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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
My local library does this sneaky thing where the newest, prettiest books are displayed prominently enticing you to borrow them despite having a growing stack of bought books to consume at home. So I sheepishly took this home a few weeks ago. Now I feel I have been punished for my naughtiness because this is really not my cup of coffee.
Firstly, I do like cultural immersion in my books but the spiritual language and imagery was too much and I ended up skipping a lot particularly as it was so hard to pronounce a lot of the words. Then it was the story. I really hate books where I can see a whole series of awful things are going to happen to the protagonist before they happen and then have to live through it happening! Ugh. So I skimmed through a lot of that too. Lastly, I just couldn't relate to or like the main characters very much. They were rather blah and two-dimensional.
Firstly, I do like cultural immersion in my books but the spiritual language and imagery was too much and I ended up skipping a lot particularly as it was so hard to pronounce a lot of the words. Then it was the story. I really hate books where I can see a whole series of awful things are going to happen to the protagonist before they happen and then have to live through it happening! Ugh. So I skimmed through a lot of that too. Lastly, I just couldn't relate to or like the main characters very much. They were rather blah and two-dimensional.
I haven't yet read a book by a Nigerian author that I haven't enjoyed. This took me a while to get into, it is a slow moving thoughtful novel, much like the protagonist, but his story hooks you. It is a story that you know is full of tragedy but there are moments of joy, insight and love as Nonso, a chicken farmer, embarks on a quest to make himself good enough in the eyes of his girlfriend's wealthy family and marry her. Narrated by Nonso's chi, there is a strong element of magic based on If No cosmology and creationism and it's a fascinating point of view to read through. It's not a happily ever 3story where the underdog wins, it's so much more layered and rich and thoughtful.
"All who have been chained and beaten, whose lands have been plundered, whose civilizations have been destroyed, who have been silenced, raped, shamed, and killed. With all these people, he'd come to share a common fate. They were the minorities of this world whose only recourse was to join this universal orchestra in which all there was to do was cry and wail."
First off, An Orchestra of Minorities is a book that purports (in its jacket copy! in the text itself!) to be a retelling of Homer's The Odyssey. This claim was one of the biggest draws for me, so the fact that I didn't think Obioma's novel compared well to The Odyssey did not bode well. This novel is divided into three "incantations," but it is not until the second of these that the connection to Homer's epic begins to surface, and not until the third part (over 300 pages into the novel!) that Chinonso actually becomes a man stuck abroad, struggling to return to his home and the woman he loves. Plot-wise, the comparison ends there. Without the narration's insistence on blatantly drawing a link between Chinonso and Odysseus, I suspect any narrative similarity would have gone largely unnoticed; but that's just one reader's opinion.
"And I must say, humbly- Chukwu- that I may have helped save my host's life! For my words- What if she still loves you like Odysseus's wife?- filled him with sudden hope."
My love for The Odyssey is 50% appreciation for the tragedy, 50% appreciation for Odysseus's craftiness in circumnavigating each of the obstacles placed in his path. Though Chinonso's story certainly includes plenty of tragedy, he responds to his hardships with more crying and wailing (see opening quote) than attempts to outsmart his enemies. Though Chinonso's inability to fight back against his oppressors makes a powerful statement about how hard it must be to escape injustices like those that he faces in Nigeria (and in Cyprus, likened to "Africa in Europe"), it also leaves An Orchestra of Minorities feeling like an overly long and uneventful book in which things only happen to the main character. The format of Chinonso's "chi" giving this story as testimony to the Igbo gods grounds the reader in Nigerian culture and harks back to the Greek's singing muses, though the prose's tendency to repeat itself and philosophize (which admittedly fits the myth comparison) also contributes to the sense of longwindedness. This could easily have been a much shorter book.
"A word spoken stands as truth, firm, unless it is revealed to be a lie. Truth is a fixed, unchangeable state. It is that which resists any touching, any fiddling. It cannot be adorned, nor can it be garnished. It cannot be bent, rearranged, or moved about. [...] Speak only what you know. If a fact is thin, do not feed it to make it fat. If a fact is rich, do not take from it to make it lowly. If a fact is short, do not stretch it to make it long. Truth resists the hand that creates it, so that it is not bound by the hand. It must exist in the state in which it was first created."
Some readers will find these moralizing moments more endearing than I did, surely. To me they seemed tangential and gimmicky. I liked that the dialogue is written in dialect, but the frequent untranslated phrases of Igbo that I was not able to glean through context were a step too far for me. There are also many names mentioned, of places and deities and such, whose significance I had a hard time understanding because they are not always explained clearly for the layperson. In many ways I thought An Orchestra of Minorities to be a brilliant snapshot of a place and culture, but there are certainly details that went over my head, as well. I think someone more familiar with Igbo and Nigeria might best comprehend everything Obioma is doing with language and structure in this novel, but I also think the content and themes are aimed more at those who are unfamiliar, in a way that is meant to raise awareness of some of the gross racial injustice still evident in the world today. I'm not sure who the happy middle audience might be.
"I know what they did to you was not good. They disgraced you. But, you see, these things happen. This is Nigeria. This is Alaigbo. A poor man is a poor man. Onye ogbenye, he is not respected in the society."
The largest barrier against my enjoyment (or even appreciation) of this book is Chinonso himself. I do think a case can be made that the toxic masculinity on display in his character is an intentional, calculated writing choice meant to reflect the difficult environment in which Chinonso has been raised and the increase of struggles piled upon him. In the end, the narration's failure to address this possibility even in the most subtle way makes it hard to see this element in any sort of constructive light, and I found myself more annoyed with its inclusion than sympathetic- it could have been handled better. So could a few other sensitive topics that come up in the story: prostitution, depression and suicidal thoughts, alcoholism... Chinonso meets a string of characters with problems of their own, but never sees these issues as more than plot points in his own narrative. As a consequence, Chinonso is the only character that feels fully fleshed out. This bothered me with Ndali in particular, as she plays such a vital role; Chinonso meets her a real low point in her life, as a failed relationship leads her to the edge of a bridge- but even when her relationship with Chinonso must appear to her to be headed down the same path, we see only Chinonso worrying that she'll let another man touch her breasts, rather than showing any concern for the well-being of the woman he supposedly loves.
But for all my complaints, I do need to say that I admire the concept behind this story. Though the execution fell entirely flat for me, I think this book was born from a strong and worthwhile idea (which I've mostly avoided talking about to spare you from any spoilers- it's best not to know what's coming). Because he is Nigerian, because the lessons life has taught Chinonso are not the same lessons people learn in other countries, he is vulnerable in particular ways. Because he is Nigerian, his word does not matter when someone accuses him. Because he is Nigerian, assumptions are made about him, lies are spread, and his life is less his own. Though this brand of racism is not a new theme in literature, I think Obioma frames and addresses the issue in a new and interesting way. For a reader who enjoys Obioma's writing, I think this story may leave a much better impression. Personally, I'm left grasping at a few tolerable aspects from a largely unpleasant reading experience.
"Look at our economy; see our cities. No light. No jobs. No clean water. No security. No nothing. Everything, price of everything is double-double. Nothing is working. You go to school suppose take you for four years, you finish after six or seven, if God help you even. Then when you finish you find job so tey you will grow gray hair and even if you find it, you will work-work-workn and still not be paid."
First off, An Orchestra of Minorities is a book that purports (in its jacket copy! in the text itself!) to be a retelling of Homer's The Odyssey. This claim was one of the biggest draws for me, so the fact that I didn't think Obioma's novel compared well to The Odyssey did not bode well. This novel is divided into three "incantations," but it is not until the second of these that the connection to Homer's epic begins to surface, and not until the third part (over 300 pages into the novel!) that Chinonso actually becomes a man stuck abroad, struggling to return to his home and the woman he loves. Plot-wise, the comparison ends there. Without the narration's insistence on blatantly drawing a link between Chinonso and Odysseus, I suspect any narrative similarity would have gone largely unnoticed; but that's just one reader's opinion.
"And I must say, humbly- Chukwu- that I may have helped save my host's life! For my words- What if she still loves you like Odysseus's wife?- filled him with sudden hope."
My love for The Odyssey is 50% appreciation for the tragedy, 50% appreciation for Odysseus's craftiness in circumnavigating each of the obstacles placed in his path. Though Chinonso's story certainly includes plenty of tragedy, he responds to his hardships with more crying and wailing (see opening quote) than attempts to outsmart his enemies. Though Chinonso's inability to fight back against his oppressors makes a powerful statement about how hard it must be to escape injustices like those that he faces in Nigeria (and in Cyprus, likened to "Africa in Europe"), it also leaves An Orchestra of Minorities feeling like an overly long and uneventful book in which things only happen to the main character. The format of Chinonso's "chi" giving this story as testimony to the Igbo gods grounds the reader in Nigerian culture and harks back to the Greek's singing muses, though the prose's tendency to repeat itself and philosophize (which admittedly fits the myth comparison) also contributes to the sense of longwindedness. This could easily have been a much shorter book.
"A word spoken stands as truth, firm, unless it is revealed to be a lie. Truth is a fixed, unchangeable state. It is that which resists any touching, any fiddling. It cannot be adorned, nor can it be garnished. It cannot be bent, rearranged, or moved about. [...] Speak only what you know. If a fact is thin, do not feed it to make it fat. If a fact is rich, do not take from it to make it lowly. If a fact is short, do not stretch it to make it long. Truth resists the hand that creates it, so that it is not bound by the hand. It must exist in the state in which it was first created."
Some readers will find these moralizing moments more endearing than I did, surely. To me they seemed tangential and gimmicky. I liked that the dialogue is written in dialect, but the frequent untranslated phrases of Igbo that I was not able to glean through context were a step too far for me. There are also many names mentioned, of places and deities and such, whose significance I had a hard time understanding because they are not always explained clearly for the layperson. In many ways I thought An Orchestra of Minorities to be a brilliant snapshot of a place and culture, but there are certainly details that went over my head, as well. I think someone more familiar with Igbo and Nigeria might best comprehend everything Obioma is doing with language and structure in this novel, but I also think the content and themes are aimed more at those who are unfamiliar, in a way that is meant to raise awareness of some of the gross racial injustice still evident in the world today. I'm not sure who the happy middle audience might be.
"I know what they did to you was not good. They disgraced you. But, you see, these things happen. This is Nigeria. This is Alaigbo. A poor man is a poor man. Onye ogbenye, he is not respected in the society."
The largest barrier against my enjoyment (or even appreciation) of this book is Chinonso himself. I do think a case can be made that the toxic masculinity on display in his character is an intentional, calculated writing choice meant to reflect the difficult environment in which Chinonso has been raised and the increase of struggles piled upon him. In the end, the narration's failure to address this possibility even in the most subtle way makes it hard to see this element in any sort of constructive light, and I found myself more annoyed with its inclusion than sympathetic- it could have been handled better. So could a few other sensitive topics that come up in the story: prostitution, depression and suicidal thoughts, alcoholism... Chinonso meets a string of characters with problems of their own, but never sees these issues as more than plot points in his own narrative. As a consequence, Chinonso is the only character that feels fully fleshed out. This bothered me with Ndali in particular, as she plays such a vital role; Chinonso meets her a real low point in her life, as a failed relationship leads her to the edge of a bridge- but even when her relationship with Chinonso must appear to her to be headed down the same path, we see only Chinonso worrying that she'll let another man touch her breasts, rather than showing any concern for the well-being of the woman he supposedly loves.
But for all my complaints, I do need to say that I admire the concept behind this story. Though the execution fell entirely flat for me, I think this book was born from a strong and worthwhile idea (which I've mostly avoided talking about to spare you from any spoilers- it's best not to know what's coming). Because he is Nigerian, because the lessons life has taught Chinonso are not the same lessons people learn in other countries, he is vulnerable in particular ways. Because he is Nigerian, his word does not matter when someone accuses him. Because he is Nigerian, assumptions are made about him, lies are spread, and his life is less his own. Though this brand of racism is not a new theme in literature, I think Obioma frames and addresses the issue in a new and interesting way. For a reader who enjoys Obioma's writing, I think this story may leave a much better impression. Personally, I'm left grasping at a few tolerable aspects from a largely unpleasant reading experience.
"Look at our economy; see our cities. No light. No jobs. No clean water. No security. No nothing. Everything, price of everything is double-double. Nothing is working. You go to school suppose take you for four years, you finish after six or seven, if God help you even. Then when you finish you find job so tey you will grow gray hair and even if you find it, you will work-work-workn and still not be paid."
I adored this book. The writing, the characters, the descriptions - everything just completely sucked me in to the world it created. Fantastically flawed characters and realllly interesting.
3.5 Stars!!! Let me first of all say that this is not the most readable novel. It’s good, but it will make you work. Reading this, the author very OBVIOUSLY loves language (both English and Igbo) and words and through the narrator, Nonso’s chi (sort of like a personal guardian spirit that each person is believed to have in Igbo theology), he delivers a veritable smorgasbord of million-dollar word porn. Non-thesaurus owners need not apply to this book club. Because in its construction, each sentence and idea is communicated in A LOT of words (and a lot of big words at that), with a lot of philosophy and with a lot of formal obsequiousness. Simplicity and ease don’t live here.
This novel is a dark love story about a somewhat feckless main character, Nonso, and his ill-fated love affair with the cosmopolitan, Ndali, which begins after he saves her from jumping off a bridge. We know that their love story is ill-fated because the novel is told as a narrative by Nonso’s chi defending his host, Nonso, to the Almighty. The style of the novel kind of lets us know that Nonso is on trial and must have made some grevious error but we’re not sure what the error is. This is the start of a somewhat tedious story about Nonso’s life and what led him to take the actions he does in the end.
I recognize this book as an impeccably-written work of literary art. The painstaking exposition of Igbo theology through Nonso’s chi’s philosophical narrative alone, is worthy of acclaim. However, what makes this book art is also what makes it tedious. I found myself often yearning for simplicity and a quicker journey through the plot. This was exacerbated by the fact that Nonso was a little helpless and lacking in agency in a way that was a little incomprehensible to me as a reader. Yes, he had been through a lot of loss in his early years, but there was no reason for him to have been so weak. Nonso understandably had mummy-issues (having lost his mother at a young age) whilst Ndali had abandonment issues and clings to Nonso as a rescuer. From the beginning, even without Nonso’s chi’s constant foreshadowing, there is something ill-fated about their relationship as it seems unbalanced and to be borne from desperation and neediness.
Even though this isn’t the easiest book to read, I have to say that it feels worth it to have read it. There are a lot of thought-provoking, philosophical ideas in this book. It’s hard for me to rate this because in terms of “liking” it, I found the narrative rather slow and ponderous and a little overworked at times and couldn’t really get behind the characters and for that would give it 2.5-3 stars. BUT it’s those very factors, the intricate use of language, the obsequious, overly talkative narration, the fact that this is still a compelling read even if I didn’t like the characters, that make this book such a worthy book to read, that make this a 4-5-star read.
This novel is a dark love story about a somewhat feckless main character, Nonso, and his ill-fated love affair with the cosmopolitan, Ndali, which begins after he saves her from jumping off a bridge. We know that their love story is ill-fated because the novel is told as a narrative by Nonso’s chi defending his host, Nonso, to the Almighty. The style of the novel kind of lets us know that Nonso is on trial and must have made some grevious error but we’re not sure what the error is. This is the start of a somewhat tedious story about Nonso’s life and what led him to take the actions he does in the end.
I recognize this book as an impeccably-written work of literary art. The painstaking exposition of Igbo theology through Nonso’s chi’s philosophical narrative alone, is worthy of acclaim. However, what makes this book art is also what makes it tedious. I found myself often yearning for simplicity and a quicker journey through the plot. This was exacerbated by the fact that Nonso was a little helpless and lacking in agency in a way that was a little incomprehensible to me as a reader. Yes, he had been through a lot of loss in his early years, but there was no reason for him to have been so weak. Nonso understandably had mummy-issues (having lost his mother at a young age) whilst Ndali had abandonment issues and clings to Nonso as a rescuer. From the beginning, even without Nonso’s chi’s constant foreshadowing, there is something ill-fated about their relationship as it seems unbalanced and to be borne from desperation and neediness.
Even though this isn’t the easiest book to read, I have to say that it feels worth it to have read it. There are a lot of thought-provoking, philosophical ideas in this book. It’s hard for me to rate this because in terms of “liking” it, I found the narrative rather slow and ponderous and a little overworked at times and couldn’t really get behind the characters and for that would give it 2.5-3 stars. BUT it’s those very factors, the intricate use of language, the obsequious, overly talkative narration, the fact that this is still a compelling read even if I didn’t like the characters, that make this book such a worthy book to read, that make this a 4-5-star read.
Thanks to NetGalley and The Publisher's for this eARC.
An Orchestra of Minorities is about Chinonso, a humble poultry farmer and the sacrifices he makes for the women he loves that ultimately leads to his downfall. Narrated by his Chi, we learn all of from the prospective of his chi but also about the relationship of the chi with its host.
While I know this book is well written, it is totally over written. It goes on and on and on providing for me too many minuscule details, over explaining every thought and action, without adding anything to the actually story. And there are no surprises in the story, every last thing is obvious from the start and some part a quite frankly ridiculous because of the level of naivety Chinonso still continues to display after all that he has endured before.
However, reading about mans emotional turmoil, a Nigerian man at that, instead of reading about a strong alpha male (as is often the case) was refreshing.
While I appreciate the work ethic gone in to bring insights of Igbo cosmology to the masses, ultimately this book just didn't work for me
An Orchestra of Minorities is about Chinonso, a humble poultry farmer and the sacrifices he makes for the women he loves that ultimately leads to his downfall. Narrated by his Chi, we learn all of from the prospective of his chi but also about the relationship of the chi with its host.
While I know this book is well written, it is totally over written. It goes on and on and on providing for me too many minuscule details, over explaining every thought and action, without adding anything to the actually story. And there are no surprises in the story, every last thing is obvious from the start and some part a quite frankly ridiculous because of the level of naivety Chinonso still continues to display after all that he has endured before.
However, reading about mans emotional turmoil, a Nigerian man at that, instead of reading about a strong alpha male (as is often the case) was refreshing.
While I appreciate the work ethic gone in to bring insights of Igbo cosmology to the masses, ultimately this book just didn't work for me
I was surprised by the construction, point of view and emotional depth to this book. Narrated by the soul/spirit of the main character, Obioma brings the reader deep into Chinoso’s mind. His fate seems already decided; he lives a life of hard times and is swindled despite his hard work. After imprisonment, he seethes for vengeance. There were times I was a bit lost in he narration, untangling important moments of reflection, but it’s a powerful and commanding second novel.
I didn't get massively far but found the writing style to be quite detached and the story wasn't really pulling me along sufficiently. I have this on audible to listen to on runs and it just wasn't hitting the spot for me.
reflective
medium-paced
This was very promising at the beginning, it had an interesting, oral like style and a lot of Igbo cosmology and mythology. But the story was underwhelming, and it went in all directions. I found it overall hard to get through once the main character moves to Cyprus, it sounded like full of stereotypes, and the Igbo voice is lost.
Having read and enjoyed Obioma’s debut The Fishermen, I was looking forward to An Orchestra of Minorities. Style and plot wise this is not an artistic jump but a full on leap. However I stumbled onto one flaw of the book, but I’ll get into that later. I’ll start with the good.
One cannot blame Obioma for his ambition. An Orchestra of Minorities manages to merge African, mainly Igbo, cosmology with Greek mythology, namely The Odyssey. Although it sounds complex, Obioma westernises it for the reader and provides some charts of the spiritual and material worlds in the front of the book.
The book takes the form of a trial, albeit a spiritual trial, where the chi (spiritual guardian) of the main protagonist is explaining to the major African Gods what has happened to his host and if the chi can be granted special permission to perform some outer-worldly acts to save him.
The. main protagonist is Nonso, a chicken farmer, who falls in love with a high class girl, Ndali . Although the couple love each other, there are problems due to social class. Nonso’s solution is to return to school and get a degree.
More problems occur when Nonso meets a school-friend who tells him that in Cyprus he can earn a degree quickly and reap many benefits. So Nonso ends up selling everything, only to find out that his actions have created grave consequences. Nonso sojourn to and fro from Nigeria and Cyprus is not to dissimilar to the Odyssey, except with some changes but I’ll let the reader figure that out.
An Orchestra of Minorities, at least to me, seems like an satire on both European and African politics but more importantly I also saw what someone will do for love. Granted it may not work out but Nonso’s intentions are fueled by his love for Ndali, which is reciprocated. There were many things I liked about the book. I thought the chi’s journeys into the astral plain were fantastic, I liked his communication with other spirits and his perspective of the human and other worlds. Also for a tragic story Obioma does know how to make the reader laugh. Sometimes Nonso can find himself is comic situations not unlike the ones Mr. Bean creates.
But there is one problem.
The writing style plods (and I know it's part of a literary tradition).
There were times I felt bored with the writing. Maybe I thought it was too ornate, maybe the repetitious style annoyed me. At times I thought that there was way too much fat in the text and a lot could have been cut out. Usually I don’t mind a book which moves at tortoise pace but it bothered me with this novel. Saying that I appreciated the complexity of the plot so I wanted to see how the story would develop and I stuck out to the end, although it was a bit difficult.
Despite the major flaw, I would. not call An Orchestra of Minorities ( the title refers to the sound chickens make when the flock is disturbed – you can guess how the metaphor works out in the book) a failure, as i am curious to see where Obioma will go next but I don’t think it is a book I will return to either.
One cannot blame Obioma for his ambition. An Orchestra of Minorities manages to merge African, mainly Igbo, cosmology with Greek mythology, namely The Odyssey. Although it sounds complex, Obioma westernises it for the reader and provides some charts of the spiritual and material worlds in the front of the book.
The book takes the form of a trial, albeit a spiritual trial, where the chi (spiritual guardian) of the main protagonist is explaining to the major African Gods what has happened to his host and if the chi can be granted special permission to perform some outer-worldly acts to save him.
The. main protagonist is Nonso, a chicken farmer, who falls in love with a high class girl, Ndali . Although the couple love each other, there are problems due to social class. Nonso’s solution is to return to school and get a degree.
More problems occur when Nonso meets a school-friend who tells him that in Cyprus he can earn a degree quickly and reap many benefits. So Nonso ends up selling everything, only to find out that his actions have created grave consequences. Nonso sojourn to and fro from Nigeria and Cyprus is not to dissimilar to the Odyssey, except with some changes but I’ll let the reader figure that out.
An Orchestra of Minorities, at least to me, seems like an satire on both European and African politics but more importantly I also saw what someone will do for love. Granted it may not work out but Nonso’s intentions are fueled by his love for Ndali, which is reciprocated. There were many things I liked about the book. I thought the chi’s journeys into the astral plain were fantastic, I liked his communication with other spirits and his perspective of the human and other worlds. Also for a tragic story Obioma does know how to make the reader laugh. Sometimes Nonso can find himself is comic situations not unlike the ones Mr. Bean creates.
But there is one problem.
The writing style plods (and I know it's part of a literary tradition).
There were times I felt bored with the writing. Maybe I thought it was too ornate, maybe the repetitious style annoyed me. At times I thought that there was way too much fat in the text and a lot could have been cut out. Usually I don’t mind a book which moves at tortoise pace but it bothered me with this novel. Saying that I appreciated the complexity of the plot so I wanted to see how the story would develop and I stuck out to the end, although it was a bit difficult.
Despite the major flaw, I would. not call An Orchestra of Minorities ( the title refers to the sound chickens make when the flock is disturbed – you can guess how the metaphor works out in the book) a failure, as i am curious to see where Obioma will go next but I don’t think it is a book I will return to either.