In My Head: My Harvest of Thorns
A critical review of Shimmer Chinodya’s Harvest of Thorns. Reviewers note: This review is entirely my personal opinion of ‘Harvest of Thorns.’ Do not take it as cast-in-stone. Our appreciation of art is based on several factors, and the factors that influence your appreciation of an artistic piece might be different from mine, so if you have any contrary views you are free to post them in the comments and we can start a healthy academic debate, or you can post your own review as well. The storyline of Harvest of Thorns is very interesting, and had it not been for the literary gimmicks of the writer, the book would have been an ‘unputdownable’. The story deals with the challenges blacks encountered in pre-independence Zimbabwe, and the fight for independence with hopes of better lives for them. However, after blacks take over the reins, the ‘promise land’ is still far beyond the horizon. Harvest of Thorns tells of the paradox of post-colonial Zimbabwe, which happens to...