice, and from oppression. Some are very
The other short stories in the concern different forms of freedom, freedom from material fixation, from prejudice, and from oppression. Some are very
October 12, 2024
A collection of short stories and poems about freedom, all quite abstract. I think this is one I need to re read and do slower, because it’s easy to brush over without getting the full meaning. I found it hard to focus on purely because it’s not one continuous story. But again, to be reread.
January 21, 2019
Not my cup of tea. Just didn’t really ‘get it’.
October 9, 2019
Honestly, can't make out what the author wants to convey.
December 21, 2021
Not my cup of tea, sorry
February 6, 2011
I don't know how healthy it is to review a book I read in little over two hours last night, but here goes; there's something odd at work in these short tales of 'freedom'. They are evasive, slippery and almost gaseous in substance. They pass through you like a ghost, making you shiver with the tiniest fleck of what it might be. I don't even think they want to be understood in the conventional way, so they neatly side-step the maw of theoretical analysis. I groped and groped for the bridging element between them as is usually the norm for a collection of short stories, but found none. There are a total of 14 micro narratives that include 'The Comic Destiny' (a literary mash-up of Dante's 'The Divine Comedy' and Beckett's 'Waiting for Godot'), 'The Racial Colourist' (an absurd scenario of racial categorisation evocative of Huxley's 'Brave New World') and 'The Golden Inferno' (a very clever parable on ignorance and third-world poverty).
This was a very quick read owing to the generous spacing between the lines and the shortness of some pieces. Even though I had trouble understanding what Okri meant with some of these stories, I am nevertheless convinced every one of them were written with a very definite moral lesson in mind. My usual choice of fiction being of the literary type might have meant I'm a little handicapped when faced with stories of a poetic ilk, which means I'll probably be diving into 'Tales of Freedom' at a more leisurely pace.
As I said, the stories are themed around concepts of 'freedom', but with some I failed to see how they could be classed as such. The language was also very sparse and plain. I got a sense that Okri was playing around with the bare nuts-and-bolts of story-telling; even less than that, possibly with a single transcendental idea, like he was trying to distill pure emotion into words. At times the sparcity of the text was so great that whatever half-baked conclusion I was trying to arrive at just fell through in the end. There are, in short, gaps in these narratives; and those gaps were probably put there on purpose. If there is one thing a reader cannot stand (and I know this from myself) is an omittance, a story without a 'core'. It's our comfort point, a homebase both reader and writer touches mid-way through a tale. Without this, the reader-writer relationship suffers a disconnection and this is what I felt with 'Tales of Freedom'.
Okri does make a mention of this kind of writing in the book itself, refering to it as 'stoku':
"A stoku is an amalgam of short story and haiku. It is a story as it inclines towards a flash of a moment, insight, vision or paradox... stokus are serendipities, caught in the air, reverse lightning."
I leave it to you to make what you will of Okri's little note on the form, but the stoku certainly played tricks on my mind, forcing me in the end to 'read' into or fabricate my own morals from the frustrating transparency of some of his stories.
This was a very quick read owing to the generous spacing between the lines and the shortness of some pieces. Even though I had trouble understanding what Okri meant with some of these stories, I am nevertheless convinced every one of them were written with a very definite moral lesson in mind. My usual choice of fiction being of the literary type might have meant I'm a little handicapped when faced with stories of a poetic ilk, which means I'll probably be diving into 'Tales of Freedom' at a more leisurely pace.
As I said, the stories are themed around concepts of 'freedom', but with some I failed to see how they could be classed as such. The language was also very sparse and plain. I got a sense that Okri was playing around with the bare nuts-and-bolts of story-telling; even less than that, possibly with a single transcendental idea, like he was trying to distill pure emotion into words. At times the sparcity of the text was so great that whatever half-baked conclusion I was trying to arrive at just fell through in the end. There are, in short, gaps in these narratives; and those gaps were probably put there on purpose. If there is one thing a reader cannot stand (and I know this from myself) is an omittance, a story without a 'core'. It's our comfort point, a homebase both reader and writer touches mid-way through a tale. Without this, the reader-writer relationship suffers a disconnection and this is what I felt with 'Tales of Freedom'.
Okri does make a mention of this kind of writing in the book itself, refering to it as 'stoku':
"A stoku is an amalgam of short story and haiku. It is a story as it inclines towards a flash of a moment, insight, vision or paradox... stokus are serendipities, caught in the air, reverse lightning."
I leave it to you to make what you will of Okri's little note on the form, but the stoku certainly played tricks on my mind, forcing me in the end to 'read' into or fabricate my own morals from the frustrating transparency of some of his stories.
November 26, 2013
Pretty reminiscent of the work of Samuel Beckett which is a wonderful thing in my opinion. The humour is even more obvious here and the whole even more playful. The whole is very open to interpretation although at times it becomes pretty obvious as to where he wants to with it all. Still there was a lot of love and warmth to be found here, I immensely enjoyed it. The writing is excellent and very intelligent, this is wonderful stuff.
June 6, 2015
Ive tried this before and ive failed, i cant give an objective review of this guys work, im such a fan, its gettting close to a point that even if he releases a book of blank pages ill rate it 5 out of 5.
This one here was very good, short stories without a complicated plot but showing off his prose and the fluidity of his story telling, i wouldnt recommend this to first time Okri reader, this is for bonafide fans who already know.
This one here was very good, short stories without a complicated plot but showing off his prose and the fluidity of his story telling, i wouldnt recommend this to first time Okri reader, this is for bonafide fans who already know.
December 11, 2011
I really liked some moments of this book but didn't get a lot of it - especially the first half of the book, an elusive story called The Comic Destiny. I preferred the stories in the second half - simple, strange and dreamlike. This is definitely a book I will have to come back to and try to get more from in time.
January 3, 2014
This book is messy and confusing. I picked it up in my local library, allured by the title and the fact that it only consists of less than 200 pages. In fact, I don't see how all the haikus and chapters in it could be about freedom. Good effort at being adventurous, though unfortunately it doesn't work.
May 17, 2012
Not exactly what I was looking for. Interesting.
October 17, 2013
A cool style.
September 6, 2014
Honestly, can't make out what the author wants to convey.
June 7, 2015
I want what he smoked before writing this book.
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