philosophie 's review for:

An Orchestra of Minorities by Chigozie Obioma

3.0

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I was drawn in by the philosophy the cultural details, by the relatable struggle for connection and dignity, by the discussion of the nature of the world and of the way Igbo culture might fit into a modern context, by the allusions to the Homeric Odyssey and Greek tragedy; unfortunately the narrative underneath and the structure, though inventive, painted women's pain as meaningless, a woman proved to be nothing but an object on which love is enacted, whilst excuses were made for why violence against her should be forgiven. The pacing and structural issues - the first half of the book is slow, however and whilst from about the middle it picks up remains uneven to the end - pale in comparison with the way Obioma neglects certain characters and plot points; the female characters were thinly drawn and served only as obstacles or prizes for the male lead.

The copy was kindly provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley.