Title: Half A Yellow Sun
Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Pages: 560
Yearly Count: 63
Country: Nigeria, Africa.
Prizes: Orange Broadband Prize, National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist, New York Times Notable Book, A People and Black Issues Book Review Best Book of The Year
Pretty impressive list of awards, and prizes, no? What more could I say about this book? Well, obviously I can't leave my review at that...so here it goes. Half a Yellow Sun is based on the Nigeria-Biafra War that happened in Nigeria from 1967-70. Adichie's writing is an intact narrative and description of the horrors that surrounded those years in Nigeria. Chiamamanda stunned me every step of the way. I loved/hated every second of reading this book.
Have any of you seen The Fifth Element with Bruce Willis? Well, if you have you will remember the fifth element girl Lulu (right?), and when she is watching the history of man through her neato tv-glasses. She watches, all the wars, genocides, hate crimes, shootings, rape and all the things man has done to each other at a warped speed and then she is so stunned by the atrocities that she rolls up into a ball and cries and does not want to help save mankind, because we are evil. (if you haven't seen it, do...I liked it) So that is how I felt, this is not a short book, it is 560 pages, and I felt constant drain on my emotions and intensity built up inside me, so much so that I still can't think of anything else. Mankind is bad. We have done such horrid things to each other. However even if I was crying in the corner, I know for sure that I will read every book she writes, as long as I can read a stupid book in between!!! (stupid as in brainless :)
Half A Yellow Sun will not hide grief or pain, it will not soothe over the bad, and only emphasize the good. Trust me on that one, or better yet: YOU READ IT!!! I did love/hate Half A Yellow Sun. I loved it because it is an amazing book, about an epoch in our history that we must not forget, and hated because after reading it I am no longer naive of the horrors that occured. To value our history is to not repeat it, right? Let's try that.
Here are some videos of lectures by Chimamanda:
To continue on with this lecture:
Part 2
Part 3
Did you read and review this book, give me your link, I'll put it right here :)
Other Blogger Reviews:
Dar
Gautami
Marg
Dewey
Bookplease
Alisia
SmallWorld Reads
Literary Feline
Eva
Raidergirl3
Caribousmom
Jill
Marg
15 comments:
Wow. I'm like you - I need a silly book after reading something like that. I love the picture of the author!
This book sounds good...your review made me want to run out and grab it right now.:)
So many great review of this, but I fear I WOULD be like that girl, sobbing and sobbing. I'm glad she won all those awards, and that there are people who can bear to read it, but it probably won't be me.
We had a new member join our book group and she was raving about this book. She wants to suggest it for our yearly reading list so I am holding off on it for now.
That pic of the author is FAB.
Bethany-absolutely fantastic review! I agree that this was an emotionally charged book to read but one so very worth it. I love the videos and everything you included. I'm looking forward to reading her other novel. I'll add your review onto my mine too. Thanks.
so you finished it too:) awesome.. dar brought up this interesting point of not liking books immediately after reading something as powerful as half of a yellow sun.. i totally agree.i guess i might have enjoyed red azalea more if i had not read it right after half of a yellow sun.. i should follow bermudaonion's example and just read a light romance/chicklit kinda book after powerful books i guess:)
Lovely pic of the author.
I saw this was the September read [?) at book blogs. And it was late when i got this book [ we started nomiating the Oct read by then :D] and I still have it.
I want to finish God of small things to read this one ;)
Lovely review... and sigh I have not seen the movie...but lemme find out :)
Thanks!
Ramya, I think that may be what I start doing-reading something lighter after I've read something really good except if it's one in a series like Nefertiti and The Heretic Queen. Otherwise you just feel so let down right.
I love this writer...she's great! Have not read this one though and have it on my TBR. Will pick it up later.
Thanks for sharing though, it makes it even the more interesting!
This is a great review! I am going to put this on my list of books to look for!
I know I should read this. Your thoughts remind me of how I felt after reading What is the What
bermudaonion- for sure...I need a book like that RIGHT NOW!! Help!?
Isn't it a great picture!?
Amy- I am so glad. It is intense though, but it is SO powerful.
Lisa- Yeah, I would beware of this one then. I loved it....but it was SO hard to read.
ti- It is interesting to read it with other people, a great discussion book for sure. There is tons of violence and sexual stuff though....just in case that is an issue.
Dar- ahhhh, was it ever emotionaly charged! :) I am so glad I had you great peeps to read it with me!! :) You are troopers!!:)
Ramya- I just want to find something dumb. Maybe a chick lit of some some sort! You know like a palate cleanser!?! yeah. I need me that!
Veens- Yeah, it was amazing. Dark, but how could it not be? Stunning writing.
cessie- have you read Purple Hibiscus then? I have heard really great things about that one too.
literatehousewife- you will not be disappointed :)
Corinne- Yeah, it was intensely amazing.
Where do you find the information about the book awards? Is there a site that lists them or do you have to look around?
Chimamanda is such a beautiful woman, right? I had some of the same sentiments that you did while reading this book, but curiously enough I had a tougher time with the one that I just read about the treatment of the Native Americans during the 1800s. I guess maybe because that hit a lot closer to home--because it was OUR people doing the atrocities. Grr...it does make you mad, huh?
Sounds like a powerful book! I've added it to my list. Thanks!
--Anna
Diary of an Eccentric
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