Who knew that there were mass killings in the Congo barely 100 years ago? I know that before I picked up this novel, I had no clue about these events. King Leopold's Ghost is one of those stories that shock you with horror and make you wonder about the greed and inhumanity of man. For Leopold, the Congo was used to build his empire and make him wealthy. He was a cruel man and put this region through executions, pillaging, deforestation, and hanging without even setting foot in it. He exploited the Congo’s raw materials for his own profits and created rubber plantations that caused the lives of millions of Africans by working them to death. Adam Hochschild, the author, does not list the facts of history, and create a dry, boring book; instead he tells this tale like a story. It has the good, the bad, and the gruesome. To make it even more interesting, the author uses diary entries, journals, and other primary sources from people who actually experienced these events which helps the reader pick up on emotions that could only be explained through those people.
This book was among the best I have read this year. I had no idea about the atrocities committed in the Congo around the turn of the century until now. Even as Hochschild tries to expose King Leopold II and his horrible deeds, he still maintains neutrality and examines why Leopold may have acted the way he did. This is a book that I would definitely recommend to anyone interested in getting to know more about the world and how connected each country is to one another.
*P.S: There is also an amazing soliloquy about King Leopold by Mark Twain---“King Leopold's Soliloquy: A Defense of His Congo Rule”
-Oprah
I commend you for getting through this book. The Belgians were simply horrendous to the Congolese. One of the most tragic photographs in all of human history is in that book. It's one of those things you can never un-see.
ReplyDeleteThe story of the Belgian Congo is horrible, since the Belgians killed - what is the estimate - 15 million people? But, it's also the story of the first international humanitarian movement. People around the world - Mark Twain included - found King Leopold to be such a monster, that they were compelled to act in defense of people they had never met. So, at least there's a silver lining...
But, it's odd. Some of the people who objected to King Leopold did so because they thought his actions were not proper for a king. I guess they thought democratically elected leaders could kill millions, but a king should know better? Huh.
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ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a really interesting book. I can also picture it being quite sad. The book I read was also set in Africa and told of a lot of suffering and I found it to be quite a good book that opened my eyes to a lot of things. I'll have to read this one next.
ReplyDeleteAudrey H.
It is really unfortunate how so many of us do not know the horrors that occur with a hundred years. I think that this a really interesting topic to study and can see how this occurence would tie into the events happening in the world today. Also, I think that it is really cool that the author used primary sources to get his point across. It proves and drills in the point that this was a big event that was happening in such a short time ago that affected so many people. I would really like to read this book!
ReplyDelete-Princess Diana
My book also explores the exploitations of a countries raw materials.
ReplyDelete- Che Guevara
This book sounds slightly horrific, though well written. It seems like the entire African continent underwent some form of torture from foreigners before gaining their right to independence. King Leopold was one of the most horrific leaders history has ever known. I'm glad that historians have written about all of the horrors he was responsible for in the Congo. Now, when people read this book, they will understand how no one deserves to be treated the way King Leopold treated the Conganese. Hopefully, people will then make sure no one commits actions like Leopold's ever again.
ReplyDelete-Nelson Mandela
So few people are aware of the horrific things King Leopold did to the people of the Congo. The fact that king Leopold lied about what he did makes it that much more upsetting. Even though this book sounds very interesting, the firsthand accounts must be truly heart-wrenching. I learned about this in my world cultures class and was really interested in what the Congolese people's point of view would be, no doubt disturbing but nonetheless interesting. I definitely would love to read this book and find out.
ReplyDelete- Queen Isabel
I agree with Princess Diana. It is very that some do not know of the horrible things that went on in the world. I would love to read this book to learn more about the mass killings in the Congo barely 100 years ago. It would also be interesting to learn more about King Leopold and how he treated the Africans.
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ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting story, Do you think that the congo could become a capitalist nation or did the dutch destroy any chances o the Congo having a independent and successful economy?
ReplyDelete-Helen of Troy
Great comments!!
ReplyDeleteMrs. McCabe