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bookblurbage 's review for:
Purple Hibiscus
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Purple Hibiscus Review
*Some spoilers included*
There must be an artform to writing from a perspective/culture you are unfamiliar with and making it very easy on the eye to read. Adichie smashes this considering the storyline and some of the difficult issues raised.
There are topics of a particularly sensitive nature here and are listed below.
⚠️ Triggers: miscarriage, pregnancy, torture, domestic violence, political warfare, violence, torture, mental and physical abuse
I like how food is one of the common centered themes to this book which brings people together and is something Nigerian women (stereotypically) put a lot of time and effort into and do not take for granted especially when meat is considered a luxury amongst poorer families.
A few eye opening moments especially when as a result of the main character having menstrual cramps and her brother taking the blame for eating before Mass how they all feel the lick of papa's belt. This seemed to escalate quite quickly, reflecting perhaps papa's short temper and showing what depths he will go to to control his family under religious circumstances.
Some really hard to read bits in here but what I find the interesting is the way the book is structured, how time is disjointed and the order of events. You get some real glimpses of how Kambili's quality of life may be richer in terms of certain things like education and food but lacks in love and trust unlike her auntie and cousins life.
An interesting twist at the end - where the pace seemed to pick up very quickly and (for me)which came out of nowhere.
A solid ⭐⭐⭐ - I wanted to love it especially as the content and themes of the book are important but I didn't find myself totally gripped throughout.
*Some spoilers included*
There must be an artform to writing from a perspective/culture you are unfamiliar with and making it very easy on the eye to read. Adichie smashes this considering the storyline and some of the difficult issues raised.
There are topics of a particularly sensitive nature here and are listed below.
⚠️ Triggers: miscarriage, pregnancy, torture, domestic violence, political warfare, violence, torture, mental and physical abuse
I like how food is one of the common centered themes to this book which brings people together and is something Nigerian women (stereotypically) put a lot of time and effort into and do not take for granted especially when meat is considered a luxury amongst poorer families.
A few eye opening moments especially when as a result of the main character having menstrual cramps and her brother taking the blame for eating before Mass how they all feel the lick of papa's belt. This seemed to escalate quite quickly, reflecting perhaps papa's short temper and showing what depths he will go to to control his family under religious circumstances.
Some really hard to read bits in here but what I find the interesting is the way the book is structured, how time is disjointed and the order of events. You get some real glimpses of how Kambili's quality of life may be richer in terms of certain things like education and food but lacks in love and trust unlike her auntie and cousins life.
An interesting twist at the end - where the pace seemed to pick up very quickly and (for me)which came out of nowhere.
A solid ⭐⭐⭐ - I wanted to love it especially as the content and themes of the book are important but I didn't find myself totally gripped throughout.