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kglasgow001's review against another edition
Dr. Nadi assigned this in such small sections I kind of wish I had read it faster. It was so good. We talked about how this story is really about when the uprising and revolution reaches the people who weren't initially victims or really want to be involved. It's a privilege to not be involved sometimes. Even the passive person has to deal with war eventually.
This book also made me think about: how writing and language is SO POWERFUL!!!! which sounds so cheesy and then I wonder why it sounds so cheesy. Maybe because it seems so obvious... words bring people together!!!!!!!!!!!
"Remember, life is short, but art is very long."
The question of God's existence is following me!:
"One of the poems read like a prayer to a much doubted, but FERVENTLY HOPED FOR God."
Regarding his aunt that was called 'Godwill': "It was a wish, a prayer which vacillated between a golden past and a dark, unhappy future: Godwill return my past with all its joys and promises; Godwill not. He will do whatever He feels like doing, which is mostly destruction of dreams and hopes. Godwill."
People are actually really similar sometimes: "But this morning, the day has stretched before him like a tundrascape, long, white and huge, without variety. That is why he is here. Because he doesn't want to go and get drunk, or stay indoors and cry; at twenty-seven he is a bit too old for that."
"I love her so much it makes me sick just to stand close to her."
"What makes art collectors pine and ache with longing the moment they see a rare work they just have to have? But even that, Lomba knew, was a poor analogy. This was SOUL CALLING TO SOUL. A tired, trapped lock at last meeting the key that unlocks it."
Death. I hope is an Angel that takes you like this:
"But when I turn it is not a soldier standing there. It is an angel. It opens its enormous wings and closes them again in a clapping motion. The air from the wings lifts me and carries me out through the door."
This book also made me think about: how writing and language is SO POWERFUL!!!! which sounds so cheesy and then I wonder why it sounds so cheesy. Maybe because it seems so obvious... words bring people together!!!!!!!!!!!
"Remember, life is short, but art is very long."
The question of God's existence is following me!:
"One of the poems read like a prayer to a much doubted, but FERVENTLY HOPED FOR God."
Regarding his aunt that was called 'Godwill': "It was a wish, a prayer which vacillated between a golden past and a dark, unhappy future: Godwill return my past with all its joys and promises; Godwill not. He will do whatever He feels like doing, which is mostly destruction of dreams and hopes. Godwill."
People are actually really similar sometimes: "But this morning, the day has stretched before him like a tundrascape, long, white and huge, without variety. That is why he is here. Because he doesn't want to go and get drunk, or stay indoors and cry; at twenty-seven he is a bit too old for that."
"I love her so much it makes me sick just to stand close to her."
"What makes art collectors pine and ache with longing the moment they see a rare work they just have to have? But even that, Lomba knew, was a poor analogy. This was SOUL CALLING TO SOUL. A tired, trapped lock at last meeting the key that unlocks it."
Death. I hope is an Angel that takes you like this:
"But when I turn it is not a soldier standing there. It is an angel. It opens its enormous wings and closes them again in a clapping motion. The air from the wings lifts me and carries me out through the door."
lindseyzank's review against another edition
4.0
The opening story, which Habila won the Cain prize for, is beautifully imagined and told. The open-ended finale to Lomba's story allows for a hope that is much needed in Africa today. The other stories, though they do connect to the first one, are not as strong. I was on the edge of my seat during the suspenseful scene following the protest, but left feeling disjointed and a bit confused during some of the other scenes. Because the novel as a whole is so short, I had a hard time feeling intimately connected to any of the characters (even Lomba at times). Habila's style of writing is poignant and fluid; the style of this particular narrative is a bit choppy, though. Despite my gripes, I definitely recommend Habila's first novel, if nothing more but to give you a taste of his work, because his second novel is stronger.
marykgalli's review against another edition
dark
reflective
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? No
4.0
misspalah's review against another edition
4.0
“The angel of death is in the neighborhood, and soon it will be my turn. But not in such an ignoble fashion. I want to go in a way that a hundred years from now, people will look back at with awe and say ‘His death had meaning’.
- Helon Habila, Waiting for an angel.
.
.
This novel is ultimately a work of social commentary. From military rule, coup after coup in order to install transparent government, false promises made by politicians , abuse of power, civil wars and torture/murder of people who dare raised their voice against kleptocracy - all of these is described in the book. Helon Habila did explain that this book transpired of what has been happening across Nigeria Post 1990. The book followed the narration of Lomba, a political dissident that has been in a prison for 2 years. He was not given a right to get a lawyer and he did not know when the court hearing will be held. Most will just told him to wait for his punishment patiently. Being a talented writer and journalist, he was then approached by a warden to write a poems/ love letters so that the warden can passed it to his lover. Lomba decided to leave few clues in his work, hoping that the prison warden picked up on it and came for his rescue. The following chapters, it jumped to this nameless person narration. He is a friend of Lomba and Bola - that all 3 of them went to the fortune tellers to ask something that they are curious of. This nameless person decided to ask about his death - the details of it. The next chapter proceeded with Bola losing his parents in a tragic accident and undoubtedly , it brought trauma to him so much that he lose his sanity. In this particular chapter, we saw how Lomba described the friendship that he has with Bola and how he met him during first day of colleged and eventually, Bola’s family welcomed lomba into their family. Then, we shift to Alice - another chapter in Lomba’s wife. He saw she got married and the picture was being printed in the newspaper. She left him not because she doest love him but she choose stability and practicality over passion and love. The chapters might be disjointed - here and there but you know that at the end of the day that these chapters has the same link which is Lomba. Overall, this is a great book if you already familiar with Nigeria history. If not, you might not be able to capture the nuances of the situation that most of the characters in the book went through. A short and concise reading yet impactful as some of the issues highlighted are still relevant until now.
- Helon Habila, Waiting for an angel.
.
.
This novel is ultimately a work of social commentary. From military rule, coup after coup in order to install transparent government, false promises made by politicians , abuse of power, civil wars and torture/murder of people who dare raised their voice against kleptocracy - all of these is described in the book. Helon Habila did explain that this book transpired of what has been happening across Nigeria Post 1990. The book followed the narration of Lomba, a political dissident that has been in a prison for 2 years. He was not given a right to get a lawyer and he did not know when the court hearing will be held. Most will just told him to wait for his punishment patiently. Being a talented writer and journalist, he was then approached by a warden to write a poems/ love letters so that the warden can passed it to his lover. Lomba decided to leave few clues in his work, hoping that the prison warden picked up on it and came for his rescue. The following chapters, it jumped to this nameless person narration. He is a friend of Lomba and Bola - that all 3 of them went to the fortune tellers to ask something that they are curious of. This nameless person decided to ask about his death - the details of it. The next chapter proceeded with Bola losing his parents in a tragic accident and undoubtedly , it brought trauma to him so much that he lose his sanity. In this particular chapter, we saw how Lomba described the friendship that he has with Bola and how he met him during first day of colleged and eventually, Bola’s family welcomed lomba into their family. Then, we shift to Alice - another chapter in Lomba’s wife. He saw she got married and the picture was being printed in the newspaper. She left him not because she doest love him but she choose stability and practicality over passion and love. The chapters might be disjointed - here and there but you know that at the end of the day that these chapters has the same link which is Lomba. Overall, this is a great book if you already familiar with Nigeria history. If not, you might not be able to capture the nuances of the situation that most of the characters in the book went through. A short and concise reading yet impactful as some of the issues highlighted are still relevant until now.
oajose's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
thedarkfox's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
kaali's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
5.0
jain's review
3.0
Interconnected short stories revolving around a journalist living in Lagos under military rule. The first story, set during the journalist's prison sentence, is phenomenal. I was less impressed by the subsequent stories, but a couple of them were quite good, and I only really disliked one (the bland "The Angel").
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