Lalibela's Wise Man
by Matshona Dhliwayo
After his father passes away, Christian is denied his inheritance, disowned by his brothers, and thrown out of the family mansion. Life takes a terrible turn until he embarks on a life changing trip to Ethiopia to meet Lalibela’s wisest man. (from Goodreads)
Although I knew this to be a very short novella, I was surprised to finish it in about an hour! And yet it didn't feel rushed at all. Lalibela's Wise Man is a fun, gripping story with a very relatable protagonist. However (yes, there's always a "however!"), I found the moral a bit questionable.
The wise man, who is himself a bit cliche, does provide good advice and wisdom. But the overall moral of the story still seemed to point towards material wealth. Success was measured by human standards, and all of the wisdom was used for personal gain. I found this disappointing, since it read like a modern Christian parable, and I expected it to elevate wisdom over money or generosity over personal gain.
I also have to mention that I think the cover is gorgeous. For me, less is more when it comes to book covers!
Overall, I'd say this is an entertaining story with disappointing morals. Read it with a grain of salt.
*I received a free copy of Lalibela's Wise Man in exchange for an honest review.
3/5 leaves
*******
Have you ever read a modern parable? How important is it to you that the books you read have good morals?
No comments:
Post a Comment