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abeerhoque 's review for:
What Is the What
by Dave Eggers
I have two criticisms of "What is the What" - the fact that it's billed as a novel and that it doesn't have Valentino Achak Deng's name on the front cover. I understand having to fictionalise conversations from 20 years ago, but what 20 year old conversations aren't fictionalised? However, the larger flaw is not including Mr. Deng's name on the cover despite the fact that this is the soulful and historically accurate story of his life (his words).
This aside, Mr. Deng's autobiography, written by Dave Eggers, is great (despite a certain stilted language). I knew embarrassingly little about the Lost Boys of Sudan or how they came to be lost, and in addition to filling in those gaps, "What is the What" is in turns beautiful, heartbreaking, taut, and clear eyed. It is also self aware and completely un-self-pitying, despite a life's worth of sorrow (and hope) packed into 27 odd years.
I highly recommend it.
This aside, Mr. Deng's autobiography, written by Dave Eggers, is great (despite a certain stilted language). I knew embarrassingly little about the Lost Boys of Sudan or how they came to be lost, and in addition to filling in those gaps, "What is the What" is in turns beautiful, heartbreaking, taut, and clear eyed. It is also self aware and completely un-self-pitying, despite a life's worth of sorrow (and hope) packed into 27 odd years.
I highly recommend it.