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mackxo's review against another edition
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
muga's review against another edition
2.0
THING I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK
1. The writing was clear, precise and straight to the point. English isn't my first or even second language so I appreciate it when an author especially an African author isn't too invested in showing the readers that they know English.
THINGS I DID NOT LIKE
Everything else. First of all the story had a great start to it. Two reporters one young and the other past his prime are following a story about a white British woman kidnapped by oil militants in Nigeria I had high expectations. I don't know when this story changed into a looooong internal monologue of the narrators past and all the things that he had gone through in his hustle to became a reporter, don't get me wrong there is no problem with flashbacks when they are well done and actually progress the plot of the story.
The character were uninteresting and from some point on I totally forgot what the author was trying to say, the zigzag method of story telling did not help this story either.
Finally the ending was too rushed but even if the ending was done well would this book have been worth my while? I cannot say. Disappointing to say the least
1. The writing was clear, precise and straight to the point. English isn't my first or even second language so I appreciate it when an author especially an African author isn't too invested in showing the readers that they know English.
THINGS I DID NOT LIKE
Everything else. First of all the story had a great start to it. Two reporters one young and the other past his prime are following a story about a white British woman kidnapped by oil militants in Nigeria I had high expectations. I don't know when this story changed into a looooong internal monologue of the narrators past and all the things that he had gone through in his hustle to became a reporter, don't get me wrong there is no problem with flashbacks when they are well done and actually progress the plot of the story.
The character were uninteresting and from some point on I totally forgot what the author was trying to say, the zigzag method of story telling did not help this story either.
Finally the ending was too rushed but even if the ending was done well would this book have been worth my while? I cannot say. Disappointing to say the least
scsreads's review against another edition
3.0
#ReadSoulLit: http://youtu.be/YMCQzwi0rqU
In this novel, the wife of a wealthy oil executive is kidnapped. Now kidnappings are a regular occurrence in this part of Nigeria and there’s a procedure to follow. The husband pays a few journalists to meet with the kidnappers and confirm that his wife is alive. One of these journalists is our main character, Rufus, who’s young and idealistic and is hoping that this will be his first big story. He’s also working with another reporter named Zaq, who used to be really famous and is one of Rufus’s idols. The two of them take off in search of this woman, but the routine kidnapping goes awry.
Again, it’s really nice to read something that’s set in a different part of the world. One of the main issues in this book is the way that the oil industry is affecting the lives of the people in nearby villages. The oil ruins the environment and these villages collapse because they can’t sustain themselves anymore. I also liked the discussion of the role of journalists. Rufus comments that it’s his job to observe and report the truth, because if he doesn’t, it’s very possible that no one else will.
I thought it was an interesting and easy read, not just because it’s a short book and there’s a lot of dialogue, but also because the writing felt very natural and accessible. If you’re at all curious about books set in Nigeria, I would definitely recommend this one.
In this novel, the wife of a wealthy oil executive is kidnapped. Now kidnappings are a regular occurrence in this part of Nigeria and there’s a procedure to follow. The husband pays a few journalists to meet with the kidnappers and confirm that his wife is alive. One of these journalists is our main character, Rufus, who’s young and idealistic and is hoping that this will be his first big story. He’s also working with another reporter named Zaq, who used to be really famous and is one of Rufus’s idols. The two of them take off in search of this woman, but the routine kidnapping goes awry.
Again, it’s really nice to read something that’s set in a different part of the world. One of the main issues in this book is the way that the oil industry is affecting the lives of the people in nearby villages. The oil ruins the environment and these villages collapse because they can’t sustain themselves anymore. I also liked the discussion of the role of journalists. Rufus comments that it’s his job to observe and report the truth, because if he doesn’t, it’s very possible that no one else will.
I thought it was an interesting and easy read, not just because it’s a short book and there’s a lot of dialogue, but also because the writing felt very natural and accessible. If you’re at all curious about books set in Nigeria, I would definitely recommend this one.
adevans16's review against another edition
3.0
Oil and politics in Nigeria. Highly original thriller set in a unique context.
meegan's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
bookishmaggie's review against another edition
3.0
the premise of the book was very interesting, but the focus on journalism and the story structure were what made this book 3 stars for me. I wanted more of an emphasis on the environmental impacts and the story of the villagers displaced from their homes but these topics were too much in the background.
libbysbookshelf's review
challenging
dark
fast-paced
OIL ON WATER by HELON HABILA
Set in Nigeria, this book is about the pollution and corruption caused by the oil industry.
It is both eco-criticism and a coming of age story that reads - at times - like a thriller.
The pacing is just so that it’s difficult to put the book down. It goes from past to present with ease until the reader has the full picture of this desolate landscape that has been overrun by the oil industry, the military and the rebels.
The novel is told from the point of view of a young journalist who is trying to find the white kidnapped wife of a British oil engineer. That in itself tells you that white lives are worth more than black lives in this corrupt world, and that women are often no more than bargaining chips.
The real hideous beauty of this book comes from the theme of humans vs nature; a theme prevalent in a lot of Romantic poetry from the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Back when poets were afraid that industry was going to destroy nature. In a sense, then, this is almost a post-Romantic novel. The world has been destroyed - oil pipes crack through the earth like tree roots but bring toxicity and death instead of air and life.
It’s devastating and it’s all true. Don’t shy away from it, though. We must be educated and we must do something about it. About all of it.
#oilonwater #helonhabila #nigerianliterature #book #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booklover #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookrecommendation
Set in Nigeria, this book is about the pollution and corruption caused by the oil industry.
It is both eco-criticism and a coming of age story that reads - at times - like a thriller.
The pacing is just so that it’s difficult to put the book down. It goes from past to present with ease until the reader has the full picture of this desolate landscape that has been overrun by the oil industry, the military and the rebels.
The novel is told from the point of view of a young journalist who is trying to find the white kidnapped wife of a British oil engineer. That in itself tells you that white lives are worth more than black lives in this corrupt world, and that women are often no more than bargaining chips.
The real hideous beauty of this book comes from the theme of humans vs nature; a theme prevalent in a lot of Romantic poetry from the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Back when poets were afraid that industry was going to destroy nature. In a sense, then, this is almost a post-Romantic novel. The world has been destroyed - oil pipes crack through the earth like tree roots but bring toxicity and death instead of air and life.
It’s devastating and it’s all true. Don’t shy away from it, though. We must be educated and we must do something about it. About all of it.
#oilonwater #helonhabila #nigerianliterature #book #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booklover #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookrecommendation
leonieborsch's review against another edition
3.0
In "Oil on Water" by Helon Habila, which was published in 2010, we meet the young reporter Rufus. He tells the story how he and his burned-out colleague, the legendary reporter Zaq are on their way to find the perfect story - about Isabel Floode, the kidnapped wife of the british oil-operations manager James Floode.
On their way through the Niger-Delta they do not only encounter the military, but also the militants, who do not hesitate to sacrifice their lives for their self-declared "freedom-fight".
The polar opposite to this violence is the fictional island Irikefe, a place where peaceful worshippers live, who value nature and each other. The paradise that has been in the oil-polluted Niger-Delta, is still existing on Irikefe.
The novel adresses Nigeria's biggest problems: the environment-polluting Oil-industry and the fight between the government and the militants, who do not care if they kill or hurt innocent people. It is a warning and a scream for help at the same time. The novel is a mosaic of flashbacks and the things happening at the moment, which creates confusion and turbulence matching the one in the book.
Unfortunately this was a bit too confusion, so I could not really enjoy reading it. Also there was no "flow" in creating tension. There were some spikes which were thrilling but all in all it was a bit boring and unemotional.
To conclude, the book was okay, but I would not recommend reading it in school, as it was too complicated to follow the plot / story, which makes it a challenge to read (the story was really great tho).