So far, in my effort to read and review a large cross-section of Africa/safari/history/hunting related books, I have come across a lot of interesting, boring, well-written, not well-written, exciting, educational, inspiring and depressing books. After reading several of the better known and a few lesser known authors, I have finally developed a "feel" for some of them. Some are very predictable in what they write and how they write it - Capstick, Burger, Corbett, Boddington, O'Connor, Boyes, Selous, Hunter and Hemingway. Ruark falls into this category as well.

I have read two of Ruark's best known books (Horn of the Hunter and Use Enough Gun), a biography and collection of his best stuff that Casada put together. I have read some of his "Old Man and the Boy" stuff as well. I have not read his newspaper columns nor any of this other novels. To date, I enjoyed all I have read, as many of you have.

"Something of Value" is about the Mau Mau revolt in Kenya in the 1950's. It centers on a family that settled in Kenya with great ties to the land and the people. Ruark crafts an intriguing story weaving together a couple of story lines of his characters. It starts out "light" and fun with a lot of history into the Kikuyu people, the white Kenyans and the society in which they all live. I am not sure of the historical accuracy of the start of the Mau Mau movement or the key instigators, but Ruark starts the movement through the life of a young Kikuya that lives with the hero's family and is raised along side him. The "hero" of the story, Peter, grows up and becomes a renowned PH by the age of 25. He is highly influenced by a mentor PH and by a couple of rich American clients who are escaping the concrete of New York for a 3 month safari with Peter. It is the first safari for them. They come to admire and "love" Peter the PH and his menagerie of helpers. In the case of the young husband, he admired Peter and tended toward hero worship. The wife, young and pretty, would have pursued Peter had she been single but kept her love contained to the admiration phase. Enter Holly, Peter's childhood neighbor, who goes to England to be educated and now returns to claim Peter as a husband. The safari is a huge success, the husband and wife fall for the alure of Africa and vow to return. The Mau Mau revolution starts and part of Peter's family is murdered with Peter joining the local para-military to hunt them down. The conflict arises in that Peter's life long childhood Kikuyu "brother" is a Mau Mau leader and is responsible for the murders of part of Peter's family. Peter exacts revenge but a terrible price to himself and his soul.

I found incredible parallels between Ruark's life and this book - the young American couple on safari (Ruark and his wife in Horn of the Hunter), the dashing PH (Selby), the detailed descriptions of the drinking and sex and other sordid peeks into the lives of the not-so-perfect characters. The slipping into alcoholism by the hero as he fights devils within and without, the flight of his wife to get "away" from the hero and the circumstances of his personal wars. I feel that Ruark was writing about himself and how he may have seen himself. He writes as he was one character (American hunter) but wanted to be the other (Peter the PH). The book ends with the confrontation with his Kikuyu playmate but leaves many story lines loose.

I am not a Hemingway fan due to the darkness, the death, the hopelessness of his writing. I like his style, his use of descriptive prose and admire his ability. But all I see in Hemingway is a tortured description of his view of the hopelessness of humanity. Ruark was a big fan and imitator of Hemingway - following Hemingway on his safari, his pursuit of kudu (prominent in this book), his life of drinking and the endless pursuit of adventure. I would call each of them a fun-junkie or a thrill-junkie. They were always on to the next stimulating event to write about and experience. Ruark even grew the thin mustache and wore the same type of clothes as Hemingway. He tried big game fishing as well and lived in Spain. Alas, he chose to pursue a flawed hero, much as what he wrote about in this book. He even dies basically a suicide by alcohol versus by gunshot.

This is a tragic book. Entertaining, educational, emotional, but screams as a life unfulfilled by Ruark and by his characters. The hero does not die in this book, but ends in darkness with him becoming part of the evil he was trying to eradicate. I have to step back and admire Ruark's ability to write and describe his emotions as well as lay out a great story. But, in the same vein, I pity him as he appeared to have lived a life of hopelessness and pursuit of happiness rather than joy and peace. The hero in the book states a couple of times that the root problem of the Mau Mau's is that they have lost their God. The whites came, changed the social order, told them about the Christian God, but did not help them replace the old ways with the new ways. In other words, they moved the Kikuyu's from pagan beliefs with a lives corrupted by witchcraft and demons to an empty life. It all goes to show that each man has a place in his life for God - it depends on which you choose. The god of fun, the god of control, the god of appeasement or the God of love and light.

It seems to me Ruark had that same emptiness in his life that was filled by Something of Value.


I am not sure if I recommend this book or not. If you are a Ruark fan, by all means, read it. If you like novels with dark endings, read it. It you are a Hemingway fan, read it. If you like something light and fun - this is not the book for you. I rate it an 8 out of ten for quality and the "making me think" factor. I would rate it a 3 for making you feel good at the end.

Your comments are appreciated....

remember this is book one of two, the other I mis-remember the name of. It draws the story lines together and is a better book.


also read the Honey Badger for a look at His life from the inside.

all os these books are troubling.
Judge, Sharpe

sequel is "Uhuru"

Dogcat:

Something of Value and Uhruhu are my favorite Ruark novels. I read them as a teen, and they helped me understand what was happening at the time in East Africa.

I didn't discover James Mitchener's Covenant and Wilbur Smith's novels about southern Africa until much later. I owe a huge debt to them nonetheless.

My question: does anyone know of any good fiction works (in English) based upon west and central Africa's history of colonialism and independence? I have most of the English-language books on hunting in those regions, but I know very little about the political history.

Bill Quimby

THanks for the help. I will get Uhuru.
You can probably tell by the review that I am puzzled by Ruark and this book. Too many loose ends for my mind and being a bit biased on some of the issues in the book tainted my view.

Before we took the license from the Ruark Estate for Something of Value I reread Uhuru, Poor No More and Honey Badger. Of these books I personally found SOV to be the best by far. We also had to choice to purchase a license for about 10 other books on African hunting and we still chose this one, I think it is excellent but then I am the publisher of Safari Press. But I bet you will want to read this more than once over time.

My favourite troll - Ludo, no less!!

I absolutely agree with your choice of Something of Value - great book, but disturbing for a delicate soul like me. Required reading for those who desire an insight to early African nationalism, tied into some typical Ruark romanticism, which makes it a page-turner.

Hope you will purchase the book licenses from my estate too!

Richard.

Author of: The Hunting Imperative; African Epic; Ndlovu - The Art of Hunting the African Elephant. (Available from Rowland Ward Publications and Safari Press)

Richard,
Please do not get in a hurry to 'have' an estate!! You still have some writing and hunting to do.

dogcat,

I have read and studied Hemingway for years. I can't agree with your assessment that Hemingway's work was about hopelessness. On the contrary, the central theme of much of his writing is that man may be destroyed but not defeated.

In the end, suicide took Hemingway, after multiple concussions and alcoholism destroyed his ability to write.

I read Something of Value when I was 18 years old and it became my favourite of all his books. I have a copy and I'll read it again soon, it's 42 years later.

SOV was one of my favorite of Ruarks. But I am also a Hemingway fan, particularly fond of Death In The Afternoon, The Old Man And The Sea, Islands in The Stream, The Snows of Kilamanjaro.

I was rivited by this book and still consider it one of my all time favorites.

I agree about SOV being RR's best....I have a copy for sale @ 15.00 plus 2.50 postage, if anyone wants it.
I also loved RR's 2 books about his growing up with his grandfather......genuinely delightful reads.