Whale RiderWiti Ihimaera
Now, I don't believe I'll be ruining the plot of the story if I were to go into detail, however, there is a likelihood that SOMEONE doesn't know what I'm talking about.
A girl is born to the whanau of the chief, breaking tradition of the male hereditory status. Because her Grandfather sees her as being of little worth, her Mother and Father are allowed to take her to live with her maternal side of the family. After the Mother's death and the Father's return to the iwi, there is more interaction between Kahu and her Koro. He (the Koro) becomes obsessed with finding the next generation's leader of the tribe and ignores his grandchild's obvious skill in this area. Long story short: GIRL POWER!! and redemption.
So, Whale Rider (the book) is cunningly similar to Whale Rider (the movie), funny that... Where it differs, and actually makes it worthwhile reading, is the narrator.
Told from the perspective of (Uncle) Rawiri, the story of the saviour of the iwi, Kahu (see, the name was changed for the movie, which was originally the character's middle name, Paikea >aha! now you know<) is only one character of many in a story more about an iwi and a way of life than just one (or two) people.Whale rider is interspersed with segments from the whale's point of view and follows Rawiri in his own search for identity and worth along with addressing the deeper issues that face Maori culture in these modern times.
It's obvious that I have done something that is frowned upon (compared a movie to a text as a review >naughty me<) However, I believe it important in order to make my recommendation:
Don't just watch the movie, read the book as well! Do it before, do it after, or if you're skilled: do it at the same time. Any which way: just do it!! In this case, the book offers a refreshing intake into the story, with more insight into the actions of the characters and more of an explanation of the way the tribe works. It's an engaging story made even more so with the ease in which it is to read.
Ihimaera, W (2003). Whale Rider. Reed: Auckland, New Zealand.
Hey Hayley... Totally agree with you. While writing about the movie in the book review of the same title is not considered correct review etiquette, I think in this circumstance, it is incredibly important, as they should and need to be contrasted against each other. So many people only watch 'Whale Rider', though if they read it, they would get a more interesting insight into the Maori world, world view (matauranga maori) and of tikanga in action...
ReplyDeleteI really liked the book because of Uncle Rawiri's narration..for me, it seemed like it was being told like the stories from the old days, in an oral narrative tradition form.. and that was incredibly cool. Quite similar to Patricia Grace's 'Potiki' in a lot of ways actually. *(do that one next!!)
As a point of difference, I liked how the film told Pai's journey on the whale compared to how it was told in the book...for a few reasons.. if you want to know, read the book! ;)
When reading the book, I was surprised by the change in name, but it makes sense... because not often are maori kids given their ancestors name as a first name....waaaay too much pressure, and plus, being a girl, having Paikea as a middle name, is enough in itself.. though in the movie it makes sense her being called Paikea..
Really enjoyed your review hun, keep it up!! :)
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteI read your review of Witi Ihimaera’s ‘The Whale Rider’ and wondered whether you might be interested in asking Witi Ihimaera a question about this book? BBC World Book Club on the World Service is interviewing him soon and would love to hear from you. If interested, please email me at World.Bookclub@bbc.co.uk as soon as you can with a question about the book (anything - doesn't have to be particularly clever!), along with where you’re from/live. We can either arrange for you to talk to Witi Ihimaera himself, or have our presenter put your question to him for you. Then you will be able hear your question on BBC World Service Radio when it airs.
Best wishes,
BBC World Book Club