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Americanah (2013)

Americanah (2013)

Book Info

Genre
Rating
4.17 of 5 Votes: 3
Your rating
ISBN
0307271080 (ISBN13: 9780307271082)
Language
English
Publisher
Knopf

About book Americanah (2013)

An interesting read with a consistent perspective. My only encounter of the author before reading this book was through a Ted talk of hers, where she talked about "the danger of the single story". In a nutshell, she spoke of how Africa is misinterpreted as a singular unit by non-Africans due to the massive campaigns surrounding this notion. At the time, the talk appealed to me for it's analysis of something I thought of as mundane and brushed off. Although I have never been out of Kenya and the closest I've been to international travel was a time when I briefly crossed the Kenya-Uganda border, I've grown up watching western films and reading western books. I suddenly became aware of how the characters would almost always say Africa while referring to a specific place. She even helped me realize why I love that South African comedian Trevor Noah so much, with his comical depictions on white people stereotypes of black people. That excitement is what made me pick up a copy of Americanah. I so eagerly wanted to see what this woman thought in full light. At first, I maintained that initial fervour and kept on agreeing furiously to what Ifemelu thought. I was incredulous to the parochial nature of those foreigners, and glad of the shared opinion I had with Ifemelu. All along I was aware of the ideologies the author was pushing, as she did not present them subtly but as the book's central themes, often in lengthy blog posts. Perhaps I expected more, but the consistency turned into a bitter complaint by the author of a hushed racial and African authenticity struggle in a foreign country. The main character, Ifemelu, became synonymous with this struggle and my mental image of her became that of Adichie, although I knew nothing of the author past the aforementioned talk. I began struggling through the pages and the other themes such as love became mere nuances supporting the author's view. I yearned for these themes and welcomed them for they were the only reasons I kept on reading the book. So perhaps I am not the right audience for this text. Perhaps I am of limited scope due to my lack of travel. Perhaps I should have read her other works before moving onto this one. At one point I tried to imagine whether I would have enjoyed the book more if I'd studied in the US and undergone similar episodes as an American-African (which I suspect Ms. Chimamanda Adichie went through). I guess only time will tell. I would recommend it to anyone of African origin moving to the states or anyone who wants a glimpse of what it's like to be an African in the diaspora. All in all I found it an interesting, educating book with lots of opinion, but not a late night page turner. Wonderful writing with insights into a world white folk rarely see or experience. I had some difficulty reading the novel because I never sat down for several hours and absorbed the flow. The story moves around in time and space and being able to stay with it for a long period would have added to my enjoyment. Might be something I should take on my next long flight. I look forward to reading other books by Adichie.

Do You like book Americanah (2013)?

One of the best books I've ever read, it sparkles in my mind.
—horse

Loved this book!!!
—maxxx

READ THIS BOOK
—tay

Fantastic.
—meg

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