1st April ‘49 First, they frisk him down, then they start to go through his apartment, this shoddy home of Aleksei Nikolayevich Klebnikov, with its cracked plaster, which criss-crosses the walls; its peeling wallpaper, which droops from the ceiling; its old pipes, which cough and splutter; its wood furniture, which barely holds together; its paintings, …
“I read, and liked, Nick Taussig’s first novel, Love and Mayhem, but somehow missed Don Don, so I’m glad I came across his third book, Gorilla Guerilla, a book I really enjoyed from cover to cover. Told from the twin perspectives of a 12 year old African boy mercenary (Kibwe) and a 12 year old …
“I thoroughly enjoyed this beautifully written novel. Based on the true story of a child soldier, Kibwe, Taussig powerfully sets the nightmare brutality of civil war against the lush, calm, jungle setting of the silverback’s domain – just as the story of Kibwe and Zuberi is both brutal and beautiful. Taussig’s description of Kibwe’s journey …
“In this book Nick Taussig evidences his intelligence, humility and humanity by juxtaposing the lives of two higher primates – one of which writes books. The author also thus renders the barriers we erect between our species and others to protect our sense of uniqueness otiose – or at least calls them (quite rightly) into …
“Gorilla Guerrilla has to be Nick’s best yet. This author truly makes the reader feel for the characters and events that follow.” Mr. S. Modi
“One of the best books I have ever read and Nick Taussig’s best novel so far. Like the ‘brown brown’ forced upon the African child soldiers the story takes you on a savage trip, smashing you in the face with its emotional power and honesty. Never before have I been transported into a world so …
“I remember at school being forced to read books of no particular importance. Maybe every child and prisoner should be forced to read this.” N. Greenwood
Independent on Sunday, New Review, 7th December 2008 I first met Ojok Charles in August 2006. I was travelling in Central and East Africa, specifically Uganda, on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. I was researching my novel, which is set amid the prolific brutality of the region, and I was looking for characters. Within …
“Your book, Gorilla Guerrilla, made an impression on me, and I’ll be heading to Uganda in the foreseeable future.”
Staple, No. 69/70, Summer/Autumn 2008 Getting in print is damn hard these days, and you’re always going to need a little luck! If you’re not a celebrity – and preferably one that is a chef, model, singer, footballer, media pundit or talent show judge – then chances are you’re going to struggle. And even if …