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38th out of 60 books
—
18 voters
Our Sister Killjoy
Out of Africa with her degree and her all-seeing eyes comes Sissie. She comes to Europe, to a land of towering mountains and low grey skies and tries to make sense of it all. What is she doing here? Why aren't the natives friendly? And what will she do when she goes back home?
Ghanaian writer Ama Ata Aidoo's brilliantly conceived prose poem is by turns bitter and gentle, an...more
Ghanaian writer Ama Ata Aidoo's brilliantly conceived prose poem is by turns bitter and gentle, an...more
Paperback, 134 pages
Published
August 19th 1997
by Longman Publishing Group
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Hmmm - very mixed feelings about this book
for 3/4s of it i loved it.
I loved the prsoey poerty - or was that poerty-like prose. I am not a fan of poetry because I can never work out what its about but in this book it was all just so obvious
I loved lots of Aidoo's langauge and the visuals she created.
"...bottled affairs from the beauty busines. Fragile weapons for a ferocious war."
I wish I had written that
I felt alongside Sissie to some extent - beingout of your land, your continent and a visitor...more
for 3/4s of it i loved it.
I loved the prsoey poerty - or was that poerty-like prose. I am not a fan of poetry because I can never work out what its about but in this book it was all just so obvious
I loved lots of Aidoo's langauge and the visuals she created.
"...bottled affairs from the beauty busines. Fragile weapons for a ferocious war."
I wish I had written that
I felt alongside Sissie to some extent - beingout of your land, your continent and a visitor...more
May 12, 2007
Maythee
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
those who like examples of creative resistance
This creative work, which mixes poetry and prose, speaks to the political and personal violence of European colonialism in Africa. I like how it presents Sissie's journey of defining herself as an educated woman of color within a society that has supposedly "moved beyond" this experience.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Ghana
A surprisingly complex and nuanced account of the narrator's travels from Ghana to Europe and other destinations. Don't let editorial reviews fool you with their domesticated descriptions--this is a much better book than they would lead yoo to believe. It addresses not only colonialism and overt, individual acts of racism, but also ingrained racist perspectives that are obvious when one is their object yet inexplicable and invisible when one is not. The book is written in a pastiche of styl...more
A surprisingly complex and nuanced account of the narrator's travels from Ghana to Europe and other destinations. Don't let editorial reviews fool you with their domesticated descriptions--this is a much better book than they would lead yoo to believe. It addresses not only colonialism and overt, individual acts of racism, but also ingrained racist perspectives that are obvious when one is their object yet inexplicable and invisible when one is not. The book is written in a pastiche of styl...more
Fantastic read! A wonderful perspective on feminism, Imperialism, the perils of immigration from an African Woman's perspective. It amazes me of the timeliness of a piece written in the 1970s. It is a powerful meditation on the problems of Africa and the world that allows it to be so.
This is something I should probably read a few times before trying to get my head around, but it was a pretty enjoyable read. I liked Aidoo's exploration into systems of gender and queerness as they relate to colonial and post-colonial settings.
I remember reading this book as part of my course. Alongside with Emecheta's Joys of Motherhood and Scarlet Letter by Mariama Ba, I was impressed with this idea of African woman being able to overcome the obstacles placed before them.
An awesome, slightly weird book about a young woman from Ghana who goes to Germany to study in the '60's. She's not wide-eyed, she's cool.
teaching this is going to be a doozy...
Finlaly (L).
Meh.
May 11, 2007
Melissa
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Those interested in African Culture or the effects of European Colonization.
Shelves:
around-the-world
I don't really agree with the main character's view point on how to reclaim Africa from the European culture, but the poetic prose style of this small book is beautiful. It's a great look into one woman's view on the effects and possible solution to the culture and economic oppression that is prominent in Africa.
Aidoo's writing is absolutely mesmerizing. She gets right to the heart of the matter and shows it for what it is with a beautiful mix of poetry, prose, and stream-of-consciousness that sings off the page.
Ghana
May 19, 2013
Katie Hoffman
marked it as to-read
May 16, 2013
Prettymomaii Shembotaken
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May 12, 2013
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May 08, 2013
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May 05, 2013
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Apr 30, 2013
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Apr 27, 2013
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She grew up in a Fante royal household, the daughter of Nana Yaw Fama, chief of Abeadzi Kyiakor, and Maame Abasema. She was sent by her father to the Wesley Girls' High School in Cape Coast from 1961 to 1964. The headmistress of Wesley Girls bought her her first typewriter. After leaving high school, she enrolled at the University of Ghana in Legon and received her bachelor of arts in English as w...more
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“But what she also came to know was that someone somewhere would always see in any kind of difference, an excuse to be mean.”
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Nov 02, 2012 04:48pm