Great African Reads discussion

Our first nonfiction read of 2022 is on African mythology, The Hero with an African Face: Mythic Wisdom of Traditional Africa by Clyde W. Ford.

Who's reading? How's it going? Share what's interesting, challenging, or what questions come up here. We welcome any other resources that can help us dive deeper into the topic.

Several of us will also be reading African mythology as side reads alongside the main nonfiction book. What mythology will you read?

Great! Thank you Tinea!
I ordered my copy. Looking forward to read this. Haven't decided upon the mythology side read yet...

I'll need to find a copy, but will join as soon as I can.

The same here - I need to find a copy. I will start later as I have to finish my 3 fiction reads first.

On a separate note, Wayne and I are planning a buddy read of Indaba My Children. Not sure if anyone else would like to join us?

Will join in as well once I've got a copy of the book.

Carolien wrote: "On a separate note, Wayne and I are planning a buddy read of Indaba My Children. Not sure if anyone else would like to join us?"

It's tempting but I won't manage to join you due to time limits 😭

My copy just arrived so I'll be getting started soon.

Tinea wrote: "Our first nonfiction read of 2022 is on African mythology, The Hero with an African Face: Mythic Wisdom of Traditional Africa by Clyde W. Ford.

Who's reading? How's ..."
I am new to the group and trying to figure out its dynamics. On another thread someone posted that the books read here are to be by African authors and not just about or taking place in Africa. Also, that race of author is not relevant, just origin. Can anyone clarify? I am add this book to my list anyway, because the topic is interesting, but I had just read the other post and could not help but wonder.

Hi Ana Lúcia,

If you go to the group home page (https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/97-great-african-reads) and scroll down, you'll see threads are organized under different big headers like "Regional Reads," "Read in French," and "Bingo Challenge." Each of these is a different reading group within the larger Great African Reads club, and each of the reading groups have slightly different parameters for what kinds of books make sense for that group. For example, "Read in French" features books written in French.

This group that we are in right now falls under the "Quarterly Nonfiction" reading group, where we read nonfiction books on different topics relating in a broad sense to Africa. The pinned post in this section of the home page explains the rules: "For this project, every 3 months, we will read and discuss a nonfiction book about a topic concerning Africa. Any nonfiction is fair game: history, politics, commentary, theory, science, journalism, anthropology/ethnography, arts, etc. Here's what we've read so far. Nonfiction books written by African authors are highly encouraged, though our nonfiction reads are not restricted to African or Diaspora authors" (https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...).

Let me know if you have any other questions! It's a big, active, and old Goodreads group so it can be confusing. A bigger explanation of how to navigate the whole Great African Reads club is here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/21021737-navigating-great-african-reads-2021-22

Thank you very much for this thorough explanation. It makes sense now about different subgroups having different guidelines. And it will be much easier now to find my way around!

Valerie wrote: "Will join in as well once I've got a copy of the book."

Is it unethical to say I found a copy online? I can share the link if it is not.

Ana Lúcia wrote: "Is it unethical to say I found a copy online? I can share the link if it is not."

It probably is not a legal copy?
I would say that members having troubles to find a copy can contact you through a private message.

I started reading some days ago and really do like the approach of the author and the way he brings and presents the characteristics of African mythology. It is a nicely edited and structured book and a great read. Anyone else started reading?

I started reading a few days ago and am finding it interesting and well structured. The way the same themes e.g. life's journey, hero challenges, female captivity, are grouped together is helpful. It is challenging my own psychology and journey through life, which I had not expected.

I totally agree with you Letitia, this is so much more than an analysis of myths and "folktales". It really gives insight into how spirituality is viewed from within different African cultures and traditions and how different this is from our Western beliefs.

Just beginning it, but I am very excited about it, after reading the preface. This is right up my alley. I am very interested in religion and in myths. And I have faith in the orixás, which I am sure I will encounter in this book. But I have encountered them in real life, so they are more than a myth to me. They are real! Just saying. :)

There indeed is a whole chapter devoted to the Orishas.
Here is my review.

I am still reading the book, but I wanted to comment on something you (Kim) wrote in your review:
Wim wrote: "I learned that virgin births and resurrections are actually spiritual awakenings and that positive and negative power (Satan and God) are not separated or dual in African thought."
About virgin births and resurrections: I am appalled to find out so much in common in different mythologies. The effect this has had in me is to doubt things that were told to me as truths. I understand that Clyde W. Ford says that "In today's common parlance, the term myth refers to unwarranted falsifications rather than unceasing truths", suggesting that the latter may be a more apt usage. But when I find out that many different mythologies have virgin births, all I can think is that they are unwarranted falsifications. Let's see if by the end of the book I will have changed my stance/feeling. I know Ford wants to work particularly on that - grouping similar stories. I want to see how he is going to work that up.
The other point you mention is the non separation of good and evil. I had always heard that in candomblé (Afro-Brazilian religion) there is no such separation, and there is no sin. This went against all I was taught growing up as a catholic. But there is such beauty in candomblé and it is so tangible, that it is like a living book from which to learn.

Letitia wrote: "It is challenging my own psychology and journey through life, which I had not expected...."
That is great. These are the best reads.

I finished this book last week. Overall, I liked the justifications of publishing the book as an intervention and corrective to existing 'faux global' works of mythology that dismissed and disparaged African worldviews from ignorance and racism. The intro stands alone well as an essay on this, showing how Jungian mythology can be used to investigate and understand African myths and also underscoring what this field lost by refusing to draw and learn from these myths. IA great example of this loss is the one you've cited above, about how distinct and distant cultures used similar symbols (like virgin births) to explain common life and world phenomena.

I just couldn't get into the content! The writing style was accessible but the myths themselves I found boring, and the interpretations so big based on such tiny excerpts that I didn't feel moved the way some of you shared above. Worthy of study, but not my personal cup of tea!

I still did not finish this book. Not much progress actually, since I started reading other books. And now I see the group was reading it until March! Well... I will give myself this weekend to finish.

Happy reading-- but no rush, we welcome folks coming back to post on threads long after the group read time period has passed. Sometimes the best insights come after mulling on a book for awhile. :)