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The Polished Hoe
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 18 hrs and 49 mins
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The Polished Hoe
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Summary
Winner of both the Giller Prize and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, The Polished Hoe is acclaimed author Austin Clarke's masterpiece.
On a Caribbean island in the 1950s, elderly Mary Gertrude Mathilda commits murder. As she explains herself to police, her story exposes the ugly underbelly of life on Caribbean plantations, with its slavery and brutality.
When Mary-Mathilda, one of the most respected women of the island of Bimshire (also known as Barbados) calls the police to confess to the crime, the result is a shattering all-night vigil that brings together elements of the island's African past and the tragic legacy of colonialism in one epic sweep.
Set in the West Indies in the period following World War II, The Polished Hoe - an Essence best seller and a Washington Post Book World Most Worthy Book of 2003 - unravels over the course of 24 hours but spans the collective experience of a society characterized by slavery.
Critic reviews
"Brilliantly written dialogue, a rich, dancing patois that fills out the dimensions of the island's painful history and its complex caste system." (Publishers Weekly)
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What listeners say about The Polished Hoe
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Mrs. Ruby Greene
- 25-03-14
A disappointing read
What disappointed you about The Polished Hoe?
It was a long rambling story with a very disappointing and unrealistic end
What could Austin Clarke have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
Made it shorter and more focused.It was unclear what he was trying to do in this book. He started to say something about a specific subject then deviated and rambled for another two chapters and seemed to forgot the original point he was making, leaving the reader frustrated. His historical timelines were all askew which made the book unbelievable. Events narrated graphically in the book could not have taken place in the historical timelines he described. He kept contradicting himself in that respect Although the topic he was dealing with (the relationship between the Plantocracy and slaves in a specific Caribbean island is not an easy one to handle in a palatable way, it has been done by other authors such as Andrea Levy and in a different scenario by Northcroft. The events he narrated were not impossible but highly improbable especially the consequences he proports for the non ruling classes. This author seemed to have been bent more at criticizing what happened historically from a political perspective rather than telling a palatable believable story.
Did the narration match the pace of the story?
yes
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
Disappointment
Any additional comments?
This had the potential to be a good book but the story did not grab me and I felt more frustration than enjoyment reading this book. It was a chore to complete.I just wanted to know if in the end he would redeem himself but he did not.
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