Carcase for Hounds
novel by Meja Mwangi
Carcase for Hounds is a novel by Kenyan writer Meja Mwangi first published in 1974. The novel concerns the Mau Mau liberation struggle during the latter days of British colonial rule and attempts, by the actions of the main protagonists, to show how Mau Mau was organized and why it took so long for the colonial government to defeat them. Carcase for Hounds received mixed reviews. The novel was also adapted into a movie by Ola Balogun, Cry Freedom (1981; not to be confused with the more famous 1987 film of the same name).
Plot
The novel concerns the conflict between the fictional General Haraka, a leader of the Mau Mau, and British forces representing the colonial government, led by Captain Kingsley. Haraka is a former village chief whose disagreement with Kingsley, before the conflict, causes him to consider rebelling against the British.
It is set primarily in remote portions of Kenya, where the fighting took place in rain forests and on mountains.
Reception
The novel received mixed reviews by critics. J. Burns, writing for the journal Books Abroad, criticized the book for being largely action, with only superficial plot and characters. Burns did, however, praise Mwangi's prose and descriptive abilities.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Carcase for Hounds” as novel by Meja Mwangi. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the arts & letters register because the source frames it as novel by Meja Mwangi. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 17, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q5038124. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1974, 1981 and 1987.
Later fame can flatten the distinction between original context, subsequent adaptation and institutional collecting history. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Carcase for Hounds” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.