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4.33 AVERAGE
4.33 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
"The war isn't really my story to tell." But it was Ugwu's and Olanna's and Kainene's and Chimamanda's. I didn't know anything about Biafra or this time period in Nigeria. The time jumps threw me a bit and I might have preferred a chronological story line but the jumps did have the intended effects. Overall, an important read.
Good, though not as an enjoyable a read as Americanah. I found it interesting mostly because it introduced me to the Nigerian civil war in the 1960s, something I knew nothing about. I liked the Adichie rotated the narration between several different characters, but ultimately none of them were that engaging for me and I couldn't bring myself to care a great deal what happened to any particular character. I really don't understand why Adichie decided to jump around in time -- going from the early 60s to the late 60s and back to the early 60s before picking up where the second section left off. There's supposed to be some mysterious event that happened in the meantime that you don't find out until the third section, but it ended up being pretty much what I expected. In any case, I liked the book, and I learned something from it, but it's not one of my favorites.
I don't know if I needed the audio version to bring this to life or if I was just cranky when I read this last time, but I enjoyed it much more this time around. I also did not remember any of the plot twists and, oddly enough, thought I remembered one that didn't exist, so it was almost like reading it for the first time. In any case, Robin Miles is an excellent narrator and I appreciated hearing the story in her voice.
Although I still had trouble caring too much about the characters' personal lives (aside from Kainene and Baby, everyone made stupid decisions I couldn't relate to), I did appreciate this for the way it provides a comprehensive picture of what it might have been like to live in Biafra, from the events leading up to its creation to the aftermath of its dissolution. In the United States, we get a brief, shiny version of the story of our independence from Britain, and the sacrifices our forefathers made seem worth it as part of that larger story, but without the support from France it could have instead been a story about the time a lot of people died for no gain. That is essentially the story of Biafra, except that they were at even more of a disadvantage not having arable land, so people died as much from starvation as from the war.
As in Americanah, Adichie uses an embedded format (in this case, descriptions of book chapters rather than blog posts) to insert elements of nonfiction in the novel. I'm torn on whether this added enough to the reading experience to justify its inclusion, as I found it so divorced from the narrative and so awkwardly written ("He writes about...") that it interrupted the flow of the book. Some of the facts were interesting, though — like the starvation of Biafra being the origin of American parents telling their children about starving children in Africa — and the reveal at the very end that ties the book's writing back to the primary narrative made it ultimately a valuable inclusion.
I still like Adichie's nonfiction more than her fiction, but I'm glad to have had the chance to revisit this story in another format and appreciate it much more.
Although I still had trouble caring too much about the characters' personal lives (aside from Kainene and Baby, everyone made stupid decisions I couldn't relate to), I did appreciate this for the way it provides a comprehensive picture of what it might have been like to live in Biafra, from the events leading up to its creation to the aftermath of its dissolution. In the United States, we get a brief, shiny version of the story of our independence from Britain, and the sacrifices our forefathers made seem worth it as part of that larger story, but without the support from France it could have instead been a story about the time a lot of people died for no gain. That is essentially the story of Biafra, except that they were at even more of a disadvantage not having arable land, so people died as much from starvation as from the war.
As in Americanah, Adichie uses an embedded format (in this case, descriptions of book chapters rather than blog posts) to insert elements of nonfiction in the novel. I'm torn on whether this added enough to the reading experience to justify its inclusion, as I found it so divorced from the narrative and so awkwardly written ("He writes about...") that it interrupted the flow of the book. Some of the facts were interesting, though — like the starvation of Biafra being the origin of American parents telling their children about starving children in Africa — and the reveal at the very end that ties the book's writing back to the primary narrative made it ultimately a valuable inclusion.
I still like Adichie's nonfiction more than her fiction, but I'm glad to have had the chance to revisit this story in another format and appreciate it much more.
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Such a beautifully painful piece of modern literature, deserves every praise it’s given.
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I would re-read this book anytime!
Adichie has a wonderful way of making you relate to a character so much that you feel confused and lost when, one chapter later, you're thrown into a new character's life. It takes a few paragraphs until you learn to see life through the lenses of the next character and become comfortable with the new angle on life.
Even though so different, all characters are complex and have great emotional intelligence.
Adichie has a wonderful way of making you relate to a character so much that you feel confused and lost when, one chapter later, you're thrown into a new character's life. It takes a few paragraphs until you learn to see life through the lenses of the next character and become comfortable with the new angle on life.
Even though so different, all characters are complex and have great emotional intelligence.