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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
Amazing story. I felt like there were still some unanswered questions, but overall I really enjoyed the book.
When reading this book, you have to separate two things: the story of the Sudanese refugee Valentino/Dominic Achak Deng and what Dave Eggers did with it. I'll start with Deng.
It's impossible not to feel sympathy for Deng's story. What he describes is horrendous and endearing at the same time: the persecution of the dinka minority in South Sudan by the Islamic-Arab regime in Khartoum, the long deadly marches of the 'Lost Boys' to Ethiopia and, after their expulsion there, to Kenya , the difficult life in refugee camps, the existential choice between joining the armed resistance or staying aside, between accepting the offer to resettle in the rich West or returning to your family, and finally the problematic integration in the United States. The way Deng brings us his story is very authentic, especially because he tells it without much frills, even at the hardest of moments, and with great attention for the very mixed feelings he had towards what happened around him. The great merit of this story is that you learn how complex the refugee existence is, and how daunting the challenges are a refugee has to face.
The story is not only horrendous, but also endearing. Deng seems to be someone who has an unrestrained and open attitude, always tries to see the good and almost never gives up. That can be incredible: with all that happened to him you would expect him to be cynical and bitter or very fanatical and radical. That's not the case, and I believe him. The endearment also stems from the fact that his story at times becomes a very classic 'coming of age' story, for example, where he talks about the confrontation with the great mature world of the rebels, and more so when he describes his struggle with the other gender. At such moments, it seems like you're getting a picture of an ordinary puberty in an ordinary context, but of course that's not the case at all. And precisely that's one of the charms of this book.
Of course there also are a few shortcomings. As Deng says in the introduction, he brings a very personal and thus subjective story. The reader better be warned that he shall absolutely not get an objective picture of the complex conflict in Sudan in recent decades. For example: Deng is very short on the ethnic conflicts within South Sudan itself (between dinka and nuer), which, unfortunately, have become all too clear after the independence in 2011, with another awefull round of civil war as a consequence.
But then there's the role of Dave Eggers. The American author has been working with Deng for three years, listening to his story for hours and hours on end, and processing all of it in this book. Initially, I found that the method used by Eggers, a frame-story, really works. The opening scene in which our main character is brutally attacked and robbed in his Atlanta appartment, is brilliant: it immediately avoids that the whole story of Deng csan be seen as a succesfull rescue story ("Sudanese refugee is pulled out of the African pool of misery and builds a glorious future in the paradisiacal United States of America"). Also, the rapid succession of Deng's internal monologues to the robbers, looking back on more violent episodes in Sudan, has been done brilliantly. But then the dynamic of the story slows, and Eggers lets Deng bring longer and longer flashbacks, often also about his highly personal feelings, and thus at the expense of the tempo of the story.
So from a literary point of view, the book is not an overall success. But let’s not make too much of a fuss about that. "What's the What?" is a worthy human document. Maybe the tragedy it deals with wasn't the biggest of the last decades (what happened in Rwanda and Congo was actually much and much worse), but it remains a gruesome testimony of what people are doing to each other in this modern age and how the victims are dealing with this tragedy, each in their own way.
Finally of course, the question remains, "What is the What?". Do not expect an explicit answer to this question, even though the attentive reader will probably find enough clues to formulate a satisfying answer. Fortunately, Eggers uses this gimmick only very sparingly, because actually it’s not more than that: a gimmick.
It's impossible not to feel sympathy for Deng's story. What he describes is horrendous and endearing at the same time: the persecution of the dinka minority in South Sudan by the Islamic-Arab regime in Khartoum, the long deadly marches of the 'Lost Boys' to Ethiopia and, after their expulsion there, to Kenya , the difficult life in refugee camps, the existential choice between joining the armed resistance or staying aside, between accepting the offer to resettle in the rich West or returning to your family, and finally the problematic integration in the United States. The way Deng brings us his story is very authentic, especially because he tells it without much frills, even at the hardest of moments, and with great attention for the very mixed feelings he had towards what happened around him. The great merit of this story is that you learn how complex the refugee existence is, and how daunting the challenges are a refugee has to face.
The story is not only horrendous, but also endearing. Deng seems to be someone who has an unrestrained and open attitude, always tries to see the good and almost never gives up. That can be incredible: with all that happened to him you would expect him to be cynical and bitter or very fanatical and radical. That's not the case, and I believe him. The endearment also stems from the fact that his story at times becomes a very classic 'coming of age' story, for example, where he talks about the confrontation with the great mature world of the rebels, and more so when he describes his struggle with the other gender. At such moments, it seems like you're getting a picture of an ordinary puberty in an ordinary context, but of course that's not the case at all. And precisely that's one of the charms of this book.
Of course there also are a few shortcomings. As Deng says in the introduction, he brings a very personal and thus subjective story. The reader better be warned that he shall absolutely not get an objective picture of the complex conflict in Sudan in recent decades. For example: Deng is very short on the ethnic conflicts within South Sudan itself (between dinka and nuer), which, unfortunately, have become all too clear after the independence in 2011, with another awefull round of civil war as a consequence.
But then there's the role of Dave Eggers. The American author has been working with Deng for three years, listening to his story for hours and hours on end, and processing all of it in this book. Initially, I found that the method used by Eggers, a frame-story, really works. The opening scene in which our main character is brutally attacked and robbed in his Atlanta appartment, is brilliant: it immediately avoids that the whole story of Deng csan be seen as a succesfull rescue story ("Sudanese refugee is pulled out of the African pool of misery and builds a glorious future in the paradisiacal United States of America"). Also, the rapid succession of Deng's internal monologues to the robbers, looking back on more violent episodes in Sudan, has been done brilliantly. But then the dynamic of the story slows, and Eggers lets Deng bring longer and longer flashbacks, often also about his highly personal feelings, and thus at the expense of the tempo of the story.
So from a literary point of view, the book is not an overall success. But let’s not make too much of a fuss about that. "What's the What?" is a worthy human document. Maybe the tragedy it deals with wasn't the biggest of the last decades (what happened in Rwanda and Congo was actually much and much worse), but it remains a gruesome testimony of what people are doing to each other in this modern age and how the victims are dealing with this tragedy, each in their own way.
Finally of course, the question remains, "What is the What?". Do not expect an explicit answer to this question, even though the attentive reader will probably find enough clues to formulate a satisfying answer. Fortunately, Eggers uses this gimmick only very sparingly, because actually it’s not more than that: a gimmick.
I really wanted to like this book, especially because it is inspired by a true story, and involves struggles and experiences that most of us can’t even imagine going through. However, the author has managed to make an otherwise exciting story line sound very dull and boring. A well written book can bring to life, visuals, and have your heart racing in the ups and downs of the book, but this book did not draw any emotions. All in all, an okay book that no one would miss. I was struggling to finish it.
The writing style seems to trivialize serious events with comedy.
Stunning 1st person account of the war in southern Sudan and personal aftermath. Inexplicably listed as 'fiction,' probably due to Eggers' whimsy.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
A great introduction for anyone wanting to start learning about Sudanese/South Sudanese history, with much context being given from a child’s perspective making it very accessible. The story itself is a real odyssey and if the story of the Lost Boys wasn’t true this would be dismissed as too unbelievable. My only critique is that I don’t think it quite needed to be 500 pages…
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Beautifully written, heartbreaking and (mostly) true. I was surprised that, of all Valentino's losses, I was most touched by those entirely unconnected to the tragedies of war (Tabitha and Noriyaki).
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated