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A review by notedbynnenna
Oil on Water by Helon Habila
3.0
#ReadSoulLit: http://youtu.be/YMCQzwi0rqU
In this novel, the wife of a wealthy oil executive is kidnapped. Now kidnappings are a regular occurrence in this part of Nigeria and there’s a procedure to follow. The husband pays a few journalists to meet with the kidnappers and confirm that his wife is alive. One of these journalists is our main character, Rufus, who’s young and idealistic and is hoping that this will be his first big story. He’s also working with another reporter named Zaq, who used to be really famous and is one of Rufus’s idols. The two of them take off in search of this woman, but the routine kidnapping goes awry.
Again, it’s really nice to read something that’s set in a different part of the world. One of the main issues in this book is the way that the oil industry is affecting the lives of the people in nearby villages. The oil ruins the environment and these villages collapse because they can’t sustain themselves anymore. I also liked the discussion of the role of journalists. Rufus comments that it’s his job to observe and report the truth, because if he doesn’t, it’s very possible that no one else will.
I thought it was an interesting and easy read, not just because it’s a short book and there’s a lot of dialogue, but also because the writing felt very natural and accessible. If you’re at all curious about books set in Nigeria, I would definitely recommend this one.
In this novel, the wife of a wealthy oil executive is kidnapped. Now kidnappings are a regular occurrence in this part of Nigeria and there’s a procedure to follow. The husband pays a few journalists to meet with the kidnappers and confirm that his wife is alive. One of these journalists is our main character, Rufus, who’s young and idealistic and is hoping that this will be his first big story. He’s also working with another reporter named Zaq, who used to be really famous and is one of Rufus’s idols. The two of them take off in search of this woman, but the routine kidnapping goes awry.
Again, it’s really nice to read something that’s set in a different part of the world. One of the main issues in this book is the way that the oil industry is affecting the lives of the people in nearby villages. The oil ruins the environment and these villages collapse because they can’t sustain themselves anymore. I also liked the discussion of the role of journalists. Rufus comments that it’s his job to observe and report the truth, because if he doesn’t, it’s very possible that no one else will.
I thought it was an interesting and easy read, not just because it’s a short book and there’s a lot of dialogue, but also because the writing felt very natural and accessible. If you’re at all curious about books set in Nigeria, I would definitely recommend this one.