Review: An Engaging Historical Novel About The Overt Brutality of Colonialist Africa
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 29, 2013
Congo (Spirit of Darkness) is the first book of a two volume series about the Belgian campaigns of torture, exploitation, and genocide that swept through that part of Africa after Leopold II gained control over it.  The first part of the book is a heart wrenching account of three Congolese youth who witness the destruction of their villages and culture at the hands of these European invaders.  The story is effective because the characters are developed well by the authors, so that we feel their emotions as the suffering and anguish they must endure simply becomes too much to withstand.  While everyone today agrees that the actions of European powers in Africa during the 1800s was largely immoral and evil, it often takes the skill of writers such as Allain and Mayi Ngwala for us 21st century people to fully appreciate the toll of the devastation inflicted on the indigenous populations of the continent.This is also an excellent book for those who have an interest in their own Congolese heritage.  Congo is rich in dialect and the settings are beautifully drawn so that we have a better appreciation of what it was really  like living the simple day-to-day existence of tribes people along the rivers of the Congo before the slave trade disrupted and ultimately destroyed their ways of life.  For a historical novel, the story delves deep into the human side of history, choosing not to dwell on the larger story that is often explored in history books, but instead focusing on how these radical changes swept through the lives of everyday people who wanted nothing more than to live free in the land of their forefathers.The second part of the book is set years later, when one of the characters from the first story is tasked with returning to the Congo again on behalf of the Belgium government.  He and his crew come under attack from a ship of pirates, headed by a ruthless former slave who now captains his own ship and plans to destroy all vessels that he believes are transporting slaves.  The former slave-captain is one of the more interesting characters in the entire book, as he is the product of the dysfunction and chaos created by the actions of European powers.  In a sense, he is a monster who has now turned on his own creator.  What ensues between The Belgian ship and the pirate ship is nothing short of a high seas cat and mouse game that climaxes to a bloody battle.The authors are able to maintain tension throughout, even as the story shifts to years later.  In fact, for a historical novel, there is quite a bit of action which keeps casual readers turning the pages.  For more serious readers, however, the historical backdrop of the story is what ultimately proves to be the most satisfying aspect of the book.  Congo transcends the often superficial historical novel genre, creating a book that truly immerses the reader into that period of time when so much death and misery was taking place throughout the continent.  One can not only see through the eyes of the characters, but can even smell the death, decay, and ruin that sweeps the land as the invaders arrive.  It is an unnerving account, but one that is important for people to know about.