The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste - my review from goodreads

The Shadow KingThe Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The first movement of Shostakovich's seventh symphony came to mind during the first half of this book, a slow melancholy prelude to the madness of invasion and resistance. The central characters during that phase are the cook and Hirut, who has been to all intents and purposes enslaved by the local lord and lady of the manor when she is orphaned. Hirut and the cook are like the servants in Moliere, but without the humour; indeed the lack of anything by way of light relief, apart from the occasional dance, is the novel's only real flaw.

All of the characters as we move into the second half of the novel, the occupation and insurgency (it might be better characterised as an actual war, there is nothing amateurish about the Ethiopians fighting to free their country), are finely drawn, no one is spared a three dimensional presence, even the war criminal Italian colonel has an abusive father by way of back story. There is so much going on here: imperialism, resistance, feminism, regret, shame, forgiveness... A wonderful and beautiful novel.



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