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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
Tried but I just couldn't get into the story. Probably also because i had it in e book format and the different story lines were confusing for me.. and hard to get back into. Will try again in paper format..
challenging
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The first 2/3 of the book were excellent and I enjoyed the backstory and Ifemelu's observations on race in America. But by the end the story ran out of steam.
I already loved Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, which, sometimes, is too much pressure for a new book. Thankfully, this book only confirmed my opinion. Set in America and Nigeria, this is a story about race, identity, home and love. I loved the writing, the journey of the characters, the time spent in Nigeria and was fascinated with the details about hair and being a non-American black person.
Oh, now I need to talk to someone who read this!! Long and the audible was quite annoying. Amazing descriptions and in-depth conversations on race.
I really liked most of this book. It does feel a bit like a series of vignettes on race and identity, but in a very Dickensian sort of way I enjoy books that provide glimpses at life and I didn’t find those issues in any way “preachy” or “overbearing” so much as a simple presentation of experience. I try to regularly read literature featuring characters who don’t look like I do and I value the chance this book gave me to consider some of the complexities of race in our world today. The prose is beautiful and the plot engaging, if patient. What kept the book from really earning that fifth star for me was an ending that felt a little underwhelming and a bit of a cop out. I didn’t appreciate that after all that intellectual and philosophical stimulation, everything eventually wound up with “well, we’ve got to get these two characters together!” I *really* didn’t appreciate that it happened via. an affair. I get that a major part of Obinze’s story is meant to highlight that marriage for love is a very western ideal, but I still felt as though there could have been something so much more punchy for an ending. Truthfully, I’d have been much happier if the whole relationship between Ifemelu and Obinze was used more as a method of showcasing different challenges immigrants face rather than as a somewhat sloppy romantic comedy or old film style ending of convenience. I think the book earned a better ending than it had. Something that would have stuck with me more. I don’t know what that is, but ultimately I’d say it’s worth reading, even if I did find the ending to be a let down.
Loved this - individual stories were beautifully woven together, and she brings a great perspective of race issues in America.
I loved the first 20% but really slowed down and then found myself not wanting to pick it up after that. I just don’t think it’s the right time for this read. I’ll most likely come back to it at another time
Once again, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's prose and the scope of her plot astound me.
Though convenient and not untrue, it's simplistic to consider this story that spans the Atlantic, the better part of a decade, and multiple Nigerian and American cultures merely as the love story between the main characters, Ifemelu and Obinze.
Ifemelu is a deft heroine, who isn't stymied by honest self-reflection. I enjoyed the Raceteenth blog posts periodically post-scripting chapters. Engaging on their own, they often end with invitations for discourse.
Though convenient and not untrue, it's simplistic to consider this story that spans the Atlantic, the better part of a decade, and multiple Nigerian and American cultures merely as the love story between the main characters, Ifemelu and Obinze.
Ifemelu is a deft heroine, who isn't stymied by honest self-reflection. I enjoyed the Raceteenth blog posts periodically post-scripting chapters. Engaging on their own, they often end with invitations for discourse.