Forest of the Pygmies is the
third of a trilogy of books by Isabel Allende. These adventure stories
featuring magic, various exotic cultures, and many colorful characters; they
are aimed at young readers but fans of the genre of all ages may enjoy the
novel. The book is well written and the fast-paced plot will keep readers
entertained. The book has many educational virtues: set in the present, it
includes references to atrocities in Rwanda, and it contains some details about
life in Africa. It also takes a positive stance towards different religions
and cultural practices and makes fun of Western arrogance. What is more, it is
full of positive female role models.

The style of the Allende’s novel is
strangely old fashioned, and listening to the audiobook version read by Blair
Brown, I found myself imagining the explorer Kate, a journalist of International
Geographic, played by Katherine Hepburn. The main story has a band of
Westerners stumbling across a society in which pygmies have been enslaved by
Bantus under the direction of a despotic leader, and with the help of a magic
ambulate, the westerners bring justice and freedom. Teenagers Alexander and
Nadia, who have a very close relationship that is not (yet) romantic, play
their part in sorting out the troubles. Young readers who like unusual books
might find the story gripping — especially those who enjoy reading old
adventure stories or watching movies from the 1940s. Other readers may just
find the story old fashioned and hard to enjoy, although the unabridged
audiobook version goes quickly, in just six and a half hours, and is
entertaining.

© 2005 Christian
Perring. All rights reserved.