Great African Reads discussion

I apologize for the delay, but here is the thread for discussing our February selection. I will post some background info and resources here sometime this weekend. Happy Reading!

i'm back, and with thanks to Beverly, i have some materials to encourage you all to visit.

a Book Forum review discusses what Wainaina is doing with his memoir. The article's final paragraph says:

Although exposing Africa's diversity to the West is certainly honorable, what gives this memoir its pulse is how Wainaina creates a new sense of place for the reader. He captures the feeling of being somewhere, and this includes (perhaps most importantly) being in one's own mind. Wainaina worries that no matter where poeple are crammed together, we are separated by our individual thoughts. He writes, "There are things men are supposed to know, and I do not want to know those things, but I want to belong." But for all his emphasis on the distance between people, his book allows us to slide into his thoughts, to know what he knows, and to lose, or at least lessen, this feeling of separateness. This book is so powerfully written that while we're reading it, we can almost belong to the same place.

After reading this book, do you agree with the reviewer's assessment? Did Wainaina create a new sense of place for the reader? While reading, did you feel like you could almost belong to that same place?

Helon Habila wrote a very positive review in the Guardian, which points to the development of both the Wainaina himself and his memoir, as well as touching on key historical events. At the end of his review, Habila points out that,

Although its publishers describe the book as a memoir, it lacks the unity of theme of, say, Wole Soyinka's Aké: The Years of Childhood, or Man Died: Prison Notes, about his time in prison during the Nigerian civil war. It is not even about discovering one's cultural heritage, like Philippe Wamba's Kinship, or about departure, return and exile, like Eva Hoffman's Lost in Translation. It is loosely a coming-of-age narrative, a sort of autobiographical portrait of the artist as a young man, up until the section where he grows up. Then it becomes simply commentary and critique, but it does this brilliantly.

Do you agree with Habila? Does the memoir lack unity of theme? Does this detract from the work? Does its commentary and critique come across brilliantly? Did you like the structure of the memoir or did you find it confusing?

Wainaina's essay in Granta How to Write About Africa is somewhat tongue-in-cheek and satirical. Do you think Wainaina followed his own "How To" successfully with his own memoir?

Okay...so let's start with those questions. Beverly had two more fascinating links that we should also wrap into our discussion, so please read them if you have a chance:

What is an Afropolitan?

and here CNN will introduce you to some Afropolitans.

Here's to a really rich discussion!

Thank you Marieke! I started yesterday with the first 10 pages or so. So far the narrator confuses me. Hope to sit down this weekend.

I have heard that it can be a bit...tough? Another reason I want to find some background info.

Marieke wrote: "I apologize for the delay, but here is the thread for discussing our February selection. I will post some background info and resources here sometime this weekend. Happy Reading!"

thanks much

Marieke wrote: "I have heard that it can be a bit...tough? Another reason I want to find some background info."

Here are a couple links that I have been reading:
http://www.bookforum.com/review/8086

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/...

I am also including a couple of links regarding Afropolitan (and how this applies to how and what the book is written/presented)

http://untweetable.blogspot.com/2010/...

http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/17/world/a...

Beverly wrote: "Marieke wrote: "I have heard that it can be a bit...tough? Another reason I want to find some background info."

Here are a couple links that I have been reading:
http://www.bookforum.com/review/8..."

Thank you so much Beverly. I'll have a look and then add them to the first post.

How is everyone doing? i'm about half-way through. i thought the first chapter was the most difficult as i got accustomed to his style, but after that i have been really enjoying it.

I'm at eighty something percent of the book. I really had to get accustomed to his writing and later in the book he is sometimes not easy to follow. I really enjoy the setting of the book with the different countries, political turmoil and social issues. After I finish the book I will start with the information you posted Marieke.

does anyone here use Spotify? for kicks i decided to start a playlist for this book since he mentions so much music. i'm kind of new to using spotify so i don't really know all the ins and outs, but i think anyone can see and listen to it?
here is the link to what i've got so far:
http://open.spotify.com/user/12203257...

if anyone else is interested, i can make it collaborative.

My thoughts:
• At first it took me a while to get into the flow of the book but for me this book was a series of vignettes/thoughts – some very brief and some a little longer. There were times when I was fully engaged and others that I was not quite sure what was going on.
• For the book is divided into the three stages of the author’s life – coming-of-age (childhood into adolescence as become more aware of the influences outside of family) – college years/young adult – adulthood and each part had a different flavor but was aware that all were written by an adult reflecting backwards
• We are all a product of our times that is influenced by our personal ambitions tempered by the past and family, cultural and political expectations/barriers and the author did a good job of showing how each of these affected him.
• While some understanding of this time period/history/place will enhance the reading this book can be read on both the macro and micro level. On the macro level the life path by Wainaina can be recognized by many as it is universal one that many readers can understand that mimics their life in broad strokes, but what the reader will get on the macro level is a broad stroke of a middle class life in Kenya, Uganda, & South Africa at the time. On the micro level, Wainaina mentions issues, names, places that are better understood if you have some knowledge on what he is commenting on – or if interested can research further.
• This book and author falls into the category of Afropolitan – internationally mobile, educated, with a different expectation of Africa than the parent’s and prior generations. As I have enjoyed the thoughts and portrayals by other authors labeled as Afropolitan – I also enjoyed this book. This book will help dispel some stereotypes that come to mind when readers think of Africa.
• I enjoyed how the author used historical events, family events, cultural tidbits throughout the story and it helped to understand his inner turmoil as he grew up and moved forward as an adult.
• As the author is a student of words – the language/words are both structured and free-flowing yet the reader is aware that the author took much thought on the words/sentences as presented on the page.
• I would not say that I am a big fan of memoirs but this memoir worked for me – I came away understanding a little more about a place and time that is often portrayed differently in history – the author is honest in what happened and does not paint a Pollyanna portrait but one that is individual to him.

Beverly wrote: "My thoughts:
• At first it took me a while to get into the flow of the book but for me this book was a series of vignettes/thoughts – some very brief and some a little longer. There were times when..."

Interesting review.. this book has been in my TBR for a while now... I was not sure what to do. And the word "Afropolitan", it's my first time hearing it.
Cheers.

Mary wrote: "Beverly wrote: "My thoughts:
• At first it took me a while to get into the flow of the book but for me this book was a series of vignettes/thoughts – some very brief and some a little longer. There..."

Mary -

If you want to know more about the term "Afropolitan" - the first entry in this discussion has two links to articles on the term.

Since the book is on your tbr list - give it a try.

Beverly, very interesting thoughts. I found the parts of the book set in Kenya flowed much better for me because I recognized all the details of place, food, music etc. I really enjoyed it, but strangely I found it harder to relate to the vignettes which took place when he was older. I felt I just couldn't identify with or understand his rootlessness. I think this is a personal reaction rather than a reaction to the book, although the unfamiliar style would get easier, I think, if one read more similar work.

Marieke, I don't think I can listen unless I sign up for spotify. I'll look at it later as I'm interested in finding recordings to re-listen to some of the music we used to carry around on cassettes:)
"Rivers of Babylon" was big with not only Kenyans in the US but also Ethiopians, as I remember.

Andrea wrote: "Marieke, I don't think I can listen unless I sign up for spotify. I'll look at it later as I'm interested in finding recordings to re-listen to some of the music we used to carry around on cassett..."

i tried to leave a reply the other day, but my phone was not cooperating. :(

anyway, i will try to make a youtube playlist, which i've never done, but should be able to figure out (we can always home). i was worried that would be the case with spotify...the silly thing is, i looked for some of the music on youtube first before finding it in spotify. youtube has more information.

Beverly wrote: "My thoughts:
• At first it took me a while to get into the flow of the book but for me this book was a series of vignettes/thoughts – some very brief and some a little longer. There were times when..."

Beverly, i had a very similar reaction to this book. i haven't written a review yet, but i did take a few notes and mark a lot of pages. i thoroughly enjoyed his writing, but i can see how it won't be everyone's cup of tea. also, like andrea, i had a harder time toward the end of the book when he was traveling...somehow he lost a bit of the flow of time, which could be jarring/confusing at the change of a chapter.

i think one of the things i liked best was seeing how he slowly found his way and then hit on success via finding others, like Chimamanda Adichie, to communicate with.