Books They Read: Minega Isibo
Minega Isibo is a legal analyst at the Rwanda Development Board and he lives in Kigali, Rwanda. He recently exchanged e-mails with Beatrice Lamwaka, about his passion for books.
What do you like about fiction?
Fiction allows my imagination to soar beyond the ordinary and to explore new ideas and worlds.
I get completely wrapped up in fiction and it educates me, moves me, challenges me, enrages me and makes me think. Reading fiction makes me feel alive.
I remember the first book I read when I was about seven: Ronia the Robber’s Daughter by Astrid Lindgren. I stunned that I had discovered something so magical and that I could pick up an inanimate object like a book and words inside would just tell me a story if only I looked at the page and let the letters come alive. I can’t imagine what my life would be like without books.
Which books did you like or hate in school?
I was lucky that my mum bought me tons of books when I was in primary school, so I had the opportunity to read as much as I wanted. I had a wide variety to read - everything from the Moses books by Barbra Kimenye to the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew detective novels plus trashy drama like Jackie Collins books.
I didn’t hate any of the books I read back then- even the lousy ones taught me some things. However it was only in High School that I was able to fully indulge my habit because I had greater access to a wide range of books and I discovered most of my current favorite authors and books.
I have fond memories of reading so many great books like Catch 22 by Joseph Heller, The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov and Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.
What are your favourite books?
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller: this is one of the most powerful and iconic anti-war books, and I love the way it manages to combine comedy with all the horror of conflict. I like how the increasingly farcical and bizarre events take place in a completely realistic universe. I am intrigued by books that have this kind of juxtaposition.
Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes: this is a comic masterpiece. The delusions of the lead character is one of the things I love most about this book, not to mention its satire of flowery pretentious prose. It’s also a bit tragic too because the character’s journey is inherently tragic, but mainly it is just superbly witty.
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams: a science-fiction comedy about the end of the world. I adore this book. I love how witty the book is and the increasing bewilderment of the lead character in the face of increasingly bizarre events. It also has some surprisingly profound things to say about existence and meaning. This was one of the first books that inspired my love for science-fiction. An absolute must-read. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett: this book had a powerful influence on my views of morality and the power of fiction.
Which writer have you recently discovered?
Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier rocked my world and I’ve been on a frantic search to locate everything else he has written. Sadly I haven’t found any of his other books. David Mitchell has also been an intriguing recent discovery.
Which books have made a difference in your life?
One that springs to mind immediately is The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett; one of the first books to show me how powerful fiction could be. I’d also include a book I read when I was about 12 called Toby Tyler, Or Ten Weeks With A Circus by James Otis which left a deep imprint on me even though I read it so long ago.
Both books gave shape to my ideas of morality. Others like 1984 by George Orwell and A Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood have also shaped my thinking and character in fundamental ways. I’d certainly include A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson on this list, as well.
Which books are you reading?
I’m currently reading P.G Wodehouse’s Joy in the Morning which is a comedy about British upper-class society featuring a cast of zany characters. Wodehouse is probably the wittiest writer of all time; everything he writes is unbelievably funny. I’ve been on a Wodehouse marathon over the past two months and it’s been very rewarding indeed.
Wodehouse can play with words in ways that can make you gasp. After that, I’ve got What is the What by Dave Eggers recommended to me by a friend. I always know the next three books I intend to read, and I usually have them by my bedside table.
