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A review by africanbookaddict
One Day I Will Write About This Place: A Memoir by Binyavanga Wainaina
5.0
http://africanbookaddict.wordpress.com/2014/07/21/one-day-i-will-write-about-this-place-a-memoir-by-binyavanga-wainaina/
Amazing memoir. I loved every bit of it!! I watched a lot of interviews with Binyavanga, so when I was reading the book, I read it in his voice and it made my reading experience even more enjoyable, haaha. (We read his "How To Write About Africa" essay when I was in college and I enjoyed his satire..). I loved how he took us through his life as a child, his secondary school years, university life to present day. I loved his relationship with his sister Ciru. It was touching to me...they almost seemed like twins. I loved the grace of his Mom. I appreciated the struggles he faced in finding himself in university in SA. I loved the way he played with sounds and words throughout the book - 'kimay'! I loved the references to a lot of pop culture- from Lauryn Hill's afro, to OutKast's wardrobe, Lionel Richie, Brenda Fassie.
Before I read the book, I read reviews on how readers found it a bit choppy and not an easy read to get through, but I didn't find it difficult or choppy at all. In the beginning, it may have seemed that way because we were encountering the young, immature, happy-go-lucky, very jovial Binyavanga. The writing style seemed appropriate, as we read through the mind of a young, privileged boy who just enjoyed reading books, imagining random patterns in the sky, day-dreamed and had a somewhat scatter-brain. Which youngster isn't like this anyways? I gained more interest in Biyavanga after he came out to the world earlier this year on being homosexual. I found it quite brave and admirable- Live your truth!
I learned a lot about Kenya and the ethnic group issues they face, especially during elections etc. It was familiar to me, as Ghana and other African nations face these issues as well. I loved that I got to learn about Kenya from a middle-class, Kenyan male stand point as well- instead of the village life stories that a lot of African novels are based on -_-.
It is an overall amazing, hilarious book. I would totally be-friend Biyavanga. He's very cool :)
[I look forward to reading the Africa39 book in October of this year, a project started by Binyavanga Wainaina]
Amazing memoir. I loved every bit of it!! I watched a lot of interviews with Binyavanga, so when I was reading the book, I read it in his voice and it made my reading experience even more enjoyable, haaha. (We read his "How To Write About Africa" essay when I was in college and I enjoyed his satire..). I loved how he took us through his life as a child, his secondary school years, university life to present day. I loved his relationship with his sister Ciru. It was touching to me...they almost seemed like twins. I loved the grace of his Mom. I appreciated the struggles he faced in finding himself in university in SA. I loved the way he played with sounds and words throughout the book - 'kimay'! I loved the references to a lot of pop culture- from Lauryn Hill's afro, to OutKast's wardrobe, Lionel Richie, Brenda Fassie.
Before I read the book, I read reviews on how readers found it a bit choppy and not an easy read to get through, but I didn't find it difficult or choppy at all. In the beginning, it may have seemed that way because we were encountering the young, immature, happy-go-lucky, very jovial Binyavanga. The writing style seemed appropriate, as we read through the mind of a young, privileged boy who just enjoyed reading books, imagining random patterns in the sky, day-dreamed and had a somewhat scatter-brain. Which youngster isn't like this anyways? I gained more interest in Biyavanga after he came out to the world earlier this year on being homosexual. I found it quite brave and admirable- Live your truth!
I learned a lot about Kenya and the ethnic group issues they face, especially during elections etc. It was familiar to me, as Ghana and other African nations face these issues as well. I loved that I got to learn about Kenya from a middle-class, Kenyan male stand point as well- instead of the village life stories that a lot of African novels are based on -_-.
It is an overall amazing, hilarious book. I would totally be-friend Biyavanga. He's very cool :)
[I look forward to reading the Africa39 book in October of this year, a project started by Binyavanga Wainaina]