Fiction

Nervous Conditions

Nervous Conditions

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  • Create Date：2021-04-15 14:50:59
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
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  • Author：Tsitsi Dangarembga
  • ISBN：0571368123
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Summary

FROM THE BOOKER PRIZE SHORTLISTED AUTHOR OF THIS MOURNABLE BODY， ONE OF THE BBC'S 100 WOMEN FOR 2020

'UNFORGETTABLE' Alice Walker 'THIS IS THE BOOK WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR' Doris Lessing 'A UNIQUE AND VALUABLE BOOK。' Booklist 'AN ABSORBING PAGE-TURNER' Bloomsbury Review 'A MASTERPIECE' Madeleine Thien 'ARRESTING' Kwame Anthony Appiah

Two decades before Zimbabwe would win independence and ended white minority rule， thirteen-year-old Tambudzai Sigauke embarks on her education。 On her shoulders rest the economic hopes of her parents， siblings， and extended family， and within her burns the desire for independence。 A timeless coming-of-age tale， and a powerful exploration of cultural imperialism， Nervous Conditions charts Tambu's journey to personhood in a nation that is also emerging。

'With its searing observations， devastating exploration of the state of "not being"， wicked humour and astonishing immersion into the mind of a young woman growing up and growing old before her time， the novel is a masterpiece。' Madelein Thien

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Reviews

Ebony ，

3。7

Loago K ，

Loved it！

Inês ，

this book is all in its final pages。 it boils slowly。 but it emerges from a fanon universe， so the last chapter is worth every word。

Penni ，

Absolutely fixating， book 2 nextReally resonated with the characters experiences， explores culture in different lenses， and it made a very interesting reading。 Very commendable。

Ingke Apelia ，

If you are into the issue of feminism， you should read this。 This book is based on true story of Tambudzai。 It is a mixed between colonialism and feminism。 It underlines the patriarchy system that pushed women to always following certain norms of living， and it also talks about the influence of western culture to the native people。 I learned a lot of things through this book， it helped me to understand WHY people sometimes refuse to 'change' or in my eyes 'develop'。 In the case of this book， Tsi If you are into the issue of feminism， you should read this。 This book is based on true story of Tambudzai。 It is a mixed between colonialism and feminism。 It underlines the patriarchy system that pushed women to always following certain norms of living， and it also talks about the influence of western culture to the native people。 I learned a lot of things through this book， it helped me to understand WHY people sometimes refuse to 'change' or in my eyes 'develop'。 In the case of this book， Tsitsi said that as a native community， once you left your home town and learn new language。 You buried a part of your old self。 While you educate yourself， you outgrow the old version of yourself。 Most of the times， we will think that we will be better off through education。 Yes， sure education will help you to get better opportunity。 However， for the native， it also means that you should be ready to embrace a new way of living and will be disconnect with your own roots。 In Nervous Condition， this illustration is explained through how the second generations have difficulties to blend in their own culture， once they went to school abroad or once they learned with a different language （ie English）。 。。。more

Beth ，

I give Dangarembga's book a 5/5 because I related to the setting and story so personally。 She portrays life in central Africa （in this case， Zimbabwe） with a loving realism not common in books about Africa written by non-Africans。 Since I spent four years of my childhood in nearby Zaire （now DR Congo）， I was eager to "feel" life as an African may have lived it。 （I was the daughter of a missionary doctor， and went to a small boarding school in the mountains for my education。）Dangarembga essential I give Dangarembga's book a 5/5 because I related to the setting and story so personally。 She portrays life in central Africa （in this case， Zimbabwe） with a loving realism not common in books about Africa written by non-Africans。 Since I spent four years of my childhood in nearby Zaire （now DR Congo）， I was eager to "feel" life as an African may have lived it。 （I was the daughter of a missionary doctor， and went to a small boarding school in the mountains for my education。）Dangarembga essentially invites you to enter the mind and soul of a young African girl born into a family of modest means--they own a few animals， wash their clothes in the nearby river， use an outhouse。 She becomes conscious of the difficulties a girl like her faces in pursuing an education when her older brother， who has earned a scholarship to study at a nearby mission school， gloats over his success and teases her for having to remain on the farm helping her mother with household chores and babycare。 The book is beautifully written， a kind of emotional diary as the girl observes her family's situation and pursues her goals。 Reading it allowed me to breathe African air once more， enjoy African perceptions， and marvel at God's gifts to humankind。 。。。more

Pamela ，

Fascinating coming of age story set in 1960s Zimbabwe （then called Rhodesia and under white minority rule）。 Tambudzai is 13 and living on a homestead with her family。 From an early age， she is determined to win an education despite her family’s poverty， but it is her brother who is taken to study at the mission school。 When the opportunity comes her way， Tambu must learn to balance the conflicting demands of her family and her desire for independence。This is a powerful and engaging book， Tambu i Fascinating coming of age story set in 1960s Zimbabwe （then called Rhodesia and under white minority rule）。 Tambudzai is 13 and living on a homestead with her family。 From an early age， she is determined to win an education despite her family’s poverty， but it is her brother who is taken to study at the mission school。 When the opportunity comes her way， Tambu must learn to balance the conflicting demands of her family and her desire for independence。This is a powerful and engaging book， Tambu is an interesting character who is navigating her way through the conflicting pressures of her duty towards others and her desire to forge her own identity。 Dangarembga raises interesting questions of the role of women in a patriarchal society， and of the impact of colonial rule， but without offering simplistic answers。 Each character takes their own path， and each gains and loses something along the way。I enjoyed the moments of humour in this book， the strong female relationships， and the convincing way the author takes the reader into Tambu’s thoughts。 。。。more

Chrissie ，

Nervous Conditions is about an extended black family of the former British colony Southern Rhodesia， living in what is today Zimbabwe。 The time setting is the 1960s into 1970， before independence。 The political turmoil is not part of the plot， yet the family’s ties to England and South Africa pop up。 The central figure and the narrator of the story is Tambudzai Sigauke， Tambu for short。 Telling the story now as an adult， she looks back to when she was fourteen。 Her paternal uncle Babamukuru is a Nervous Conditions is about an extended black family of the former British colony Southern Rhodesia， living in what is today Zimbabwe。 The time setting is the 1960s into 1970， before independence。 The political turmoil is not part of the plot， yet the family’s ties to England and South Africa pop up。 The central figure and the narrator of the story is Tambudzai Sigauke， Tambu for short。 Telling the story now as an adult， she looks back to when she was fourteen。 Her paternal uncle Babamukuru is a patriarchal and authoritative figure， the leader of the family and the headmaster of a Protestant mission school。 He values education above all else。 It is the means by which the family’s standing will be elevated。 He expects obedience and respect from all members of the extended family。 He is guided by duty， but he is NOT kind or loving。Tambu， with the death of her elder brother， takes his place at their uncle’s mission school。 We follow her trajectory for two years。Attention is focused upon four women of the family—Tambu， her mother （Ma’Shingayi）， her aunt （Maiguru） who is the wife of Babamukuru， and this aunt and uncle’s daughter （Nyasha）。 How do these and the other women of the tale relate to， cope with， fail to cope with and / or retaliate against Babamukuru’s heavy hand and chauvinism so prevalent in society？Of course， a high level of education is valuable。 Of course， experiencing an elevated lifestyle broadens one’s horizons and improves one’s prospects。 However， both can have deleterious consequences on a personal level。 Being different costs！ Being different is not the road to popularity！ Few had a good education， traveled abroad or lived so well as those at the mission。 When improving one’s lot in life， our roots must also be acknowledged。 A person may easily slip into the trap of viewing one’s humble beginnings and the people from our past with distain。 How is the love and attachment to those of our past to be sustained？ These are the questions a reader will think about。So why four stars？ Because the book had me constantly thinking。 Because I think all women will find events in their own life relatable to the different treatment allotted men versus women。 Because the friendship that grows between Tambu and her cousin feels very real to me。 The bitchy antics female to female is well drawn too。 The story has humor。 One example must suffice。 When Nyasha criticizes Tambu for behaving “as a peasant，” Tambu is confused。 Pheasants she has read of。 They are “land fowl，” those pretty birds that trail their tail feathers on the ground。 She fails to note the difference between peasant and pheasant。 When Tambu first confronts the modernizations implemented at the mission and in her cousin’s home， she is stumped。 Nyasha’s foreign， downright peculiar behavior， a result of her having spent five years abroad in England， is beyond Tambu’s comprehension。 Tambu’s confusion and incredulity are profound。 This is extremely well drawn， and with an added touch of humor。Goals set too high can destroy a person！ Nyasha confronts this problem。 Rebellion in a patriarchy threatens stability and must be squashed。 This is what those in charge think！ In any case， this is what Babamukuru thinks。 Observing how difficult it is to be outside of the norm， to have a different background， to feel compelled to voice one’s views strike a chord within me。 In other words， Nyasha is a character I can easily relate to。This is more than a simple coming-of-age story。 The story sort of ends with a cliff hanger—we are supposed to read the next book in the series。 I fear that the following two books will fail to pull me in， although this one did。 I am not a lover of series。 I’m satisfied with this。The audiobook is narrated by Chipo Chung。 At the start， it is difficult to identify the unfamiliar African names。 This difficulty disappears as one listens。 Chung’s narration is fantastic。 Her inflections mirror the class to which a character belongs。 You hear who has lived abroad， who is educated and who is not。 The uneducated speak in a thicker， rougher dialect。 Chung chants African tunes。 She ululates。 She marvelously captures the feel of Arica。 Her superb narration is an important ingredient of the whole。 I am giving the narration five stars。 *********************Nervous Conditions 4 stars*The Book of Not*This Mournable Body 。。。more

Mira Nicole ，

only book i’ve actually finished for a class <3

Nadia Scott ，

Nervous conditions is an attention grabbing coming of age story that offers a highly sophisticated while still approachable analysis of post colonial Africa， specifically modern day Zimbabwe。 It covers topics such as race， identity， sex， gender， class， religion， and education。 The characterization of Tambu as a girl stuck between her traditional and Anglo values is truly fascinating。 Like Tambu I often found myself questioning which value set was better， if there is such a thing。 Seeing Nyasha s Nervous conditions is an attention grabbing coming of age story that offers a highly sophisticated while still approachable analysis of post colonial Africa， specifically modern day Zimbabwe。 It covers topics such as race， identity， sex， gender， class， religion， and education。 The characterization of Tambu as a girl stuck between her traditional and Anglo values is truly fascinating。 Like Tambu I often found myself questioning which value set was better， if there is such a thing。 Seeing Nyasha struggle to balance her Analogized upbringing with the traditional expectations placed on her was engrossing yet heart breaking。 The centering of the story on different generations of women reminds me of Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon 。。。more

Erin ，

April has really been treating me well so far！ I loved this book。 I had started reading This Mournable Body because I was working through the Booker list， but I couldn't get into it。 So I decided to actually read the whole series。 What I liked about Nervous Conditions:1）It's about girlhood and family and going away to school--I will always like a book like this2）I loved the writing-straightforward but enough description that you know all the characters3）Dangarembga weaves in the issues she wants April has really been treating me well so far！ I loved this book。 I had started reading This Mournable Body because I was working through the Booker list， but I couldn't get into it。 So I decided to actually read the whole series。 What I liked about Nervous Conditions:1）It's about girlhood and family and going away to school--I will always like a book like this2）I loved the writing-straightforward but enough description that you know all the characters3）Dangarembga weaves in the issues she wants to discuss: colonialism， feminism， issues of class and education so artfully into the narrative that you know exactly what she is saying， but it is demonstrated through her characters。 Ugh so good 。。。more

Roman Clodia ，

Quietly， unobtrusively and extremely fitfully， something in my mind began to assert itself， to question things and refuse to be brainwashed， bringing me to this time when I can set down this story。 It was a long and painful process for me， that process of expansion。 It was a process whose events stretched over many years and would fill another volume， but the story I have told here， is my own story， the story of four women whom I loved， and our men， this story is how it all began。Such an int Quietly， unobtrusively and extremely fitfully， something in my mind began to assert itself， to question things and refuse to be brainwashed， bringing me to this time when I can set down this story。 It was a long and painful process for me， that process of expansion。 It was a process whose events stretched over many years and would fill another volume， but the story I have told here， is my own story， the story of four women whom I loved， and our men， this story is how it all began。Such an intelligent and subtle novel which is informed by theory （postcolonial， gender， identity） but which never feels like the theoretical foundations have been shoehorned in。 In some ways this is a riff on the classic female coming-of-age story with some of the milestones feeling familiar （first periods， disillusionment with paternal figures， leaving home） but at the same time， Dangarembga shifts the goalposts and makes this uniquely her own。 The Rhodesian background is muted though the noting of key dates such as 1965 at the start invite us to research the troubled history of the country which inflects this story and certainly the psyches of the characters。 Gender and patriarchal oppressions are more overt not least in the various rebellions of the narrator， Tambu， and her cousin， Nyasha。 Both girls are markedly affected by the internal toxicity of the outer tensions which seek to pressure them into good templates of 'well-behaved' women， partly - though not solely - associated with the Protestant Mission for which Tambu's uncle works。 With the combined effects of race， religion and gender ranged against these girls， with the pressures coming from their families including disappointed and complicit female relatives， it's no big surprise that we finally end in a psychiatrist's office。Along the way， though， there are scenes of broad comedy as well as violence and joy。 This is written vividly and in Tambu we have a voice which is both innocent and knowing as it ranges from then to now， bitter， resistant， and ambitious as she strives to find her self identity amidst all the competing narratives trying to shape her。 。。。more

Anna ，

“The victimization， I saw， was universal。 It didn't depend on poverty， on lack of education or on tradition。 It didn't depend on any of the things I had thought it depended on。 Men took it everywhere with them。 Even heroes like Babamukuru did it。 And that was the problem。 。 。 。 all the conflicts came back to this question of femaleness。 Femaleness as opposed and inferior to maleness。” “The victimization， I saw， was universal。 It didn't depend on poverty， on lack of education or on tradition。 It didn't depend on any of the things I had thought it depended on。 Men took it everywhere with them。 Even heroes like Babamukuru did it。 And that was the problem。 。 。 。 all the conflicts came back to this question of femaleness。 Femaleness as opposed and inferior to maleness。” 。。。more

Dory ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Set in: Zimbabwe （Rhodesia）， mid-1960s – early 1970s“I was not sorry when my brother died” is the opening sentence of Nervous Conditions， a novel that is narrated by Tambu， a young girl from a rural village of Rhodesia （now Zimbabwe）。 Tambu is not sorry because her brother’s death is given her a chance to continue her schooling。 In this way， this event leads to her empowerment and emancipation。 The shocking condition of a girl’s education already demonstrates the gender inequality women， like Ta Set in: Zimbabwe （Rhodesia）， mid-1960s – early 1970s“I was not sorry when my brother died” is the opening sentence of Nervous Conditions， a novel that is narrated by Tambu， a young girl from a rural village of Rhodesia （now Zimbabwe）。 Tambu is not sorry because her brother’s death is given her a chance to continue her schooling。 In this way， this event leads to her empowerment and emancipation。 The shocking condition of a girl’s education already demonstrates the gender inequality women， like Tambu， face， and portrays a patriarchal society that centers around males。 The book also reflects on the country’s colonial legacy。 Education does not only represent an opportunity to escape poverty， but it also encompasses the dangers of westernization and assimilation。 。。。more

A_girl_and_some_books ，

This was a good read， I enjoyed it as it opened my eyes to a new world that I am not familiar with。 I read this book for class and we had great discussion around it。 I don’t really have too many thoughts to share on this one

Foteini ，

Highly recommended！！！

Arnaldo Gomes Da Rocha ，

A beautiful and moving emancipation storyTold in first person， the author beautifully describes the inner， emotional journey of a young poor African girl struggling to rise above poverty in a colonized， patriarchal society

Kit ，

Read for a World Literature class

Becky Smith ，

Seminal！

Rita ，

1988。 novel set in Harare and elsewhere in Zimbabwe [Rhodesia at the time the novel takes place， in the 60s I think]。 Tsitsi Dangarembga born 1959。This first of the three novels [presumably partly autobiographical， though it's the cousin who is modeled on the author's life] takes Tambu from her early childhood at home in the village， farming vegetables and carrying water with her mother， the lazy father doing nothing except pretend to worship his elder brother at the mission school in order to g 1988。 novel set in Harare and elsewhere in Zimbabwe [Rhodesia at the time the novel takes place， in the 60s I think]。 Tsitsi Dangarembga born 1959。This first of the three novels [presumably partly autobiographical， though it's the cousin who is modeled on the author's life] takes Tambu from her early childhood at home in the village， farming vegetables and carrying water with her mother， the lazy father doing nothing except pretend to worship his elder brother at the mission school in order to get money to spend on drinking。 Tambu goes to the village school a couple years; then when her older brother dies her uncle [principal of the elementary school at the mission] brings her into his home [to take her brother's place there] for her to be educated at the mission school。 As the novel closes [already promises a sequel which I am guessing had already been partly written]， Tambu has just started at a white Catholic nuns secondary school in the city， where she is one of two token 'Africans' in her year。Tambu looks up to her uncle as a savior and benevolent patriarch， which is the attitude her own father has towards him， and the attitude he expects from his children and his [highly educated] wife。 This is very thoroughly described for us， so we cannot fail to see the situation and how damaging it is to the self-image of the children and wife。The author explains that in the local culture it was [still is？？] the responsibility of the eldest son to take care of his younger siblings and their families the rest of their lives。 So in this novel， the father/headmaster gives money and pays for housing and education for his lazy younger brother and family not really out of charity but because he would be criticized if he did not， and his largesse raises his own stature in the eyes of others。 I did not know of this custom of eldest son being responsible for the lives of all the siblings， and wonder how widespread it is， around Africa and around the world。 Tambu becomes very close to her cousin Nyashu whose bedroom she shares， and so it is hardly credible that after Tambu sees the father beating Nyashu [for being disobedient] to within an inch of her life， Tambu does not revise her image of the father。 The author tries to persuade us that the whole patriarchal system makes Tambu blind to anything but her ongoing worship of the all-powerful patriarch， but she has shown us too often what Tambu has observed in her aunt and cousin。 In this sense I think this book doesn't quite come off， but I am eager to read the second one and see how Tambu's consciousness develops。Dangarembga's writing is highly self-conscious。 She shows us Tambu thinking first one way， then another way， and going back and forth， but wants us to see that Tambu is above all driven by a desire to get ahead， not to end up doing the back-breaking labor of the rural village in a marriage with a lazy spendthrift like her father --- and a desire to see and understand more of the wider world。Much later two sequels were published， The Book of Not [2006] and This Mournable Body [2020]。Very positive review by Blake Morrison in LRB 7 May 2020。"If you are looking for a lovable heroine， or for an inspiring story of feminist solidarity， forget it。。。。Tambu is a complex figure with a talent for self-destructive behaviour， a woman who betrays friends， alienates family and sabotages her own best interests。" This novel the first to be published in English by a Black woman from Zimbabwe。Wikipedia:"Dangarembga was born in Mutoko， Southern Rhodesia， a small town where her parents taught at the nearby mission school。 Her mother， Susan Dangarembga， was the first black woman in Southern Rhodesia to obtain a bachelor's degree， and her father， Amon， would later become a school headmaster。 Dangarembga lived in England from ages two to six while her parents pursued higher education。 There， she recalled that she and her brother began to speak English "as a matter of course and forgot most of the Shona we had learnt。" She returned to Rhodesia with her family in 1965， the year of the colony's Unilateral Declaration of Independence。 In Rhodesia， she reacquired Shona， but considered English， the language of her schooling， her first language。"After this book was out， and won awards， she went into the writing and directing of films。 。。。more

Oliver ，

It's embarrassing that I was not aware of this book before this year。 And strange that I did not know until coming to add it to my Goodreads that is the first part of a trilogy， the third part of which was nominated for the Booker last year。 In some ways I'm sorry there's more - the book ends so tantalisingly that I half want to leave it there， unfinished and full of potential， possibilities sprinting off in every direction。 On the other hand， of course I'm delighted to be able to further follow It's embarrassing that I was not aware of this book before this year。 And strange that I did not know until coming to add it to my Goodreads that is the first part of a trilogy， the third part of which was nominated for the Booker last year。 In some ways I'm sorry there's more - the book ends so tantalisingly that I half want to leave it there， unfinished and full of potential， possibilities sprinting off in every direction。 On the other hand， of course I'm delighted to be able to further follow the journey of Tambudzai， who is a fantastic narrator。 Tambudzai's grapplings with the ideas of society， gender， race， class etc are uniquely presented - she is precocious at times， and at other times obstinate， and I was continually wrongfooted by the positions - and actions - she takes。 There are so many complex ideas in this book， and Tambudzai is such a fascinating character， I know I'll be thinking about this for a while。 。。。more

Sam Bizar ，

I greatly respect the place Nervous Conditions， a classic in international literature， holds in shaping and responding to social， political， and economic forces。 But my appreciation for a novel （and all writing） goes beyond the political， and （where my review might deviate from the general reading public） I take issue with the nuts and bolts of the novel written here。 Considering the prose and plotting， both tended to be unrestrained and unpruned。 Language unwinds and spews out， suggesting a pas I greatly respect the place Nervous Conditions， a classic in international literature， holds in shaping and responding to social， political， and economic forces。 But my appreciation for a novel （and all writing） goes beyond the political， and （where my review might deviate from the general reading public） I take issue with the nuts and bolts of the novel written here。 Considering the prose and plotting， both tended to be unrestrained and unpruned。 Language unwinds and spews out， suggesting a passion for the subject （admirable， invigorating） but an absence of control。 This lack of control manifests itself in the central narrative: we ostensibly follow the education of a young girl， but the education takes second stage to the myriad of broader social concepts that intersect in ways that fail to do the novel justice。 Both prose and narrative exhaust the reader， simultaneously inundating and losing steam。 I am constantly invested and disarmed by this great and tiring novel。 It is a feat of history， a clear articulation of female positionality in a post-colonial landscape; it is also a mess。 The former I champion， the latter I do not。 。。。more

Sarah ，

I really liked this book， even thought it was published in 1988。 It's about education and equality for women and the influence of colonialism on Africa， or the influence of England on one Zimbabwean family。 I liked the main character's spirit， and I thought she was thoughtful and insightful about the changing way she saw the her home and the world。 I don't know why more people haven't read this， but I think it was before it's time， and now that American readers are interested in African voices， I really liked this book， even thought it was published in 1988。 It's about education and equality for women and the influence of colonialism on Africa， or the influence of England on one Zimbabwean family。 I liked the main character's spirit， and I thought she was thoughtful and insightful about the changing way she saw the her home and the world。 I don't know why more people haven't read this， but I think it was before it's time， and now that American readers are interested in African voices， this book should be added to the list。 。。。more

Anna James ，

I read this book in school and enjoyed it。 Reading it 12 years later was good。 It is a harrowing read about the micro violences of colonial class and racial oppression how it plays out in partriachal ways and is rendered signficant through educational institutions。 The relationship between mother and daughter is one that is fraught and I think a lot can be understood about structural violence through exploring that relationship。

Terry94705 ，

I read “This Mournable Body” （2018） without realizing that it continued a series started in 1985。 So “Nervous Conditions” took me back to the beginning。 You can see the Tambudzu of the 2019 book is still the Tambudzu of the first book — just angrier。 Her boundless hope tempered — but not destroyed — by life experience。 In “Nervous Conditions” she is looking for her place in the world， struggling to leave the confines of her family and village， to become educated， to become successful。 She strain I read “This Mournable Body” （2018） without realizing that it continued a series started in 1985。 So “Nervous Conditions” took me back to the beginning。 You can see the Tambudzu of the 2019 book is still the Tambudzu of the first book — just angrier。 Her boundless hope tempered — but not destroyed — by life experience。 In “Nervous Conditions” she is looking for her place in the world， struggling to leave the confines of her family and village， to become educated， to become successful。 She strains against the sexism and patriarchy of her family， and their poverty。 She is smart， thoughtful， and driven。 Her successes ultimately push her up against the racism of colonial Rhodesia。Now the search begins for book 2， “The Book of Not”， which is sadly out of print and not in the local libraries。 。。。more

Annette Morris ，

Found this to be a really interesting book as well a good story。 It's the partly autobiographical tale of a teenage girl in Zimbabwe （then Rhodesia） in the 1960's and considers issues of growing up female and of colonialism。 It's also a social history of Zimbabwe。 I've made it sound really dry， but it's not。 It's well written and drew me in as we went from the poverty of a rural homestead to a mission school in the city and onwards。 It's the first of a trilogy and I can't wait to read the second Found this to be a really interesting book as well a good story。 It's the partly autobiographical tale of a teenage girl in Zimbabwe （then Rhodesia） in the 1960's and considers issues of growing up female and of colonialism。 It's also a social history of Zimbabwe。 I've made it sound really dry， but it's not。 It's well written and drew me in as we went from the poverty of a rural homestead to a mission school in the city and onwards。 It's the first of a trilogy and I can't wait to read the second part！ 。。。more

Ahtziri Gonzalez ，

Set in 1960s post-colonial Rhodesia， Nervous Conditions is a story about the many social barriers faced by a black， poor girl who is determined to succeed in life – a perfect example of intersectionality。The narrator and main character， Tambu， is frustrated because her parents decide to only give an education to her brother。 But when he unexpectedly dies， she seizes the opportunity to replace him at the mission school。 This is the first obstacle that she must overcome in a path towards ‘advancem Set in 1960s post-colonial Rhodesia， Nervous Conditions is a story about the many social barriers faced by a black， poor girl who is determined to succeed in life – a perfect example of intersectionality。The narrator and main character， Tambu， is frustrated because her parents decide to only give an education to her brother。 But when he unexpectedly dies， she seizes the opportunity to replace him at the mission school。 This is the first obstacle that she must overcome in a path towards ‘advancement’ in a misogynist and racist society that was not designed for women like her。This book is the first volume of a trilogy， followed by The Book of Not （2006） and This Mournable Body （2020）。 Unfortunately， I haven’t read the other two books， but they are high on my to-read list。 。。。more

Kristina ，

In a sense this is a coming of age story， but it doesn't follow the typical （Western， at least） structure of that genre， in that the narrator's story is far from over by the end， and in a sense， Tambu seems less aware at the time of what is happening to her than， say， her cousin Nyasha， who is very conscious of what has happened and is happening to her。 These young women， and the older women they observe， are caught in the double bind of patriarchy and colonialism， and the idea of progress is a In a sense this is a coming of age story， but it doesn't follow the typical （Western， at least） structure of that genre， in that the narrator's story is far from over by the end， and in a sense， Tambu seems less aware at the time of what is happening to her than， say， her cousin Nyasha， who is very conscious of what has happened and is happening to her。 These young women， and the older women they observe， are caught in the double bind of patriarchy and colonialism， and the idea of progress is a kind of trick that will alienate you from people and culture you love。 Although I was especially drawn to the character of Nyasha because of her rebellious character and sometimes wished I could get her perspective more first-hand， I appreciate that the story was instead told by Tambu， as this allows us to see a wider view， the full context of her deeply complex situation。 。。。more

JJKew ，

Brilliant coming of age novel， set in Zimbabwe。 A great insight into life there， and the impact of education on all lives， but girls in particular。 Loved comparing what feminism means in my society and Dangarembga's。 Fascinating。 Brilliant coming of age novel， set in Zimbabwe。 A great insight into life there， and the impact of education on all lives， but girls in particular。 Loved comparing what feminism means in my society and Dangarembga's。 Fascinating。 。。。more

Daniel Chaikin ，

I read this as part of my effort to read the 2020 BookerLong List， which includes This Mournable Body。 That novel is part of a trilogy that includes this， Nervous Conditions （1988）， and The Book of Not （2006）。 I plan to read the trilogy。Nervous Conditions is considered one of the most important African books， with a theme on the limits of women in Africa。 I was expecting dark disturbing stuff， and this was reinforced by the first line。 The book opens， “I was not sorry when my brother died。” But I read this as part of my effort to read the 2020 BookerLong List， which includes This Mournable Body。 That novel is part of a trilogy that includes this， Nervous Conditions （1988）， and The Book of Not （2006）。 I plan to read the trilogy。Nervous Conditions is considered one of the most important African books， with a theme on the limits of women in Africa。 I was expecting dark disturbing stuff， and this was reinforced by the first line。 The book opens， “I was not sorry when my brother died。” But "disturbing" is not the first thing on a readers mind while reading。 More like "fascinating"。 This novel captures a childhood world in 1960's rural Zimbabwe， where life depends on crops and a local river provides key necessities。 And then it shows this child's view of education in a Protestant mission in a city。 The novel rings with cultural clashes—rural vs urban， uneducated vs educated， and， especially， traditional customs and westernization。 And it looks at the variations of privilege， sexism， and racism and the unexpected stresses these bring up。 This was a terrific read。 Recommended。 -----------------------------------------------8。 Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembgaintroduction: Kwame Anthony Appiah （2004）published: 1988format: 217-page paperbackacquired: Decemberread: Feb 14-28time reading: 9 hr 17 min， 2。6 min/pagerating: 4½ locations: 1960’s Zimbabweabout the author: born 1959 in Southern Rhodesia （now Zimbabwe） 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Nervous Conditions

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Nervous Conditions&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Nervous Conditions&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0