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nwhyte's review against another edition
3.0
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1516878.html
Rather a sweet memoir of growing up as the headmaster's son in colonial Nigeria before and during the second world war. I liked it more than Chinua Achebe; there seemed to me to be more interrogation of political and gender power structures - one memorable scene has Soyinka's mother yelling her rage down the phone at the local British official at the Allies for bombing the (non-white) Japanese rather than the (white) Germans. The other point that grabbed me was the lip-smacking portrayal of Nigerian cuisine. I would like to know more about West Africa in general, and I guess Nigeria is the way into it as the regional power; and I guess that Soyinka is one of the better ways into Nigeria.
Rather a sweet memoir of growing up as the headmaster's son in colonial Nigeria before and during the second world war. I liked it more than Chinua Achebe; there seemed to me to be more interrogation of political and gender power structures - one memorable scene has Soyinka's mother yelling her rage down the phone at the local British official at the Allies for bombing the (non-white) Japanese rather than the (white) Germans. The other point that grabbed me was the lip-smacking portrayal of Nigerian cuisine. I would like to know more about West Africa in general, and I guess Nigeria is the way into it as the regional power; and I guess that Soyinka is one of the better ways into Nigeria.
dhiyanah's review against another edition
5.0
Soyinka was a significant figure in developing my love for poetry. I've carried around a poem by him, an 'always all-time fave,' through years and places after discovering it in a Lit class. Since then, I've dipped in and out of other poems, touching base with his words here and there, always planning to get to know more of his works and more of the poet himself.
A couple of years ago, I decided that the first of his book-shaped works I'd read would be this childhood memoir, chosen at random (after which I'd move on to his plays; some already obtained, waiting to be read). Another arbitrary 'rule' I adhered to was not allowing myself to order the book, it had to be found. I'm glad I held on to this goal and saw it through.
It's by far the best childhood memoir I've read. Soyinka's prose doesn't disappoint. Poetic in its storytelling, this work is loyal to the trickiness of memory without exaggerating the choppy currents of remembrance -- its narration held together by a balance of the personal and documentation. Loved it.
A couple of years ago, I decided that the first of his book-shaped works I'd read would be this childhood memoir, chosen at random (after which I'd move on to his plays; some already obtained, waiting to be read). Another arbitrary 'rule' I adhered to was not allowing myself to order the book, it had to be found. I'm glad I held on to this goal and saw it through.
It's by far the best childhood memoir I've read. Soyinka's prose doesn't disappoint. Poetic in its storytelling, this work is loyal to the trickiness of memory without exaggerating the choppy currents of remembrance -- its narration held together by a balance of the personal and documentation. Loved it.
writerrhiannon's review
3.0
Wole Soyinka’s autobiography, Ake: the Years of Childhood, tells of a Nigerian boy’s daily life before and during World War II. His story originally focuses around his household and school, but becomes more emotionally intense as the story of his childhood progresses. This progression is not only because he is growing older, but because he has been given a political foundation from which to actively process and engage with his surroundings. He notices changes around him, specifically regarding women. Soyinka is fascinated by the unrest of the village women regarding taxes and integrates himself in the cause. Soyinka’s foundation for politics may have been laid by his father, but it is his mother’s feminist activities that seize him. The evolution presented is one of feminist awakening.
To read my paper "Wole Soyinka's Feminist Awakening" please visit: http://writerrhiannon.blogspot.com/2012/12/wole-soyinkas-feminist-awakening.html
To read my paper "Wole Soyinka's Feminist Awakening" please visit: http://writerrhiannon.blogspot.com/2012/12/wole-soyinkas-feminist-awakening.html
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