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phantomsuitcase's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
satellite_orange's review
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.5
tiffanywang29's review against another edition
4.0
More like 3.5, but I rounded up because I'm assuming that if I were a more intellectual and globally aware individual, I would appreciate the book a little more. Just as a summary (or a summary of how I saw the book, someone correct me if I'm totally wrong and have ruined everything), Isaac is living in the midst of a rising political revolution in Africa. He arrives a figure in the background, basically invisible until he meets another very strong-willed man who drags him along for a crazy, scary journey. The book also takes place in America, where Helen, a social worker who lives an extraordinarily boring life compared to the two men in Africa meets one of these men, who changes her life as well.
I'm pretty sure that summary was awful and does no justice to the actual book, but if you want a real summary, read the blurb instead of that. Sorry for my ignorance. Anyways, like I said, one of the biggest problems I had with the book was my comprehension level. The first few chapters lost me because of its lack of introduction, which I'm pretty sure was purposeful. When I finally got into the story, the strategic planning of the revolution went straight over my head. Well, not straight over it, but closer to in one ear, firing some synapses in my brain, and then exiting out the other. Especially towards the end, I know for a fact that I missed the entire moral and political struggle.
One thing I really appreciated from this book was the growth of our main-main character, Isaac. I can't delve much deeper into this without giving away an essential part to figuring out the book, but I must say that the difference between him in Africa and him in America is astounding. Mengestu's brilliant organization of the book enhanced this stark difference (wow, one of the only things in the book that I totally understood...but only at the end). Just alternating between Africa Isaac and America Isaac between each chapter accentuated how much stronger of a character he had become. Honestly, no matter how much I didn't understand plot-wise, his character development was amazingly strong for a character whose background is still unclear.
I am going to openly criticize the somewhat slow pacing. I understand that the book is has a strategic-mindset rather than action, action, action, but something about the diction indicated a more laid-back setting. Even at the most exciting part of book, there was something very passive about the way everything was described. That open dam of emotions that should have been flowing out towards me wasn't really apparent in the writing. I wanted so badly to feel what the characters were feeling and immerse myself into their lives, but I just felt like a spectator reading a play-by-play dictation rather than an emotional story.
Whatever lacking in the actual writing, something about the way the story is crafted, page by page, literally unfolding until the very last second, leaves you with a character and story you will not want to forget. This is one of those books with the ending that leaves you not necessarily satisfied but extremely content with the very last words.
Spoiler
I have no idea if I was supposed to have known this at the beginning, but there are two Isaacs-the one narrating the story and the real Isaac. This confused me immensely because at the top of each chapter it has the narrator, but then the narrator was talking about Isaac and honestly for the first few chapters I was completely lost. And THEN I don't know if I'm just super naive, but I didn't figure out that the Isaac in America was not the real Isaac...I'm pretty sure that summary was awful and does no justice to the actual book, but if you want a real summary, read the blurb instead of that. Sorry for my ignorance. Anyways, like I said, one of the biggest problems I had with the book was my comprehension level. The first few chapters lost me because of its lack of introduction, which I'm pretty sure was purposeful. When I finally got into the story, the strategic planning of the revolution went straight over my head. Well, not straight over it, but closer to in one ear, firing some synapses in my brain, and then exiting out the other. Especially towards the end, I know for a fact that I missed the entire moral and political struggle.
One thing I really appreciated from this book was the growth of our main-main character, Isaac. I can't delve much deeper into this without giving away an essential part to figuring out the book, but I must say that the difference between him in Africa and him in America is astounding. Mengestu's brilliant organization of the book enhanced this stark difference (wow, one of the only things in the book that I totally understood...but only at the end). Just alternating between Africa Isaac and America Isaac between each chapter accentuated how much stronger of a character he had become. Honestly, no matter how much I didn't understand plot-wise, his character development was amazingly strong for a character whose background is still unclear.
I am going to openly criticize the somewhat slow pacing. I understand that the book is has a strategic-mindset rather than action, action, action, but something about the diction indicated a more laid-back setting. Even at the most exciting part of book, there was something very passive about the way everything was described. That open dam of emotions that should have been flowing out towards me wasn't really apparent in the writing. I wanted so badly to feel what the characters were feeling and immerse myself into their lives, but I just felt like a spectator reading a play-by-play dictation rather than an emotional story.
Whatever lacking in the actual writing, something about the way the story is crafted, page by page, literally unfolding until the very last second, leaves you with a character and story you will not want to forget. This is one of those books with the ending that leaves you not necessarily satisfied but extremely content with the very last words.
johndiconsiglio's review against another edition
3.0
Given its subject matter (an African refugee flees revolution in Uganda & embarks on a torrid affair with his Midwestern social worker), there’s an odd shortage of passion here. It’s no accident. Mengestu, an Ethiopian immigrant, is interested in how violence strips us of our identity; we lose family, memories, even feelings. We’re left with dreamy landscape, as frightening undertones lurk nearby. Cleverly constructed, "Names" is long on mood, short on details. Moving in its own way, but stilted. Starts slow, builds momentum.
schray32's review against another edition
3.0
I got this at an airport when I ran out of books to read. It was interesting but in an odd setting for me. I liked the characters but it took me a little long to figure it out. A good book but not my favorite.
jdintr's review against another edition
3.0
This book grew on me as I read, and I simply couldn't put it down once I had passed the halfway point.
Mengestu carefully unfolds the story of Isaac Mabira, balancing the backstory of a poor young man of Ethiopian origin who travels to the Ugandan capital of Kamapala with the story of an American social worker who falls in love with the African student she is charged to settle in at a midwestern American university.
The chapters unwind masterfully, drawing us into the mystery of Isaac Mabira, and whether that is indeed the name of the student who carries his passport and visa. At the same time, the reader is drawn into the birth of the nation of Uganda, and wars that took place over the leadership of that emerging republic in the late-1960s, the time in which the book is set.
I think that American readers will learn from the confusion that evolves with a nation like Uganda, which is split into realms of extreme wealth and poverty on the college campus, but which descends into civil war as other interests move in to get their share of the power in traditional, non-democratic ways. It happened for former British colonies, the same way it is currently happening following America's short occupation of Iraq.
Mengestu carefully unfolds the story of Isaac Mabira, balancing the backstory of a poor young man of Ethiopian origin who travels to the Ugandan capital of Kamapala with the story of an American social worker who falls in love with the African student she is charged to settle in at a midwestern American university.
The chapters unwind masterfully, drawing us into the mystery of Isaac Mabira, and whether that is indeed the name of the student who carries his passport and visa. At the same time, the reader is drawn into the birth of the nation of Uganda, and wars that took place over the leadership of that emerging republic in the late-1960s, the time in which the book is set.
I think that American readers will learn from the confusion that evolves with a nation like Uganda, which is split into realms of extreme wealth and poverty on the college campus, but which descends into civil war as other interests move in to get their share of the power in traditional, non-democratic ways. It happened for former British colonies, the same way it is currently happening following America's short occupation of Iraq.
manaledi's review
4.0
For a book discussing names and identities and immigration and love, I have to admit that I was confused for a large portion of the book by the multiple Isaacs. The story was well done, but not particularly memorable.
sungold's review against another edition
5.0
While it took me longer than I would have liked to feel fully moved by the plot shared between "Isaac" and Helen, I found the entire story compelling and powerful. The two lines playing themselves out alongside each other paint a melancholic and, at times, horrifying story of war and love (in a number of capacities). The final lines of the novel really brought the entire story together and into perspective, and I would 10/10 recommend for every reader.