Pfupisa nyaya yacho:  MUZUVA rose. Rakanyorwa naJoanna Biggs. (Serpent's Tail £14,99) Nenzira inozivikanwa uye isingakanganwiki, mudetembi Philip Larkin akabvunza, kuti: 'Nei ndichifanira kurega tsuro ichishanda / Kugwadamira upenyu hwangu?' Akashuva kuva '... akashinga zvakakwana / Kushevedzera Stuff pension yako! - asi aiziva kuti aisazombodaro. Kofi mangwanani: Britain pabasa. Udzvinyiriri hwebasa rechipfumbamwe kusvika kushanu ndehwezvemari (chokwadi), asiwo pamusoro pekukosha kwetsika: tinoshanda nokuti tinoziva kuti tinofanira 'kutora mutoro wedu' mukukweva kwevanhu muhondo. Mangwanani api naapi, mumataundi api naapi kana kuti maguta munyika yose, vanhu vanodirana kunzvimbo dzavo dzebasa, vamwe vachitungamirirwa nepfungwa yebasa, vamwe nokugutsikana nokufinhwa, vamwe nokudisa, vamwe nokushayiwa. Zvirokwazvo ibasa, kwete rudo, rinoita kuti nyika itenderere? Joanna Biggs anogovera mupiro wakaisvonaka kuzivo yedu yenyika yebasa mumarudzi ayo ose - kwete kupfurikidza nokuongorora kunonetesa kwoupenyu hwevanhu (ndinotenda Mwari), asi kupfurikidza nenyaya dzavanhu chaivo vaakabvunzurudza munyika yose. Kuverenga bhuku iri kunondiyeuchidza kuti nguva dzachinja zvikuru sei kubvira apo chizvarwa changu chakasiya chikoro kana kuti koreji muma1960 chisina kunetseka pamusoro pokuwana basa. Takanga tine rombo rakanaka. Joanna Biggs anojekesa nenzira inosuruvarisa kuti nokuda kwavanhu vazhinji nhasi, 'pfungwa yokuti basa rakanaka rinounza upenyu hwakanaka haichashandi.' Biggs anogovera vashandi vake mumapoka anonakidza, achibatanidza mabasa akasiyana-siyana maererano nebasa ravo rose. Saka chitsauko chinoti 'Kugadzira' chinotipa muumbi wevhu, mugadziri weshangu uye (hongu) robhoti, iro rinotizivisa mainjiniya aro okuchengetedza. "Kushumira" kunosanganisira mushandi wepabonde, vaviri baristas, chipangamazano we call centre uye chipangamazano chaiye wezvematongerwo enyika. Avo 'Vanogadzira' ndiRabhi, mukuru wemauto nomukoti, nepo avo 'Vanotungamirira' vari mutungamiriri wekambani, amai vanogara pamusha (vakafuridzirwa, iyeyo) uye ishe anogara nhaka. Biggs anonyora kuti: 'Ndakaramba ndichinzwa kuti vanhu vaida mabasa avo, uye pane dzimwe nguva izvi zvaindinetsa.' Tinosangana naavo vari kutengesa, kuvaraidza, kufunga, kutarisira - pamwe chete neboka rinoshamisa ravanhu iro Biggs anounganidza pamwe chete pasi pe'Kutanga': a...
Joanna Biggs anotaura nhau dzavanhu chaivo vaakabvunzurudza muUK. Anopa mupiro wakaisvonaka kuzivo yedu yenyika yebasa. Anobvuma kuti aitarisira kuti pave nokuramba kwakakura munzira iyo nzanga yakarongwa nayo.