I read The Poisonwood Bible quite a few years ago, but I remember feeling betrayed, somehow, when it left off being a good story and--so far as I can remember--turned to a political theme. I lost all interest in the book and never finished it.

Jankin, I read the PWB over three days last summer and loved it. The political side was fine by me, rather inevitable considering the setting. I knew very little of the Congo/Zaire before reading the novel, and learnt lots from it - although I feel the need to do some fact-checking to be sure.
I wouldn't know where to start discussing it, though, as it is such a huge book with so many threads!
One of the features that made it so enjoyable to read was the use of the five different narrators, each with a very distinctive voice - the superficial Rachel served not only as light relief, but also to show the conventional white settlers' self-centred view of Africa; Leah gave the inside view; etc. The mother's highly sensual descriptive prose made it clear how ill-suited she was as the restrictive and repressive missionary's wife.

I thought it was full of stereotypes and closed it in exasperation when I was 2/3 done. Don't know why it got so much publicity.

The first 400 pages were excellent and I enjoyed them, but she should have ended it there. Beyond that point, it was all just anticlimactic, and excessively preachy.

I loved it!
I read it a couple years ago but this year I was sadly reminded of the book when a missionary friend of ours went off the deep end and ended up losing his wife and 5 children.

I thought the last third of the book was a balm after the storm. I enjoyed finding out what happened to everyone, particularly Adah.

Many thanks for responses - I read PWB a few years ago and remember finding the final section hard going - I'll be interested to see what the rest of the study group make of it.
I forgot to mention that after Heart of Darkness we looked at Genesis - from 1st verse to end chp.4 - basing on KJV also several other versions - What was fascinating is that one or two members were concerned about the relgious aspects of discussion - because we also looked at Gilgamesh and the Gnostics and they were worried that by merely exploring the 'beginning' and 'the Fall' their faith might be threatened - I try to be objective and keep an open mind as it is important in my teaching schedule for the year that we address 'metaphor' in literature.
I am linking the 'moral and spiritual blindness' of PWB to our study of King Lear next term
Thanks again

I read PWB a couple of years ago and was struck by how weak the mother was until her youngest daughter died. She and her children suffered so much for so long trying to appease the father. From the very beginning, the father used his faith as a weapon to control his family. It took a tragedy before the mother woke up and found the strength to save herself and her other children. To me, this was a very powerful message for any person who is allowing someone to control them.