Adventure; Coming-of-Age; Magical Realism; Quest
Growing Up is Not for Wimps
This novel is a classic example of a coming-of-age novel, because it tells of Peekay's life from birth until early adulthood, with lots of exciting risks and physical danger thrown in along the way to makes it an adventure. We get to accompany Peekay from when he's just a little baby on his Nanny's lap to when he's a big, strong man—it's probably safe to say that he came of age.
What…is Your Quest?
Peekay's quest is to reach the ultimate goal of avenging Granpa Chook's death, and it takes him a cool twenty-four chapters to get it done. You might think it's a little bit crazy to spend your whole life torn up over a chicken, but for Peekay, Granpa Chook was his only friend and the Judge's murdering him the ultimate example of evil. Overcoming that jerk feels pretty good.
Did That Really Happen?
The special curses, magic dream walkabouts, and other encounters with African tradition are examples of magical realism, where magical elements seem to be everyday, ordinary occurrences. Peekay doesn't spend too much time trying to convince us that this stuff is true; he just acts like it's the kind of thing that might happen to anyone.