Main page

Editions

Darkest England

by Christopher Hope

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Conversations
26	4	222,628	(2.25)	2

Add to your library

Add to wishlist

▾Book information

Info:	Picador (1996), Hardcover, 303 pages
Member:	jargoneer
Collections:	Your library	Rating:
Tags:	South African Literature, Fiction, Novel, Hardcover, First Edition

all members

▾Members

Recently added by

mulliner, legxleg, NeueWelle, dutoitjs, Johns_wifes_lover, mannah, private library, dewick, Othemts, amandrake

numbers

show all

▾Tags

1996 (1) 20th century (2) Africa (2) Africana (1) anglophone literature (1) booklust (1) British literature (1) colonial (1) Commentary (1) culture (1) English (1) English literature (1) european literature (1) expatriate writers (1) fiction (6) Fiction. South African/English (1) first edition (1) hardcover (1) hcdj (1) humor (1) humour (1) imported (1) London (1) novel (3) read in 2005 (1) South Africa (1) South African (1) south african literature (4) unread (1) wishlist (1)

▾Recommendations

Member recommendations

None.

contribute your own recommendation

▾Will you like it?

won't like will probably not like will probably like will like will love

▾Member reviews

date ▼ | votes

Showing 4 of 4

Not a satisfying novel, but how can you not like an excuse for the phrase nasty, British and short.

mulliner | Oct 17, 2009 |

A book that is funnier in its premise than in its actuality. A San Bushman is sent to explore England, to meet with the Queen, and to evaluate the land for colonization by his people. The whole colonial history of Africa turned on its ear, but the book is very dark in its humor, and personally I think gives both an unrealistic picture of England and the Bushmen. Sure there are many humorous culture-contact moments and some insightful satire, but the plot is so dire and the characters unlikable, I really couldn't enjoy it too much. Reminds me of the Sot-weed Factor in that attempts at bawdy humor come out as mean-spirited and what's supposed to be a laugh riot is just a drag. (

)

Othemts | Jun 25, 2008 |

Good premise, but - sadly, this book should be better than it is. (

)

amandrake | May 29, 2008 |

The only book I have EVER stopped reading. Maybe in another life I will try it again. (

)

syd1953 | Jan 6, 2008 |

date ▼ | votes

Showing 4 of 4

▾Published reviews

no reviews | add a review

view history

▾Common Knowledge

You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data.

For more help see the Common Knowledge help page.

Series (with order)

Canonical Title

Original publication date

People/Characters

Important places

Important events

Related movies

Awards and honors

Epigraph

Dedication

First words

Quotations

Last words

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English

None

▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

▾Book descriptions

Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 0330327801, Paperback)

Nineteenth-century British explorers are lampooned in this reverse travelogue by South African novelist Christopher Hope. A contemporary South African Bushman, David Mungo Booi, chronicles his exploration of the wilds of England en route to meet the queen. Wanting to collect on a promise made by the queen's great-great-grandmother to protect his people, David encounters the worst of British society upon entering the pastoral country: racist customs officials who imprison him, a picturesque town whose residents are bent on lynching him, and a big-game hunter who wants to add him to his private reserve of African "endangered specimens." Only in the end does he find compassion, and in the strangest of places.

(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:57:52 -0400)

▾Open Shelves Classification

The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details.