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賳氐賮 卮賲爻 氐賮乇丕亍
芦夭丕乇 兀賵賱丕賳丕 丨賱賲 噩賲賷賱貙 賱賲 鬲鬲匕賰乇 毓賲丕 賰丕賳貙 賱賰賳賴丕 鬲匕賰乇 兀賳賴 賰丕賳 爻毓賷丿丕 噩丿丕貙 兀賳賴丕 氐丨鬲 賲丿賮卅丞 賳賮爻賴丕 亘賮賰乇丞 兀賳賴 賱丕賷夭丕賱 賮賷 賵爻毓賴丕 兀賳 鬲丨賱賲 兀丨賱丕賲丕 爻毓賷丿丞貙 鬲賲賳鬲 賱賵 賱賲 賷賰賳 兀賵丿賷賳賷噩賵 賯丿 匕賴亘 廿賱賷 丕賱毓賲賱 丨鬲賷 鬲丨賰賷 賱賴 毓賳 匕賱賰 賵鬲鬲亘毓 丕亘鬲爻丕賲鬲賴 丕賱賲鬲爻丕賲丨丞 賵賴賵 賷賳氐鬲 廿賱賷賴丕貙 鬲賱賰 丕賱丕亘鬲爻丕賲丞 丕賱鬲賷 鬲賯賵賱 廿賳賴 賱賷爻 賮賷 丨丕噩丞 賱兀賳 賷賵丕賮賯賴丕 丨鬲賷 賷氐丿賯賴丕貙 賱賰賳賴丕 賱賲 鬲乇 鬲賱賰 丕賱丕亘鬲爻丕賲丞 賲賳匕 賲丕鬲鬲 兀賲賴貙 賲賳匕 丨丕賵賱 兀賳 賷匕賴亘 廿賱賷 丌亘丕 賵毓丕丿 賯丕亘囟丕 毓賱賷 丕賱馗賱丕賱貙 賲賳匕 亘丿兀 賷睾丕丿乇 廿賱賷 丕賱毓賲賱 賲亘賰乇丕賸 噩丿賸丕 賵賷鬲賵賯賮 毓賳丿 亘丕乇 鬲賳夭丕賳賷丕 賮賷 胤乇賷賯 毓賵丿鬲賴 廿賱賷 丕賱亘賷鬲貙 賱賵 兀賳賴 賮賯胤 賱賲 賷丨丕賵賱 兀賳 賷毓亘乇 丕賱胤乇賯 丕賱賲丨鬲賱丞貙 賱賲丕 賰丕賳 丕賱兀賳 賲賰鬲卅亘丕賸 噩丿賸丕 賵賲賳爻丨亘丕賸貙 賱賲 賷賰賳 丨夭賳賴 賱賷丿賮賳 亘丕賱賮卮賱禄.. 亘鬲賱賰 丕賱噩賲賱 丕賱鬲賷 噩賲毓鬲 亘賷賳 丨丕賱鬲賷賳 卮毓賵乇賷鬲賷賳 賵賳賮爻賷鬲賷賳 鬲賯賮丕賳 毓賱賷 胤乇賮 丕賱賳賯賷囟 賲賳 禺賷賵胤 丕賱丿乇丕賲丕貙 亘丿兀鬲 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 丕賱賳賷噩賷乇賷丞 丕賱卮丕亘丞 鬲卮賷賲丕賳丿丕 賳噩賵夭賷 丕丿賷鬲卮賷 乇賵丕賷鬲賴丕 芦賳氐賮 卮賲爻 氐賮乇丕亍禄 賱鬲氐賮 賱賳丕 賲賳 禺賱丕賱賴丕 丕賱兀噩賵丕亍 丕賱賲乇毓亘丞 丕賱鬲賷 氐丕丨亘鬲 丕賱丨乇亘 丕賱兀賴賱賷丞 丕賱賳賷噩賷乇賷丞 賲賳 1967 丨鬲賷 1970貙 丨賷孬 鬲乇氐丿 賲賳 禺賱丕賱 丕賱兀丨丿丕孬 丕賱賲匕丕亘丨 賵丕賱丕賳鬲賴丕賰丕鬲 丕賱丿賲賵賷丞 丕賱鬲賷 丕乇鬲賰亘鬲賴丕 賯亘丕卅賱 丕賱賴丕賵爻丕 賲毓 爻賰丕賳 賯亘丕卅賱 丕賱廿賷亘賵 丕賱匕賷賳 毓賱賯賵丕 兀丨賱丕賲賴賲 毓賱賷 丕賱丕爻鬲賯賱丕賱 賱鬲賰賵賷賳 丿賵賱丞 亘賷丕賮乇丕貙 賱匕賱賰 丕鬲禺匕賵丕 卮毓丕乇 丿賵賱鬲賴賲 丕賱噩丿賷丿丞 芦賳氐賮 卮賲爻 氐賮乇丕亍禄 賰乇賲夭 賱賱鬲丨乇乇 賲賳 馗賱丕賲賷丞 丕賱賳馗丕賲 丕賱賮丕卮賷 丕賱匕賷 丨賰賲 賳賷噩賷乇賷丕貙 賵賱賲 鬲乇丿 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 - 丕賱鬲賷 鬲賵賯毓 賱賴丕 丕賱兀丿賷亘 丕賱賳賷噩賷乇賷 丕賱賰亘賷乇 鬲卮賷賳賵丕 丕鬲卮賷亘賷 賲爻鬲賯亘賱丕賸 乇丕卅毓丕賸 賵丕氐賮丕賸 廿賷丕賴丕 亘兀賳賴丕 賵賱丿鬲 賳丕囟噩丞 - 兀賳 鬲爻乇丿 丕賱兀丨丿丕孬 亘胤乇賷賯丞 賵丕賯毓賷丞 賷禺鬲賱胤 賮賷賴丕 丕賱賵氐賮 亘丕賱丨賵丕乇 丕賱鬲賯賱賷丿賷 丕賱噩丕賮 賮賯丿賲鬲 賱賳丕 賮賷 600 氐賮丨丞 氐丿乇鬲 毓賳 丕賱賴賷卅丞 丕賱毓丕賲丞 賱賱賰鬲丕亘 賵鬲乇噩賲鬲賴丕 賱賱毓乇亘賷丞 賮丕胤賲丞 賳丕毓賵鬲 丕賱兀丨丿丕孬 賲賳 禺賱丕賱 胤賮賱 丕爻賲賴 兀噩賵賵 賰丕賳 賷毓賲賱 禺丕丿賲丕 賱丿賷 亘乇賵賮賷爻賵乇 賳賷噩賷乇賷 賲鬲禺氐氐 賮賷 丕賱乇賷丕囟賷丕鬲貙 賵賮賷 賴匕丕 丕賱賲賳夭賱 鬲毓賱賲 丕賱胤賮賱 賰賷賮賷丞 丕賱鬲賱氐氐 毓賱賷 夭賵丕乇 爻賷丿賴 賱賷毓乇賮 兀禺乇 丕賱兀禺亘丕乇 丕賱鬲賷 噩乇鬲 賵賲毓賴丕 兀丨丿孬 鬲胤賵乇丕鬲 丕賱丨乇亘 賮賷 賲丨丕賵賱丞 賱廿賷噩丕丿 鬲賮爻賷乇 賱賲囟丕賲賷賳 丕賱丨乇亘 賵丕賱賲噩丕夭乇 丕賱鬲賷 賱賲 賷爻鬲胤毓 毓賯賱賴 丕賱氐睾賷乇 兀賳 賷氐賵睾賴丕 亘丿賯丞 鬲乇鬲爻賲 賲毓賴丕 鬲賮丕氐賷賱 丕賱丨賯賷賯丞貙 賵亘賷賳賲丕 鬲囟毓 丕賱丨乇賵亘 兀賵夭丕乇賴丕 鬲賳卮兀 賯氐丞 丨亘 亘賷賳 丕賱亘乇賵賮賷爻賵乇 賵賮鬲丕丞 賳賷噩賷乇賷丞 賲孬賯賮丞 賱鬲囟毓 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 丕賱丨亘 賰兀丨丿 毓賳丕氐乇 丕賱賲兀爻丕丞 賵鬲囟毓 賲毓賴 爻丐丕賱丕 賲賴賲丕: 賴賱 賷賲賰賳 賱亘匕賵乇 丕賱丨亘 兀賳 鬲噩丿 賲丕 賷乇賵賷賴丕 賮賷 鬲賱賰 丕賱丕乇丕囟賷 丕賱鬲賷 鬲睾賲乇賴丕 卮賱丕賱丕鬲 丕賱丿賲 賵鬲賮賷囟 毓賱賷賴丕 賷賳丕亘賷毓 丕賱丨賯丿責 賵賳鬲乇賰 丕賱丨亘 賵賳賲囟賷 賲毓 丕賱兀丨丿丕孬 丨鬲賷 賷賰亘乇 丕賱胤賮賱 丕賱氐睾賷乇 賵賲毓賴 賷賰亘乇 丕賱賵毓賷 賮賷噩丿 賱亘毓囟 丕賱乇賲賵夭 鬲兀賵賷賱丕 氐丨賷丨丕 賱賱賲兀爻丕丞 丕賱鬲賷 毓丕卮賴丕 丕賱卮毓亘 賵賴賵 賷丨賱賲 亘丕賱丨乇賷丞 賵丕賱丕爻鬲賯賱丕賱貙 賰賲丕 丕賴鬲賲鬲 鬲卮賷賲丕賳丿丕 亘丕賱噩丕賳亘 丕賱賮乇丿賷 賲賳 丕賱賲兀爻丕丞 丕賱賳賷噩賷乇賷丞 賱卮毓亘 亘賷丕賮乇丕 賵囟毓鬲 賱賳丕 毓賱丕賯丕鬲 孬賳丕卅賷丞 賲鬲卮丕亘賰丞 賱鬲禺鬲夭賱 賮賷賴丕 鬲賮丕氐賷賱 賰賱 丕賱毓賱丕賯丕鬲 賵丕賱賲卮丕毓乇 丕賱賲爻賷胤乇丞 毓賱賷 兀賴賱 丕賱賲丿賷賳丞 賮賷 鬲賱賰 丕賱賮鬲乇丞貙 丨賷孬 賳乇賷 兀禺鬲賷賳 鬲賵兀賲賷賳貙 兀賵賱丕賳丕 賵賰丕賷賳賷賳丕 丕賱賲鬲亘丕賷賳鬲丕賳 賮賷 丕賱賲夭丕噩 賮賷賳噩匕亘丕賳 賳丨賵 乇噩丕賱 賲禺鬲賱賮賷賳 噩丿丕賸 賮鬲氐亘丨 兀賵賱丕賳丕 夭賵噩丞 賱丕賵丿賷噩賳亘賵 賵賴賵 賲孬賯賮 匕賵 賳夭毓丕鬲 禺賷乇丞 賷丐賷丿 丕賱丕鬲丨丕丿 丕賱兀賮乇賷賯賷貙 賵賷丿乇賾爻 賮賷 噩丕賲毓丞 廿賯賱賷賲賷丞貙 亘賷賳賲丕 鬲賯毓 賰丕賷賳賳丕 賮賷 丨亘 乇賷鬲卮丕乇丿 賵賴賵 乇噩賱 廿賳噩賱賷夭賷 匕賵 賲亘丕丿卅 賷鬲賵賱賷 賯囟賷丞 亘賷丕賮乇丕貙 賵賲毓 鬲鬲丕亘毓 兀丨丿丕孬 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 鬲賱賯賷 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 亘賲氐賷乇 丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 丕賱兀乇亘毓丞 賮賷 兀鬲賵賳 丕賱賮賵囟賷 丕賱鬲賷 丕賳毓賰爻鬲 毓賱賷 賰賱 賲毓丕賱賲 賵賲賮乇丿丕鬲 丕賱丨賷丕丞 賮賷 丕賱賲丿賷賳丞貙 賱賷賯賮 丕賱噩賲賷毓 賮賷 賳賴丕賷丞 丕賱賲胤丕賮 毓賱賷 賲賮鬲乇賯 丕賱胤乇賯 廿賲丕 丕賱賰賮丕丨 賱賳賷賱 丕賱丕爻鬲賯賱丕賱 丕賱匕賷 爻賷乇丕賯 賮賷 爻亘賷賱賴 丕賱賲夭賷丿 賲賳 丕賱丿賲丕亍 兀賵 丕賱亘賯丕亍 鬲丨鬲 爻賱胤丞 丕賱丿賵賱丞 丕賱鬲賷 爻賷乇爻賲 丕賱賲賵丕胤賳賵賳 賲賳 兀噩賱賴丕 毓賱賷 丕賱賵噩賵賴 丕賱賲夭賷丿 賲賳 毓賱丕賲丕鬲 丕賱禺囟賵毓 賵丕賱乇孬丕亍.
600 pages, Paperback
First published September 12, 2006
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About the author
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
112听books45.7k听followersCHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE grew up in Nigeria. Her work has been translated into more than fifty-five languages. She is the author of the novels Purple Hibiscus, which won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize; Half of a Yellow Sun, which was the recipient of the Women鈥檚 Prize for Fiction 鈥淏est of the Best鈥� award; Americanah, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award; the story collection The Thing Around Your Neck and the essays We Should All Be Feminists and Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions. Her most recent work is an essay about losing her father, Notes on Grief, and Mama鈥檚 Sleeping Scarf, a children鈥檚 book written as Nwa Grace-James. A recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, she divides her time between the United States and Nigeria.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 13,618 reviews
July 29, 2015
It came to me as an epiphany as I barreled through the last few pages of this book, blanketed in my Sunday evening lethargy, marveling at Adichie's graceful evocation of a forgotten time and place and feeling the embarrassment of having known nothing about the Biafran war, that somewhere in the Gaza strip the maimed bodies of children must lie strewn amidst the debris of their former lives while vicious debates rage on twitter in which people pick a side - Israel or Hamas - to defend from criticism. As if that's what matters.
Somewhere at this very moment there may be a terror-stricken, weeping child, fleeing to find cover, unaware of what she is running from, unaware of the finality of death, shielded by the caprices of the same history she is living, perhaps. Someday she may grow up well to become another Chimamanda to write the story which is hers to tell, and time, circumstances, and health permitting, I am going to be reading that book and be reminded of the umpteenth 'war' that not even my generation of enlightened, Nobel-peace-prize winning heads of state did enough to prevent, the damage that could have been preempted, and the children who could have grown up to carry the weight of civilization some day but didn't.
The farce of this relentless cycle of mayhem, killing, pillage, rape, and starvation will hit us time and again and yet leaders of the first world will continue to look dapper in their crisp suits and appear dignified while justifying their sale of high-tech weapons to warring parties because revenue is to be earned from the spilling of blood. For the sake of self-made demarcations, for the sake of that ridiculous nonentity called national pride, for the sake of righting wrongs done in the past we'll bury our children and future in mass graves and commit more wrongs.
This book deserves 4 stars in my eyes. It's not a flawlessly written work with its frequent straying into the territory of melodramatic personal relationships and cliched characterization and Adichie's writing seems to lack polish in places. But in no way does that stop this from being a highly important work of fiction that the annals of literature ought to acknowledge with a gleaming appraisal.
This is the past transcending the barriers of time to appear before us in a surely pale imitation of its true grotesqueness. This is Adichie leading us to history of a corner of the world we only associate with food programs, the UNHCR, unstable governments and inexorable ethnic conflicts. This is Adichie telling us that history ignored isn't history blotted out.
I didn't know Biafra at all; there are not enough books on Biafra (as confirmed by 欧宝娱乐 and Google Books), because only those horrors of war survive oblivion which are fortunate enough to receive the world media's stamp of approval. Not all death and devastation caused by 'civil wars' are worthy of the glory of 'crimes against humanity' like Nigeria's smooth war tactic of starving Biafran children with tacit British support wasn't.
But there was a Biafra. Not the transient existence of the nation represented by half of a yellow sun but the reality of the people who, in the paroxysms of misguided idealism, picked the losing side in a war.
Chimamanda's Olanna, Ugwu and Richard, all of whom weave their way in and out of manifold conflicts of morality, identity, and survival, serve as our guides in this landscape of kwashiorkor-plagued children with pot bellies while trying to make sense of the muddle of mutual Hausa-Yoruba-Igbo animosity. And along with them the reader navigates the maze of wartime barbarity, political allegiances, and interpersonal relationships with a growing sense of unease and uncertainty - who are the ones truly responsible? who are the perpetrators? who are the victims? what was the war for and what did it achieve?
In the end any such attempt at such neat compartmentalization makes little difference to the truth of lives destroyed in a fit of murderous passion. In all likelihood, there will be more Biafras and Srebrenicas and Rwanda-Burundis and Syrias and Gazas as there will be the burden of future tragedy and loss to be borne by hapless survivors. But there's the small assurance that there will be the Chimamanda Ngozi Adichies of the world to give a human face to the solemn formality of statistics every time.
Somewhere at this very moment there may be a terror-stricken, weeping child, fleeing to find cover, unaware of what she is running from, unaware of the finality of death, shielded by the caprices of the same history she is living, perhaps. Someday she may grow up well to become another Chimamanda to write the story which is hers to tell, and time, circumstances, and health permitting, I am going to be reading that book and be reminded of the umpteenth 'war' that not even my generation of enlightened, Nobel-peace-prize winning heads of state did enough to prevent, the damage that could have been preempted, and the children who could have grown up to carry the weight of civilization some day but didn't.
The farce of this relentless cycle of mayhem, killing, pillage, rape, and starvation will hit us time and again and yet leaders of the first world will continue to look dapper in their crisp suits and appear dignified while justifying their sale of high-tech weapons to warring parties because revenue is to be earned from the spilling of blood. For the sake of self-made demarcations, for the sake of that ridiculous nonentity called national pride, for the sake of righting wrongs done in the past we'll bury our children and future in mass graves and commit more wrongs.
This book deserves 4 stars in my eyes. It's not a flawlessly written work with its frequent straying into the territory of melodramatic personal relationships and cliched characterization and Adichie's writing seems to lack polish in places. But in no way does that stop this from being a highly important work of fiction that the annals of literature ought to acknowledge with a gleaming appraisal.
This is the past transcending the barriers of time to appear before us in a surely pale imitation of its true grotesqueness. This is Adichie leading us to history of a corner of the world we only associate with food programs, the UNHCR, unstable governments and inexorable ethnic conflicts. This is Adichie telling us that history ignored isn't history blotted out.
I didn't know Biafra at all; there are not enough books on Biafra (as confirmed by 欧宝娱乐 and Google Books), because only those horrors of war survive oblivion which are fortunate enough to receive the world media's stamp of approval. Not all death and devastation caused by 'civil wars' are worthy of the glory of 'crimes against humanity' like Nigeria's smooth war tactic of starving Biafran children with tacit British support wasn't.
"Starvation propelled aid organizations to sneak-fly food into Biafra at night since both sides could not agree on routes. Starvation aided the careers of photographers. And starvation made the International Red Cross call Biafra its gravest emergency since the Second World War."
But there was a Biafra. Not the transient existence of the nation represented by half of a yellow sun but the reality of the people who, in the paroxysms of misguided idealism, picked the losing side in a war.
Chimamanda's Olanna, Ugwu and Richard, all of whom weave their way in and out of manifold conflicts of morality, identity, and survival, serve as our guides in this landscape of kwashiorkor-plagued children with pot bellies while trying to make sense of the muddle of mutual Hausa-Yoruba-Igbo animosity. And along with them the reader navigates the maze of wartime barbarity, political allegiances, and interpersonal relationships with a growing sense of unease and uncertainty - who are the ones truly responsible? who are the perpetrators? who are the victims? what was the war for and what did it achieve?
"Grief was the celebration of love, those who could feel real grief were lucky to have loved. But it was not grief that Olanna felt, it was greater than grief. It was stranger than grief."
In the end any such attempt at such neat compartmentalization makes little difference to the truth of lives destroyed in a fit of murderous passion. In all likelihood, there will be more Biafras and Srebrenicas and Rwanda-Burundis and Syrias and Gazas as there will be the burden of future tragedy and loss to be borne by hapless survivors. But there's the small assurance that there will be the Chimamanda Ngozi Adichies of the world to give a human face to the solemn formality of statistics every time.
January 7, 2013
A few months ago I read Chinua Achebe鈥檚 autobiography, 鈥淭here Was a Country鈥�, which depicted Nigeria鈥檚 Biafran War (1967-1970). This book also deals with the events before and leading up to the war.
This book was marvelous. The story just flows for the most part and the language used is so evocative. I鈥檓 sure people who have visited or lived in Africa will appreciate the descriptions of African life, African mentality, humour, nature and so on.
I have to admit, I much preferred the first half to the second half. It was hard to read about the Biafran war. The copy of the book I had actually showed pictures of children during the war who had suffered from kwashiorkor. It was truly heartbreaking. To think so many tribal wars occurred because of colonialists drawing arbitrary borders and also favouring one ethnic group over another (similar to what happened in Burundi and Rwanda).
The stories of the five main characters; Ugwu, Olanna, Richard, Odenigbo and Kainene were also interesting, though some parts were quite reminiscent of a Nollywood (Nigerian movie industry) movie (affairs, evil women, desperation for babies, meddling mothers etc.)
Since a lot of people consider Africa on the whole to be a homogeneous 鈥渃ountry鈥� where everyone speaks 鈥淎frican鈥�, I鈥檓 hoping books like this will help show people that that鈥檚 not the case; even a country like Nigeria has so many tribes and cultures.
One quote I really liked was this: 鈥淭he real tragedy of our postcolonial world is not that the majority of people had no say in whether or not they wanted this new world; rather, it is that the majority have not been given the tools to negotiate this new world.鈥� A point to ponder.
Adichie is definitely a wonderful contemporary African writer, probably one of the best I鈥檝e encountered in recent years. I鈥檓 really excited to read more from Adichie. She鈥檚 so young and it鈥檚 safe to suppose her writing will only get better
This book was marvelous. The story just flows for the most part and the language used is so evocative. I鈥檓 sure people who have visited or lived in Africa will appreciate the descriptions of African life, African mentality, humour, nature and so on.
I have to admit, I much preferred the first half to the second half. It was hard to read about the Biafran war. The copy of the book I had actually showed pictures of children during the war who had suffered from kwashiorkor. It was truly heartbreaking. To think so many tribal wars occurred because of colonialists drawing arbitrary borders and also favouring one ethnic group over another (similar to what happened in Burundi and Rwanda).
The stories of the five main characters; Ugwu, Olanna, Richard, Odenigbo and Kainene were also interesting, though some parts were quite reminiscent of a Nollywood (Nigerian movie industry) movie (affairs, evil women, desperation for babies, meddling mothers etc.)
Since a lot of people consider Africa on the whole to be a homogeneous 鈥渃ountry鈥� where everyone speaks 鈥淎frican鈥�, I鈥檓 hoping books like this will help show people that that鈥檚 not the case; even a country like Nigeria has so many tribes and cultures.
One quote I really liked was this: 鈥淭he real tragedy of our postcolonial world is not that the majority of people had no say in whether or not they wanted this new world; rather, it is that the majority have not been given the tools to negotiate this new world.鈥� A point to ponder.
Adichie is definitely a wonderful contemporary African writer, probably one of the best I鈥檝e encountered in recent years. I鈥檓 really excited to read more from Adichie. She鈥檚 so young and it鈥檚 safe to suppose her writing will only get better
June 16, 2012
I read only about one-third of this novel. Adichie's (CNA) writing doesn't agree with me at all. And the characters are so flat they should be able to slide under a door trouble-free. The characters don't even bother to play their role with its limited definition. Instead they keep pounding their fists on a table and shouting out what their role is supposed to be: "I am a sardonic bitch.", "I am sooo non-racist you won't even believe it", "blah blah".
Ouch! My head hurts.
One type of characters I am almost certain to hate are the P.E.R.F.E.C.T. ones. And CNA stops just short of establishing Olanna's idol in a temple and worshiping her. We are constantly reminded of what a smart and benevolent person she is. And non-racist. She is always showing off her fancy London-based education, always talking about this charity or that. To make sure she is universally adored, CNA mentions her angel-like beauty almost every time Olanna is mentioned.
In CNA's world all rich people are by default super-shallow. Now poor Olanna had the misfortune of being born to rich parents. How do we fix that? Olanna leaves her parent's house to live with her boyfriend (does this count as a sacrifice?) and takes up a job. Her parents still keep trying to shove fancy cars and bundles of cash down her throat. She feebly resists, but has to accept them anyway. Very convenient!
Odenigbo - the revolutionary. His activism largely involves drinking with buddies in his living room and abruptly shouting out some out-of-context political dialogue. To hold up this forward and enlightened image of his he needs to keep breaking into such diatribes without any sense of place or time - so I am driving my houseboy to see his sick mom. I know exactly what the boy needs right now, my political rant. Yup.
Ugwu - So wait, you mean my mom is not dying, she is only terribly sick? Hurray, I can go back to fantasizing about Nnesinachi breasts.
Richard - super-lame white boy who has read a Wikipedia article (or some equivalent) about one Nigerian art form and now that's the only thing he will ever talk about. And hey, he claims to have interest in a local art form. What do you mean that's not sufficient to give him a non-racist badge?
...and a couple of more such posers. In terms of writing, CNA tries to be somewhat fancy and writer-ly, thus ending up writing in a style that doesn't come naturally to her. You can see her trying a bit too hard. One rule of thumb she seems to follow is to attach an unrelated, trivial sentence at the end of a paragraph. Is that supposed to impart depth to the writing?
I know I haven't reached the meat of the novel yet. There is a war on the horizon. Typically one can expect to see a transformation in someone who has lived through a war. Given what I have seen so far, these characters may jump from one assigned characteristic to another, if the author tells them to. I don't expect to see any realistic, believable transitions. I am just going to live without knowing who all make it through the war.
July 23, 2022
This novel tells us the story of Biafra's quest for an independent republic in Nigeria. This novel, set in the 1960s, tells us the racist impact colonialism had inflicted on Africa.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is one of my most favorite contemporary African writers. The story is told through five main characters Ugwu, Olanna, Richard, Odenigbo, and Kainene. This is a riveting, evocative novel, just like all the other novels written by the author.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is one of my most favorite contemporary African writers. The story is told through five main characters Ugwu, Olanna, Richard, Odenigbo, and Kainene. This is a riveting, evocative novel, just like all the other novels written by the author.
"The real tragedy of our postcolonial world is not that the majority of people had no say in whether or not they wanted this new world; rather, it is that the majority have not been given the tools to negotiate this new world."
November 13, 2020
November 2020 update: Winner of Winners of Women's Prize for Fiction, meaning the best book voted by the readers from all the previous winners. I think it is well deserved.
From this book you learn that the European powers did a shitty job when they created the African countries, not taking in consideration any cultural/tribe aspects. Lots of problems resulted from that, especially war. (Read 2013)
From this book you learn that the European powers did a shitty job when they created the African countries, not taking in consideration any cultural/tribe aspects. Lots of problems resulted from that, especially war. (Read 2013)
January 11, 2016
"The world was silent when we died."
This casual statement he once heard is used as the title of a book written by one of the characters in this novel, in which Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie chronicles the birth, short and tortured life and death of the State of Biafra: born on the 30th of May, 1967 from Nigeria and forcefully annexed back by the parent state, after a bitter war in which a million died, in January 1970.
Most of us, I suspect, do not know about this short-lived country. Even Wikipedia calls the war between Biafra and Nigeria a "civil war", thus denying legitimacy to the erstwhile nation: even though a number of countries recognised it. Since history is always written by the victors, the voice of the losers are often submerged in the general background noise.
I listened to a talk by the author - a very impressive one - about the danger of the "single story": the one that has been foisted on the world by the erstwhile colonial powers and called "history". These are opinions which are taught as facts, which tend to show an uncivilised "third world", and the West's "civilising" influence. This is so much bovine excrement. The colonial powers went into Asia and Africa to loot, and when the loot was finished, exited leaving miserable poverty and the flames of mutual hatred in the minds of people. This is the story which is not told.
Ms. Adichie also warns us about the "secondary story" in the speech; that is, starting the story from the second chapter, ignoring the first. Examples are plentiful - Palestinians attacking the peaceful state of Israel, without mentioning the death and displacement of thousand of Palestinians to create the said country; mutual hatred between India and Pakistan, without mentioning the hatred fomented by the British which resulted in the partition; endemic poverty and tribal violence in Africa, without mentioning the years of occupation by the West which created them. Up till recently, world history was made up of these secondary stories, which served as the "one story" which the former colonial powers wanted to propagate.
It is heartening to note that things are changing. People like Chimamanda are using the most powerful medium available to humans since the dawn of civilisation to bring about that change: the medium of the narrative. And it is here that the defeated people have an immense power which cannot be suppressed.
The world was silent when many died. But now it will have to listen, as the dead tell their story from beyond the grave.
---------------------------------------------------
As the British colonists left Nigeria, they did what they were expert at doing: drawing artificial national boundaries and inciting hatred in the minds of the people they ruled. So after a period of uneasy calm, Nigeria erupted in riots. The powerful Hausa people massacred the Igbo minority, whom they considered to be enjoying more benefits than was due them (see anything familiar here?), and the Igbo declared independence from Nigeria, and the state of Biafra was born. However, Nigeria could not let go of the oil-rich south: so war was declared. In a bitter battle which lasted two and a half years which left a million dead and the country devastated, Biafra was subjugated and wiped off the map.
Ms. Adichie passes the harsh white light of history through the prism of individual experience to create overlapping rainbows of narratives. In this, her style is similar to that of Paul Scott; however, whereas Scott鈥檚 narrative is an Indian tapestry where one has to search among the intricate coloured strands to see a pattern (or multiple conflicting patterns), Chimamanda鈥檚 work has all the blunt beauty of African art: the uncomplicated lines and the simple patterns which makes the medium all but transparent so that the narrator is talking directly to the listener. Scenes of utter despair and brutality are described very matter-of-factly, in almost Hemingway-esque prose. We are all sitting around a metaphorical campfire, listening to the author telling her story in uncomplicated prose.
But it does not mean that there are no nuances. The name, Half of a Yellow Sun, itself signifies separation, a paring; the fact that it is a reference to the Biafran flag makes it all the more significant. One of the three main characters through whose viewpoints we experience the tale, Olanna, is one of set of fraternal twins. Like twins in a fairy tale, the sisters are of diametrically opposite natures - Olanna is beautiful, revolutionary and optimistic; while her sister Kainene is plain, cynical and pessimistic. Of course, things are not so simple as they seem, and the sisters鈥� characters unfurl as the story progresses: showing us more and more layers, as the siblings move through their lives, facing love, hatred, betrayal, separation and loss against a nation that is slowly coming apart at the seams.
Another character through whose eyes we see the tragedy of Biafra is Richard Churchill, Kainene鈥檚 lover 鈥� an Englishman who has 鈥済one native鈥�. Richard is interested in Igbo pottery, and is ostensibly researching it. He is also trying to write a book which never seems to take shape 鈥� like character from a Kafka story, Richard plods on, reaching nowhere.
But for me, the character who holds the novel together is Ugwu, houseboy of Odenigbo, Olanna鈥檚 boyfriend. As we move across the Nigeria of the early sixties to the Biafra of the late sixties and then again, back to a unified Nigeria in 1970, Ugwu grows from child to man 鈥� in more ways than one. In the end, he becomes Richard鈥檚 spiritual heir of sorts, telling the story of the Igbo people of Nigeria, which Richard could never accomplish.
The story goes on.
This casual statement he once heard is used as the title of a book written by one of the characters in this novel, in which Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie chronicles the birth, short and tortured life and death of the State of Biafra: born on the 30th of May, 1967 from Nigeria and forcefully annexed back by the parent state, after a bitter war in which a million died, in January 1970.
Most of us, I suspect, do not know about this short-lived country. Even Wikipedia calls the war between Biafra and Nigeria a "civil war", thus denying legitimacy to the erstwhile nation: even though a number of countries recognised it. Since history is always written by the victors, the voice of the losers are often submerged in the general background noise.
I listened to a talk by the author - a very impressive one - about the danger of the "single story": the one that has been foisted on the world by the erstwhile colonial powers and called "history". These are opinions which are taught as facts, which tend to show an uncivilised "third world", and the West's "civilising" influence. This is so much bovine excrement. The colonial powers went into Asia and Africa to loot, and when the loot was finished, exited leaving miserable poverty and the flames of mutual hatred in the minds of people. This is the story which is not told.
Ms. Adichie also warns us about the "secondary story" in the speech; that is, starting the story from the second chapter, ignoring the first. Examples are plentiful - Palestinians attacking the peaceful state of Israel, without mentioning the death and displacement of thousand of Palestinians to create the said country; mutual hatred between India and Pakistan, without mentioning the hatred fomented by the British which resulted in the partition; endemic poverty and tribal violence in Africa, without mentioning the years of occupation by the West which created them. Up till recently, world history was made up of these secondary stories, which served as the "one story" which the former colonial powers wanted to propagate.
It is heartening to note that things are changing. People like Chimamanda are using the most powerful medium available to humans since the dawn of civilisation to bring about that change: the medium of the narrative. And it is here that the defeated people have an immense power which cannot be suppressed.
The world was silent when many died. But now it will have to listen, as the dead tell their story from beyond the grave.
---------------------------------------------------
As the British colonists left Nigeria, they did what they were expert at doing: drawing artificial national boundaries and inciting hatred in the minds of the people they ruled. So after a period of uneasy calm, Nigeria erupted in riots. The powerful Hausa people massacred the Igbo minority, whom they considered to be enjoying more benefits than was due them (see anything familiar here?), and the Igbo declared independence from Nigeria, and the state of Biafra was born. However, Nigeria could not let go of the oil-rich south: so war was declared. In a bitter battle which lasted two and a half years which left a million dead and the country devastated, Biafra was subjugated and wiped off the map.
Ms. Adichie passes the harsh white light of history through the prism of individual experience to create overlapping rainbows of narratives. In this, her style is similar to that of Paul Scott; however, whereas Scott鈥檚 narrative is an Indian tapestry where one has to search among the intricate coloured strands to see a pattern (or multiple conflicting patterns), Chimamanda鈥檚 work has all the blunt beauty of African art: the uncomplicated lines and the simple patterns which makes the medium all but transparent so that the narrator is talking directly to the listener. Scenes of utter despair and brutality are described very matter-of-factly, in almost Hemingway-esque prose. We are all sitting around a metaphorical campfire, listening to the author telling her story in uncomplicated prose.
But it does not mean that there are no nuances. The name, Half of a Yellow Sun, itself signifies separation, a paring; the fact that it is a reference to the Biafran flag makes it all the more significant. One of the three main characters through whose viewpoints we experience the tale, Olanna, is one of set of fraternal twins. Like twins in a fairy tale, the sisters are of diametrically opposite natures - Olanna is beautiful, revolutionary and optimistic; while her sister Kainene is plain, cynical and pessimistic. Of course, things are not so simple as they seem, and the sisters鈥� characters unfurl as the story progresses: showing us more and more layers, as the siblings move through their lives, facing love, hatred, betrayal, separation and loss against a nation that is slowly coming apart at the seams.
Another character through whose eyes we see the tragedy of Biafra is Richard Churchill, Kainene鈥檚 lover 鈥� an Englishman who has 鈥済one native鈥�. Richard is interested in Igbo pottery, and is ostensibly researching it. He is also trying to write a book which never seems to take shape 鈥� like character from a Kafka story, Richard plods on, reaching nowhere.
But for me, the character who holds the novel together is Ugwu, houseboy of Odenigbo, Olanna鈥檚 boyfriend. As we move across the Nigeria of the early sixties to the Biafra of the late sixties and then again, back to a unified Nigeria in 1970, Ugwu grows from child to man 鈥� in more ways than one. In the end, he becomes Richard鈥檚 spiritual heir of sorts, telling the story of the Igbo people of Nigeria, which Richard could never accomplish.
The story goes on.
November 16, 2011
Magic. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (born 1977) seemed to possess a magic wand that she was able to weave a story that was not supposed to be interesting for me: an Asian who have not been to Africa except seeing parts of that continent in the movies and reading Chinua Achebe鈥檚 Things Fall Apart. Adichie turned an 鈥渦ninteresting鈥� story that speaks lucidly, bravely and beautifully about that tumultuous event that happened in her country Nigeria during the latter part of the 60鈥檚 when she was not even born yet. I have been postponing reading this book for a year now and had I died at that time, I would have regretted not experiencing the magical prose of the beautiful 鈥� outside and inside - Adichie. Yes, Google her picture (oh, I now refrain inserting images in my reviews as they could hang the screen of my computer) and see for yourself. She is beautiful.
I said the story was 鈥渦ninteresting鈥� because its backdrop was the secession of Biafra from Nigeria in the 1967. The British left Nigeria in 1960 and it resulted to the alignment of powers, anchored in ethnicity, social class, oil, etc, and so the Republic of Biafra (still an unrecognized state) was born. On the center of the republic鈥檚 flag is a rising yellow sun. That explains the title as only half of the sun is shown. This secession is not as close to my heart as the ones here in Asia including the one here in the country:
But Adichie has magic tricks up her sleeves. I would like to think that Adichie鈥檚 powerful prose can even turn a telephone book into a literary masterpiece. Her characters are three- or even four- dimensional, i.e., they come alive in every page of her book. This is a story of 5 individuals all belonging to the ethnic group Igbo that is pro-secession. One of them is already a British national, an intellectual professor Odenigbo. The second one is his wife Olanna who studied in England. Third is Olanna鈥檚 her sister Kainene. Fourth is Kainene's husband Richard who is a still a British national but studying Igbo arts. However, my favorite is the fifth major character: the 13-y/o houseboy Ugwu not only because he seems to be the character that holds the story together but he seems to be the one that truly represents the Biafran: innocent and clueless but governed by his traditional values and what little knowledge of the world and politics he had at the beginning of the story then got caught in the frenzy of killings, hopelessness, famine and deaths during the secession. He also got caught by the resulting transformations of the other four main characters as the secession brought out the best, but mostly worst, of their characters.
In terms of its theme, this book may have some similarities with Chinua Achebe鈥檚 Things Fall Apart or Richard Koch鈥檚 The Year of Living Dangerously as both are stories of people caught and struggling with themselves amidst the change in the political power. However, Adichie鈥檚 storytelling makes all the difference. Her narration is flawless, enchanting, interesting and arresting. I was able to relate to her milieu because Africa and Asia have many similarities including the social strata of people particularly in the provinces.
This book really surprised me. Two years ago, when I saw this book on the shelves of Fullybooked, I said to myself 鈥滳himamanda Ngozi Adichie? Who is this author?鈥� and I had second thought of buying the book. The only reason why I had to was that this is a 1001 book.
Now, if somebody would ask me who is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, I would have this to say: 鈥滿agic. She is this African author who writes like she has magical powers.鈥� And her work deserves to be in that list.
I should go and look for her Purple Hibiscus.
I said the story was 鈥渦ninteresting鈥� because its backdrop was the secession of Biafra from Nigeria in the 1967. The British left Nigeria in 1960 and it resulted to the alignment of powers, anchored in ethnicity, social class, oil, etc, and so the Republic of Biafra (still an unrecognized state) was born. On the center of the republic鈥檚 flag is a rising yellow sun. That explains the title as only half of the sun is shown. This secession is not as close to my heart as the ones here in Asia including the one here in the country:
Mindanao on-going. If you look at the map of the Philippines, there is a big island at the southern part of the archipelago. It is called Mindanao. Since many decades back, there is a secessionist movement composed of the Muslim leaders, the Moro National Liberation Front, based in that island who want to secede Mindanao from the Philippines. Reason: religion. The island is mostly populated by Muslims while the rest of the country is inhabited by Christians with Catholics comprising 85% of them.So, you can see that my plate is full already of interesting stories of on-going Asian secession movements as well as those that have succeeded already. So, reading about one in Africa - Biafra - was not really that interesting for me.
Taiwan on-going. Taiwan used to be part of Mainland China until the defeat and expulsion of the ruling Kuomintang ROC government by the Communist Party of China in 1949.
Tibet on-going. Tibetan Independence Movement asserts that Tibet has been historically independent from People鈥檚 Republic of China. Tibetan diaspora in countries like India and the United States and by celebrities in the US and Europe support this with the Dalai Lama becoming the symbol of their cause.
Those who have seceded already but whose stories captured the attention of the world were: East Timor secession from Indonesia in 2002, Kashmir from India in 1989 and the expulsion of Singapore from the Malayan Federation in 1965. Since these three happened during my lifetime,I have read many stories about them on newspapers or novels with any of them used as backdrop.
But Adichie has magic tricks up her sleeves. I would like to think that Adichie鈥檚 powerful prose can even turn a telephone book into a literary masterpiece. Her characters are three- or even four- dimensional, i.e., they come alive in every page of her book. This is a story of 5 individuals all belonging to the ethnic group Igbo that is pro-secession. One of them is already a British national, an intellectual professor Odenigbo. The second one is his wife Olanna who studied in England. Third is Olanna鈥檚 her sister Kainene. Fourth is Kainene's husband Richard who is a still a British national but studying Igbo arts. However, my favorite is the fifth major character: the 13-y/o houseboy Ugwu not only because he seems to be the character that holds the story together but he seems to be the one that truly represents the Biafran: innocent and clueless but governed by his traditional values and what little knowledge of the world and politics he had at the beginning of the story then got caught in the frenzy of killings, hopelessness, famine and deaths during the secession. He also got caught by the resulting transformations of the other four main characters as the secession brought out the best, but mostly worst, of their characters.
In terms of its theme, this book may have some similarities with Chinua Achebe鈥檚 Things Fall Apart or Richard Koch鈥檚 The Year of Living Dangerously as both are stories of people caught and struggling with themselves amidst the change in the political power. However, Adichie鈥檚 storytelling makes all the difference. Her narration is flawless, enchanting, interesting and arresting. I was able to relate to her milieu because Africa and Asia have many similarities including the social strata of people particularly in the provinces.
This book really surprised me. Two years ago, when I saw this book on the shelves of Fullybooked, I said to myself 鈥滳himamanda Ngozi Adichie? Who is this author?鈥� and I had second thought of buying the book. The only reason why I had to was that this is a 1001 book.
Now, if somebody would ask me who is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, I would have this to say: 鈥滿agic. She is this African author who writes like she has magical powers.鈥� And her work deserves to be in that list.
I should go and look for her Purple Hibiscus.
July 8, 2022
DIO NON FALLIR脌?
I protagonisti del film omonimo, Chiwetel Ejiofor e Thandie Newton.
Hanno abolito le province italiane (ma 猫 successo davvero?) e molti hanno protestato, si sono appellati alle grandi differenze tra Pisa e Livorno, o tra Savona e Imperia.
Nel caso dell鈥橝frica, continente non provincia, e caso mai colonia, l鈥檜nica differenza che sembriamo in grado di fare 猫 tra Africa del nord e Africa nera o subsahariana.
Per il resto, 猫 una massa unica, 猫 l鈥橝frica: e non gli infiniti paesi e popoli che la compongono.
Il film 猫 stato diretto da Biyi Bandele nel 2013.
Questo libro racconta una delle millanta storie dell鈥橝frica, la nascita e la morte del Biafra, stato autoproclamatosi all鈥檌nterno della Nigeria, la guerra tra il 1967 e il 1970 (le prime immagini di bambini con le pance gonfie dalla fame鈥�) che si port貌 via un milione di morti, e si dice quasi altri due milioni per la fame.
E all鈥檌nizio, che sorpresa!, non 猫 la solita Africa delle carestie, della fame, delle malattie (dei bambini con la pancia gonfia鈥�): ma 猫 un鈥橝frica, o meglio, 猫 la Nigeria con i suoi salotti borghesi, gli ambienti universitari in cui si parla di poesia, di filosofia e di politica.
Nella seconda parte, per貌, possiamo tornare tranquilli, 猫 l鈥橝frica che conosciamo, che ci rassicura: ci sar脿 la guerra, i morti, e i bambini con la pancia gonfia, per le solite ragioni di religione (musulmani contro cristiani) o di etnia [Hausa contro Igbo].
Molto diverso da Sozaboy che racconta gli stessi avvenimenti, non raggiunge quelle vette, ma 猫 ugualmente un gran bel romanzo, un鈥檕ttima lettura.
PS
鈥楧io non fallir脿鈥� 猫 il significato della parola igbo Chimamanda, il nome di questa scrittrice.
La met脿 di un sole giallo 猫 la bandiera del Biafra (1967-1970).
I protagonisti del film omonimo, Chiwetel Ejiofor e Thandie Newton.
Hanno abolito le province italiane (ma 猫 successo davvero?) e molti hanno protestato, si sono appellati alle grandi differenze tra Pisa e Livorno, o tra Savona e Imperia.
Nel caso dell鈥橝frica, continente non provincia, e caso mai colonia, l鈥檜nica differenza che sembriamo in grado di fare 猫 tra Africa del nord e Africa nera o subsahariana.
Per il resto, 猫 una massa unica, 猫 l鈥橝frica: e non gli infiniti paesi e popoli che la compongono.
Il film 猫 stato diretto da Biyi Bandele nel 2013.
Questo libro racconta una delle millanta storie dell鈥橝frica, la nascita e la morte del Biafra, stato autoproclamatosi all鈥檌nterno della Nigeria, la guerra tra il 1967 e il 1970 (le prime immagini di bambini con le pance gonfie dalla fame鈥�) che si port貌 via un milione di morti, e si dice quasi altri due milioni per la fame.
E all鈥檌nizio, che sorpresa!, non 猫 la solita Africa delle carestie, della fame, delle malattie (dei bambini con la pancia gonfia鈥�): ma 猫 un鈥橝frica, o meglio, 猫 la Nigeria con i suoi salotti borghesi, gli ambienti universitari in cui si parla di poesia, di filosofia e di politica.
Nella seconda parte, per貌, possiamo tornare tranquilli, 猫 l鈥橝frica che conosciamo, che ci rassicura: ci sar脿 la guerra, i morti, e i bambini con la pancia gonfia, per le solite ragioni di religione (musulmani contro cristiani) o di etnia [Hausa contro Igbo].
Molto diverso da Sozaboy che racconta gli stessi avvenimenti, non raggiunge quelle vette, ma 猫 ugualmente un gran bel romanzo, un鈥檕ttima lettura.
PS
鈥楧io non fallir脿鈥� 猫 il significato della parola igbo Chimamanda, il nome di questa scrittrice.
La met脿 di un sole giallo 猫 la bandiera del Biafra (1967-1970).
September 19, 2008
Something of a disappointment
It is not often that a novel comes to hand that has been prized, praised and pre-inflated. Half of a Yellow Sun was in that category when I opened it and began to read. And I was captivated immediately. I read the first hundred pages at a pace, delighting in the ease with which the Chimanada Ngozi Adichie used language to draw me into the middle-class clique centred on the University of Nsukka which provides the core characters of her book. Their infidelities, their inconsistencies, their desire, despite the servants, for equality and freedom are symptomatic of their time. The dissimilar twin sisters, Olanna and Kainene, one imagines will provide a vehicle for parallel and different lives, providing contrast and metaphor, and I eagerly awaited their stories to unfold.
The book鈥檚 sections alternate between the early and late 1960s, the latter period in Nigeria, of course, being the Biafran War. And, yes, the characters live through the war, and their lives and their natures, and along with them their country, are transformed by it. Perhaps even their own identity is redrawn, especially once the promise of a recognised nationality is promised and then denied. Eventually there are vivid scenes of the war鈥檚 brutality, its double standards, its compromises, its cynicism, its racism and its starvation. The images are graphic and vivid, unforgettable even, and the ability of war to undermine utterly and profoundly any assumption that an individual might harbour about an imagined future is movingly portrayed.
So why then was I so disappointed with the book? All I can offer, I鈥檓 afraid, is that eventually I found it shallow. Its apparent concentration on the domestic lives of the characters undermined their credibility as members of an intellectual elite and rendered them two (or perhaps even one) dimensional. Chimanada Ngozi Adichie carefully tells us that Odenigbo is a mathematician and in love with his subject. He covets his personal library, which he loses in the war and then has replaced by a benefactor. But in my experience, mathematicians are passionate people 鈥� and are usually passionate about mathematics. No mathematician I have ever met avoids all mention of personal academic interests in social settings as scrupulously as Odenigbo. I didn鈥檛 want the novel to become a textbook, but if characters were ballet dancers, surely we would expect to hear of the roles they had danced and the music that had moved them. Of Odenigbo鈥檚 academic character we hear nothing. Why is he therefore endowed with knowledge and interest that is never explored? Perhaps he only exists as a character to interact with the twin sisters.
And the problem is repeated with Richard Churchill who, we are told is an Igbo-speaking English radical. I knew a lot of sixties radicals and they were never slow to offer an opinion or, indeed, place themselves squarely in a space on the ideological chessboard. In Half of a Yellow Sun, we never learn if Richard is a Marxist, Maoist, Leninist or Trot. He never mentions Castro or Ho Chi Minh. He doesn鈥檛 appear to have any position on capitalism, society, business, the Third World, South Africa, Central America or even Viet Nam. I found myself wondering which sixties decade saw his radicalisation. When Chimanada Ngozi Adichie tells us that he travels to Lagos to attend a function in honour of the state funeral of Winston Churchill (perhaps no relation), I began to wonder if he was an early- (or indeed late) born radical Tory. I have been an expatriate myself, so I can forgive him his attendance of the function, but not his total silence on the issues of the day.
This becomes especially problematic when both Britain and the Soviet Union are mentioned as assisting the Federal Forces in the destruction of secessionist Biafra. What sixties radical, given the inevitability of his assumption of a Cold War bifurcated paradigm to underpin his ideological position, would not have pondered and discussed this at length, even in bed?
Eventually we also have to read along with continued adulation of Ojukwu. might even be the Great Helmsman, himself, given that his free-thinking minions seem unable to mention a criticism of an historical character who eventually fled to Ivory Coast to save his skin and live his life in relative comfort after leaving millions of his own people dead. Perhaps he had to be preserved to fight another day, as he eventually did, if in a different way, but surely no sixties radical would have left his role unquestioned. It doesn鈥檛 ring true, and an opportunity to develop a character like Richard through his own and inevitable disillusion was ignored.
And then we are presented with a pair of American journalists that the radical Richard has to greet and service in his role as a promoter of the Biafran cause. They are both called Charles and apparently have the same nickname, Chuck 鈥� which surely should have been Charlie of the 鈥渞ight鈥� variety to enhance the farce. They are simply not credible. We can probably accept as deadly accurate that the majority of Americans neither knew where Biafra was nor cared a jot about its plight, since the attentions of the politicised were focused elsewhere at the time. But the presentation of a pair of foreign correspondents as crass as these is surely incredible, as is, equally, Richard鈥檚 apparent patience in dealing with them.
I did also become mildly annoyed at what became quite extensive use of Igbo words when they seemed to offer no extra flavour, meaning or understanding. I have no problem with the use of local terms to enhance a feeling of place and sound, but their over use tends to obfuscate. We really wanted to know what these people thought, but we were never told.
So what are we left with? Half of a Yellow Sun is a beautifully written, beautifully composed domestic tale of fidelity, infidelity, loyalty and opportunism. The contrast between the characters鈥� and therefore the nation鈥檚 lives at the start and the end of the decade is engaging. But because their psyches are never really explored, we never understand any motives or, therefore, any consequences. Reading Half of a Yellow Sun was a thoroughly enjoyable experience which, with hindsight, I would have foregone.
It is not often that a novel comes to hand that has been prized, praised and pre-inflated. Half of a Yellow Sun was in that category when I opened it and began to read. And I was captivated immediately. I read the first hundred pages at a pace, delighting in the ease with which the Chimanada Ngozi Adichie used language to draw me into the middle-class clique centred on the University of Nsukka which provides the core characters of her book. Their infidelities, their inconsistencies, their desire, despite the servants, for equality and freedom are symptomatic of their time. The dissimilar twin sisters, Olanna and Kainene, one imagines will provide a vehicle for parallel and different lives, providing contrast and metaphor, and I eagerly awaited their stories to unfold.
The book鈥檚 sections alternate between the early and late 1960s, the latter period in Nigeria, of course, being the Biafran War. And, yes, the characters live through the war, and their lives and their natures, and along with them their country, are transformed by it. Perhaps even their own identity is redrawn, especially once the promise of a recognised nationality is promised and then denied. Eventually there are vivid scenes of the war鈥檚 brutality, its double standards, its compromises, its cynicism, its racism and its starvation. The images are graphic and vivid, unforgettable even, and the ability of war to undermine utterly and profoundly any assumption that an individual might harbour about an imagined future is movingly portrayed.
So why then was I so disappointed with the book? All I can offer, I鈥檓 afraid, is that eventually I found it shallow. Its apparent concentration on the domestic lives of the characters undermined their credibility as members of an intellectual elite and rendered them two (or perhaps even one) dimensional. Chimanada Ngozi Adichie carefully tells us that Odenigbo is a mathematician and in love with his subject. He covets his personal library, which he loses in the war and then has replaced by a benefactor. But in my experience, mathematicians are passionate people 鈥� and are usually passionate about mathematics. No mathematician I have ever met avoids all mention of personal academic interests in social settings as scrupulously as Odenigbo. I didn鈥檛 want the novel to become a textbook, but if characters were ballet dancers, surely we would expect to hear of the roles they had danced and the music that had moved them. Of Odenigbo鈥檚 academic character we hear nothing. Why is he therefore endowed with knowledge and interest that is never explored? Perhaps he only exists as a character to interact with the twin sisters.
And the problem is repeated with Richard Churchill who, we are told is an Igbo-speaking English radical. I knew a lot of sixties radicals and they were never slow to offer an opinion or, indeed, place themselves squarely in a space on the ideological chessboard. In Half of a Yellow Sun, we never learn if Richard is a Marxist, Maoist, Leninist or Trot. He never mentions Castro or Ho Chi Minh. He doesn鈥檛 appear to have any position on capitalism, society, business, the Third World, South Africa, Central America or even Viet Nam. I found myself wondering which sixties decade saw his radicalisation. When Chimanada Ngozi Adichie tells us that he travels to Lagos to attend a function in honour of the state funeral of Winston Churchill (perhaps no relation), I began to wonder if he was an early- (or indeed late) born radical Tory. I have been an expatriate myself, so I can forgive him his attendance of the function, but not his total silence on the issues of the day.
This becomes especially problematic when both Britain and the Soviet Union are mentioned as assisting the Federal Forces in the destruction of secessionist Biafra. What sixties radical, given the inevitability of his assumption of a Cold War bifurcated paradigm to underpin his ideological position, would not have pondered and discussed this at length, even in bed?
Eventually we also have to read along with continued adulation of Ojukwu. might even be the Great Helmsman, himself, given that his free-thinking minions seem unable to mention a criticism of an historical character who eventually fled to Ivory Coast to save his skin and live his life in relative comfort after leaving millions of his own people dead. Perhaps he had to be preserved to fight another day, as he eventually did, if in a different way, but surely no sixties radical would have left his role unquestioned. It doesn鈥檛 ring true, and an opportunity to develop a character like Richard through his own and inevitable disillusion was ignored.
And then we are presented with a pair of American journalists that the radical Richard has to greet and service in his role as a promoter of the Biafran cause. They are both called Charles and apparently have the same nickname, Chuck 鈥� which surely should have been Charlie of the 鈥渞ight鈥� variety to enhance the farce. They are simply not credible. We can probably accept as deadly accurate that the majority of Americans neither knew where Biafra was nor cared a jot about its plight, since the attentions of the politicised were focused elsewhere at the time. But the presentation of a pair of foreign correspondents as crass as these is surely incredible, as is, equally, Richard鈥檚 apparent patience in dealing with them.
I did also become mildly annoyed at what became quite extensive use of Igbo words when they seemed to offer no extra flavour, meaning or understanding. I have no problem with the use of local terms to enhance a feeling of place and sound, but their over use tends to obfuscate. We really wanted to know what these people thought, but we were never told.
So what are we left with? Half of a Yellow Sun is a beautifully written, beautifully composed domestic tale of fidelity, infidelity, loyalty and opportunism. The contrast between the characters鈥� and therefore the nation鈥檚 lives at the start and the end of the decade is engaging. But because their psyches are never really explored, we never understand any motives or, therefore, any consequences. Reading Half of a Yellow Sun was a thoroughly enjoyable experience which, with hindsight, I would have foregone.
April 1, 2022
Ugwu is a houseboy for his 'Master' intellectual Odenigbo who's dating upper middle-class Olanna. Olanna has a non-identical twin, the unstoppable Kainene, who is seeing an Englishman, Richard. This is the story of these five peoples' lives in 1960s Nigeria, from post-Colonial optimism through to the end of the Biafran war. And here's a spoiler... this book is brilliant!
Adichie perfectly captures post-Colonial Nigeria in the first third of the book, managing to cover not only Lagos, but Igbo-centric towns, the North, and the Westerners, and she does it delicately through the eyes and thoughts of her main characters. The beauty of this work, is that it is completely lived and breathed through these characters, what they felt, what they wanted, what they saw, whom they loved. A story of a people's hearts being bigger than their reality, a story of the utter wickedness of war on all sides, a story of friendships, the good and bad of love, and hope.
As someone who grew up in a Nigerian Yoruba household where Biafra was rarely, if ever mentioned, this book was a very personal journey for me too. This is one of the few times that I got a real sense of Nigeria, one that tallied with my own family's views and experiences. I also love at how the key fundamentals - the damage done by Colonialism and then by British and Russian 'intervention' are shared, as the clear case facts that they are, but without ramming it down the reader's throat, letting the characters just tell their reality. Exquisitely written; as soon as I started reading, I was like, this is going to be a Five Star read! Believe the hype, read Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 10 out of 12, Five Star Read. :)
2020 read
Adichie perfectly captures post-Colonial Nigeria in the first third of the book, managing to cover not only Lagos, but Igbo-centric towns, the North, and the Westerners, and she does it delicately through the eyes and thoughts of her main characters. The beauty of this work, is that it is completely lived and breathed through these characters, what they felt, what they wanted, what they saw, whom they loved. A story of a people's hearts being bigger than their reality, a story of the utter wickedness of war on all sides, a story of friendships, the good and bad of love, and hope.
As someone who grew up in a Nigerian Yoruba household where Biafra was rarely, if ever mentioned, this book was a very personal journey for me too. This is one of the few times that I got a real sense of Nigeria, one that tallied with my own family's views and experiences. I also love at how the key fundamentals - the damage done by Colonialism and then by British and Russian 'intervention' are shared, as the clear case facts that they are, but without ramming it down the reader's throat, letting the characters just tell their reality. Exquisitely written; as soon as I started reading, I was like, this is going to be a Five Star read! Believe the hype, read Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 10 out of 12, Five Star Read. :)
2020 read
January 24, 2021
兀鬲賵噩賾爻 賲賳 賲乇丕噩毓丞 賰鬲丕亘賺 賲丿賴卮貙 賱兀賳賳賷 兀乇賷丿 賱賰賱 丕賱毓丕賱賲 兀賳 賷賯乇兀賴貙 賵兀毓乇賮購 兀賳 丕賱兀賲乇 睾賷乇 賲賲賰賳貙 賰賲丕 兀毓乇賮 廿賱賶 兀賷 丨丿賺賾 兀爻鬲胤賷毓 兀賳 兀賰賵賳 賲鬲毓氐賾亘丞 賱賰鬲丕亘賺 兀丨亘賴貙 兀夭毓賲購 兀賳 賱丿賷賾 兀爻亘丕亘賷.
兀爻鬲胤賷毓 兀賳 兀囟毓 爻丕賯賸丕 賮賵賯 兀禺乇賶 賵兀卮乇丨 兀爻亘丕亘賷 亘亘乇賵丿 "丕賱賲孬賯賮賷賳" 丕賱亘丕賴鬲貙 賱賰賳賳賷 兀丨賷丕賳賸丕 兀乇賷丿 兀賳 兀賯賮夭 賲賳 丕賱丨賲丕爻丞賽 賵丨爻亘.
#賳氐賮_卮賲爻_氐賮乇丕亍 乇賵丕賷丞 賳賷噩賷乇賷丞 賲卮睾賵賱丞 亘丕賱卮兀賳 丕賱毓丕賲貙 亘兀丨賱丕賲 丕賱賷爻丕乇 賵胤亘賯丞 丕賱兀孬乇賷丕亍 賵丕賱兀孬乇賷丕亍 丕賱噩丿丿貙 乇賵丕賷丞 毓賳 丕賱丨乇亘 賵賲卮鬲賯丕鬲賴丕貨 丕賱丨氐丕乇 賵丕賱賲噩丕毓丞 賵丕賱毓賴乇 丕賱爻賷丕爻賷.. 賵賴賷 乇賵丕賷丞 毓賳 丕賱賯囟丕賷丕 丕賱賰亘乇賶貙 賱賰賳賴丕 賱賷爻鬲 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱賯囟賷丞. 賰丕賳鬲 乇賵丕賷丞 賮丨爻亘貙 乇賵丕賷丞 鬲賰鬲賮賷 亘丨賯賷賯鬲賴丕貙 賵鬲丨丕賮馗 毓賱賶 兀賳丕賯鬲賴丕 賰卮乇胤賺 賵丨賷丿.
丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 賲爻賰賵賳丞 亘丕賱賴丕噩爻 丕賱賵丨賷丿 丕賱匕賷 賷毓乇賮賴 丕賱廿賳爻丕賳 賮賷 丕賱爻賱賲 賵丕賱丨乇亘貨 丕賱賵賯賵毓 賮賷 丕賱丨亘貙 賵丕賱亘丨孬 毓賳 丕賱丨亘.
賵噩丿鬲購賴丕 鬲噩乇亘丞 賲鬲賰丕賲賱丞貙 鬲賯丿賲 賱賷 - 亘丕賱囟亘胤 - 賲丕 兀乇賷丿賴 賲賳 乇賵丕賷丞貨 丕賱禺氐賵氐賷丞 丕賱亘賷卅賷丞貙 丕賱丨賵丕乇丕鬲 丕賱匕賰賷丞貙 丨爻賾 丕賱鬲賴賰賲 丕賱賲乇賾貙 丕賱丿賮亍貙 丕賱亘氐賷氐 賮賷 丕賱毓鬲賲丞貙 丕賱鬲賮丕氐賷賱貙 丕賱爻賷丕賯 丕賱鬲丕乇賷禺賷 賵丕賱丕噩鬲賲丕毓賷 丕賱匕賷 賷賰卮賮 丕鬲爻丕毓 噩賴賱賷貙 丕賱乇亘胤 亘賷賳 丕賱賯囟丕賷丕貙 賵卮禺氐賷丕鬲 賲丐賳爻賳丞 亘丕賱賰丕賲賱.
賵噩丿鬲購 丕賱鬲乇噩賲丞 賮賷 睾丕賷丞 丕賱兀賳丕賯丞. 卮賰乇賸丕 賮丕胤賲丞 賳丕毓賵鬲貙 卮賰乇賸丕 丿丕乇 丕賱賲丿賶.
兀爻鬲胤賷毓 兀賳 兀囟毓 爻丕賯賸丕 賮賵賯 兀禺乇賶 賵兀卮乇丨 兀爻亘丕亘賷 亘亘乇賵丿 "丕賱賲孬賯賮賷賳" 丕賱亘丕賴鬲貙 賱賰賳賳賷 兀丨賷丕賳賸丕 兀乇賷丿 兀賳 兀賯賮夭 賲賳 丕賱丨賲丕爻丞賽 賵丨爻亘.
#賳氐賮_卮賲爻_氐賮乇丕亍 乇賵丕賷丞 賳賷噩賷乇賷丞 賲卮睾賵賱丞 亘丕賱卮兀賳 丕賱毓丕賲貙 亘兀丨賱丕賲 丕賱賷爻丕乇 賵胤亘賯丞 丕賱兀孬乇賷丕亍 賵丕賱兀孬乇賷丕亍 丕賱噩丿丿貙 乇賵丕賷丞 毓賳 丕賱丨乇亘 賵賲卮鬲賯丕鬲賴丕貨 丕賱丨氐丕乇 賵丕賱賲噩丕毓丞 賵丕賱毓賴乇 丕賱爻賷丕爻賷.. 賵賴賷 乇賵丕賷丞 毓賳 丕賱賯囟丕賷丕 丕賱賰亘乇賶貙 賱賰賳賴丕 賱賷爻鬲 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱賯囟賷丞. 賰丕賳鬲 乇賵丕賷丞 賮丨爻亘貙 乇賵丕賷丞 鬲賰鬲賮賷 亘丨賯賷賯鬲賴丕貙 賵鬲丨丕賮馗 毓賱賶 兀賳丕賯鬲賴丕 賰卮乇胤賺 賵丨賷丿.
丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 賲爻賰賵賳丞 亘丕賱賴丕噩爻 丕賱賵丨賷丿 丕賱匕賷 賷毓乇賮賴 丕賱廿賳爻丕賳 賮賷 丕賱爻賱賲 賵丕賱丨乇亘貨 丕賱賵賯賵毓 賮賷 丕賱丨亘貙 賵丕賱亘丨孬 毓賳 丕賱丨亘.
賵噩丿鬲購賴丕 鬲噩乇亘丞 賲鬲賰丕賲賱丞貙 鬲賯丿賲 賱賷 - 亘丕賱囟亘胤 - 賲丕 兀乇賷丿賴 賲賳 乇賵丕賷丞貨 丕賱禺氐賵氐賷丞 丕賱亘賷卅賷丞貙 丕賱丨賵丕乇丕鬲 丕賱匕賰賷丞貙 丨爻賾 丕賱鬲賴賰賲 丕賱賲乇賾貙 丕賱丿賮亍貙 丕賱亘氐賷氐 賮賷 丕賱毓鬲賲丞貙 丕賱鬲賮丕氐賷賱貙 丕賱爻賷丕賯 丕賱鬲丕乇賷禺賷 賵丕賱丕噩鬲賲丕毓賷 丕賱匕賷 賷賰卮賮 丕鬲爻丕毓 噩賴賱賷貙 丕賱乇亘胤 亘賷賳 丕賱賯囟丕賷丕貙 賵卮禺氐賷丕鬲 賲丐賳爻賳丞 亘丕賱賰丕賲賱.
賵噩丿鬲購 丕賱鬲乇噩賲丞 賮賷 睾丕賷丞 丕賱兀賳丕賯丞. 卮賰乇賸丕 賮丕胤賲丞 賳丕毓賵鬲貙 卮賰乇賸丕 丿丕乇 丕賱賲丿賶.
November 13, 2020
Update Nov 2020. This has won the Womens' Prize Winner of Winners, best in 25-year history!
5鈽�
鈥淎t the gates, Biafran soldiers were waving cars through. They looked distinguished in their khaki uniforms, boots shining, half of a yellow sun sewn on their sleeves.鈥�
This story tracks a family as they transition from a position of influence and privilege with large, comfortable homes in Nigeria, to become citizens of the newly formed republic of Biafra. After a slow (to me) beginning, I ended up fascinated by the story, the family, the people on the fringes of the family, the history, the culture, everything.
The family circle shrinks from a large, influential group before hostilities arise, to smaller units as they separate to escape and hide. They don鈥檛 know whom to trust and are reduced to living in slums.
This part reminded me of the Jews during WW2, gradually cut off from business and mainstream society, then confined to their homes, then pushed into cramped ghettoes as their homes were requisitioned by the Nazis, then . . . you know the horrifying rest.
In Biafra, young men were captured and uniformed, not by the Nigerian enemy, but by their 鈥榦wn鈥� Biafran army 鈥� those 鈥渄istinguished鈥� looking soldiers above. Women were raped regularly under all sorts of pretexts 鈥� collusion, wrong accent, whatever handy excuse - by soldiers from both sides.
This was Biafra, where the people were starved into submission to bring them back into Nigeria.
Of course I 鈥榢new鈥� about starving kids in Biafra. Sure I did - the same way I 鈥榢now鈥� about a lot of things 鈥� superficial awareness of photographs and articles about something happening a long way away from me and mine.
I didn鈥檛 read reviews before reading this book, but I liked Adichie鈥檚 and was aware this was also about Nigeria and had won some prizes. For the first third or so of the story, I was a little impatient with the mix of family story and politics, where characters seemed to suddenly go from local gossip (about hairstyles, etc) to sudden heated conversations about government, saying things like:
. . .鈥減an-Africanism is fundamentally a European notion.鈥�
As the story moved on, I also got a little confused by so many names beginning with O. I expect that鈥檚 just my unfamiliarity with the names, as a non-English speaker could have trouble with characters named Marianne, Margaret, and Marty. So I did have to backtrack occasionally to remember who was who.
Adichie uses many Igbo words, always in italics, and sometimes translates phrases when she thinks it鈥檚 necessary. I鈥檇 have liked a little glossary just because I enjoy languages, but I eventually recognised some and got enough of the gist not to mind.
There are 520 languages spoken in Nigeria (Wikipedia, footnoted reference), and when people speak each other鈥檚 language, there may prejudice when an accent is noticed. In the US, a strong New York accent might sound foreign (and suspect) in the deep South. In the UK, a Cockney accent might be considered unsuitable in executive offices. What a judgemental lot we are.
Illustration of main language groups of Nigeria (from News of Nigeria)
The Igbo (some say Ibo) are the group our characters belong to. They are interesting, as are the family dynamics and the class structure of Nigeria, with its very privileged and its dirt-poor peasant servants. Twin sisters Olanna and Kainene look and behave differently. Olanna is our focus, she whom a young servant boy, newly arrived from his village, describes with worshipful wonder.
鈥�. . . she looked like she was not supposed to be walking and talking like everyone else; she should be in a glass case like the one in Master鈥檚 study, where people could admire her curvy, fleshy body, where she would be preserved untainted.
. . . There was something polished about her voice, about her; she was like the stone that lay right below a gushing spring, rubbed smooth by years and years of sparkling water, and looking at her was similar to finding that stone, knowing that there were so few like it.鈥�
Olanna鈥檚 partner is Odenigbo, a 鈥榬evolutionary鈥� professor (pro-independence), while sister Kainene works with their father, negotiating lucrative, (possibly questionable?) government contracts. They are the privileged. Kainene's partner is Richard, a white Englishman, interested in antiquities and art, who would like to see more equality in Nigeria, but who is entranced by Kainene's powerful personality.
They represent the fundamental difference between political ideologies. Responding to Richard鈥檚 suggestion that socialism could lead to economic justice, Kainene declares:
鈥�鈥楽ocialism would never work for the Igbo.鈥� She held the brush suspended in mid-air. 鈥極gbenyealu is a common name for girls and you know what it means? 鈥淣ot to Be Married by a Poor Man.鈥� To stamp that on a child at birth is capitalism at its best.鈥�鈥�
I wish I鈥檇 had a map to refer to, because I didn鈥檛 know where places were when skirmishes escalated into war and there was a border as Biafra proclaimed itself a country, with soldiers, uniforms and flag (as in the first quote).
Biafra was roughly the southeast corner of Nigeria.
Map of Nigeria (2015 election) and Biafra and inset with Africa
From Geocurrents
To give you some idea of the size of Nigeria compared to the US, here鈥檚 a map, which also shows Americans what the different American accents might be in an area like this.
Map of Nigeria superimposed over USA
From waitbutwhy.com
As I write in 2017, civil wars seem even more of a threat, as each cultural and language group strives for recognition, at least. Not only those in Africa, but the First Nations people of many countries are trying to salvage something from the ruins of colonialism.
This was in important book when it was written, and I think it鈥檚 worth reading now, to see what can happen when ideologies bump up against each other in your part of the world.
Link to Women's Prize Winner of Winner articles
5鈽�
鈥淎t the gates, Biafran soldiers were waving cars through. They looked distinguished in their khaki uniforms, boots shining, half of a yellow sun sewn on their sleeves.鈥�
This story tracks a family as they transition from a position of influence and privilege with large, comfortable homes in Nigeria, to become citizens of the newly formed republic of Biafra. After a slow (to me) beginning, I ended up fascinated by the story, the family, the people on the fringes of the family, the history, the culture, everything.
The family circle shrinks from a large, influential group before hostilities arise, to smaller units as they separate to escape and hide. They don鈥檛 know whom to trust and are reduced to living in slums.
This part reminded me of the Jews during WW2, gradually cut off from business and mainstream society, then confined to their homes, then pushed into cramped ghettoes as their homes were requisitioned by the Nazis, then . . . you know the horrifying rest.
In Biafra, young men were captured and uniformed, not by the Nigerian enemy, but by their 鈥榦wn鈥� Biafran army 鈥� those 鈥渄istinguished鈥� looking soldiers above. Women were raped regularly under all sorts of pretexts 鈥� collusion, wrong accent, whatever handy excuse - by soldiers from both sides.
This was Biafra, where the people were starved into submission to bring them back into Nigeria.
Of course I 鈥榢new鈥� about starving kids in Biafra. Sure I did - the same way I 鈥榢now鈥� about a lot of things 鈥� superficial awareness of photographs and articles about something happening a long way away from me and mine.
I didn鈥檛 read reviews before reading this book, but I liked Adichie鈥檚 and was aware this was also about Nigeria and had won some prizes. For the first third or so of the story, I was a little impatient with the mix of family story and politics, where characters seemed to suddenly go from local gossip (about hairstyles, etc) to sudden heated conversations about government, saying things like:
. . .鈥減an-Africanism is fundamentally a European notion.鈥�
As the story moved on, I also got a little confused by so many names beginning with O. I expect that鈥檚 just my unfamiliarity with the names, as a non-English speaker could have trouble with characters named Marianne, Margaret, and Marty. So I did have to backtrack occasionally to remember who was who.
Adichie uses many Igbo words, always in italics, and sometimes translates phrases when she thinks it鈥檚 necessary. I鈥檇 have liked a little glossary just because I enjoy languages, but I eventually recognised some and got enough of the gist not to mind.
There are 520 languages spoken in Nigeria (Wikipedia, footnoted reference), and when people speak each other鈥檚 language, there may prejudice when an accent is noticed. In the US, a strong New York accent might sound foreign (and suspect) in the deep South. In the UK, a Cockney accent might be considered unsuitable in executive offices. What a judgemental lot we are.
Illustration of main language groups of Nigeria (from News of Nigeria)
The Igbo (some say Ibo) are the group our characters belong to. They are interesting, as are the family dynamics and the class structure of Nigeria, with its very privileged and its dirt-poor peasant servants. Twin sisters Olanna and Kainene look and behave differently. Olanna is our focus, she whom a young servant boy, newly arrived from his village, describes with worshipful wonder.
鈥�. . . she looked like she was not supposed to be walking and talking like everyone else; she should be in a glass case like the one in Master鈥檚 study, where people could admire her curvy, fleshy body, where she would be preserved untainted.
. . . There was something polished about her voice, about her; she was like the stone that lay right below a gushing spring, rubbed smooth by years and years of sparkling water, and looking at her was similar to finding that stone, knowing that there were so few like it.鈥�
Olanna鈥檚 partner is Odenigbo, a 鈥榬evolutionary鈥� professor (pro-independence), while sister Kainene works with their father, negotiating lucrative, (possibly questionable?) government contracts. They are the privileged. Kainene's partner is Richard, a white Englishman, interested in antiquities and art, who would like to see more equality in Nigeria, but who is entranced by Kainene's powerful personality.
They represent the fundamental difference between political ideologies. Responding to Richard鈥檚 suggestion that socialism could lead to economic justice, Kainene declares:
鈥�鈥楽ocialism would never work for the Igbo.鈥� She held the brush suspended in mid-air. 鈥極gbenyealu is a common name for girls and you know what it means? 鈥淣ot to Be Married by a Poor Man.鈥� To stamp that on a child at birth is capitalism at its best.鈥�鈥�
I wish I鈥檇 had a map to refer to, because I didn鈥檛 know where places were when skirmishes escalated into war and there was a border as Biafra proclaimed itself a country, with soldiers, uniforms and flag (as in the first quote).
Biafra was roughly the southeast corner of Nigeria.
Map of Nigeria (2015 election) and Biafra and inset with Africa
From Geocurrents
To give you some idea of the size of Nigeria compared to the US, here鈥檚 a map, which also shows Americans what the different American accents might be in an area like this.
Map of Nigeria superimposed over USA
From waitbutwhy.com
As I write in 2017, civil wars seem even more of a threat, as each cultural and language group strives for recognition, at least. Not only those in Africa, but the First Nations people of many countries are trying to salvage something from the ruins of colonialism.
This was in important book when it was written, and I think it鈥檚 worth reading now, to see what can happen when ideologies bump up against each other in your part of the world.
Link to Women's Prize Winner of Winner articles
January 6, 2015
When Nigeria gained its independence from Britain in 1960, it stood to be one of the most prosperous, productive, and influential nations on the continent. Rich with natural resources, including vast reserves of oil, it possessed an educated middle class and a cultural life that blended multiple ethnic groups, languages and religions in a vast and vibrant collective.
Like many African nations colonized by Europeans, its borders had been drawn with little regard for political and cultural realities. In Nigeria, those realities were the political divisions that fell largely along ethnic lines: a mostly Muslim population in the North, dominated by Hausa and Fulani; Igbo in the southeast; Yoruba in the southwest.
Only six years after independence, Nigeria began to fall apart. A coup destroyed the fragile trust between these ethnic groups and a portion of eastern Nigeria declared itself the free state of Biafra. In July 1967, the Nigerian Civil War, known more colloquially as the 鈥淏iafran War,鈥� began. Thirty months later over one million Biafrans had died from fighting and famine. In January 1970, Biafra surrendered and was reabsorbed into Nigeria.
It is an epic story that few outside of the region or African Studies departments on European and American university campuses recall, much less make sense of.
This is why we have always needed storytellers. This is why, in this age of scroll-and-skim journalism, we need storytellers more than ever.
Let's be honest. How many of us would pick up a work of narrative non-fiction, no matter how well-written, to learn about the Biafran War? Do we know the first thing about Nigeria鈥攈ell, about Africa? This is how fiction changes the world. Despite our best efforts at ignorance, fiction brings the world to us, takes us inside the lives of those whose histories, realities, battles are so very different from our own. The imagined stories lead us to the factual ones. We find ourselves searching out the history, reading the articles, the long-form journalism pieces, perhaps even the books, asking, 鈥淗ow did this happen and I knew nothing about it? What is this place? Who are the Igbo, the Hausa, and why does it matter now.鈥�
Let Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie tell you why this nation, the war, this story matters. Let her characters into your heart and wince as they break it, over and over again.
Half of a Yellow Sun鈥攚hich takes its name from the emblem of Biafra鈥攔eveals a Nigeria that could have been, before it became a nation split by war. Set in the early and late 1960s, the narrative revolves around twin sisters, Olanna and Kainene, members of the Igbo 茅lite. Both women are single and live independently from their Lagos-based parents. Olanna and her lover Odenigbo share a home in the southern city of Nsukka, where they teach at the university. Kainene manages her father鈥檚 business affairs from her home in Port Harcourt and falls in love with a British writer, Richard. Olanna is the story鈥檚 principal voice, but it is Odenigbo鈥檚 young houseboy, Ugwu, who provides the most poignant perspective, while Richard offers a detached counterpoint of someone yearning to fit in, but whose very skin signals, 鈥淥utsider.鈥�
Half of a Yellow Sun is magnificent in detail. I heard, smelled, saw, felt, tasted the world that Adichie painstakingly creates. Her heart beats with such fierce love for and pride in Nigeria that the country becomes a character in its own right, and as a reader, you witness its tearing apart with such dread and sorrow. Adichie was born in 1977, but she lost family members to war and famine and surely was raised in the shadow of tragedy. Yet her goal is not to tell a history of the political struggle, but to let us feel the human conflict. The plot framework is built on the conflict between ethnic groups and political factions, but the story rises from the families and lovers separated by cultural, moral, and emotional borders.
There is a slight dip and drag to the pace as we learn the depths of misunderstanding and animosity between the sisters, or witness the unraveling of the radical Odenigbo, or dip into Richard鈥檚 ingratiating attempts to be accepted by Nigerians. Adichie鈥檚 paintbrush drips thick, rich colors that swirl together in a dense mix of characters and details. But everything about her writing is so warm and lush and welcoming, you just want her to go on and on, filling every inch of the canvas with her beautifully-crafted phrases, her characters full of curves and silky skin, her streets vibrating with High Life music.
And when sorrow and brutality and suffering come, and come they will, you will want to look away. You will not want to believe that this really happened. But happen it did. Happen it does still.
Still a powerful, vibrant nation with vast natural resources, Nigeria is once again in the headlines. And the news is not good: . Too often we turn away from these current events because we don鈥檛 understand the complexities of nations too distant to cause a ripple in our morning coffee. Because we have disaster and conflict fatigue. These places matter only when we鈥檝e been touched personally by events.
Outside of time spent living in a place, reading a great work of literature, one that makes the political personal and the foreign familiar, is the best way to ensure we remain aware of and moved by the world around us. For Nigeria鈥檚 sake, Half of a Yellow Sun is just such a book.
Like many African nations colonized by Europeans, its borders had been drawn with little regard for political and cultural realities. In Nigeria, those realities were the political divisions that fell largely along ethnic lines: a mostly Muslim population in the North, dominated by Hausa and Fulani; Igbo in the southeast; Yoruba in the southwest.
Only six years after independence, Nigeria began to fall apart. A coup destroyed the fragile trust between these ethnic groups and a portion of eastern Nigeria declared itself the free state of Biafra. In July 1967, the Nigerian Civil War, known more colloquially as the 鈥淏iafran War,鈥� began. Thirty months later over one million Biafrans had died from fighting and famine. In January 1970, Biafra surrendered and was reabsorbed into Nigeria.
It is an epic story that few outside of the region or African Studies departments on European and American university campuses recall, much less make sense of.
This is why we have always needed storytellers. This is why, in this age of scroll-and-skim journalism, we need storytellers more than ever.
Let's be honest. How many of us would pick up a work of narrative non-fiction, no matter how well-written, to learn about the Biafran War? Do we know the first thing about Nigeria鈥攈ell, about Africa? This is how fiction changes the world. Despite our best efforts at ignorance, fiction brings the world to us, takes us inside the lives of those whose histories, realities, battles are so very different from our own. The imagined stories lead us to the factual ones. We find ourselves searching out the history, reading the articles, the long-form journalism pieces, perhaps even the books, asking, 鈥淗ow did this happen and I knew nothing about it? What is this place? Who are the Igbo, the Hausa, and why does it matter now.鈥�
Let Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie tell you why this nation, the war, this story matters. Let her characters into your heart and wince as they break it, over and over again.
Half of a Yellow Sun鈥攚hich takes its name from the emblem of Biafra鈥攔eveals a Nigeria that could have been, before it became a nation split by war. Set in the early and late 1960s, the narrative revolves around twin sisters, Olanna and Kainene, members of the Igbo 茅lite. Both women are single and live independently from their Lagos-based parents. Olanna and her lover Odenigbo share a home in the southern city of Nsukka, where they teach at the university. Kainene manages her father鈥檚 business affairs from her home in Port Harcourt and falls in love with a British writer, Richard. Olanna is the story鈥檚 principal voice, but it is Odenigbo鈥檚 young houseboy, Ugwu, who provides the most poignant perspective, while Richard offers a detached counterpoint of someone yearning to fit in, but whose very skin signals, 鈥淥utsider.鈥�
Half of a Yellow Sun is magnificent in detail. I heard, smelled, saw, felt, tasted the world that Adichie painstakingly creates. Her heart beats with such fierce love for and pride in Nigeria that the country becomes a character in its own right, and as a reader, you witness its tearing apart with such dread and sorrow. Adichie was born in 1977, but she lost family members to war and famine and surely was raised in the shadow of tragedy. Yet her goal is not to tell a history of the political struggle, but to let us feel the human conflict. The plot framework is built on the conflict between ethnic groups and political factions, but the story rises from the families and lovers separated by cultural, moral, and emotional borders.
There is a slight dip and drag to the pace as we learn the depths of misunderstanding and animosity between the sisters, or witness the unraveling of the radical Odenigbo, or dip into Richard鈥檚 ingratiating attempts to be accepted by Nigerians. Adichie鈥檚 paintbrush drips thick, rich colors that swirl together in a dense mix of characters and details. But everything about her writing is so warm and lush and welcoming, you just want her to go on and on, filling every inch of the canvas with her beautifully-crafted phrases, her characters full of curves and silky skin, her streets vibrating with High Life music.
And when sorrow and brutality and suffering come, and come they will, you will want to look away. You will not want to believe that this really happened. But happen it did. Happen it does still.
Still a powerful, vibrant nation with vast natural resources, Nigeria is once again in the headlines. And the news is not good: . Too often we turn away from these current events because we don鈥檛 understand the complexities of nations too distant to cause a ripple in our morning coffee. Because we have disaster and conflict fatigue. These places matter only when we鈥檝e been touched personally by events.
Outside of time spent living in a place, reading a great work of literature, one that makes the political personal and the foreign familiar, is the best way to ensure we remain aware of and moved by the world around us. For Nigeria鈥檚 sake, Half of a Yellow Sun is just such a book.
October 21, 2021
Half of a Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
With effortless grace, celebrated author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie illuminates a seminal moment in modern African history: Biafra's impassioned struggle to establish an independent republic in southeastern Nigeria during the late 1960's.
We experience this tumultuous decade alongside five unforgettable characters:
Ugwu, a thirteen-year-old houseboy who works for Odenigbo, a university professor full of revolutionary zeal.
Olanna, the professor鈥檚 beautiful young mistress who has abandoned her life in Lagos for a dusty town and her lover鈥檚 charm.
and Richard, a shy young Englishman infatuated with Olanna鈥檚 willful twin sister Kainene.
Half of a Yellow Sun is a tremendously evocative novel of the promise, hope, and disappointment of the Biafran war.
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毓賳賵丕賳: 賳蹖賲蹖 丕夭 禺賵乇卮蹖丿 夭乇丿貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 趩蹖賲丕賲丕賳丿丕 丌丿蹖趩蹖貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 爻賵賱賲丕夭 丿賵賱鬲鈥屫藏ж囏� 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 丌賮鬲丕亘讴丕乇丕賳貙 爻丕賱1396貨 丿乇584氐貨 卮丕亘讴9786009799572貨
丕蹖賳 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 爻賴 乇丕賵蹖 丿丕乇丿 讴賴 丕夭 賳诏丕賴 丌賳賴丕 亘丕夭诏賵 賲蹖卮賵丿貨 芦丕賵诏賵賵禄 倬爻乇蹖 禺丿賲鬲讴丕乇貙 芦丕賵賱丕賳丕禄 蹖讴 夭賳 丿乇卮 禺賵丕賳丿賴 蹖 芦賳蹖噩乇蹖賴禄丕蹖 賵 芦乇蹖趩丕乇丿禄 賲乇丿蹖 芦丕賳诏賱蹖爻蹖禄 讴賴 亘乇丕蹖 倬跇賵賴卮 賵 賳賵卮鬲賳 丿乇 芦賳蹖噩乇蹖賴禄 丕爻鬲貨 卮乇丨蹖 夭蹖亘丕 賵 賵丕賯毓蹖 丕夭 毓卮賯貙 禺卮賵賳鬲貙 賵 禺蹖丕賳鬲貙 丿乇 噩賳诏 丿丕禺賱蹖 禺賵賳蹖賳 賵 賵蹖乇丕賳诏乇 芦賮丿乇丕爻蹖賵賳 賳蹖噩乇蹖賴禄貙 蹖丕 噩賳诏 亘乇 爻乇 丕爻鬲賯賱丕賱 賳丕丨蹖賴 蹖 芦亘蹖丕賮乇丕禄貙 讴賴 賳賮鬲貙 賵 胤賲毓 讴賲倬丕賳蹖賴丕蹖 賳賮鬲蹖貙 毓丕賲賱 丌賳 賯賱賲丿丕丿 卮丿賴 丕賳丿貨 丌賳 噩賳诏 丿乇 乇賵夭 卮卮賲 賲丕賴 跇賵卅蹖賴 爻丕賱 1967賲蹖賱丕丿蹖 丌睾丕夭 卮丿貨 倬卮鬲蹖亘丕賳蹖 芦丕毓乇丕亘禄 賵 芦賲氐乇禄 丕夭 蹖讴 丨夭亘貙 賵 倬卮鬲蹖亘丕賳蹖 芦丕爻乇丕卅蹖賱禄 丕夭 丨夭亘 丿蹖诏乇蹖 亘賵丿貨 亘丕 禺賵丕賳卮 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 讴賴 丕丿亘蹖丕鬲 賲乇丿賲丕賳 丿賵乇 丕夭 趩卮賲 丕蹖賳 丿蹖丕乇 丕爻鬲貙 趩卮賲丕賳 禺賵丕賳卮诏乇丕賳 亘賴 乇賵蹖 趩蹖夭賴丕蹖蹖 亘丕夭 賲蹖卮賵丿貙 讴賴 賳賲蹖丿丕賳爻鬲賳丿貨 亘丕 賮乇賴賳诏賴丕 賵 丿賵乇賴 賴丕蹖蹖 鬲丕乇蹖禺蹖 讴賴 賳賲蹖卮賳丕禺鬲賳丿貙 丌卮賳丕 賲蹖卮賵賳丿貨 賵 賲蹖丌賲賵夭賳丿 讴賴 噩賳诏貙 夭卮鬲鬲乇蹖賳 趩賴乇賴 蹖 禺賵丿 乇丕 趩诏賵賳賴 賳卮丕賳 禺賱丕蹖賯 賲蹖丿賴丿貙 賴乇 趩賳丿 趩賴乇賴 蹖 噩賳诏貙 賴賲丕乇賴 夭卮鬲 亘賵丿賴貙 丕賲丕 丌賳诏丕賴 讴賴 噩賳诏 賳丕亘乇丕亘乇 亘丕卮丿貙 趩賴乇賴 丕蹖 夭卮鬲 鬲乇 丕夭 夭卮鬲 賳蹖夭 賳賲丕蹖丕賳 賲蹖诏乇丿丿貨 丕夭 蹖讴爻賵蹖貙 賲乇丿賲丕賳蹖 賴夭蹖賳賴 蹖 噩賳诏 乇丕貙 亘丕 毓乇賯 噩亘蹖賳 賵 禺賵賳 禺賵蹖卮 賵 毓夭蹖夭丕賳卮丕賳 賲蹖倬乇丿丕夭賳丿貙 賵 倬賵賱 睾匕丕蹖 賮乇夭賳丿丕賳貙 賵 丿丕乇賵賴丕蹖 賲丕丿乇丕賳貙 賵 丕夭 丿爻鬲 丿丕丿賳 禺賵丕亘 禺賵卮貙 賵 賲乇诏 亘乇丕蹖 毓夭蹖夭丕賳卮丕賳 丕爻鬲貙 讴賴 禺賵丿 乇丕 亘賴 噩賳诏 賮丿丕 賲蹖讴賳賳丿貙 賵 丕夭 爻賵蹖 丿蹖诏乇 ....貨
賳賯賱 丕夭 賲鬲賳: (芦丕賵賱丕賳丕禄 亘乇丕蹖鈥屫簇з� 丿乇 賲賵乇丿 倬乇趩賲 芦亘蹖丕賮乇丕禄 氐丨亘鬲 讴乇丿貨 丌賳鈥屬囏� 乇賵蹖 賯胤毓丕鬲 趩賵亘貙 夭蹖乇 賳賵乇 丌賮鬲丕亘 囟毓蹖賮 氐亘丨诏丕賴蹖貙 讴賴 丕夭 丨賮乇賴鈥屫й� 讴賴 賯亘賱丕 爻賯賮 讴賱丕爻 亘賵丿貙 亘賴 丿乇賵賳 賲蹖鈥屫жㄛ屫� 賳卮爻鬲賴 亘賵丿賳丿貨 丕賵 倬乇趩賲 倬丕乇趩賴鈥� 丕蹖 芦丕賵丿賳蹖诏亘賵禄 乇丕 亘丕夭 讴乇丿貙 賵 亘乇丕蹖鈥屫簇з� 鬲賵囟蹖丨 丿丕丿 讴賴 賴乇 蹖讴 丕夭 毓賱丕賲丕鬲 乇賵蹖 丌賳 趩賴 趩蹖夭蹖 乇丕 亘蹖丕賳 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁嗀� 乇賳诏 賯乇賲夭貙 賳賲丕丿 禺賵賳 禺賵丕賴乇丕賳 賵 亘乇丕丿乇丕賳 丌賳鈥屬囏� 亘賵丿貙 讴賴 丿乇 卮賲丕賱 賯鬲賱鈥屫关з� 卮丿賴 亘賵丿賳丿貨 爻蹖丕賴 賳賲丕丿 爻賵诏賵丕乇蹖 亘乇丕蹖 丌賳鈥屬囏� 亘賵丿貙 賵 爻亘夭 賳賲丕丿 卮讴賵賮丕蹖蹖鈥� 丕蹖 讴賴 亘丕賱丕禺乇賴 賳氐蹖亘 芦亘蹖丕賮乇丕禄 禺賵丕賴丿 卮丿貙 賵 亘丕賱丕禺乇賴 賳蹖賲賴鈥� 蹖 蹖讴 禺賵乇卮蹖丿 胤賱丕蹖蹖貙 賳賲丕丿 丌蹖賳丿賴鈥� 蹖 倬乇卮讴賵賴卮丕賳 亘賵丿)貨 倬丕蹖丕賳
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 28/07/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
With effortless grace, celebrated author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie illuminates a seminal moment in modern African history: Biafra's impassioned struggle to establish an independent republic in southeastern Nigeria during the late 1960's.
We experience this tumultuous decade alongside five unforgettable characters:
Ugwu, a thirteen-year-old houseboy who works for Odenigbo, a university professor full of revolutionary zeal.
Olanna, the professor鈥檚 beautiful young mistress who has abandoned her life in Lagos for a dusty town and her lover鈥檚 charm.
and Richard, a shy young Englishman infatuated with Olanna鈥檚 willful twin sister Kainene.
Half of a Yellow Sun is a tremendously evocative novel of the promise, hope, and disappointment of the Biafran war.
毓賳賵丕賳賴丕蹖 趩丕倬 卮丿賴 丿乇 丕蹖乇丕賳: 芦賳蹖賲賴鈥屰� 蹖讴 禺賵乇卮蹖丿 胤賱丕蹖蹖禄貨 芦賳蹖賲蹖 丕夭 禺賵乇卮蹖丿 夭乇丿禄貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 趩蹖賲丕賲丕賳丿丕 丕賳诏夭蹖 (诏購夭蹖) 丕丿蹖卮蹖 (丌丿蹖趩蹖)貨 鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮 乇賵夭 亘蹖爻鬲賲 賲丕賴 丕讴鬲亘乇 爻丕賱 2011賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 賳蹖賲賴鈥屰� 蹖讴 禺賵乇卮蹖丿 胤賱丕蹖蹖貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 趩蹖賲丕賲丕賳丿丕 丕賳诏夭蹖 (诏購夭蹖) 丕丿蹖卮蹖 (丌丿蹖趩蹖)貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 賳丕賴蹖丿 鬲亘乇蹖夭蹖 - 爻賱丕賲蹖貨 丕賴乇丕賳貙 賳卮乇 趩卮賲賴貙 爻丕賱1388貨 丿乇626氐貨 卮丕亘讴9789643625641貨 賲賵囟賵毓 噩賳诏 丿丕禺賱蹖 賳蹖噩乇蹖賴 - 丕夭 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 賳蹖噩乇蹖賴 - 爻丿賴 蹖 21賲
毓賳賵丕賳: 賳蹖賲蹖 丕夭 禺賵乇卮蹖丿 夭乇丿貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 趩蹖賲丕賲丕賳丿丕 丌丿蹖趩蹖貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 爻賵賱賲丕夭 丿賵賱鬲鈥屫藏ж囏� 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 丌賮鬲丕亘讴丕乇丕賳貙 爻丕賱1396貨 丿乇584氐貨 卮丕亘讴9786009799572貨
丕蹖賳 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 爻賴 乇丕賵蹖 丿丕乇丿 讴賴 丕夭 賳诏丕賴 丌賳賴丕 亘丕夭诏賵 賲蹖卮賵丿貨 芦丕賵诏賵賵禄 倬爻乇蹖 禺丿賲鬲讴丕乇貙 芦丕賵賱丕賳丕禄 蹖讴 夭賳 丿乇卮 禺賵丕賳丿賴 蹖 芦賳蹖噩乇蹖賴禄丕蹖 賵 芦乇蹖趩丕乇丿禄 賲乇丿蹖 芦丕賳诏賱蹖爻蹖禄 讴賴 亘乇丕蹖 倬跇賵賴卮 賵 賳賵卮鬲賳 丿乇 芦賳蹖噩乇蹖賴禄 丕爻鬲貨 卮乇丨蹖 夭蹖亘丕 賵 賵丕賯毓蹖 丕夭 毓卮賯貙 禺卮賵賳鬲貙 賵 禺蹖丕賳鬲貙 丿乇 噩賳诏 丿丕禺賱蹖 禺賵賳蹖賳 賵 賵蹖乇丕賳诏乇 芦賮丿乇丕爻蹖賵賳 賳蹖噩乇蹖賴禄貙 蹖丕 噩賳诏 亘乇 爻乇 丕爻鬲賯賱丕賱 賳丕丨蹖賴 蹖 芦亘蹖丕賮乇丕禄貙 讴賴 賳賮鬲貙 賵 胤賲毓 讴賲倬丕賳蹖賴丕蹖 賳賮鬲蹖貙 毓丕賲賱 丌賳 賯賱賲丿丕丿 卮丿賴 丕賳丿貨 丌賳 噩賳诏 丿乇 乇賵夭 卮卮賲 賲丕賴 跇賵卅蹖賴 爻丕賱 1967賲蹖賱丕丿蹖 丌睾丕夭 卮丿貨 倬卮鬲蹖亘丕賳蹖 芦丕毓乇丕亘禄 賵 芦賲氐乇禄 丕夭 蹖讴 丨夭亘貙 賵 倬卮鬲蹖亘丕賳蹖 芦丕爻乇丕卅蹖賱禄 丕夭 丨夭亘 丿蹖诏乇蹖 亘賵丿貨 亘丕 禺賵丕賳卮 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 讴賴 丕丿亘蹖丕鬲 賲乇丿賲丕賳 丿賵乇 丕夭 趩卮賲 丕蹖賳 丿蹖丕乇 丕爻鬲貙 趩卮賲丕賳 禺賵丕賳卮诏乇丕賳 亘賴 乇賵蹖 趩蹖夭賴丕蹖蹖 亘丕夭 賲蹖卮賵丿貙 讴賴 賳賲蹖丿丕賳爻鬲賳丿貨 亘丕 賮乇賴賳诏賴丕 賵 丿賵乇賴 賴丕蹖蹖 鬲丕乇蹖禺蹖 讴賴 賳賲蹖卮賳丕禺鬲賳丿貙 丌卮賳丕 賲蹖卮賵賳丿貨 賵 賲蹖丌賲賵夭賳丿 讴賴 噩賳诏貙 夭卮鬲鬲乇蹖賳 趩賴乇賴 蹖 禺賵丿 乇丕 趩诏賵賳賴 賳卮丕賳 禺賱丕蹖賯 賲蹖丿賴丿貙 賴乇 趩賳丿 趩賴乇賴 蹖 噩賳诏貙 賴賲丕乇賴 夭卮鬲 亘賵丿賴貙 丕賲丕 丌賳诏丕賴 讴賴 噩賳诏 賳丕亘乇丕亘乇 亘丕卮丿貙 趩賴乇賴 丕蹖 夭卮鬲 鬲乇 丕夭 夭卮鬲 賳蹖夭 賳賲丕蹖丕賳 賲蹖诏乇丿丿貨 丕夭 蹖讴爻賵蹖貙 賲乇丿賲丕賳蹖 賴夭蹖賳賴 蹖 噩賳诏 乇丕貙 亘丕 毓乇賯 噩亘蹖賳 賵 禺賵賳 禺賵蹖卮 賵 毓夭蹖夭丕賳卮丕賳 賲蹖倬乇丿丕夭賳丿貙 賵 倬賵賱 睾匕丕蹖 賮乇夭賳丿丕賳貙 賵 丿丕乇賵賴丕蹖 賲丕丿乇丕賳貙 賵 丕夭 丿爻鬲 丿丕丿賳 禺賵丕亘 禺賵卮貙 賵 賲乇诏 亘乇丕蹖 毓夭蹖夭丕賳卮丕賳 丕爻鬲貙 讴賴 禺賵丿 乇丕 亘賴 噩賳诏 賮丿丕 賲蹖讴賳賳丿貙 賵 丕夭 爻賵蹖 丿蹖诏乇 ....貨
賳賯賱 丕夭 賲鬲賳: (芦丕賵賱丕賳丕禄 亘乇丕蹖鈥屫簇з� 丿乇 賲賵乇丿 倬乇趩賲 芦亘蹖丕賮乇丕禄 氐丨亘鬲 讴乇丿貨 丌賳鈥屬囏� 乇賵蹖 賯胤毓丕鬲 趩賵亘貙 夭蹖乇 賳賵乇 丌賮鬲丕亘 囟毓蹖賮 氐亘丨诏丕賴蹖貙 讴賴 丕夭 丨賮乇賴鈥屫й� 讴賴 賯亘賱丕 爻賯賮 讴賱丕爻 亘賵丿貙 亘賴 丿乇賵賳 賲蹖鈥屫жㄛ屫� 賳卮爻鬲賴 亘賵丿賳丿貨 丕賵 倬乇趩賲 倬丕乇趩賴鈥� 丕蹖 芦丕賵丿賳蹖诏亘賵禄 乇丕 亘丕夭 讴乇丿貙 賵 亘乇丕蹖鈥屫簇з� 鬲賵囟蹖丨 丿丕丿 讴賴 賴乇 蹖讴 丕夭 毓賱丕賲丕鬲 乇賵蹖 丌賳 趩賴 趩蹖夭蹖 乇丕 亘蹖丕賳 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁嗀� 乇賳诏 賯乇賲夭貙 賳賲丕丿 禺賵賳 禺賵丕賴乇丕賳 賵 亘乇丕丿乇丕賳 丌賳鈥屬囏� 亘賵丿貙 讴賴 丿乇 卮賲丕賱 賯鬲賱鈥屫关з� 卮丿賴 亘賵丿賳丿貨 爻蹖丕賴 賳賲丕丿 爻賵诏賵丕乇蹖 亘乇丕蹖 丌賳鈥屬囏� 亘賵丿貙 賵 爻亘夭 賳賲丕丿 卮讴賵賮丕蹖蹖鈥� 丕蹖 讴賴 亘丕賱丕禺乇賴 賳氐蹖亘 芦亘蹖丕賮乇丕禄 禺賵丕賴丿 卮丿貙 賵 亘丕賱丕禺乇賴 賳蹖賲賴鈥� 蹖 蹖讴 禺賵乇卮蹖丿 胤賱丕蹖蹖貙 賳賲丕丿 丌蹖賳丿賴鈥� 蹖 倬乇卮讴賵賴卮丕賳 亘賵丿)貨 倬丕蹖丕賳
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 28/07/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
April 23, 2009
She did it again. And she did it (again) masterfully! While reading this novel I was often thinking of Garc铆a M谩rquez鈥檚 words: 鈥漈he worst enemy of politicians is a writer鈥� and I would amplify that with not only of politicians. Now, I鈥檓 not sure if Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has had intention to accuse (probably not) but you cannot avoid truth and, as always truth is hurting so badly.
Half of a Yellow Sun (related with Biafran flag, look the photo) is a story about birth and short life of Biafra, life that ended in one of the worst possible way while 鈥渢he world was silent when they died鈥� . Before reading this book I didn鈥檛 know much about Biafra, I didn鈥檛 even know it was an independent country (*blush* I should know that!). For me Biafra was a synonym for starvation, for hunger, misery, I was always picturing children with huge bellies and limbs like toothpicks. Now I know the word for that: 鈥漦washiorkor鈥�, difficult word isn鈥檛 it?
Everything started 1960 when Nigeria independence from British colonialism; few years later there was a coup d鈥櫭﹖at led by Igbo tribe. Since Nigeria was the country with many clans ethnic tension started to sparkle between Muslim Hausa and Christian Igbo clans and eventually resulted with ethnic cleansing of Igbos that were living in the north of the country with Muslim majority. Because of that atrocity Igbo clan has proclaimed independence of theirs own country named after Biafran Bay in the southeast of Nigeria (the problem was, as one of the characters said was the fact that Biafra has huge oil reserves). Few countries have recognized new country, however the most powerful ones (i.e. United Kingdom and Soviet Union) supported Nigeria with military supplies and after three years (1967-1970) the war of Biafra secession ended in a humanitarian catastrophe as Nigerian blockades stopped all supplies, military and civilian alike, from entering the region. Hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions) people died in the resulting famine.
The story has been told through the lives of three very different people: Ugwu,13 year old boy from some remote village who is starting to work as a houseboy in the house of university professor with revolutionary aspirations. Ugwu is a magnificent source of Nigerian (African?) folklore and mythology. His superstitious-ness is beautiful, pure and incredibly authentic. Being uneducated his provincialism and thinking of everything authentically African as inferior comparing with everything British is very strong! (I sound as if I鈥檓 justifying his attitude with that 鈥渂eing uneducated鈥�, well it鈥檚 really hard dislike Ugwu)
Olanna, young women with university diploma from London, member of Nigerian aristocracy who rejected privileged life and follow her heart. Strong, modern, enthusiastic woman with strong vision of her future life liberated from the chains of her family鈥檚 expectations.
Third one is Richard, man I identified myself with. He鈥檚 an Englishman who came in Nigeria because he fell in love with the ancient piece of local art (I think I could do the same). Man who being white has had to put much more effort to prove himself as true Biafran and was doing this in the best possible way.
What I especially like is that all three main characters are real humans; they are not flawless. On the contrary, they are making horrible mistakes which might be even unforgivable under different circumstances.
But this is not only story about the war. War with its horror is scenery for the story of love, loyalty, friendship, betrayal, forgiveness about fight and survival. It is very universal story placed in one precise historical context.
Truth, some of the scenes are so graphically described that I had to close the book and take a deep breath before continue. But of course why should she use euphemism for truth? In spite that this is really page turner. I was little afraid after warning from the back cover 鈥淚 wasted last fifty pages, reading them far too greedily and fast, because I couldn鈥檛 bear to let go鈥︹€� but I鈥檝e done the same (and of course then reread them).
This is one testimony of the things that mustn鈥檛 be forgotten! And oh, don鈥檛 be surprised if you find your eyes filled with tears. In spite the fact that last sentence wasn鈥檛 surprise for me, that I expected that, I couldn鈥檛 help myself...
Half of a Yellow Sun (related with Biafran flag, look the photo) is a story about birth and short life of Biafra, life that ended in one of the worst possible way while 鈥渢he world was silent when they died鈥� . Before reading this book I didn鈥檛 know much about Biafra, I didn鈥檛 even know it was an independent country (*blush* I should know that!). For me Biafra was a synonym for starvation, for hunger, misery, I was always picturing children with huge bellies and limbs like toothpicks. Now I know the word for that: 鈥漦washiorkor鈥�, difficult word isn鈥檛 it?
Everything started 1960 when Nigeria independence from British colonialism; few years later there was a coup d鈥櫭﹖at led by Igbo tribe. Since Nigeria was the country with many clans ethnic tension started to sparkle between Muslim Hausa and Christian Igbo clans and eventually resulted with ethnic cleansing of Igbos that were living in the north of the country with Muslim majority. Because of that atrocity Igbo clan has proclaimed independence of theirs own country named after Biafran Bay in the southeast of Nigeria (the problem was, as one of the characters said was the fact that Biafra has huge oil reserves). Few countries have recognized new country, however the most powerful ones (i.e. United Kingdom and Soviet Union) supported Nigeria with military supplies and after three years (1967-1970) the war of Biafra secession ended in a humanitarian catastrophe as Nigerian blockades stopped all supplies, military and civilian alike, from entering the region. Hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions) people died in the resulting famine.
The story has been told through the lives of three very different people: Ugwu,13 year old boy from some remote village who is starting to work as a houseboy in the house of university professor with revolutionary aspirations. Ugwu is a magnificent source of Nigerian (African?) folklore and mythology. His superstitious-ness is beautiful, pure and incredibly authentic. Being uneducated his provincialism and thinking of everything authentically African as inferior comparing with everything British is very strong! (I sound as if I鈥檓 justifying his attitude with that 鈥渂eing uneducated鈥�, well it鈥檚 really hard dislike Ugwu)
Olanna, young women with university diploma from London, member of Nigerian aristocracy who rejected privileged life and follow her heart. Strong, modern, enthusiastic woman with strong vision of her future life liberated from the chains of her family鈥檚 expectations.
Third one is Richard, man I identified myself with. He鈥檚 an Englishman who came in Nigeria because he fell in love with the ancient piece of local art (I think I could do the same). Man who being white has had to put much more effort to prove himself as true Biafran and was doing this in the best possible way.
What I especially like is that all three main characters are real humans; they are not flawless. On the contrary, they are making horrible mistakes which might be even unforgivable under different circumstances.
But this is not only story about the war. War with its horror is scenery for the story of love, loyalty, friendship, betrayal, forgiveness about fight and survival. It is very universal story placed in one precise historical context.
Truth, some of the scenes are so graphically described that I had to close the book and take a deep breath before continue. But of course why should she use euphemism for truth? In spite that this is really page turner. I was little afraid after warning from the back cover 鈥淚 wasted last fifty pages, reading them far too greedily and fast, because I couldn鈥檛 bear to let go鈥︹€� but I鈥檝e done the same (and of course then reread them).
This is one testimony of the things that mustn鈥檛 be forgotten! And oh, don鈥檛 be surprised if you find your eyes filled with tears. In spite the fact that last sentence wasn鈥檛 surprise for me, that I expected that, I couldn鈥檛 help myself...
September 2, 2020
Beautifully written but it didn't speak to me like Purple Hibiscus. At times I found it to be too long and at others I couldn't connect to the characters.
January 9, 2025
This novel came to me in the weirdest way. Initially I was very enthusiastic about Adichie鈥檚 work and put books like Americanah and Purple Hibiscus on my reading list. Then I was made aware of the fact that she voiced transphobic comments in a 2017 interview on Britain鈥檚 Channel 4 News in which she differentiated strictly between women and trans women 鈥� 鈥淲hen people talk about, 鈥楢re trans women women?鈥� my feeling is trans women are trans women.鈥� Part of me wants to give her the benefit of the doubt since she goes on explaining that cis women and trans women go through different experiences 鈥� but where Adichie seems to mean that trans women are 鈥渕ore privileged鈥� because they 鈥済rew up as men鈥�, I鈥檓 of the opinion that trans women are at a higher risk of societal ostracism compared to cis women. I did no longer want to support her financially, so the opportunity to read her work grew slim (I don鈥檛 use my local library bc I annotate everything).
By chance I stumbled upon a giveaway of one of her books on Instagram 鈥� Half of a Yellow Sun 鈥� and actually won it. What are the odds? It鈥檚 a super nice edition by an independent publishing press from Berlin that is limited and signed by the author. It costs 138,00鈧� regularly鈥� like?? I am still in awe that I won it. And since this is already super weird, it was fated that this book would become one of my favorite reads of 2024. Of course. Do with that information what you will. Read up on Adichie鈥檚 interview yourself, form your own opinion. If possible, get the book secondhand or from your library. I think it鈥檚 worth reading.
Ugwu, to me the heart and soul of the narrative, is introduced in the first chapter. He鈥檚 a 13-year-old village boy who is sent to work as a houseboy for university professor Odenigbo. The two of them share a special bond, as Odenigbo doesn鈥檛 believe in traditional 鈥渟ervitude鈥� and grants Ugwu privileges denied to other boys of his profession. Ugwu is given his own room, and most importantly, Odenigbo ensures his education and demands he stays in school. From the jump, Ugwu idolises his 鈥淢aster鈥� and looks up to him. Coming from a small village, he is mesmerised by Odenigbo鈥檚 house, the 鈥渕agic of the running water鈥�, the man鈥檚 prolific use of the English language and so on and so forth. The banter between the two and their growing relationship (鈥淢y name is not Sah. Call me Odenigbo.鈥� 鈥淵es, Sah.鈥�) is endearing and I immediately took a liking to both characters, despite their flaws.
Ugwu鈥檚 biggest flaw, possibly, is his girl-craziness. I understand that girls and women are a fascinating topic for teenage boys, and that fantasising about them is part of most boys鈥� upbringing, however, Ugwu takes it a step too far. Adichie makes the conscious choice to show how the patriarchal structures of Nigerian society doesn鈥檛 halt before the minds of younger people. In one of the more eery passages, Ugwu is fascinated by tear gas and thinks to himself that he should drug his crush the next time he sees her.
By the end of the novel, Ugwu is the character who has undergone the biggest change. Ugwu is abducted and forced into the army. There, he is involved in a gang rape. It is an incredibly difficult scene to read, and I鈥檓 not certain that Adichie pulls it off successfully, but it does show the specific gendered horrors of war as they pertain to women and children. Ugwu is disgusted by his actions, but not strong enough to resist the peer pressure. After the rape, we can no longer see him as the adorable innocent kid we鈥檝e come to love. Our feelings towards him become more conflicted, however, (and maybe I only speak for myself) I was tremendously relieved when we found out that he was still alive and not dead as presumed by one of the other characters.
The twist at the end (literally only revealed in the last line 鈥� a stroke of genius on Adichie鈥檚 part, if you ask me) was the most important part of the novel to me, and endeared me to Ugwu again. To make you understand the twist, I have to go into a bit more detail concerning one of the other POV characters: Richard.
Richard is a white journalist from England who comes to live and work in Nigeria. At first, he is in a relationship with the older white woman Susan, but eventually leaves her for Kainene, Olanna鈥檚 sister. Richard desperately wants to become part of Nigerian society. He learns Igbo, he learns their customs, he wants to marry Kainene. He came to Nigeria in the first place to do some research for his book. When the war breaks out, Richard thinks that 鈥渉e would be Biafran in a way he could never have been Nigerian 鈥撎齢e was here at the beginning; he had shared in the birth. He would belong.鈥� He wished to write a novel about the struggle for Biafran independence entitled 鈥淭he World Was Silent When We Died鈥�. Many of the Black Igbo characters take issue with this project, and the title specifically. His wife gives him the reality check that the 鈥渨e鈥� in the title is misleading, since it does in fact not include Richard and people like him. It takes Richard a long time to reckon with his own privileges and realise that the war is not his story to tell.
Colonel Madu, one of Kainene鈥檚 friends who has a low opinion of most white people, berates Richard: 鈥淥f course I asked because you are white. They will take what you write more seriously because you are white. Look, the truth is that this is not your war. This is not your cause. Your government will evacuate you in a minute if you ask them to. So it is not enough to carry limp branches and shout power, power to show that you support Biafra. If you really want to contribute, this is the way that you can. The world has to know the truth of what is happening, because they simply cannot remain silent while we die.鈥�
Half of a Yellow Sun is a scathing look at how Western media is more interested in the death of one white man than that of hundreds of Black men and women. We should read it and be ashamed of our institutions.
Throughout the novel we find interspersed chapters of 鈥淭he World Was Silent When We Died鈥�. The reader naturally presumes that these were written by Richard. It is only in the last line that Adichie reveals that Ugwu is the author of the book:
Ugwu becomes an empowering and an empowered character. He is no longer the houseboy idolizing Odenigbo鈥檚 English 鈥� Ugwu is now the 鈥淢aster,鈥� controlling his own identity and working for the good of his family and culture, using English phrases like 鈥渕y good man鈥� for his own purposes, subverting the colonizer鈥檚 tools to strengthen Nigeria 鈥� just as Adichie herself does as a Nigerian writing in English, bringing awareness, humanity, and beauty to a past tragedy. It is such a clever double entendre that Adichie pulled off this twist, I don鈥檛 think I鈥檒l ever recover from this.
Ugwu鈥檚 formation as an author (through the education he receives both from Odenigbo and his experiences as a houseboy and a soldier) are a combination of formal education and informal lessons he learns through living life in the position he is forced to live it in. Adichie shows the power of education, how it can be used to combat unjust power-structures, even as that anti-colonial expression takes place in English. [For a debate and counter argument of that read Ngugi wa Thiong鈥檕鈥檚 Decolonising the Mind.]
Ugwu鈥檚 formation as an author is bi-lingual; he is fluent in both Igbo鈥攁 result of having grown up in an Igbo village, and English鈥攍earned from three years in the village school and subsequent years in the Nsukka 听school in which Odenigbo enrolls him. He also learns about postcolonial studies via Odenigbo鈥檚 dinners with other Igbo academics. These 鈥渟alons鈥� that Odenigbo hosts clearly affect Ugwu鈥檚 intellectual formation.
Adichie writes that 鈥渓ate at night, after Master was in bed, Ugwu would sit on the same chair and imagine himself speaking swift English, talking to rapt imaginary guests, using words like decolonize and pan-Africanism, molding his voice after Master鈥檚鈥�. Odenigbo鈥檚 intellectual anti-colonialism is presented again in a later scene. Upon learning that Ugwu never attended school after 鈥渟tandard two鈥� level due to his father鈥檚 inability to continue paying tuition, Odenigbo tells Ugwu, 鈥溾€榊our father should have borrowed!鈥� [in Igbo]鈥� and then, in English, 鈥楨ducation is a priority! How can we resist exploitation if we don鈥檛 have the tools to understand exploitation?鈥欌€�). Odenigbo then enrolls Ugwu in a school in Nsukka where his education continues largely in English, which demonstrates the paradox Adichie herself embodies: that a postcolonial education can be anticolonial, while still taking place in a colonial language such as English.
The paradox of attempting to destroy the occidental primacy of postcolonial education, while simultaneously seeking to excel by its dictates, is further highlighted when Odenigbo tells Ugwu what he must do to succeed in school: 鈥淭here are two answers to the things they will teach you about our land: the real answer and the answer you give in school to pass. You must read books and learn both answers. I will give you books, excellent books. They will teach you that a white man called Mungo Park discovered River Niger. That is rubbish. Our people fished in the Niger long before Mungo Park鈥檚 grandfather was born. But in your exam, write that it was Mungo Park.
To me, this is why Ugwu is the heart and soul of this text; its message hinges on his formation. Though I have to say that I took interest in all of the characters, especially Olanna and Kainene, twin sisters and daughters of an influential Igbo business man, and their complicated relationship with one another. I was immediately invested in their story, when Adichie wrote: 鈥淣othing had happened 鈥� no momentous quarrel, no significant incident 鈥� rather, they had simply drifted apart, but it was Kainene who now anchored herself firmly in a distant place so that they could not drift back together.鈥� Holy shit. I needed to know what happened between them鈥� and you cannot fathom the joy I felt when the two of them finally reconciled, and the heartbreak I underwent when Kainene goes missing shortly before the war ends. Their story is so tragic and haunting, and exemplary for what a lot of Igbo families went through.
Overall, Half of a Yellow Sun is an incredible novel. The characters are amazing, the plot is engaging, the message is important and strongly voice. Calling out colonialism and its effects on Nigerian society is always appreciated. Adichie pulls off so many things at once in this, it鈥檚 mesmerising. And I really held it together until that last sentence, ya鈥檒l. And that鈥檚 a feat in and of itself because this is a heartbreaking book. Powerful, but oh so damn heartbreaking. It took me some weeks to recover from this and I already know I will reread it in the future.
By chance I stumbled upon a giveaway of one of her books on Instagram 鈥� Half of a Yellow Sun 鈥� and actually won it. What are the odds? It鈥檚 a super nice edition by an independent publishing press from Berlin that is limited and signed by the author. It costs 138,00鈧� regularly鈥� like?? I am still in awe that I won it. And since this is already super weird, it was fated that this book would become one of my favorite reads of 2024. Of course. Do with that information what you will. Read up on Adichie鈥檚 interview yourself, form your own opinion. If possible, get the book secondhand or from your library. I think it鈥檚 worth reading.
鈥淥denigbo climbed up to the podium waving his Biafran flag: swaths of red, black and green and, at the center, a luminous half of a yellow sun.鈥�Half of a Yellow Sun tells the story of the Biafran War (1967鈥�70) with the help of three POV characters: Ugwu, Olanna, and Richard. The books jumps between different timelines and events and covers the 60s and early 70s. Adichie grew up in the aftermath of the Biafran War. In an interview, she said: 鈥淭he need to write about it came from growing up in its shadow. This thing that I didn鈥檛 quite understand was my legacy. It hovered over everything.鈥� With Half of a Yellow Sun, she illuminated this shadow.
鈥淩ed was the blood of the siblings massacred in the North, black was for mourning them, green was for the prosperity Biafra would have, and, finally, the half of a yellow sun stood for the glorious future.鈥�
Ugwu, to me the heart and soul of the narrative, is introduced in the first chapter. He鈥檚 a 13-year-old village boy who is sent to work as a houseboy for university professor Odenigbo. The two of them share a special bond, as Odenigbo doesn鈥檛 believe in traditional 鈥渟ervitude鈥� and grants Ugwu privileges denied to other boys of his profession. Ugwu is given his own room, and most importantly, Odenigbo ensures his education and demands he stays in school. From the jump, Ugwu idolises his 鈥淢aster鈥� and looks up to him. Coming from a small village, he is mesmerised by Odenigbo鈥檚 house, the 鈥渕agic of the running water鈥�, the man鈥檚 prolific use of the English language and so on and so forth. The banter between the two and their growing relationship (鈥淢y name is not Sah. Call me Odenigbo.鈥� 鈥淵es, Sah.鈥�) is endearing and I immediately took a liking to both characters, despite their flaws.
Ugwu鈥檚 biggest flaw, possibly, is his girl-craziness. I understand that girls and women are a fascinating topic for teenage boys, and that fantasising about them is part of most boys鈥� upbringing, however, Ugwu takes it a step too far. Adichie makes the conscious choice to show how the patriarchal structures of Nigerian society doesn鈥檛 halt before the minds of younger people. In one of the more eery passages, Ugwu is fascinated by tear gas and thinks to himself that he should drug his crush the next time he sees her.
By the end of the novel, Ugwu is the character who has undergone the biggest change. Ugwu is abducted and forced into the army. There, he is involved in a gang rape. It is an incredibly difficult scene to read, and I鈥檓 not certain that Adichie pulls it off successfully, but it does show the specific gendered horrors of war as they pertain to women and children. Ugwu is disgusted by his actions, but not strong enough to resist the peer pressure. After the rape, we can no longer see him as the adorable innocent kid we鈥檝e come to love. Our feelings towards him become more conflicted, however, (and maybe I only speak for myself) I was tremendously relieved when we found out that he was still alive and not dead as presumed by one of the other characters.
The twist at the end (literally only revealed in the last line 鈥� a stroke of genius on Adichie鈥檚 part, if you ask me) was the most important part of the novel to me, and endeared me to Ugwu again. To make you understand the twist, I have to go into a bit more detail concerning one of the other POV characters: Richard.
Richard is a white journalist from England who comes to live and work in Nigeria. At first, he is in a relationship with the older white woman Susan, but eventually leaves her for Kainene, Olanna鈥檚 sister. Richard desperately wants to become part of Nigerian society. He learns Igbo, he learns their customs, he wants to marry Kainene. He came to Nigeria in the first place to do some research for his book. When the war breaks out, Richard thinks that 鈥渉e would be Biafran in a way he could never have been Nigerian 鈥撎齢e was here at the beginning; he had shared in the birth. He would belong.鈥� He wished to write a novel about the struggle for Biafran independence entitled 鈥淭he World Was Silent When We Died鈥�. Many of the Black Igbo characters take issue with this project, and the title specifically. His wife gives him the reality check that the 鈥渨e鈥� in the title is misleading, since it does in fact not include Richard and people like him. It takes Richard a long time to reckon with his own privileges and realise that the war is not his story to tell.
Colonel Madu, one of Kainene鈥檚 friends who has a low opinion of most white people, berates Richard: 鈥淥f course I asked because you are white. They will take what you write more seriously because you are white. Look, the truth is that this is not your war. This is not your cause. Your government will evacuate you in a minute if you ask them to. So it is not enough to carry limp branches and shout power, power to show that you support Biafra. If you really want to contribute, this is the way that you can. The world has to know the truth of what is happening, because they simply cannot remain silent while we die.鈥�
Half of a Yellow Sun is a scathing look at how Western media is more interested in the death of one white man than that of hundreds of Black men and women. We should read it and be ashamed of our institutions.
Throughout the novel we find interspersed chapters of 鈥淭he World Was Silent When We Died鈥�. The reader naturally presumes that these were written by Richard. It is only in the last line that Adichie reveals that Ugwu is the author of the book:
Ugwu writes his dedication last: For Master, my good man.And when I tell you that I broke down crying when I read this, even that would be an understatement. I still have tears in my eyes writing this review. It is so powerful. On the one hand because it is Richard鈥檚 full circle moment. He finally understood that it was not his place to tell this story and that Africans (in this case: Igbo people) have not just the right but the need to tell their own stories. And on the other hand, more importantly, it is Ugwu鈥檚 full circle moment as well (I鈥檓 still so sappy about this, you don鈥檛 even know).
Ugwu becomes an empowering and an empowered character. He is no longer the houseboy idolizing Odenigbo鈥檚 English 鈥� Ugwu is now the 鈥淢aster,鈥� controlling his own identity and working for the good of his family and culture, using English phrases like 鈥渕y good man鈥� for his own purposes, subverting the colonizer鈥檚 tools to strengthen Nigeria 鈥� just as Adichie herself does as a Nigerian writing in English, bringing awareness, humanity, and beauty to a past tragedy. It is such a clever double entendre that Adichie pulled off this twist, I don鈥檛 think I鈥檒l ever recover from this.
Ugwu鈥檚 formation as an author (through the education he receives both from Odenigbo and his experiences as a houseboy and a soldier) are a combination of formal education and informal lessons he learns through living life in the position he is forced to live it in. Adichie shows the power of education, how it can be used to combat unjust power-structures, even as that anti-colonial expression takes place in English. [For a debate and counter argument of that read Ngugi wa Thiong鈥檕鈥檚 Decolonising the Mind.]
Ugwu鈥檚 formation as an author is bi-lingual; he is fluent in both Igbo鈥攁 result of having grown up in an Igbo village, and English鈥攍earned from three years in the village school and subsequent years in the Nsukka 听school in which Odenigbo enrolls him. He also learns about postcolonial studies via Odenigbo鈥檚 dinners with other Igbo academics. These 鈥渟alons鈥� that Odenigbo hosts clearly affect Ugwu鈥檚 intellectual formation.
Adichie writes that 鈥渓ate at night, after Master was in bed, Ugwu would sit on the same chair and imagine himself speaking swift English, talking to rapt imaginary guests, using words like decolonize and pan-Africanism, molding his voice after Master鈥檚鈥�. Odenigbo鈥檚 intellectual anti-colonialism is presented again in a later scene. Upon learning that Ugwu never attended school after 鈥渟tandard two鈥� level due to his father鈥檚 inability to continue paying tuition, Odenigbo tells Ugwu, 鈥溾€榊our father should have borrowed!鈥� [in Igbo]鈥� and then, in English, 鈥楨ducation is a priority! How can we resist exploitation if we don鈥檛 have the tools to understand exploitation?鈥欌€�). Odenigbo then enrolls Ugwu in a school in Nsukka where his education continues largely in English, which demonstrates the paradox Adichie herself embodies: that a postcolonial education can be anticolonial, while still taking place in a colonial language such as English.
The paradox of attempting to destroy the occidental primacy of postcolonial education, while simultaneously seeking to excel by its dictates, is further highlighted when Odenigbo tells Ugwu what he must do to succeed in school: 鈥淭here are two answers to the things they will teach you about our land: the real answer and the answer you give in school to pass. You must read books and learn both answers. I will give you books, excellent books. They will teach you that a white man called Mungo Park discovered River Niger. That is rubbish. Our people fished in the Niger long before Mungo Park鈥檚 grandfather was born. But in your exam, write that it was Mungo Park.
To me, this is why Ugwu is the heart and soul of this text; its message hinges on his formation. Though I have to say that I took interest in all of the characters, especially Olanna and Kainene, twin sisters and daughters of an influential Igbo business man, and their complicated relationship with one another. I was immediately invested in their story, when Adichie wrote: 鈥淣othing had happened 鈥� no momentous quarrel, no significant incident 鈥� rather, they had simply drifted apart, but it was Kainene who now anchored herself firmly in a distant place so that they could not drift back together.鈥� Holy shit. I needed to know what happened between them鈥� and you cannot fathom the joy I felt when the two of them finally reconciled, and the heartbreak I underwent when Kainene goes missing shortly before the war ends. Their story is so tragic and haunting, and exemplary for what a lot of Igbo families went through.
Overall, Half of a Yellow Sun is an incredible novel. The characters are amazing, the plot is engaging, the message is important and strongly voice. Calling out colonialism and its effects on Nigerian society is always appreciated. Adichie pulls off so many things at once in this, it鈥檚 mesmerising. And I really held it together until that last sentence, ya鈥檒l. And that鈥檚 a feat in and of itself because this is a heartbreaking book. Powerful, but oh so damn heartbreaking. It took me some weeks to recover from this and I already know I will reread it in the future.
July 12, 2020
賴賱 爻賲毓鬲 毓賳 噩賲賴賵乇賷丞 亘賷丕賮乇丕責 賴賱 賳賲賶 廿賱賶 毓賱賲賰 卮賷亍 毓賳 丕賱丨乇亘 丕賱兀賴賱賷丞 丕賱賳賷噩賷乇賷丞責 賳毓賲 賰丕賳 賴賳丕賰 丨乇亘 賵賴賳丕賰 丿毓賲 毓乇亘賷-賲氐乇賷 亘丕賱丿乇噩丞 丕賱兀賵賱賶- 賱兀丨丿 丕賱兀胤乇丕賮 賵丿毓賲 丕爻乇丕卅賷賱賷 賱胤乇賮 丌禺乇. 賯乇丕亍丞 兀丿亘 丕賱卮毓賵亘 丕賱賯氐賷丞 爻賷賮鬲丨 毓賷賳賷賰 毓賱賶 兀賲賵乇 賱賲 鬲賰賳 鬲毓乇賮賴丕貙 爻鬲鬲毓乇賮 毓賱賶 孬賯丕賮丕鬲 賵丨賯亘 鬲丕乇賷禺賷丞 賱賲 鬲賰賳 鬲毓乇賮 兀賳賴丕 賵購噩丿鬲貨 爻鬲鬲毓賱賲 丕賱賰孬賷乇.
鬲胤賱 丕賱丨乇亘 亘賵噩賴賴丕 丕賱兀卮丿 亘卮丕毓丞貙 賵賵噩賴賴丕 丿丕卅賲丕 賯亘賷丨貙 睾賷乇 兀賳賴丕 兀卮賳毓 毓賳丿賲丕 鬲賰賵賳 丨乇亘丕 睾賷乇 賲鬲賰丕賮卅丞. 賮亘賷賳賲丕 賷丿賮毓 兀丨丿 丕賱兀胤乇丕賮 孬賲賳賴丕 毓乇賯丕 賵丿賲丕亍丕賸貙 賷囟丨賷 亘兀噩賱賴丕 亘賯賵鬲 兀胤賮丕賱賴貙 亘丿賵丕亍 賵丕賱丿鬲賴貙 亘賴賳兀丞 賳賵賲賴 賵賮賳丕亍 兀丨亘丕亍賴貙 賷毓鬲亘乇賴丕 丕賱胤乇賮 丕賱丌禺乇 賲噩乇丿 乇賷丕囟丞 毓賳賷賮丞貙 鬲兀賰賱 賲賳 賷賵賲賴 亘毓囟賴 孬賲 賷兀禺匕 亘毓丿賴丕 丨賲丕賲丕 丿丕賮卅丕 賵賷賳爻賶 賰賱 卮賷亍. 賷丕賱賴 賲賳 兀賲乇 賲丐賱賲!
鬲毓乇賮鬲購 毓賱賶 鬲卮賷賲丕賲丕賳丿丕 兀丿賷鬲卮賷 賱兀賵賱 賲乇丞 毓賳 胤乇賷賯 禺胤丕亘 賮賷 賲丐鬲賲乇 鬲賷丿賷賰爻貙 鬲丨丿孬鬲 賮賷賴 毓賳 禺胤賵乇丞 丕賱賳馗乇丞 丕賱兀丨丕丿賷丞 賱亘賱丿 兀賵 毓乇賯 兀賵 卮禺氐. 禺胤丕亘 卮賷賯 乇卮賷賯 丕賱賮賰乇貙 爻賷毓胤賷賰 賱賲丨丞 毓賳 胤乇賷賯丞 鬲賮賰賷乇 賴匕丕 丕賱賲乇兀丞 丕賱賮乇賷丿丞:
匕賱賰 丕賱禺胤丕亘 卮噩毓賳賷 毓賱賶 賯乇丕亍丞 兀丨丿 兀賴賲 兀毓賲丕賱 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞: 賳氐賮 卮賲爻 賲卮乇賯丞貙 乇賵丕賷丞 兀賯賱 賲丕賷賯丕賱 毓賳賴丕 兀賳賴丕 賳丕囟噩丞. 賳丕囟噩丞 賲賳 丨賷孬 丕賱賲囟賲賵賳 亘丨賷孬 賳丕賯卮鬲 賲賵囟賵毓丕 賮賷 睾丕賷丞 丕賱兀賴賲賷丞 賵丕賱丨爻丕爻賷丞 亘賲孬賱 賴匕賴 丕賱噩丿賷丞 賵丕賱亘丨孬 丕賱丿丐賵亘. 賳丕囟噩丞 賲賳 丨賷孬 丕賱鬲賲孬賷賱 毓賱賶 賲爻鬲賵賶 丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 丨賷孬 丕賳鬲賯鬲 卮禺氐賷丕鬲 鬲賳鬲賲賷 廿賱賶 胤亘賯丕鬲 賲禺鬲賱賮丞 賲賳 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓: 兀賰丕丿賷賲賷賵賳貙 兀孬乇賷丕亍貙 乇賷賮賷賵賳 賵匕賵賷 丕賱丕賳鬲賲丕亍 丕賱毓爻賰乇賷. 賵毓賱賶 丕賱乇睾賲 賲賳 兀賳 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 禺購賱賯鬲 賱鬲賰賵賳 賮賷 氐賮 噩賲賴賵乇賷丞 亘賷丕賮乇丕貙 廿賱丕 兀賳賴丕 賱賲 鬲鬲賵丕賳賶 毓賳 賰卮賮 丨賯丕卅賯 賱賴丕 毓賱丕賯丞 亘丕賱賮爻丕丿 丕賱賲爻鬲卮乇賷 賮賷 兀賵爻丕胤 賲賯丕賵賲丞 亘賷丕賮乇丕 賳賮爻賴丕.
乇丕賵丿鬲 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 賲賵囟賵毓 丕賱丨乇亘 亘鬲兀賳 賵亘氐賷乇丞. 賮賯丿 丕賮鬲鬲丨鬲 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 亘鬲氐賵賷乇 丕賱丨賷丕丞 賯亘賱 丕賱丨乇亘: 胤賲賵丨丕鬲 丕賱賳丕爻貙 毓賱丕賯丕鬲 丕賱毓乇賯賷丕鬲 賲毓 亘毓囟賴丕貙 賰毓賱丕賯丞 (兀賵賱丕賳丕) 亘胤賱丞 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 亘賲丨賲丿貙 丨亘賷亘賴丕 丕賱賲爻賱賲. 賰匕賱賰 賱賲 鬲賳爻 丕賱鬲賵胤卅丞 賱兀爻亘丕亘 丕賱賲噩夭乇丞 丕賱鬲賷 兀丿鬲 廿賱賶 丕賱丨乇亘 兀賱丕 賵賴賷 丕賱廿賳賯賱丕亘 丕賱兀賵賱 丕賱匕賷 兀丿賶 亘卮賰賱 賲丕 賱賱賲噩夭乇丞 丕賱鬲賷 丕乇鬲賰亘賴丕 丕賱賳賷噩賷乇賷賵賳 亘丨賯 丕賱兀賷亘賵. 賯賱丞 賲賳 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賷鬲噩卮賲賵賳 毓賳丕亍 卮乇丨 丕賱鬲丿乇噩 丕賱賲賳胤賯賷 賱賱兀丨丿丕孬. 鬲賲丕賲丕 賰賲丕 賯丕賱 賲乇賷丿 丕賱亘乇睾賵孬賷-賵賴賷 賳賮爻賴丕 丕爻鬲卮賴丿鬲 亘賴匕丕 丕賱丕賯鬲亘丕爻 賮賷 禺胤丕亘賴丕 丕賱匕賷 匕賰乇鬲- 兀賳 亘賵爻毓 兀賷 乇丕賵賺 兀賳 賷賯賱亘 丕賱丨賯丕卅賯 亘賲噩乇丿 兀賳 賷鬲噩丕賵夭 兀賵賱丕 廿賱賶 孬丕賳賷丕貙 兀賷 丕賳 賷賯賮夭 廿賱賶 爻乇丿 丕賱賳鬲丕卅噩 丿賵賳 丕賱鬲賲毓賳 賮賷 丕賱兀爻亘丕亘. 賰兀賳 鬲卮噩亘 賴噩賵賲丕 賱賱賴賳賵丿 丕賱丨賲乇 毓賱賶 丕賱乇噩賱 丕賱兀亘賷囟 賲鬲噩丕賵夭丕 賰賱 賲丕 丕乇鬲賰亘賴 丕賱乇噩賱 丕賱兀亘賷囟 亘丨賯 丕賱爻賰丕賳 丕賱兀氐賱賷賷賳.
丕賱禺賱丕氐丞 賴賷 兀賳 兀丿賷鬲卮賷 兀丨爻賳鬲 氐購賳毓丕 亘鬲賲孬賷賱 丕賱禺賷乇 賵丕賱卮乇 賮賷 兀睾賱亘 毓賳丕氐乇 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞貙 賱賲 鬲胤賱毓 丕賱鬲毓賲賷賲丕鬲 賵賱丕 丕賱兀丨賰丕賲 丕賱爻胤丨賷丞. 丨鬲賶 兀賳賴丕 賱賲 鬲賰鬲賮 亘鬲賯丿賷賲 氐丨賮賷 兀賲乇賷賰賷 賵丕丨丿 亘賱 丕孬賳賷賳貙 兀丨丿賴賲丕 賲爻鬲賴鬲乇 毓賳氐乇賷 賵丕賱丌禺乇 賲鬲毓丕胤賮 賷賳馗乇 賱賱丨乇亘 賲賳 夭丕賵賷丞 廿賳爻丕賳賷丞. 兀鬲賲賳賶 丕賳 賷賯乇兀 禺丕賱丿 丨爻賷賳賷 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賵賷鬲毓賱賲 賵賱賵 賯賱賷賱丕 毓賱賶 賴匕丕 丕賱氐毓賷丿.
賲丕 兀毓噩亘賳賷 兀賷囟丕 賴賵 丕賱鬲丿乇噩 賮賷 爻賷乇 丕賱兀丨丿丕孬貙 丨賷孬 賷賳賰卮賮 丕賱爻鬲丕乇 賮賷 賲爻鬲賴賱 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 毓賳 兀卮禺丕氐 毓丕丿賷賷賳 賷毓丕賯乇賵賳 賴賲賵賲丕 賵賲卮丕賰賱 賷賵賲賷丞貙 孬賲 鬲亘鬲賱毓賴賲 丿賵丕賲丞 丕賱丨乇亘 賮鬲氐亘丨 賴賷 卮睾賱賴賲 丕賱卮丕睾賱貙 賵鬲賯賱亘 賰賱 卮賷亍貙 賮鬲賴賷賳 賰賲 賲賳 毓夭賷夭 賵鬲乇囟賷 賰賲 賲賳 賱卅賷賲. 賰賲丕 兀乇賮毓 賱賱賰丕鬲亘丞 丕賱賯亘毓丞 賱亘乇丕毓鬲賴丕 賮賷 鬲氐賵賷乇 丕賱賵鬲賷乇丞 丕賱鬲賷 鬲匕賵賷 亘賴丕 丕賱丨賲丕爻丞 賱賱丨乇亘貙 鬲亘丿兀 亘胤亘賵賱 賵乇賯氐丕鬲 賵賯氐丕卅丿貙 賵鬲賲乇 亘禺爻丕卅乇 賵丨乇丕卅賯 賵乇毓亘貙 孬賲 鬲賳鬲賴賷 亘賳丨賷亘 氐丕賲鬲.
賮賷 丨乇亘 亘賷丕賮乇丕 賰賲丕 賮賷 賲噩夭乇丞 乇丕賵賳丿丕 賰賲丕 丨氐賱 賵賷丨氐賱 賮賷 賰孬賷乇 賲賳 亘賯丕毓 丕賱毓丕賱賲 丕賱孬丕賱孬貙 孬賲丞 亘匕乇丞 丕爻鬲毓賲丕乇賷丞 賳噩爻丞貙 丕氐胤賮鬲 毓乇賯賷丞 兀賵 丿賷丕賳丞 賲毓賷賳丞 賵兀賵賴賲鬲賴丕 亘丕賱賮賵賯賷丞貙 賵賲丕 廿賳 賷鬲兀賱亘 毓賱賷賴丕 亘賯賷丞 丕賱毓乇賯賷丕鬲 丨鬲賶 賷乇賮毓 丕賱丕爻鬲毓賲丕乇賷 賷丿賴 賯丕卅賱丕 廿賳賷 亘乇賷亍 賲賳賰 廿賳賷 兀禺丕賮 丕賱賱賴 乇亘 丕賱毓丕賱賲賷賳. 氐丨賷丨 兀賳 賵爻賵爻丞 丕賱賲爻鬲毓賲乇 賴賷 丕賱丿丕賮毓 賵賱賰賳 賱丕 賳亘乇卅 丕賱丌匕丕賳 丕賱鬲賷 兀賳氐鬲鬲 賵丕賱毓賯賱 丕賱匕賷 賱賲 賷爻鬲賵毓亘 亘毓丿 亘丿毓丞 丕賱鬲毓丕賷卮 賵丕賱賲賵丕胤賳丞 丕賱賲鬲爻丕賵賷丞.
兀賳賵賴 丕禺賷乇丕 亘兀賳 賵鬲賷乇丞 丕賱爻乇丿 賲鬲兀賳賷丞貙 賱匕丕 賯丿 賷囟賷賯 亘毓囟 丕賱賯乇丕亍 亘賴丕 匕乇毓丕賸. 賱賷爻鬲 賲賲賱丞 賵賱賰賳 賲鬲賲賴賱丞 賰賲丕 賷噩丿乇 亘乇賵丕賷丞 鬲胤乇丨 賲賵囟賵毓丕賸 亘賴匕賴 丕賱丨爻丕爻賷丞.
賰賮丕賳賷 孬乇孬乇丞!
鬲胤賱 丕賱丨乇亘 亘賵噩賴賴丕 丕賱兀卮丿 亘卮丕毓丞貙 賵賵噩賴賴丕 丿丕卅賲丕 賯亘賷丨貙 睾賷乇 兀賳賴丕 兀卮賳毓 毓賳丿賲丕 鬲賰賵賳 丨乇亘丕 睾賷乇 賲鬲賰丕賮卅丞. 賮亘賷賳賲丕 賷丿賮毓 兀丨丿 丕賱兀胤乇丕賮 孬賲賳賴丕 毓乇賯丕 賵丿賲丕亍丕賸貙 賷囟丨賷 亘兀噩賱賴丕 亘賯賵鬲 兀胤賮丕賱賴貙 亘丿賵丕亍 賵丕賱丿鬲賴貙 亘賴賳兀丞 賳賵賲賴 賵賮賳丕亍 兀丨亘丕亍賴貙 賷毓鬲亘乇賴丕 丕賱胤乇賮 丕賱丌禺乇 賲噩乇丿 乇賷丕囟丞 毓賳賷賮丞貙 鬲兀賰賱 賲賳 賷賵賲賴 亘毓囟賴 孬賲 賷兀禺匕 亘毓丿賴丕 丨賲丕賲丕 丿丕賮卅丕 賵賷賳爻賶 賰賱 卮賷亍. 賷丕賱賴 賲賳 兀賲乇 賲丐賱賲!
鬲毓乇賮鬲購 毓賱賶 鬲卮賷賲丕賲丕賳丿丕 兀丿賷鬲卮賷 賱兀賵賱 賲乇丞 毓賳 胤乇賷賯 禺胤丕亘 賮賷 賲丐鬲賲乇 鬲賷丿賷賰爻貙 鬲丨丿孬鬲 賮賷賴 毓賳 禺胤賵乇丞 丕賱賳馗乇丞 丕賱兀丨丕丿賷丞 賱亘賱丿 兀賵 毓乇賯 兀賵 卮禺氐. 禺胤丕亘 卮賷賯 乇卮賷賯 丕賱賮賰乇貙 爻賷毓胤賷賰 賱賲丨丞 毓賳 胤乇賷賯丞 鬲賮賰賷乇 賴匕丕 丕賱賲乇兀丞 丕賱賮乇賷丿丞:
匕賱賰 丕賱禺胤丕亘 卮噩毓賳賷 毓賱賶 賯乇丕亍丞 兀丨丿 兀賴賲 兀毓賲丕賱 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞: 賳氐賮 卮賲爻 賲卮乇賯丞貙 乇賵丕賷丞 兀賯賱 賲丕賷賯丕賱 毓賳賴丕 兀賳賴丕 賳丕囟噩丞. 賳丕囟噩丞 賲賳 丨賷孬 丕賱賲囟賲賵賳 亘丨賷孬 賳丕賯卮鬲 賲賵囟賵毓丕 賮賷 睾丕賷丞 丕賱兀賴賲賷丞 賵丕賱丨爻丕爻賷丞 亘賲孬賱 賴匕賴 丕賱噩丿賷丞 賵丕賱亘丨孬 丕賱丿丐賵亘. 賳丕囟噩丞 賲賳 丨賷孬 丕賱鬲賲孬賷賱 毓賱賶 賲爻鬲賵賶 丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 丨賷孬 丕賳鬲賯鬲 卮禺氐賷丕鬲 鬲賳鬲賲賷 廿賱賶 胤亘賯丕鬲 賲禺鬲賱賮丞 賲賳 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓: 兀賰丕丿賷賲賷賵賳貙 兀孬乇賷丕亍貙 乇賷賮賷賵賳 賵匕賵賷 丕賱丕賳鬲賲丕亍 丕賱毓爻賰乇賷. 賵毓賱賶 丕賱乇睾賲 賲賳 兀賳 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 禺購賱賯鬲 賱鬲賰賵賳 賮賷 氐賮 噩賲賴賵乇賷丞 亘賷丕賮乇丕貙 廿賱丕 兀賳賴丕 賱賲 鬲鬲賵丕賳賶 毓賳 賰卮賮 丨賯丕卅賯 賱賴丕 毓賱丕賯丞 亘丕賱賮爻丕丿 丕賱賲爻鬲卮乇賷 賮賷 兀賵爻丕胤 賲賯丕賵賲丞 亘賷丕賮乇丕 賳賮爻賴丕.
乇丕賵丿鬲 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 賲賵囟賵毓 丕賱丨乇亘 亘鬲兀賳 賵亘氐賷乇丞. 賮賯丿 丕賮鬲鬲丨鬲 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 亘鬲氐賵賷乇 丕賱丨賷丕丞 賯亘賱 丕賱丨乇亘: 胤賲賵丨丕鬲 丕賱賳丕爻貙 毓賱丕賯丕鬲 丕賱毓乇賯賷丕鬲 賲毓 亘毓囟賴丕貙 賰毓賱丕賯丞 (兀賵賱丕賳丕) 亘胤賱丞 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 亘賲丨賲丿貙 丨亘賷亘賴丕 丕賱賲爻賱賲. 賰匕賱賰 賱賲 鬲賳爻 丕賱鬲賵胤卅丞 賱兀爻亘丕亘 丕賱賲噩夭乇丞 丕賱鬲賷 兀丿鬲 廿賱賶 丕賱丨乇亘 兀賱丕 賵賴賷 丕賱廿賳賯賱丕亘 丕賱兀賵賱 丕賱匕賷 兀丿賶 亘卮賰賱 賲丕 賱賱賲噩夭乇丞 丕賱鬲賷 丕乇鬲賰亘賴丕 丕賱賳賷噩賷乇賷賵賳 亘丨賯 丕賱兀賷亘賵. 賯賱丞 賲賳 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賷鬲噩卮賲賵賳 毓賳丕亍 卮乇丨 丕賱鬲丿乇噩 丕賱賲賳胤賯賷 賱賱兀丨丿丕孬. 鬲賲丕賲丕 賰賲丕 賯丕賱 賲乇賷丿 丕賱亘乇睾賵孬賷-賵賴賷 賳賮爻賴丕 丕爻鬲卮賴丿鬲 亘賴匕丕 丕賱丕賯鬲亘丕爻 賮賷 禺胤丕亘賴丕 丕賱匕賷 匕賰乇鬲- 兀賳 亘賵爻毓 兀賷 乇丕賵賺 兀賳 賷賯賱亘 丕賱丨賯丕卅賯 亘賲噩乇丿 兀賳 賷鬲噩丕賵夭 兀賵賱丕 廿賱賶 孬丕賳賷丕貙 兀賷 丕賳 賷賯賮夭 廿賱賶 爻乇丿 丕賱賳鬲丕卅噩 丿賵賳 丕賱鬲賲毓賳 賮賷 丕賱兀爻亘丕亘. 賰兀賳 鬲卮噩亘 賴噩賵賲丕 賱賱賴賳賵丿 丕賱丨賲乇 毓賱賶 丕賱乇噩賱 丕賱兀亘賷囟 賲鬲噩丕賵夭丕 賰賱 賲丕 丕乇鬲賰亘賴 丕賱乇噩賱 丕賱兀亘賷囟 亘丨賯 丕賱爻賰丕賳 丕賱兀氐賱賷賷賳.
丕賱禺賱丕氐丞 賴賷 兀賳 兀丿賷鬲卮賷 兀丨爻賳鬲 氐購賳毓丕 亘鬲賲孬賷賱 丕賱禺賷乇 賵丕賱卮乇 賮賷 兀睾賱亘 毓賳丕氐乇 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞貙 賱賲 鬲胤賱毓 丕賱鬲毓賲賷賲丕鬲 賵賱丕 丕賱兀丨賰丕賲 丕賱爻胤丨賷丞. 丨鬲賶 兀賳賴丕 賱賲 鬲賰鬲賮 亘鬲賯丿賷賲 氐丨賮賷 兀賲乇賷賰賷 賵丕丨丿 亘賱 丕孬賳賷賳貙 兀丨丿賴賲丕 賲爻鬲賴鬲乇 毓賳氐乇賷 賵丕賱丌禺乇 賲鬲毓丕胤賮 賷賳馗乇 賱賱丨乇亘 賲賳 夭丕賵賷丞 廿賳爻丕賳賷丞. 兀鬲賲賳賶 丕賳 賷賯乇兀 禺丕賱丿 丨爻賷賳賷 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賵賷鬲毓賱賲 賵賱賵 賯賱賷賱丕 毓賱賶 賴匕丕 丕賱氐毓賷丿.
賲丕 兀毓噩亘賳賷 兀賷囟丕 賴賵 丕賱鬲丿乇噩 賮賷 爻賷乇 丕賱兀丨丿丕孬貙 丨賷孬 賷賳賰卮賮 丕賱爻鬲丕乇 賮賷 賲爻鬲賴賱 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 毓賳 兀卮禺丕氐 毓丕丿賷賷賳 賷毓丕賯乇賵賳 賴賲賵賲丕 賵賲卮丕賰賱 賷賵賲賷丞貙 孬賲 鬲亘鬲賱毓賴賲 丿賵丕賲丞 丕賱丨乇亘 賮鬲氐亘丨 賴賷 卮睾賱賴賲 丕賱卮丕睾賱貙 賵鬲賯賱亘 賰賱 卮賷亍貙 賮鬲賴賷賳 賰賲 賲賳 毓夭賷夭 賵鬲乇囟賷 賰賲 賲賳 賱卅賷賲. 賰賲丕 兀乇賮毓 賱賱賰丕鬲亘丞 丕賱賯亘毓丞 賱亘乇丕毓鬲賴丕 賮賷 鬲氐賵賷乇 丕賱賵鬲賷乇丞 丕賱鬲賷 鬲匕賵賷 亘賴丕 丕賱丨賲丕爻丞 賱賱丨乇亘貙 鬲亘丿兀 亘胤亘賵賱 賵乇賯氐丕鬲 賵賯氐丕卅丿貙 賵鬲賲乇 亘禺爻丕卅乇 賵丨乇丕卅賯 賵乇毓亘貙 孬賲 鬲賳鬲賴賷 亘賳丨賷亘 氐丕賲鬲.
賮賷 丨乇亘 亘賷丕賮乇丕 賰賲丕 賮賷 賲噩夭乇丞 乇丕賵賳丿丕 賰賲丕 丨氐賱 賵賷丨氐賱 賮賷 賰孬賷乇 賲賳 亘賯丕毓 丕賱毓丕賱賲 丕賱孬丕賱孬貙 孬賲丞 亘匕乇丞 丕爻鬲毓賲丕乇賷丞 賳噩爻丞貙 丕氐胤賮鬲 毓乇賯賷丞 兀賵 丿賷丕賳丞 賲毓賷賳丞 賵兀賵賴賲鬲賴丕 亘丕賱賮賵賯賷丞貙 賵賲丕 廿賳 賷鬲兀賱亘 毓賱賷賴丕 亘賯賷丞 丕賱毓乇賯賷丕鬲 丨鬲賶 賷乇賮毓 丕賱丕爻鬲毓賲丕乇賷 賷丿賴 賯丕卅賱丕 廿賳賷 亘乇賷亍 賲賳賰 廿賳賷 兀禺丕賮 丕賱賱賴 乇亘 丕賱毓丕賱賲賷賳. 氐丨賷丨 兀賳 賵爻賵爻丞 丕賱賲爻鬲毓賲乇 賴賷 丕賱丿丕賮毓 賵賱賰賳 賱丕 賳亘乇卅 丕賱丌匕丕賳 丕賱鬲賷 兀賳氐鬲鬲 賵丕賱毓賯賱 丕賱匕賷 賱賲 賷爻鬲賵毓亘 亘毓丿 亘丿毓丞 丕賱鬲毓丕賷卮 賵丕賱賲賵丕胤賳丞 丕賱賲鬲爻丕賵賷丞.
兀賳賵賴 丕禺賷乇丕 亘兀賳 賵鬲賷乇丞 丕賱爻乇丿 賲鬲兀賳賷丞貙 賱匕丕 賯丿 賷囟賷賯 亘毓囟 丕賱賯乇丕亍 亘賴丕 匕乇毓丕賸. 賱賷爻鬲 賲賲賱丞 賵賱賰賳 賲鬲賲賴賱丞 賰賲丕 賷噩丿乇 亘乇賵丕賷丞 鬲胤乇丨 賲賵囟賵毓丕賸 亘賴匕賴 丕賱丨爻丕爻賷丞.
賰賮丕賳賷 孬乇孬乇丞!
January 11, 2025
Just because life is too short, every moment of evasion, every moment of pretense, every moment of insincerity, is a waste of one's life.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a famous Nigerian writer and also a feminist. From her books, you can easily feel the strength that flows in the veins of this African writer. Her life seems born for struggle and resistance. She writes without restraint and does not shy away. She speaks firmly and bluntly about her thoughts and her demands for equality in the world.
I wonder if a writer鈥檚 work at different stages of life would show significant differences. At least when I read Half of a Yellow Sun,, I still feel her immense power and anger.
Yes, anger.
But without anger, how can women be stirred to such shocking strength?
Once you open this book, the sandstorms and killings of the African continent rush to your face. In the early 1960s, Nigeria seemed newly independent, but under the surface of peace, countless undercurrents surged.
In the south, Olanna and Kainene, from a well-off family, are twin sisters but so different:
Olanna is beautiful, plump, gentle, elegant, and generous, always the object of men's gaze, like a delicate piece of art in a shop window; Kainene is thin, aloof, sharp, always sullen, often appearing bitter, yet confident and capable.
Later, Olanna, against her parents鈥� wishes, follows her revolutionary lover Odenigbo to university to teach; Kainene manages the family business and is attracted to the British journalist Richard. Different life choices drive the sisters further apart.
Great changes come without warning each time, leaving people helpless and deeply distressed each time.
War and the ensuing hunger are enough to crumble everything that was once solid. We have a saying: 鈥淲hen well-fed and warm, one thinks of lust.鈥� When this 鈥渨ell-fed and warm鈥� is not guaranteed, the time to test human nature and faith sorrowfully arrives.
The term Half of a Yellow Sun in literature has rich meanings and applications. As the symbol of the Biafran flag, it signifies hope and struggle. It appears in Half of a Yellow Sun, bearing both blood and tears.
In this book, through the experiences of ordinary people during the Nigerian Civil War, the vulnerability and resilience of concepts like identity, borders, love, and friendship in the face of war are explored.
When it is all over, I hope you remember.
You must remember.
4 / 5 stars
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a famous Nigerian writer and also a feminist. From her books, you can easily feel the strength that flows in the veins of this African writer. Her life seems born for struggle and resistance. She writes without restraint and does not shy away. She speaks firmly and bluntly about her thoughts and her demands for equality in the world.
I wonder if a writer鈥檚 work at different stages of life would show significant differences. At least when I read Half of a Yellow Sun,, I still feel her immense power and anger.
Yes, anger.
But without anger, how can women be stirred to such shocking strength?
Once you open this book, the sandstorms and killings of the African continent rush to your face. In the early 1960s, Nigeria seemed newly independent, but under the surface of peace, countless undercurrents surged.
In the south, Olanna and Kainene, from a well-off family, are twin sisters but so different:
Olanna is beautiful, plump, gentle, elegant, and generous, always the object of men's gaze, like a delicate piece of art in a shop window; Kainene is thin, aloof, sharp, always sullen, often appearing bitter, yet confident and capable.
Later, Olanna, against her parents鈥� wishes, follows her revolutionary lover Odenigbo to university to teach; Kainene manages the family business and is attracted to the British journalist Richard. Different life choices drive the sisters further apart.
Great changes come without warning each time, leaving people helpless and deeply distressed each time.
War and the ensuing hunger are enough to crumble everything that was once solid. We have a saying: 鈥淲hen well-fed and warm, one thinks of lust.鈥� When this 鈥渨ell-fed and warm鈥� is not guaranteed, the time to test human nature and faith sorrowfully arrives.
The term Half of a Yellow Sun in literature has rich meanings and applications. As the symbol of the Biafran flag, it signifies hope and struggle. It appears in Half of a Yellow Sun, bearing both blood and tears.
In this book, through the experiences of ordinary people during the Nigerian Civil War, the vulnerability and resilience of concepts like identity, borders, love, and friendship in the face of war are explored.
When it is all over, I hope you remember.
You must remember.
4 / 5 stars
March 17, 2022
丕賱賲亘丕丿卅 賵丕賱賯賳丕毓丕鬲 鬲丨鬲丕噩 賱賱丕禺鬲亘丕乇 賮賷 丕賱賵丕賯毓 賱賱鬲兀賰丿 賲賳 噩丿賷丞 丕賱廿賷賲丕賳 賵丕賱丕賱鬲夭丕賲 亘賴丕.. 兀賵 丕賳賴丕 賲噩乇丿 賰賱丕賲 賵卮毓丕乇丕鬲
乇賵丕賷丞 毓賳 鬲賮丕氐賷賱 丕賱丨賷丕丞 賵丕賱賳丕爻 賮賷 賳賷噩賷乇賷丕 賮鬲乇丞 爻鬲賷賳賷丕鬲 丕賱賯乇賳 丕賱毓卮乇賷賳
賵賰兀睾賱亘 丕賱亘賱丕丿 丕賱兀賮乇賷賯賷丞 鬲亘丿賵 丕賱噩賵丕賳亘 丕賱爻賱亘賷丞 賵丕囟丨丞, 丕賱賮爻丕丿 賵丕賱丕爻鬲亘丿丕丿 賵丕賱噩賴賱
賵賷鬲毓丕賷卮 丕賱鬲毓賱賷賲 賵丕賱鬲胤賵乇 丕賱亘胤卅 亘噩丕賳亘 丕賱賲賵乇賵孬丕鬲 丕賱賯亘賱賷丞 丕賱亘丿丕卅賷丞
亘丿丕賷丞 丕賱爻鬲賷賳賷丕鬲 鬲亘丿兀 丨賰丕賷丕鬲 丌噩賵賵 丕賱氐亘賷 丕賱賯丕丿賲 賲賳 丕賱賯乇賷丞 賱賱毓賲賱 賮賷 亘賷鬲 兀賵丿賷賳賷亘賵 兀爻鬲丕匕 丕賱噩丕賲毓丞 丕賱孬賵乇賷
賳鬲毓乇賮 毓賱賶 丕賱乇賵丕亘胤 亘賷賳 丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲, 毓賱丕賯丕鬲 丕賱丨亘, 丕賱賲賳丕賯卮丕鬲 丕賱爻賷丕爻賷丞 亘賷賳 丕賱兀氐丿賯丕亍
丕賱丕禺鬲賱丕賮 亘賷賳 賲毓賷卮丞 丕賱賯乇賷丞 賵丕賱賲丿賷賳丞, 賵丨鬲賶 丕賱禺乇丕賮丕鬲 賵丕賱毓丕丿丕鬲 丕賱爻丕卅丿丞
賵賮賷 賳賴丕賷丞 丕賱爻鬲賷賳賷丕鬲 鬲乇氐丿 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 兀丨丿丕孬 丕賱丨乇亘 丕賱兀賴賱賷丞 丕賱賳賷噩賷乇賷丞 丕賱賲毓乇賵賮丞 亘丨乇亘 亘賷丕賮乇丕
丕賱鬲賷 丕爻鬲賲乇鬲 3 爻賳賵丕鬲 亘賰賱 鬲賮丕氐賷賱賴丕 賲賳 亘卮丕毓丞 賵胤丕卅賮賷丞 賵賯鬲賱 賵丿賲丕乇
鬲賰鬲亘 鬲卮賷賲丕賲丕賳丿丕 兀丿賷鬲卮賷 亘兀爻賱賵亘 毓匕亘 賵賯丿乇丞 鬲毓亘賷乇賷丞 賵鬲氐賵賷乇賷丞 毓賱賶 賳賯賱 毓丕賱賲賴丕 亘賵囟賵丨 賵爻賱丕爻丞
賵丕賱噩賲賷賱 賮賷 丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 丕賳賴丕 鬲毓乇囟 賲禺鬲賱賮 丕賱胤賵丕卅賮 賵丕賱胤亘賯丕鬲 賵兀爻丕賱賷亘 丕賱鬲賮賰賷乇 賵丕賱爻賱賵賰賷丕鬲
乇賵丕賷丞 毓賳 鬲賮丕氐賷賱 丕賱丨賷丕丞 賵丕賱賳丕爻 賮賷 賳賷噩賷乇賷丕 賮鬲乇丞 爻鬲賷賳賷丕鬲 丕賱賯乇賳 丕賱毓卮乇賷賳
賵賰兀睾賱亘 丕賱亘賱丕丿 丕賱兀賮乇賷賯賷丞 鬲亘丿賵 丕賱噩賵丕賳亘 丕賱爻賱亘賷丞 賵丕囟丨丞, 丕賱賮爻丕丿 賵丕賱丕爻鬲亘丿丕丿 賵丕賱噩賴賱
賵賷鬲毓丕賷卮 丕賱鬲毓賱賷賲 賵丕賱鬲胤賵乇 丕賱亘胤卅 亘噩丕賳亘 丕賱賲賵乇賵孬丕鬲 丕賱賯亘賱賷丞 丕賱亘丿丕卅賷丞
亘丿丕賷丞 丕賱爻鬲賷賳賷丕鬲 鬲亘丿兀 丨賰丕賷丕鬲 丌噩賵賵 丕賱氐亘賷 丕賱賯丕丿賲 賲賳 丕賱賯乇賷丞 賱賱毓賲賱 賮賷 亘賷鬲 兀賵丿賷賳賷亘賵 兀爻鬲丕匕 丕賱噩丕賲毓丞 丕賱孬賵乇賷
賳鬲毓乇賮 毓賱賶 丕賱乇賵丕亘胤 亘賷賳 丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲, 毓賱丕賯丕鬲 丕賱丨亘, 丕賱賲賳丕賯卮丕鬲 丕賱爻賷丕爻賷丞 亘賷賳 丕賱兀氐丿賯丕亍
丕賱丕禺鬲賱丕賮 亘賷賳 賲毓賷卮丞 丕賱賯乇賷丞 賵丕賱賲丿賷賳丞, 賵丨鬲賶 丕賱禺乇丕賮丕鬲 賵丕賱毓丕丿丕鬲 丕賱爻丕卅丿丞
賵賮賷 賳賴丕賷丞 丕賱爻鬲賷賳賷丕鬲 鬲乇氐丿 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 兀丨丿丕孬 丕賱丨乇亘 丕賱兀賴賱賷丞 丕賱賳賷噩賷乇賷丞 丕賱賲毓乇賵賮丞 亘丨乇亘 亘賷丕賮乇丕
丕賱鬲賷 丕爻鬲賲乇鬲 3 爻賳賵丕鬲 亘賰賱 鬲賮丕氐賷賱賴丕 賲賳 亘卮丕毓丞 賵胤丕卅賮賷丞 賵賯鬲賱 賵丿賲丕乇
鬲賰鬲亘 鬲卮賷賲丕賲丕賳丿丕 兀丿賷鬲卮賷 亘兀爻賱賵亘 毓匕亘 賵賯丿乇丞 鬲毓亘賷乇賷丞 賵鬲氐賵賷乇賷丞 毓賱賶 賳賯賱 毓丕賱賲賴丕 亘賵囟賵丨 賵爻賱丕爻丞
賵丕賱噩賲賷賱 賮賷 丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 丕賳賴丕 鬲毓乇囟 賲禺鬲賱賮 丕賱胤賵丕卅賮 賵丕賱胤亘賯丕鬲 賵兀爻丕賱賷亘 丕賱鬲賮賰賷乇 賵丕賱爻賱賵賰賷丕鬲
November 23, 2016
First read: February 7-19, 2014
Second read: November 19-23, 2016
Updated Review:
My thoughts on this after reading it a second time didn't change much. If anything, it made me love Adichie even more than I already did. This confirmed that she's absolutely one of my all-time favorite authors. She's so observant and able to convey human emotion in such a relatable way, even when describing experiences I have never come close to experiencing. A wonderfully, heartbreaking story and one of my favorite historical fiction novels. I'm going to bump this up from 4 to 4.5 stars.
Original Review:
I was assigned to read this for a World Literature class this semester, and I was pleasantly surprised by it.
I went into reading this book not having many expectations or real knowledge of the subject matter. In my International Rhetoric class that I'm studying this book in, we were discussing the myth of Africa, the Westernized view of a single African nation that is dramatized, romanticized, and convoluted against what Africa, the continent, made up of 54 separate countries, really is. Literature, then, especially a lot of Western literary fiction, has distorted the 'true' Africa, whatever that may be.
In her novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, Adichie works to break that mold, the stereotype of poor, starving, tribal Africans that Achebe, Wainaina, and others have attempted to break away from as well.
[For further info from the author herself, look up her TEDTalk "The Danger of a Single Story." Excellent]
The story follows three narrative voices: Olanna, the mistress to a university professor; Ugwu, the professor's house boy; and Richard, the lover of Olanna's twin sister. Following these characters lives and perspectives through the tumultuous 1960's with the rise and fall of the nation of Biafra in Southeastern Nigeria, we experience grief, love, death, pain, betrayal, and suffering.
Characters: This story is all about development. It goes back and forth between the early and late 60's, and Adichie utilizes that narrative shift to really move plot as well as character development along. The heart and soul of the story is Ugwu; he begins and ends the novel, and he really ties everything together. He experiences the most change in the story, going from houseboy to cook to teacher and writer and more. Olanna and Richard, along with the respective partners, Odenigbo and Kainene, also establish themselves as unique characters. They do not fit the stereotypical mold expected in African literature, which is exactly what Adichie hopes to achieve.
The plot was interesting for me mainly because I didn't even know about Biafra, the nation that lasted only barely 3 years in the 60's, before reading this novel. I learned a lot historically, and the story also opened my eyes to a part of the world that I would normally know very little about. It allowed me to see how much all humans have in common and also caused me to reconsider how I see Africa.
I think discussing this for 2 weeks in a classroom really helped me unpack a lot that I can't put into words exactly here. I think if you are a fan of world literature, African literature, or strong character development driven books, you would enjoy this story. Know that most of the plot revolves around war, sexual/love relationships, and some other adult/traumatic elements, if that bothers you.
4/5. Enjoy!
Second read: November 19-23, 2016
Updated Review:
My thoughts on this after reading it a second time didn't change much. If anything, it made me love Adichie even more than I already did. This confirmed that she's absolutely one of my all-time favorite authors. She's so observant and able to convey human emotion in such a relatable way, even when describing experiences I have never come close to experiencing. A wonderfully, heartbreaking story and one of my favorite historical fiction novels. I'm going to bump this up from 4 to 4.5 stars.
Original Review:
I was assigned to read this for a World Literature class this semester, and I was pleasantly surprised by it.
I went into reading this book not having many expectations or real knowledge of the subject matter. In my International Rhetoric class that I'm studying this book in, we were discussing the myth of Africa, the Westernized view of a single African nation that is dramatized, romanticized, and convoluted against what Africa, the continent, made up of 54 separate countries, really is. Literature, then, especially a lot of Western literary fiction, has distorted the 'true' Africa, whatever that may be.
In her novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, Adichie works to break that mold, the stereotype of poor, starving, tribal Africans that Achebe, Wainaina, and others have attempted to break away from as well.
[For further info from the author herself, look up her TEDTalk "The Danger of a Single Story." Excellent]
The story follows three narrative voices: Olanna, the mistress to a university professor; Ugwu, the professor's house boy; and Richard, the lover of Olanna's twin sister. Following these characters lives and perspectives through the tumultuous 1960's with the rise and fall of the nation of Biafra in Southeastern Nigeria, we experience grief, love, death, pain, betrayal, and suffering.
Characters: This story is all about development. It goes back and forth between the early and late 60's, and Adichie utilizes that narrative shift to really move plot as well as character development along. The heart and soul of the story is Ugwu; he begins and ends the novel, and he really ties everything together. He experiences the most change in the story, going from houseboy to cook to teacher and writer and more. Olanna and Richard, along with the respective partners, Odenigbo and Kainene, also establish themselves as unique characters. They do not fit the stereotypical mold expected in African literature, which is exactly what Adichie hopes to achieve.
The plot was interesting for me mainly because I didn't even know about Biafra, the nation that lasted only barely 3 years in the 60's, before reading this novel. I learned a lot historically, and the story also opened my eyes to a part of the world that I would normally know very little about. It allowed me to see how much all humans have in common and also caused me to reconsider how I see Africa.
I think discussing this for 2 weeks in a classroom really helped me unpack a lot that I can't put into words exactly here. I think if you are a fan of world literature, African literature, or strong character development driven books, you would enjoy this story. Know that most of the plot revolves around war, sexual/love relationships, and some other adult/traumatic elements, if that bothers you.
4/5. Enjoy!
January 13, 2021
She unfurled Odenigbo's cloth flag and told them what the symbols meant. Red was the blood of the siblings massacred in the North, black was for mourning them, green was for the prosperity Biafra would have, and, finally, the half of a yellow sun stood for the glorious future.
I'm so conflicted about this book which I desperately wanted to love: it's an important story and one that, as Adichie herself says, needs to be told by an African writer - .
But my feeling is that the story of Biafra is too huge to be contained within a 400pp. 'popular' novel that also wants to tell personal stories of two couples, fraught family relationships, the education of a 'house-boy'... There are times when this got too soapy for my tastes ( and the result is a kind of historically-lite tale that presses an awful lot of standard fictional buttons.
I guess I wanted more in-depth politics: the lead up to the secession of Biafra is quite powerfully done - but then suddenly it just exists and is at war and things get vague - we learn, for example, that there are Biafran car number-plates, a separate currency but no sense of any of these markers of a new state being established. And I wanted to understand more about the role of oil which Richard explains towards the end Biafra is still extracting and refining under the bombing of the Nigerian forces. Even the famous famine doesn't feel as visceral as it should as there's so much else going on - not least the enforced conscription of a main character at about 80% into the book.
Even Adichie's writing style seems to become more panoramic: at the start, it's vivid and immediate with very little exposition, and character being expressed via what people do and say. As the story proceeds, it becomes a bit more 'told' - though I like the fact that there is no omniscient narrator and we have a sense of contingency and reaction.
All the same, if a main character is going to be constantly called a 'revolutionary', then it seems oddly remiss that there's no ideological discussions in the book - and that character doesn't even fight for the Biafran forces, something which is never explained. There's a whole complicated real-life political context where Britain, Soviet Russia and the US all supported, helped fund and sold arms to the Nigerian military - not, I'd assume, unconnected with oil and the presence of BP there - and yet none of that has a place here in the book.
I felt, too, that when a main character has a foundational experience , the effect on him is never explored. It's points like this that made me find the book shallow at times, though I suspect it's more that the content becomes too unwieldy to be explored in the depth I wanted.
Overall, this is undoubtedly both ambitious (perhaps over ambitious, to its own detriment) and also a personally important topic for Adichie herself - I liked it but just didn't love it as much as I wanted.
February 10, 2017
This book came as somewhat of a revelation to me and also a huge relief. This was after having recently read and been disappointed in: The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini) 鈥� a similarly high profile book lauded with both critical and popular acclaim, also set against a (very broadly speaking) similar backdrop of a war torn country 鈥� albeit Afghanistan rather than Nigeria / Biafra.
鈥楬alf of a Yellow Sun鈥� is an extremely well written, very human story and emotionally authentic story told from very different perspectives of the main characters of the onset, effects and immediate aftermath of the Nigeria / Biafra civil war (1967-70).
The story is told in a very believable way with authentic and real feeling characters, of the futility and pointlessness of war, of the ensuing cruelty, barbarism and the real human cost 鈥� very much up close and personal. It鈥檚 about how war changes (irrevocably?) the countries involved and the surviving people within those countries. The novel successfully highlights and evokes devastation on both macro and micro levels. There are shocking, sickening and very powerful images herein of the immediate and direct effects of violence, expertly conveyed, which I think will stay with me for a very long time.
Whilst providing a wider perspective on this period of history 鈥� importantly the historical side never dominates or overwhelms the central and very human stories providing the basis for this novel.
The strength and power of the narrative contains and strongly conveys the real dramatic power of the events, both big and small, contained and linking the bigger story. It is the way in which the main characters are so strongly defined and contrast so well with each other, and yet their stories effortlessly inter-mesh with each other in an entirely believable and convincing way which is so masterly.
At times poetic, dramatic (never melodramatic) at others prosaic (in a positive way) this is a very well written, well-constructed, unpredictable, absorbing and compelling book which is without doubt a 鈥榤ust read鈥�.
To my shame I knew very little about this war and period of Nigerian / Biafran history 鈥� I now at least have one fascinating perspective on the disturbing events and aftermath of this period.
Based on the strength of this novel, I will without a doubt be reading this authors 鈥楢mericanah鈥� and 鈥楶urple Hibiscus鈥� 鈥� hopefully in the very near future.
鈥楬alf of a Yellow Sun鈥� is an extremely well written, very human story and emotionally authentic story told from very different perspectives of the main characters of the onset, effects and immediate aftermath of the Nigeria / Biafra civil war (1967-70).
The story is told in a very believable way with authentic and real feeling characters, of the futility and pointlessness of war, of the ensuing cruelty, barbarism and the real human cost 鈥� very much up close and personal. It鈥檚 about how war changes (irrevocably?) the countries involved and the surviving people within those countries. The novel successfully highlights and evokes devastation on both macro and micro levels. There are shocking, sickening and very powerful images herein of the immediate and direct effects of violence, expertly conveyed, which I think will stay with me for a very long time.
Whilst providing a wider perspective on this period of history 鈥� importantly the historical side never dominates or overwhelms the central and very human stories providing the basis for this novel.
The strength and power of the narrative contains and strongly conveys the real dramatic power of the events, both big and small, contained and linking the bigger story. It is the way in which the main characters are so strongly defined and contrast so well with each other, and yet their stories effortlessly inter-mesh with each other in an entirely believable and convincing way which is so masterly.
At times poetic, dramatic (never melodramatic) at others prosaic (in a positive way) this is a very well written, well-constructed, unpredictable, absorbing and compelling book which is without doubt a 鈥榤ust read鈥�.
To my shame I knew very little about this war and period of Nigerian / Biafran history 鈥� I now at least have one fascinating perspective on the disturbing events and aftermath of this period.
Based on the strength of this novel, I will without a doubt be reading this authors 鈥楢mericanah鈥� and 鈥楶urple Hibiscus鈥� 鈥� hopefully in the very near future.
January 10, 2024
鬲賯賷賷賲賶 伲.佶
"賰丕賳 丕賱毓丕賱賲 氐丕賲鬲賸丕 丨賷賳 賰賳丕 賳賲賵鬲"
鬲丿賵乇 丕丨丿丕孬 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賮賷 丕賱爻鬲賷賳丕鬲 賱賳乇賶 丕賱丨賷丕丞 賮賷 賳賷噩賷乇賷丕 賯亘賱 賵禺賱丕賱 丕賱丨乇亘 丕賱兀賴賱賷丞 丕賱賳賷噩賷乇賷丞 . 賳鬲毓乇賮 毓賱賶 丕賱兀丨丿丕孬 賲賳 禺賱丕賱 禺賲爻 卮禺氐賷丕鬲 乇卅賷爻賷丞 :
丌噩賵賵 丕賱胤賮賱 丕賱匕賷 匕賴亘 賱賱毓賲賱 禺丕丿賲丕 賱丿賶 丕賱兀爻鬲丕匕 丕賱噩丕賲毓賷 丕賱孬賵乇賶 兀賵丿賷賳賷亘賵 貙 賷毓噩亘 丌噩賵賵 亘爻賷丿賴 賵賷丨鬲乇賲賴 賵賷丨亘 丕賱廿爻鬲賲丕毓 廿賱賶 丕丨丕丿賷孬賴 賲毓 丕賱夭丕卅乇賷賳 丕賱賲丿丕賵賲賷賳 毓賱賶 夭賷丕乇鬲賴 賵賷賯賵賲 毓賱賶 禺丿賲鬲賴賲 賵乇睾賲 丨亘賴 丕賱卮丿賷丿 賱爻賷丿賴 賵乇睾亘鬲賴 賮賷 丕賱丕爻鬲卅孬丕乇 亘賴 賵禺賵賮賴 賲賳 丿禺賵賱 廿丨丿賶 丕賱爻賷丿丕鬲 廿賱賶 丨賷丕鬲賴 廿賱賶 丕賳賴 丨賷賳 兀賱鬲賯賷 兀賵賱丕賳丕 兀丨亘賴丕 賵鬲賯亘賱 賵噩賵丿賴丕 賲毓 丕賱爻賷丿 亘賱 兀氐亘丨 賷睾囟亘 賲賳 兀賶 卮卅 賵賷賰乇賴 丕賶 卮禺氐 賯丿 賷賮賰乇 賮賷 廿賷匕丕卅賴丕 丕賵 廿睾囟丕亘賴丕 .
賵毓賳 丨亘 丕賵賱丕賳丕 賱兀賵丿賷賳亘賷賵 貙 賵乇睾賲 丕賳賶 賱賴丕 鬲氐乇賮丕鬲 賱賲 鬲毓噩亘賳賷 賱賰賳 丨亘賴丕 丕毓噩亘賳賷 .
鬲賲賳鬲 賱賵 鬲爻鬲胤賷毓 丕賱丕亘鬲毓丕丿 毓賳賴 . 孬賲 鬲賲賳鬲 兀賰孬乇 兀賳 鬲丨亘賴 丿賵賳 兀賳 鬲丨鬲丕噩 廿賱賷賴. 丕賱丕丨鬲賷丕噩 廿賱賷賴 賷毓胤賷賴 賯賵丞 丿賵賳 兀賳 賷亘匕賱 噩賴丿丕 貙 丕賱丕丨鬲賷丕噩 賰丕賳 賱丕 廿乇丕丿賷丕 賲賳賴丕 賵賴賵 賲丕 鬲卮毓乇 亘賴 鬲噩丕賴賴."
孬賲 鬲馗賴乇 賱賳丕 賰丕賷賳賷賳丕 鬲賵兀賲 兀賵賱丕賳丕 丕賱鬲賷 鬲賯毓 賮賷 睾乇丕賲 乇賷鬲卮丕乇丿 丕賱廿賳噩賱賷夭賶 丕賱賰丕鬲亘 賵丕賱氐丨賮賷
賯丕賱 乇賷鬲卮丕乇丿 毓賳賴丕 :
"賰丕賳 禺丕卅賮丕賸 . 匕賴亘 廿賱賷賴丕 賵 賵囟毓 匕乇丕毓賷賴 丨賵賱賴丕 賵囟賲賴丕 亘賯賵丞 貙賵丿 兀賳 賷丨爻 丿賯丕鬲 賯賱亘賴丕 .賰丕賳鬲 丕賱賲乇丞 丕賱兀賵賱賷 賮賷 丨賷丕鬲賴 丕賱鬲賷 賷卮毓乇 亘兀賳賴 賷賳鬲賲賷 賱賲賰丕賳 賲丕."
賵賯丕賱鬲 賰丕賷賳賷賳:
" 賴賱 丕賱丨亘 賴賵 賴匕丕 丕賱丕丨鬲賷丕噩 丕賱賲囟賱賱 賱兀賳 鬲賰賵賳賷 亘噩賵丕乇賷 賲毓馗賲 丕賱賵賯鬲 責 賴賱 丕賱丨亘 賴賵 賴匕丕 丕賱兀賲丕賳 丕賱匕賷 兀卮毓乇 亘賴 賮賷 氐賲鬲賳丕 責 賴賱 賴賵 賴匕丕 丕賱丕賳鬲賲丕亍 貙 賴匕丕 丕賱丕賰鬲賲丕賱 責"
賳乇賶 丕賱兀丨丿丕孬 賲賳 禺賱丕賱 毓賷賳 賵毓賯賱 賵賲卮丕毓乇 賰賱 卮禺氐賷丞 賲賳賴賲 賮賳乇賶 丕賱丨賷丕丞 亘毓賷賵賳賴賲 賵丕丨丕爻賷爻賴賲 賵丕賮賰丕乇賴賲 丕賱賲禺鬲賱賮丞 . 丕毓噩亘賳賶 乇爻賲 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 賱賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 賵鬲賳賵毓賴丕 賵乇爻賲賴丕 賱毓賱丕賯丕鬲賴賲 亘亘毓囟賴賲 丕賱亘毓囟 賵氐賵睾賴丕 賱賯氐氐 丕賱丨亘 賮賷 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞. 兀睾囟亘鬲賳賶 亘毓囟 丕賱鬲賮丕氐賷賱 賵丕賱丕賲賵乇 賵丕賱賯乇丕乇丕鬲 丕賱鬲賷 賯丕賲鬲 亘賴丕 丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 賱丿乇噩丞 丕賳賶 賮賷 鬲賵賯賷鬲 賲丕 睾囟亘鬲 賲賳賴賲 賵賰乇賴鬲 丕賱兀乇亘毓 卮禺氐賷丕鬲 .
賵毓賱賶 噩丕賳亘 丌禺乇 賳乇賶 鬲胤賵乇 丕賱丕丨丿丕孬 丕賱爻賷丕爻賷丞 賵賳乇賶 鬲兀孬賷乇賴丕 毓賱賷賴賲 賵毓賱賶 丕氐丿賯丕卅賴賲 賵毓丕卅賱丕鬲賴賲 賱賳乇氐丿 賲賳 禺賱丕賱 丕賱兀丨丿丕孬 丕賱賲匕丕亘丨 賵丕賱丕賳鬲賴丕賰丕鬲 丕賱丿賲賵賷丞 丕賱鬲賷 丕乇鬲賰亘鬲賴丕 賯亘丕卅賱 丕賱賴丕賵爻丕 賲毓 爻賰丕賳 賯亘丕卅賱 丕賱廿賷亘賵 丕賱匕賷賳 毓賱賯賵丕 兀丨賱丕賲賴賲 毓賱賷 丕賱丕爻鬲賯賱丕賱 賱鬲賰賵賷賳 丿賵賱丞 亘賷丕賮乇丕 賵丕鬲禺匕賵丕 卮毓丕乇 丿賵賱鬲賴賲 丕賱噩丿賷丿丞 芦賳氐賮 卮賲爻 氐賮乇丕亍禄 .
"丕賱兀丨賲乇 賷毓賳賷 丿賲 兀禺賵丕鬲賳丕 丕賱匕賷賳 匕購亘賾丨賵丕 賮賷 丕賱卮賲丕賱貙 丕賱兀爻賵丿 賷毓賳賷 丕賱丨丿丕丿 毓賱賷賴賲 貙 丕賱兀禺囟乇 賷毓賳賷 丕夭丿賴丕乇 亘賷丕賮乇丕 丕賱匕賷 爻賵賮 賷兀鬲賷 貙 賵兀禺賷乇丕 貙 賳氐賮 丕賱卮賲爻 丕賱氐賮乇丕亍 鬲賳鬲氐亘 賲卮乇毓丞 賱賱賲爻鬲賯亘賱 丕賱賲噩賷丿"
" 丕賱賳卮賷丿 丕賱賯賵賲賷 丕賱亘賷賮丕乇賷 :
兀乇囟 丕賱卮賲爻 丕賱賲卮乇賯丞 貙 賳丨亘賴丕 賵賳乇毓丕賴丕
賵胤賳賳丕 丕賱丨亘賷亘 兀乇囟 兀亘胤丕賱賳丕 丕賱卮噩毓丕賳
賱丕亘丿 兀賳 賳丿丕賮毓 毓賳 兀乇賵丕丨賳丕 賵廿賱丕 爻賵賮 賳賮賳賶
爻賵賮 賳丨賲賷 賯賱賵亘賳丕 賲賳 丕毓丿丕卅賳丕
賱賰賳 廿匕丕 賰丕賳 丕賱孬賲賳 賴賵 賲賵鬲 賰賱 賲丕 賳賲賱賰 賷丕賵胤賳賳丕 丕賱丨亘賷亘
賮丿毓賳丕 賳賲賵鬲 丿賵賳 賱賲丨丞 禺賵賮 "
賱賳鬲毓乇賮 毓賱賶 丕賱毓賳氐乇賷丞 賵丕賱賯爻賵丞 賮賷 賯賱賵亘 丕賱亘卮乇 賵賲丕 賷賲賰賳 丕賳 賷賮毓賱賵賴 賮賷 亘毓囟賴賲 丕賱亘毓囟. 爻鬲賮乇 賲毓賴賲 賲賳 賲丿賷賳丞 賱兀禺乇賶 爻鬲鬲乇賰 賰賱 賲丕賱丿賷賰 賱鬲爻鬲胤賷毓 丕賱賳噩丕丞 亘丨賷丕鬲賰 賵亘毓丕卅賱鬲賰 . 爻鬲馗賱 鬲賮賰乇 賮賷 亘丕賯賷 兀賮乇丕丿 毓丕卅賱鬲賰 賵兀氐丿賯丕卅賰 丕賱匕賷賳 賷毓賷卮賵賳 賮賷 兀賲丕賰賳 丕禺乇賶 丨賷賳 鬲爻賲毓 毓賳 爻賯賵胤賴丕 賵鬲鬲爻丕卅賱 賴賱 丕爻鬲胤丕毓賵丕 丕賱賮乇丕乇 丕賲 賱丕 責責 賴賱 賲丕鬲賵丕 丕賲 賱丕夭丕賱賵丕 毓賱賶 賯賷丿 丕賱丨賷丕丞 責責 賴賱 鬲毓匕亘賵丕 兀賲 賲丕鬲賵丕 丿賵賳 賯爻賵丞 !!貙 爻鬲爻賲毓 氐賵鬲 丕賱賯賳丕亘賱 貙 爻鬲乇賶 丕賱丿賲丕亍貙 爻鬲乇賶 丕賱噩賵毓 賵丕賱賲乇囟 賵丕賱賲賵鬲 .
" 賱賳 賷賯丿乇 兀亘丿丕 兀賳 賷氐賮 噩賷丿丕 丕賱禺賵賮 丕賱匕賷 賷睾賷賲 毓賷賵賳 丕賱兀賲賴丕鬲 賮賷 賲毓爻賰乇 丕賱賱丕噩卅賷賳 丨賷賳賲丕 鬲夭禺乇 丕賱爻賲丕亍 亘丕賱胤丕卅乇丕鬲 丕賱賯丕氐賮丞 . 賱賳 賷賯丿乇 兀亘丿丕 兀賳 賷乇爻賲 丕賱賵丨卮賷丞 丕賱賲賵睾賱丞 丕賱鬲賷 鬲賯氐賮 亘卮乇丕 噩賵毓賶 . 賱賰賳賴 丨丕賵賱 ."
"賰賷賮 賱賳丕 兀賳 賳毓乇賮 丕賱賲卮丕毓乇 丕賱丨賯賷賯賷丞 賱丿賶 兀賵賱卅賰 丕賱匕賷賳 賱丕 氐賵鬲 賱賴賲 責"
丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 胤賵賷賱丞 亘丕賱胤亘毓 賱賰賳賴丕 丕爻鬲胤丕毓鬲 噩匕亘賷 賲賳匕 丕賱亘丿丕賷丞 亘爻賱丕爻丞 賵噩賲丕賱 兀爻賱賵亘 丕賱爻乇丿 . 賰丕賳鬲 鬲賵賯毓丕鬲賷 賱賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賳賴丕 爻鬲賰賵賳 孬賯賷賱丞 賵 乇亘賲丕 賲賲賱丞 賱賶 賱兀賳賷 馗賳賳鬲賴丕 賲賱賷卅丞 亘丕賱兀丨丿丕孬 丕賱爻賷丕爻賷丞 丕賱鬲賶 兀賰乇賴賴丕 . 賱賰賳 賮丕噩兀鬲賳賷 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 亘丕爻賱賵亘 爻乇丿 噩賷丿 賵兀丨丿丕孬 廿噩鬲賲丕毓賷丞 賵毓賱丕賯丕鬲 亘賷賳 丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 賵兀賳 丕賱丨丿賷孬 毓賳 兀丨丿丕孬 丕賱丨乇亘 丕賱兀賴賱賷丞 噩丕亍 賲賳 禺賱丕賱賴賲 賵賲賳 禺賱丕賱 鬲兀孬賷乇賴 毓賱賷賴賲 賵毓賱賶 丕賱賲賯乇亘賷賳 賲賳賴賲 賮賱賲 兀卮毓乇 亘丕賶 孬賯賱 賱賱乇賵丕賷丞 . 乇亘賲丕 賮賯丿鬲 亘毓囟 賲賳 丕賴鬲賲丕賲賶 賮賷 丕賱噩夭亍 丕賱丕禺賷乇 賲賳賴丕 賱賰賳賴丕 丕毓噩亘鬲賳賶 賵噩匕亘鬲賳賶 . 賵乇亘賲丕 卮毓乇鬲 兀賳 丕賱鬲乇噩賲丞 賰丕賳 賲賳 丕賱賲賲賰賳 丕賳 鬲賰賵賳 兀賮囟賱 賮賷 賰孬賷乇 賲賳 丕賱丕噩夭丕亍貙 賰賲丕 丕賳 丕賱賴賵丕賲卮 丕賱鬲賶 丕囟丕賮鬲賴丕 賱賲 賷賰賳 賱賴丕 丕賶 丿丕毓賶 賵賰丕賳鬲 亘賱丕 賲毓賳賷 .
亘丕禺鬲氐丕乇 賴賶 乇賵丕賷丞 毓賳 丕賱丨亘 賵丕賱丨乇亘 賵丕賱賲毓丕賳丕丞 賮賶 賰賱賷賴賲丕 亘丕禺鬲賱丕賮 卮賰賱賴丕 .
卮毓乇鬲 兀丨賷丕賳丕 丕賳賶 鬲丕卅賴丞 賮賷 卮禺氐賷丕鬲 兀氐丿賯丕亍 兀賵丿賷賳亘賷賵 賮賷 丕賱亘丿丕賷丞 賱賰賳賴丕 賱賲 鬲丐孬乇 毓賱賶 賮賴賲賶 賵賲鬲丕亘毓鬲賷 賱賱兀丨丿丕孬. 馗賱賱鬲 丕賷囟丕 賮鬲乇丞 賱丕 兀賮賴賲 亘賷賳 賲賳 賷賯賵賲 丕賱氐乇丕毓 亘丕賱馗亘胤 賵乇亘賲丕 鬲賰賵賳 兀爻賴賱 賱賲賳 賷毓乇賮 卮賷卅丕 毓賳 丕賱丕丨丿丕孬 毓賱賶 兀乇囟 丕賱賵丕賯毓 貙 鬲賴鬲 兀賷囟丕 賮賷 丕賱兀賲丕賰賳 .
賲賱丨賵馗丞 : 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 賯丕賲鬲 賮賷 丕賱賯爻賲 丕賱丕賵賱 亘匕賰乇 丕賱丕丨丿丕孬 賮賷 丕賵丕卅賱 丕賱爻鬲賷賳丕鬲 孬賲 丕賱賯爻賲 丕賱孬丕賳賷 賮賷 賳賴丕賷丕鬲 丕賱爻鬲賷賳丕鬲 賵亘丕賱胤亘毓 丨丿孬鬲 丕賱賰孬賷乇 賲賳 丕賱鬲睾賷乇丕鬲 賮賷 丨賷丕丞 丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 丕賱鬲賶 爻鬲馗賱 鬲賳鬲馗乇 丕賳 鬲鬲丨丿孬 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 毓賳賴丕 賵乇亘賲丕 鬲睾囟亘 賵爻鬲賯賵賲 亘廿爻鬲賳鬲丕噩丕鬲賰 丕賱禺丕氐丞 賱賰賳 爻鬲毓賵丿 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 賮賷 丕賱賯爻賲 丕賱孬丕賱孬 賱鬲賯氐 毓賱賷賳丕 賲丕丨丿孬 賵爻鬲鬲毓乇賮 毓賱賶 氐丨丞 丕賵 禺胤兀 丕賱丕爻鬲賳鬲丕噩丕鬲 賱賰賳 爻鬲鬲賮丕噩兀 兀賷囟丕 孬賲 賮賷 丕賱賯爻賲 丕賱乇丕亘毓 賳爻鬲賰賲賱 亘丕賯賷 丕賱丕丨丿丕孬 丨鬲賶 賳賴丕賷丞 丕賱丨乇亘.
爻兀鬲乇賰 賱賰賲 亘毓囟 丕賱賲毓賱賵賲丕鬲 毓賳 丕賱丨乇亘 丕賱兀賴賱賷丞:
丕賱丨乇亘 丕賱兀賴賱賷丞 丕賱賳賷噩賷乇賷丞 鬲毓乇賮 兀賷囟賸丕 亘丨乇亘 亘賷丕賮乇丕 貙 賮賷 賲丨丕賵賱丞 賲賳 賵賱丕賷丕鬲 丕賱噩賳賵亘 丕賱卮乇賯賷 丕賱賳賷噩乇賷 賱賱丕爻鬲賯賱丕賱 毓賳 丕賱丿賵賱丞 丕賱丕鬲丨丕丿賷丞 賮賷 賳賷噩乇賷丕 賵廿毓賱丕賳 噩賲賴賵乇賷丞 亘賷丕賮乇丕.
賰丕賳鬲 賳賷噩賷乇賷丕 鬲丨鬲 賯賷丕丿丞 丕賱噩賳乇丕賱 賷毓賯賵亘 噩賵賳貙 亘賷賳賲丕 賰丕賳鬲 亘賷丕賮乇丕 亘賯賷丕丿丞 丕賱賲賯丿賲 丕賵丿賵賲賷噩賵 丕賵噩賵賰賵.
賷鬲賰賵賳 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 丕賱賳賷噩乇賷 賲賳 賯亘丕卅賱 丕賱賴賵爻丕 賮賷 丕賱賳氐賮 丕賱卮賲丕賱賷 丕賱匕賷 鬲丿賷賳 睾丕賱亘賷鬲賴 亘丕賱廿爻賱丕賲 賵賯亘丕卅賱 丕賱賷賵乇賵亘丕 丕賱鬲賷 鬲爻賰賳 丕賱賲賳丕胤賯 丕賱噩賳賵亘賷丞 賳氐賮 丕賱賲爻賷丨賷丞 賳氐賮 丕賱賲爻賱賲丞 賵賯亘丕卅賱 丕賱丕丕賷亘賵 賮賷 丕賱賲賳丕胤賯 丕賱噩賳賵亘賷丞 丕賱卮乇賯賷丞 丕賱賲爻賷丨賷丞 賵賰丕賳鬲 賴匕丞 丕賱丕禺鬲賱丕賮丕鬲 丕賱爻亘亘 丕賱乇卅賷爻賷 賱丕賳丿賱丕毓 丕賱丨乇亘.
" 賴匕丕 賲丕 賷丨丿孬 賮賷 丕賱丨乇亘貙 賰孬賷乇 賲賳 丕賱賳丕爻 賷賲賵鬲賵賳 "
胤亘毓丕 卮賰乇丕 賱兀氐丿賯丕卅賶 毓賱賶 賲卮丕乇賰鬲賷 丕賱賯乇丕亍丞 鉂も潳
佗佴 / 佟佟 / 佗贍佗佟
"賰丕賳 丕賱毓丕賱賲 氐丕賲鬲賸丕 丨賷賳 賰賳丕 賳賲賵鬲"
鬲丿賵乇 丕丨丿丕孬 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賮賷 丕賱爻鬲賷賳丕鬲 賱賳乇賶 丕賱丨賷丕丞 賮賷 賳賷噩賷乇賷丕 賯亘賱 賵禺賱丕賱 丕賱丨乇亘 丕賱兀賴賱賷丞 丕賱賳賷噩賷乇賷丞 . 賳鬲毓乇賮 毓賱賶 丕賱兀丨丿丕孬 賲賳 禺賱丕賱 禺賲爻 卮禺氐賷丕鬲 乇卅賷爻賷丞 :
丌噩賵賵 丕賱胤賮賱 丕賱匕賷 匕賴亘 賱賱毓賲賱 禺丕丿賲丕 賱丿賶 丕賱兀爻鬲丕匕 丕賱噩丕賲毓賷 丕賱孬賵乇賶 兀賵丿賷賳賷亘賵 貙 賷毓噩亘 丌噩賵賵 亘爻賷丿賴 賵賷丨鬲乇賲賴 賵賷丨亘 丕賱廿爻鬲賲丕毓 廿賱賶 丕丨丕丿賷孬賴 賲毓 丕賱夭丕卅乇賷賳 丕賱賲丿丕賵賲賷賳 毓賱賶 夭賷丕乇鬲賴 賵賷賯賵賲 毓賱賶 禺丿賲鬲賴賲 賵乇睾賲 丨亘賴 丕賱卮丿賷丿 賱爻賷丿賴 賵乇睾亘鬲賴 賮賷 丕賱丕爻鬲卅孬丕乇 亘賴 賵禺賵賮賴 賲賳 丿禺賵賱 廿丨丿賶 丕賱爻賷丿丕鬲 廿賱賶 丨賷丕鬲賴 廿賱賶 丕賳賴 丨賷賳 兀賱鬲賯賷 兀賵賱丕賳丕 兀丨亘賴丕 賵鬲賯亘賱 賵噩賵丿賴丕 賲毓 丕賱爻賷丿 亘賱 兀氐亘丨 賷睾囟亘 賲賳 兀賶 卮卅 賵賷賰乇賴 丕賶 卮禺氐 賯丿 賷賮賰乇 賮賷 廿賷匕丕卅賴丕 丕賵 廿睾囟丕亘賴丕 .
賵毓賳 丨亘 丕賵賱丕賳丕 賱兀賵丿賷賳亘賷賵 貙 賵乇睾賲 丕賳賶 賱賴丕 鬲氐乇賮丕鬲 賱賲 鬲毓噩亘賳賷 賱賰賳 丨亘賴丕 丕毓噩亘賳賷 .
鬲賲賳鬲 賱賵 鬲爻鬲胤賷毓 丕賱丕亘鬲毓丕丿 毓賳賴 . 孬賲 鬲賲賳鬲 兀賰孬乇 兀賳 鬲丨亘賴 丿賵賳 兀賳 鬲丨鬲丕噩 廿賱賷賴. 丕賱丕丨鬲賷丕噩 廿賱賷賴 賷毓胤賷賴 賯賵丞 丿賵賳 兀賳 賷亘匕賱 噩賴丿丕 貙 丕賱丕丨鬲賷丕噩 賰丕賳 賱丕 廿乇丕丿賷丕 賲賳賴丕 賵賴賵 賲丕 鬲卮毓乇 亘賴 鬲噩丕賴賴."
孬賲 鬲馗賴乇 賱賳丕 賰丕賷賳賷賳丕 鬲賵兀賲 兀賵賱丕賳丕 丕賱鬲賷 鬲賯毓 賮賷 睾乇丕賲 乇賷鬲卮丕乇丿 丕賱廿賳噩賱賷夭賶 丕賱賰丕鬲亘 賵丕賱氐丨賮賷
賯丕賱 乇賷鬲卮丕乇丿 毓賳賴丕 :
"賰丕賳 禺丕卅賮丕賸 . 匕賴亘 廿賱賷賴丕 賵 賵囟毓 匕乇丕毓賷賴 丨賵賱賴丕 賵囟賲賴丕 亘賯賵丞 貙賵丿 兀賳 賷丨爻 丿賯丕鬲 賯賱亘賴丕 .賰丕賳鬲 丕賱賲乇丞 丕賱兀賵賱賷 賮賷 丨賷丕鬲賴 丕賱鬲賷 賷卮毓乇 亘兀賳賴 賷賳鬲賲賷 賱賲賰丕賳 賲丕."
賵賯丕賱鬲 賰丕賷賳賷賳:
" 賴賱 丕賱丨亘 賴賵 賴匕丕 丕賱丕丨鬲賷丕噩 丕賱賲囟賱賱 賱兀賳 鬲賰賵賳賷 亘噩賵丕乇賷 賲毓馗賲 丕賱賵賯鬲 責 賴賱 丕賱丨亘 賴賵 賴匕丕 丕賱兀賲丕賳 丕賱匕賷 兀卮毓乇 亘賴 賮賷 氐賲鬲賳丕 責 賴賱 賴賵 賴匕丕 丕賱丕賳鬲賲丕亍 貙 賴匕丕 丕賱丕賰鬲賲丕賱 責"
賳乇賶 丕賱兀丨丿丕孬 賲賳 禺賱丕賱 毓賷賳 賵毓賯賱 賵賲卮丕毓乇 賰賱 卮禺氐賷丞 賲賳賴賲 賮賳乇賶 丕賱丨賷丕丞 亘毓賷賵賳賴賲 賵丕丨丕爻賷爻賴賲 賵丕賮賰丕乇賴賲 丕賱賲禺鬲賱賮丞 . 丕毓噩亘賳賶 乇爻賲 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 賱賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 賵鬲賳賵毓賴丕 賵乇爻賲賴丕 賱毓賱丕賯丕鬲賴賲 亘亘毓囟賴賲 丕賱亘毓囟 賵氐賵睾賴丕 賱賯氐氐 丕賱丨亘 賮賷 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞. 兀睾囟亘鬲賳賶 亘毓囟 丕賱鬲賮丕氐賷賱 賵丕賱丕賲賵乇 賵丕賱賯乇丕乇丕鬲 丕賱鬲賷 賯丕賲鬲 亘賴丕 丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 賱丿乇噩丞 丕賳賶 賮賷 鬲賵賯賷鬲 賲丕 睾囟亘鬲 賲賳賴賲 賵賰乇賴鬲 丕賱兀乇亘毓 卮禺氐賷丕鬲 .
賵毓賱賶 噩丕賳亘 丌禺乇 賳乇賶 鬲胤賵乇 丕賱丕丨丿丕孬 丕賱爻賷丕爻賷丞 賵賳乇賶 鬲兀孬賷乇賴丕 毓賱賷賴賲 賵毓賱賶 丕氐丿賯丕卅賴賲 賵毓丕卅賱丕鬲賴賲 賱賳乇氐丿 賲賳 禺賱丕賱 丕賱兀丨丿丕孬 丕賱賲匕丕亘丨 賵丕賱丕賳鬲賴丕賰丕鬲 丕賱丿賲賵賷丞 丕賱鬲賷 丕乇鬲賰亘鬲賴丕 賯亘丕卅賱 丕賱賴丕賵爻丕 賲毓 爻賰丕賳 賯亘丕卅賱 丕賱廿賷亘賵 丕賱匕賷賳 毓賱賯賵丕 兀丨賱丕賲賴賲 毓賱賷 丕賱丕爻鬲賯賱丕賱 賱鬲賰賵賷賳 丿賵賱丞 亘賷丕賮乇丕 賵丕鬲禺匕賵丕 卮毓丕乇 丿賵賱鬲賴賲 丕賱噩丿賷丿丞 芦賳氐賮 卮賲爻 氐賮乇丕亍禄 .
"丕賱兀丨賲乇 賷毓賳賷 丿賲 兀禺賵丕鬲賳丕 丕賱匕賷賳 匕購亘賾丨賵丕 賮賷 丕賱卮賲丕賱貙 丕賱兀爻賵丿 賷毓賳賷 丕賱丨丿丕丿 毓賱賷賴賲 貙 丕賱兀禺囟乇 賷毓賳賷 丕夭丿賴丕乇 亘賷丕賮乇丕 丕賱匕賷 爻賵賮 賷兀鬲賷 貙 賵兀禺賷乇丕 貙 賳氐賮 丕賱卮賲爻 丕賱氐賮乇丕亍 鬲賳鬲氐亘 賲卮乇毓丞 賱賱賲爻鬲賯亘賱 丕賱賲噩賷丿"
" 丕賱賳卮賷丿 丕賱賯賵賲賷 丕賱亘賷賮丕乇賷 :
兀乇囟 丕賱卮賲爻 丕賱賲卮乇賯丞 貙 賳丨亘賴丕 賵賳乇毓丕賴丕
賵胤賳賳丕 丕賱丨亘賷亘 兀乇囟 兀亘胤丕賱賳丕 丕賱卮噩毓丕賳
賱丕亘丿 兀賳 賳丿丕賮毓 毓賳 兀乇賵丕丨賳丕 賵廿賱丕 爻賵賮 賳賮賳賶
爻賵賮 賳丨賲賷 賯賱賵亘賳丕 賲賳 丕毓丿丕卅賳丕
賱賰賳 廿匕丕 賰丕賳 丕賱孬賲賳 賴賵 賲賵鬲 賰賱 賲丕 賳賲賱賰 賷丕賵胤賳賳丕 丕賱丨亘賷亘
賮丿毓賳丕 賳賲賵鬲 丿賵賳 賱賲丨丞 禺賵賮 "
賱賳鬲毓乇賮 毓賱賶 丕賱毓賳氐乇賷丞 賵丕賱賯爻賵丞 賮賷 賯賱賵亘 丕賱亘卮乇 賵賲丕 賷賲賰賳 丕賳 賷賮毓賱賵賴 賮賷 亘毓囟賴賲 丕賱亘毓囟. 爻鬲賮乇 賲毓賴賲 賲賳 賲丿賷賳丞 賱兀禺乇賶 爻鬲鬲乇賰 賰賱 賲丕賱丿賷賰 賱鬲爻鬲胤賷毓 丕賱賳噩丕丞 亘丨賷丕鬲賰 賵亘毓丕卅賱鬲賰 . 爻鬲馗賱 鬲賮賰乇 賮賷 亘丕賯賷 兀賮乇丕丿 毓丕卅賱鬲賰 賵兀氐丿賯丕卅賰 丕賱匕賷賳 賷毓賷卮賵賳 賮賷 兀賲丕賰賳 丕禺乇賶 丨賷賳 鬲爻賲毓 毓賳 爻賯賵胤賴丕 賵鬲鬲爻丕卅賱 賴賱 丕爻鬲胤丕毓賵丕 丕賱賮乇丕乇 丕賲 賱丕 責責 賴賱 賲丕鬲賵丕 丕賲 賱丕夭丕賱賵丕 毓賱賶 賯賷丿 丕賱丨賷丕丞 責責 賴賱 鬲毓匕亘賵丕 兀賲 賲丕鬲賵丕 丿賵賳 賯爻賵丞 !!貙 爻鬲爻賲毓 氐賵鬲 丕賱賯賳丕亘賱 貙 爻鬲乇賶 丕賱丿賲丕亍貙 爻鬲乇賶 丕賱噩賵毓 賵丕賱賲乇囟 賵丕賱賲賵鬲 .
" 賱賳 賷賯丿乇 兀亘丿丕 兀賳 賷氐賮 噩賷丿丕 丕賱禺賵賮 丕賱匕賷 賷睾賷賲 毓賷賵賳 丕賱兀賲賴丕鬲 賮賷 賲毓爻賰乇 丕賱賱丕噩卅賷賳 丨賷賳賲丕 鬲夭禺乇 丕賱爻賲丕亍 亘丕賱胤丕卅乇丕鬲 丕賱賯丕氐賮丞 . 賱賳 賷賯丿乇 兀亘丿丕 兀賳 賷乇爻賲 丕賱賵丨卮賷丞 丕賱賲賵睾賱丞 丕賱鬲賷 鬲賯氐賮 亘卮乇丕 噩賵毓賶 . 賱賰賳賴 丨丕賵賱 ."
"賰賷賮 賱賳丕 兀賳 賳毓乇賮 丕賱賲卮丕毓乇 丕賱丨賯賷賯賷丞 賱丿賶 兀賵賱卅賰 丕賱匕賷賳 賱丕 氐賵鬲 賱賴賲 責"
丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 胤賵賷賱丞 亘丕賱胤亘毓 賱賰賳賴丕 丕爻鬲胤丕毓鬲 噩匕亘賷 賲賳匕 丕賱亘丿丕賷丞 亘爻賱丕爻丞 賵噩賲丕賱 兀爻賱賵亘 丕賱爻乇丿 . 賰丕賳鬲 鬲賵賯毓丕鬲賷 賱賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賳賴丕 爻鬲賰賵賳 孬賯賷賱丞 賵 乇亘賲丕 賲賲賱丞 賱賶 賱兀賳賷 馗賳賳鬲賴丕 賲賱賷卅丞 亘丕賱兀丨丿丕孬 丕賱爻賷丕爻賷丞 丕賱鬲賶 兀賰乇賴賴丕 . 賱賰賳 賮丕噩兀鬲賳賷 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 亘丕爻賱賵亘 爻乇丿 噩賷丿 賵兀丨丿丕孬 廿噩鬲賲丕毓賷丞 賵毓賱丕賯丕鬲 亘賷賳 丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 賵兀賳 丕賱丨丿賷孬 毓賳 兀丨丿丕孬 丕賱丨乇亘 丕賱兀賴賱賷丞 噩丕亍 賲賳 禺賱丕賱賴賲 賵賲賳 禺賱丕賱 鬲兀孬賷乇賴 毓賱賷賴賲 賵毓賱賶 丕賱賲賯乇亘賷賳 賲賳賴賲 賮賱賲 兀卮毓乇 亘丕賶 孬賯賱 賱賱乇賵丕賷丞 . 乇亘賲丕 賮賯丿鬲 亘毓囟 賲賳 丕賴鬲賲丕賲賶 賮賷 丕賱噩夭亍 丕賱丕禺賷乇 賲賳賴丕 賱賰賳賴丕 丕毓噩亘鬲賳賶 賵噩匕亘鬲賳賶 . 賵乇亘賲丕 卮毓乇鬲 兀賳 丕賱鬲乇噩賲丞 賰丕賳 賲賳 丕賱賲賲賰賳 丕賳 鬲賰賵賳 兀賮囟賱 賮賷 賰孬賷乇 賲賳 丕賱丕噩夭丕亍貙 賰賲丕 丕賳 丕賱賴賵丕賲卮 丕賱鬲賶 丕囟丕賮鬲賴丕 賱賲 賷賰賳 賱賴丕 丕賶 丿丕毓賶 賵賰丕賳鬲 亘賱丕 賲毓賳賷 .
亘丕禺鬲氐丕乇 賴賶 乇賵丕賷丞 毓賳 丕賱丨亘 賵丕賱丨乇亘 賵丕賱賲毓丕賳丕丞 賮賶 賰賱賷賴賲丕 亘丕禺鬲賱丕賮 卮賰賱賴丕 .
卮毓乇鬲 兀丨賷丕賳丕 丕賳賶 鬲丕卅賴丞 賮賷 卮禺氐賷丕鬲 兀氐丿賯丕亍 兀賵丿賷賳亘賷賵 賮賷 丕賱亘丿丕賷丞 賱賰賳賴丕 賱賲 鬲丐孬乇 毓賱賶 賮賴賲賶 賵賲鬲丕亘毓鬲賷 賱賱兀丨丿丕孬. 馗賱賱鬲 丕賷囟丕 賮鬲乇丞 賱丕 兀賮賴賲 亘賷賳 賲賳 賷賯賵賲 丕賱氐乇丕毓 亘丕賱馗亘胤 賵乇亘賲丕 鬲賰賵賳 兀爻賴賱 賱賲賳 賷毓乇賮 卮賷卅丕 毓賳 丕賱丕丨丿丕孬 毓賱賶 兀乇囟 丕賱賵丕賯毓 貙 鬲賴鬲 兀賷囟丕 賮賷 丕賱兀賲丕賰賳 .
賲賱丨賵馗丞 : 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 賯丕賲鬲 賮賷 丕賱賯爻賲 丕賱丕賵賱 亘匕賰乇 丕賱丕丨丿丕孬 賮賷 丕賵丕卅賱 丕賱爻鬲賷賳丕鬲 孬賲 丕賱賯爻賲 丕賱孬丕賳賷 賮賷 賳賴丕賷丕鬲 丕賱爻鬲賷賳丕鬲 賵亘丕賱胤亘毓 丨丿孬鬲 丕賱賰孬賷乇 賲賳 丕賱鬲睾賷乇丕鬲 賮賷 丨賷丕丞 丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 丕賱鬲賶 爻鬲馗賱 鬲賳鬲馗乇 丕賳 鬲鬲丨丿孬 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 毓賳賴丕 賵乇亘賲丕 鬲睾囟亘 賵爻鬲賯賵賲 亘廿爻鬲賳鬲丕噩丕鬲賰 丕賱禺丕氐丞 賱賰賳 爻鬲毓賵丿 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 賮賷 丕賱賯爻賲 丕賱孬丕賱孬 賱鬲賯氐 毓賱賷賳丕 賲丕丨丿孬 賵爻鬲鬲毓乇賮 毓賱賶 氐丨丞 丕賵 禺胤兀 丕賱丕爻鬲賳鬲丕噩丕鬲 賱賰賳 爻鬲鬲賮丕噩兀 兀賷囟丕 孬賲 賮賷 丕賱賯爻賲 丕賱乇丕亘毓 賳爻鬲賰賲賱 亘丕賯賷 丕賱丕丨丿丕孬 丨鬲賶 賳賴丕賷丞 丕賱丨乇亘.
爻兀鬲乇賰 賱賰賲 亘毓囟 丕賱賲毓賱賵賲丕鬲 毓賳 丕賱丨乇亘 丕賱兀賴賱賷丞:
丕賱丨乇亘 丕賱兀賴賱賷丞 丕賱賳賷噩賷乇賷丞 鬲毓乇賮 兀賷囟賸丕 亘丨乇亘 亘賷丕賮乇丕 貙 賮賷 賲丨丕賵賱丞 賲賳 賵賱丕賷丕鬲 丕賱噩賳賵亘 丕賱卮乇賯賷 丕賱賳賷噩乇賷 賱賱丕爻鬲賯賱丕賱 毓賳 丕賱丿賵賱丞 丕賱丕鬲丨丕丿賷丞 賮賷 賳賷噩乇賷丕 賵廿毓賱丕賳 噩賲賴賵乇賷丞 亘賷丕賮乇丕.
賰丕賳鬲 賳賷噩賷乇賷丕 鬲丨鬲 賯賷丕丿丞 丕賱噩賳乇丕賱 賷毓賯賵亘 噩賵賳貙 亘賷賳賲丕 賰丕賳鬲 亘賷丕賮乇丕 亘賯賷丕丿丞 丕賱賲賯丿賲 丕賵丿賵賲賷噩賵 丕賵噩賵賰賵.
賷鬲賰賵賳 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 丕賱賳賷噩乇賷 賲賳 賯亘丕卅賱 丕賱賴賵爻丕 賮賷 丕賱賳氐賮 丕賱卮賲丕賱賷 丕賱匕賷 鬲丿賷賳 睾丕賱亘賷鬲賴 亘丕賱廿爻賱丕賲 賵賯亘丕卅賱 丕賱賷賵乇賵亘丕 丕賱鬲賷 鬲爻賰賳 丕賱賲賳丕胤賯 丕賱噩賳賵亘賷丞 賳氐賮 丕賱賲爻賷丨賷丞 賳氐賮 丕賱賲爻賱賲丞 賵賯亘丕卅賱 丕賱丕丕賷亘賵 賮賷 丕賱賲賳丕胤賯 丕賱噩賳賵亘賷丞 丕賱卮乇賯賷丞 丕賱賲爻賷丨賷丞 賵賰丕賳鬲 賴匕丞 丕賱丕禺鬲賱丕賮丕鬲 丕賱爻亘亘 丕賱乇卅賷爻賷 賱丕賳丿賱丕毓 丕賱丨乇亘.
" 賴匕丕 賲丕 賷丨丿孬 賮賷 丕賱丨乇亘貙 賰孬賷乇 賲賳 丕賱賳丕爻 賷賲賵鬲賵賳 "
胤亘毓丕 卮賰乇丕 賱兀氐丿賯丕卅賶 毓賱賶 賲卮丕乇賰鬲賷 丕賱賯乇丕亍丞 鉂も潳
佗佴 / 佟佟 / 佗贍佗佟
February 15, 2022
13-year-old Ugwu is looking forward to life away from his small village, working as a house boy for professor Odenigbo in .
Olanna, an extremely beautiful, rich, educated young woman, is eager to put as much distance as possible between herself and her parents' overly ambitious meddling and business dealings. Luckily for her, she is dating Odenigbo, who can help her settle in at her new teaching job at Nsukka University, far away from Lagos.
Richard is a British expat, just wishing to write about Igbo-Ukwu (ancient African) art, but finds himself hopelessly infatuated with a stand-offish rich, young business woman, Kainene; who is also Olanna's non-identical twin sister.
While everyone's busy living their life, dealing with overbearing mothers, patronizing philosophic discourses, and petty jealousy, the country's political turmoil gets more and more pronounced. Eventually the erupts... and it, sooner or later, catches up to everyone.
Ugwu, Richard and Olanna from the 2013 movie adaptation
If you're wondering what I knew about Nigeria going in this novel... it's precisely what you think I did. So the entire flourishing high society from Lagos, the mix of highly varied ethnic groups, the ridiculous political circumstances that lead to the forming of modern Nigeria, not to mention the pull this African country exercised over British expats, had surprised me a lot.
This picture of modern, if a bit too foreign-loving, society was a big surprise for me. The glitzy and glamorous world of Nigerian high society would probably have been at home in many European countries as well. Regardless of the snarky comments of some of the British expats.
I'm not entirely sure who this novel is addressed to. It's written in English, and peppered with the occasional Igbo word or sentence, so I figured it'd be mostly geared towards Igbo people. But then, the Igbo phrases are always accompanied by English translations, which lead me to think this novel was perhaps trying to reach an international audience.
Similarly, some of the political context got covered very heavily, but then other things such as the ethnic hostilities between Igbo and Hausa people seemed rather convoluted during the first half of the book. I kept feeling as if I was missing a significant chunk of social and cultural context.
Admittedly, by the end of the book, I did form a somewhat clearer picture. Especially after the reader's attention shifts to the personal tragedy suffered by the main characters in the aftermath of things. I especially appreciated how ... dull, for lack of a better term, everything felt in comparison.
Score: 4.8/5 stars
I can probably count on one hand, the historical novels that I've read about wars, yet none of those have left behind such a humbling impression on me. Coming from an Eastern-European country, I've always been happy to maintain some sort of moral high ground, that at least we'd never oppressed anyone.... in Africa.
But indifference can sometimes be just as harmful as outright hostility.
Olanna, an extremely beautiful, rich, educated young woman, is eager to put as much distance as possible between herself and her parents' overly ambitious meddling and business dealings. Luckily for her, she is dating Odenigbo, who can help her settle in at her new teaching job at Nsukka University, far away from Lagos.
Richard is a British expat, just wishing to write about Igbo-Ukwu (ancient African) art, but finds himself hopelessly infatuated with a stand-offish rich, young business woman, Kainene; who is also Olanna's non-identical twin sister.
While everyone's busy living their life, dealing with overbearing mothers, patronizing philosophic discourses, and petty jealousy, the country's political turmoil gets more and more pronounced. Eventually the erupts... and it, sooner or later, catches up to everyone.
Ugwu, Richard and Olanna from the 2013 movie adaptation
If you're wondering what I knew about Nigeria going in this novel... it's precisely what you think I did. So the entire flourishing high society from Lagos, the mix of highly varied ethnic groups, the ridiculous political circumstances that lead to the forming of modern Nigeria, not to mention the pull this African country exercised over British expats, had surprised me a lot.
This picture of modern, if a bit too foreign-loving, society was a big surprise for me. The glitzy and glamorous world of Nigerian high society would probably have been at home in many European countries as well. Regardless of the snarky comments of some of the British expats.
I'm not entirely sure who this novel is addressed to. It's written in English, and peppered with the occasional Igbo word or sentence, so I figured it'd be mostly geared towards Igbo people. But then, the Igbo phrases are always accompanied by English translations, which lead me to think this novel was perhaps trying to reach an international audience.
Similarly, some of the political context got covered very heavily, but then other things such as the ethnic hostilities between Igbo and Hausa people seemed rather convoluted during the first half of the book. I kept feeling as if I was missing a significant chunk of social and cultural context.
Admittedly, by the end of the book, I did form a somewhat clearer picture. Especially after the reader's attention shifts to the personal tragedy suffered by the main characters in the aftermath of things. I especially appreciated how ... dull, for lack of a better term, everything felt in comparison.
Score: 4.8/5 stars
I can probably count on one hand, the historical novels that I've read about wars, yet none of those have left behind such a humbling impression on me. Coming from an Eastern-European country, I've always been happy to maintain some sort of moral high ground, that at least we'd never oppressed anyone.... in Africa.
But indifference can sometimes be just as harmful as outright hostility.
January 19, 2021
Survival
The story of the independence movement for the Biafra region of Nigeria was momentous, and in modern times we would have been much more capable of responding in awareness and support. I remember as a child in an Irish school donating weekly to help the starving people in Biafra without really understanding what was happening.
This story takes the factual situation of the Igbo people in their attempt to establish the Republic of Biafra from Nigeria in 1967 and adds fictional characters and events to bring the story to a personal level. People from all echelons of society are presented in the story, not always likeable, and the struggles they endured. It is not just about the impact of starvation, as the story is developed around normal lives dealing with relationships, family and job issues. The main characters in the novel are the upper/middle class, in government and academia and they eventually realise that in the end, it didn鈥檛 give them immunity to the suffering. The story is brutal and heartbreaking in how a national starvation programme could be carried out on a people, how those people tried to manage with day to day living, and how society disintegrated when its basic commodity was blocked. In extremely horrific situations we find the best and worst of humanity.
The story is a literary classic and conveys such dramatic images and encounters that make you feel so many emotions, dominated by the feeling of despair with the thoughtless waste of life. You won't forget this story - brilliant.
The story of the independence movement for the Biafra region of Nigeria was momentous, and in modern times we would have been much more capable of responding in awareness and support. I remember as a child in an Irish school donating weekly to help the starving people in Biafra without really understanding what was happening.
This story takes the factual situation of the Igbo people in their attempt to establish the Republic of Biafra from Nigeria in 1967 and adds fictional characters and events to bring the story to a personal level. People from all echelons of society are presented in the story, not always likeable, and the struggles they endured. It is not just about the impact of starvation, as the story is developed around normal lives dealing with relationships, family and job issues. The main characters in the novel are the upper/middle class, in government and academia and they eventually realise that in the end, it didn鈥檛 give them immunity to the suffering. The story is brutal and heartbreaking in how a national starvation programme could be carried out on a people, how those people tried to manage with day to day living, and how society disintegrated when its basic commodity was blocked. In extremely horrific situations we find the best and worst of humanity.
The story is a literary classic and conveys such dramatic images and encounters that make you feel so many emotions, dominated by the feeling of despair with the thoughtless waste of life. You won't forget this story - brilliant.
April 2, 2020
鈥淩ed was the blood of the siblings massacred in the North, black was for mourning them, green was for the prosperity Biafra would have, and, finally, the half of a yellow sun stood for the glorious future.鈥�
Half of a Yellow Sun is a historical fiction work following several characters through the years before, after and during the Biafran-Nigerian war. It's one of those books that is on every 'must read' and book club pick list, so I definitely had high expectations going into this. Especially since I've read some of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's other works and enjoyed them.
This book started a little slow for me. It takes some time to introduce its characters and somehow it felt both overwhelming and slow to start. However, at about the 30% mark, or about 100 pages in, it really started to pick up. And then when it gets going it never stops.
I knew little about the politics or causes of the Biafran War before reading this. I was only really aware of the humanitarian impact. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has been praised for her storytelling and I have to do it again. Because this book did an excellent job of rendering the landscape and situation, of painting characters for the story and incorporating the fiction elements within the history. I don't often read historical fiction, because often I just wish I'd read a non-fiction book on the event instead. But I'm really glad I read this. Because not only did it explain the story of the war, I loved how it explained the human story - looking at how it impacted people through the lens of our central characters.
At first, I struggled with the main characters, finding them dull and flat. But I loved the way Adichie developed them at the story progressed. Stereotypes and caricatures played on at the start were slowly deconstructed, the change to the characters as the war progressed was stark and upsetting. I loved these characters by the end, which is why I found the final chapters so devastating (if you know, you know)
"The world was silent when many died. But now it will have to listen, as the dead tell their story from beyond the grave."
Finally, a note must be made on Adichie's writing. I love it. Easy to read but also lyrical and poignant. I think she does an excellent job at capturing character through dialogue and writing, and the use of irony and subtle humour throughout was excellent.
Half of a Yellow Sun reminds me I need to read both more historical fiction, and also more Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
July 15, 2017
For my review, I have selected a poem featured very near the end of this devastatingly real and haunting novel. Written by the character Okeoma who apparently is based on the real poet Christopher Okigbo.
The World Was Silent When We Died
Did you see photos in sixty-eight
Of Children with their hair becoming rust:
Sickly patches nestled on those small heads,
Then falling off, like rotten leaves on dust?
Imagine children with arms like toothpicks,
With footballs for bellies and skin stretched thin.
It was kwashiorkor鈥攄ifficult word,
A word that was not quite ugly enough, a sin.
You needn鈥檛 imagine. There were photos
Displayed in gloss-filled pages of your Life.
Did you see? Did you feel sorry briefly,
Then turn round to hold your lover or wife?
Their skin had turned the tawny of weak tea
And showed cobwebs of vein and brittle bone:
Naked children laughing, as if the man
Would not take photos and then leave, alone
I was totally unprepared for the force of this story about the birth of Biafra; how the impact of the awful reality of those years would strike me. Searing and unforgettable. Most Highly recommended. 5鈽�
The World Was Silent When We Died
Did you see photos in sixty-eight
Of Children with their hair becoming rust:
Sickly patches nestled on those small heads,
Then falling off, like rotten leaves on dust?
Imagine children with arms like toothpicks,
With footballs for bellies and skin stretched thin.
It was kwashiorkor鈥攄ifficult word,
A word that was not quite ugly enough, a sin.
You needn鈥檛 imagine. There were photos
Displayed in gloss-filled pages of your Life.
Did you see? Did you feel sorry briefly,
Then turn round to hold your lover or wife?
Their skin had turned the tawny of weak tea
And showed cobwebs of vein and brittle bone:
Naked children laughing, as if the man
Would not take photos and then leave, alone
I was totally unprepared for the force of this story about the birth of Biafra; how the impact of the awful reality of those years would strike me. Searing and unforgettable. Most Highly recommended. 5鈽�
Read
March 13, 2023UPDATE: Since I wrote this review, Adichie's An author's ignorance does affect my enjoyment of their works, and I'm sorry to say I can no longer think of these works without also thinking of Adichie's bigotry. I've cleared my rating on this book and Megan Abbott has regained her throne as my favorite modern author. My original review follows.
The thing about Chimamanda Adichie is, she's so appallingly good. This is the second book I've read by her and both times I'm just, like, the whole way through, I can't believe how fucking good this book is. She's perfectly positioned to be one of the great writers of our time, with her global heritage and global stories - she was born in Nigeria and continues to split her time between there and the US. She is exactly the way novels are going. And she's so good at writing them! We're watching one of the greats create herself, and that's very exciting.
For Half of a Yellow Sun, her second book, she reaches back to her parents' lives, into the catastrophic Biafran War of the 60s. It's a war novel. Not at first - she spends about the first half introducing us to her characters: twin sisters Olanna and Kainene, their husbands the intellectual Odenigbo and the white guy Richard, and Olanna's houseboy Ugwu. The perspective shifts chapter by chapter between Ugwu, Olanna and Richard. All are interesting; Adichie pulls off the immense feat of making this part fully engaging, so you're not just waiting for the war. Of course she pulls it off, she's fucking balls.
But the war does come, and you get - oh, Adichie would love this comparison - sortof a Gone With the Wind collapse from wealth to poverty. The family is Igbo - those are the people who seceded from Nigeria, fighting against the Yoruba, the other major Nigerian ethnic group, and also the Hausa. This second half is nasty stuff, so be warned: as Adichie's father would say, agha ajoka. War is very ugly.
It's an actual epic, like they used to make in the olden days, ambitious and powerful. I still like Americanah just slightly better, but I wouldn't want to have to choose just one.
Appendix: Soundtrack
Music is important to Adichie - she's one of the rare writers who can really talk about music - and here the soundtrack is the Nigerian Highlife genre, a brand of Afropop. It's awesome and there's a compilation available on and . Sound quality is absolute shit on it; is slightly better quality, but it has less Rex Lawson and it's missing of "Grazing in the Grass," which I only knew from Turns out they just made up those lyrics, who knew.
The thing about Chimamanda Adichie is, she's so appallingly good. This is the second book I've read by her and both times I'm just, like, the whole way through, I can't believe how fucking good this book is. She's perfectly positioned to be one of the great writers of our time, with her global heritage and global stories - she was born in Nigeria and continues to split her time between there and the US. She is exactly the way novels are going. And she's so good at writing them! We're watching one of the greats create herself, and that's very exciting.
For Half of a Yellow Sun, her second book, she reaches back to her parents' lives, into the catastrophic Biafran War of the 60s. It's a war novel. Not at first - she spends about the first half introducing us to her characters: twin sisters Olanna and Kainene, their husbands the intellectual Odenigbo and the white guy Richard, and Olanna's houseboy Ugwu. The perspective shifts chapter by chapter between Ugwu, Olanna and Richard. All are interesting; Adichie pulls off the immense feat of making this part fully engaging, so you're not just waiting for the war. Of course she pulls it off, she's fucking balls.
But the war does come, and you get - oh, Adichie would love this comparison - sortof a Gone With the Wind collapse from wealth to poverty. The family is Igbo - those are the people who seceded from Nigeria, fighting against the Yoruba, the other major Nigerian ethnic group, and also the Hausa. This second half is nasty stuff, so be warned: as Adichie's father would say, agha ajoka. War is very ugly.
It's an actual epic, like they used to make in the olden days, ambitious and powerful. I still like Americanah just slightly better, but I wouldn't want to have to choose just one.
Appendix: Soundtrack
Music is important to Adichie - she's one of the rare writers who can really talk about music - and here the soundtrack is the Nigerian Highlife genre, a brand of Afropop. It's awesome and there's a compilation available on and . Sound quality is absolute shit on it; is slightly better quality, but it has less Rex Lawson and it's missing of "Grazing in the Grass," which I only knew from Turns out they just made up those lyrics, who knew.
March 21, 2021
Women鈥檚 Prize for Fiction 2007
Women鈥檚 Prize for Fiction, Winner of Winners 2020
I loved Americanah. A favorite of mine. Half of A Yellow Sun is a wonderful historical fiction about the war between Nigeria and Biafra. So much sorrow. What I liked most about this book was the twin sisters. The author portrayed them so well.
Certainly a book we should all read.
4.5 out of 5 stars
Women鈥檚 Prize for Fiction, Winner of Winners 2020
I loved Americanah. A favorite of mine. Half of A Yellow Sun is a wonderful historical fiction about the war between Nigeria and Biafra. So much sorrow. What I liked most about this book was the twin sisters. The author portrayed them so well.
Certainly a book we should all read.
4.5 out of 5 stars
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