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Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Didn’t finish reading (read about 70%). Not a full book review but some interconnected thoughts about her and the book.

I was very excited to read this book, given Americanah was one of my favorite read years ago. Yet, from the beginning, this book reeks of someone whose writers block is clearly showing in the pages. It’s been a frustrating read and I don’t think I have the patience to finish it.

I actually went to an event where Chimamanda was talking about this book. Although the interviewer was awful, in simply talking more about her own self, versus try to unpack the book with the author - Chimamanda consciously or unconsciously opened up about the book in ways it explains the shortcomings. When asked if this book after 10 years since her last full length novel, was the book she has been waiting to write - her response was yes and no. There was hesitation. As if, she herself knew it didn’t match to her previous highs.

Chimamanda was also asked, rather indirectly, to talk about the political climate, and her thoughts. She said she has a lot of thoughts, yet, when probed, flat out refused to answer. Even when audiences would ask her questions, she wouldn’t answer directly, and deflect. All these deflections and not able to answer, shows up in the characters in the book. They feel like caricatures, imaginations that I am sure exist in real world, but in this book, it feels hollow and misplaced. Dare I say - the book lacks soul, even when it treks into murky or difficult territories.

Maybe it’s the burnout from the culture we are in, yet, someone so smart, incisive, choosing to be vague and generic, in her book and in her talk, feels disheartening.

I’ll leave with this - she opened up during the talk how she is reading 5 concurrent books at the same time. Her obsessions with world war 2. Her want to connect current times with the prior times. All these shows her deep intellectual curiosities. I wish she would tap into that energy, versus this book - which is frankly, so far removed from all these things that she thinks about or reads on a day to day basis.

Or maybe it’s grief and the rage she talked about after her parents passing away - that’s having a hold on her. I can only imagine the difficulty in such circumstances that take time, a long time.