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shansometimes 's review for:
An Orchestra of Minorities
by Chigozie Obioma
I finished An Orchestra of Minorities a few days ago and it's taken me that long to decide how I feel about it. The main character, Chinonso, is a Nigerian poultry farmer who declares that he will do anything to be able to marry the woman he loves. The book takes the reader along on his journey to fulfill this and overall, it's about the sacrifices we're willing to make for love.
The author incorporated a lot of Igbo cosmology/mythology and some untranslated Igbo language. I thought that the inclusion of the language and folklore, and the choice to have the chi (the "guardian spirit") narrate the story were the most unique and brilliant aspects of the book.
Chinonso goes through some hard times and it's strikingly painful to read. I was completely invested and engulfed in this story. It was definitely the heart-wrenching story the synopsis claimed it would be, but the pacing doesn't do it any favors. The book drags and dwells in unnecessary places and details but either skips or rushes through parts that would've been more interesting to know and follow. Some of the most pivotal, dramatic parts of the story felt more like a "well, by the way, this happened" while the reader gets half a chapter of the chi's musings that we didn't need. We’re not exactly dealt with consistently beautiful writing either—it’s pretty clunky and rudimentary at times, emotional and confident at others.
I've never read a book quite like this before and honestly, my appreciation for this book is mostly due to the uncommon way it was written and narrated. It's an odd, riveting, haunting story. My heart was racing at the end.
*This review is based on a free digital advanced copy provided by the publisher. The opinions expressed are my own.
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The author incorporated a lot of Igbo cosmology/mythology and some untranslated Igbo language. I thought that the inclusion of the language and folklore, and the choice to have the chi (the "guardian spirit") narrate the story were the most unique and brilliant aspects of the book.
Chinonso goes through some hard times and it's strikingly painful to read. I was completely invested and engulfed in this story. It was definitely the heart-wrenching story the synopsis claimed it would be, but the pacing doesn't do it any favors. The book drags and dwells in unnecessary places and details but either skips or rushes through parts that would've been more interesting to know and follow. Some of the most pivotal, dramatic parts of the story felt more like a "well, by the way, this happened" while the reader gets half a chapter of the chi's musings that we didn't need. We’re not exactly dealt with consistently beautiful writing either—it’s pretty clunky and rudimentary at times, emotional and confident at others.
I've never read a book quite like this before and honestly, my appreciation for this book is mostly due to the uncommon way it was written and narrated. It's an odd, riveting, haunting story. My heart was racing at the end.
*This review is based on a free digital advanced copy provided by the publisher. The opinions expressed are my own.
Let's connect: Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook