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Americanah

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Start date: August 15, 2014

Finish date: September 1, 2014

Discussion: Reading List

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What Members Thought

Feb 13, 2017 Laura rated it really liked it

Shelves: e-books, read-2017, viciados-em-livros, kindle, mtbr-challenge-2017, contemporary-fiction, africa, african-literature, nigeria, immigrants

My rating: 4.5 stars

After I've watched the movie based on "Half of Yellow Sun" and with the actual thematic issue on immigrants in America, I decided to read this book.

A magnificent and brilliant book which seems to have some autobiographical issues there.

About the plot: it describes the life of two young people and close friends, Ifemelu and Obinze. Under dictatorship in Nigeria, Ifemelu decides to go America while Obinze will try a new life in England.

Their description of their lives as immig ...more

14 likes · Like · see review

Jan 26, 2019 Dree rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-read, 2019-reads, africa, the-northeast, immigration, women-s-prize-long-short

My first Adichie, and now I want to read her earlier work soon.

Ifemelu and Obinzie are young, in love, and have a lot of hope. They both want to go from Nigeria to America for college. Ifemelu gets a visa--but Obinze can't, as a young man from Nigeria he is "a security risk". She goes, he instead overstays a visa in England, working illegally.

In America Ifemelu learns she is "black"--and she has to learn to navigate the worlds of whites, African-Americans, and immigrants. She cuts contact with O ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Jul 30, 2016 Happyreader rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Despite some astute observations on race and status, the story felt cartoonish. Ifemelu, our churlish heroine, is universally attractive to perfect men of substance - all of whom she betrays and the best of whom she leads into betrayal. Except for a rough start in the US, Ifemelu is the recipient of many rewards, primarily the result of good contacts and luck. Her race blog is interesting but not enough to result in the steady flow of income and renown that follows. Telling that Obinze notes tha ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 08, 2015 Rosana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audio-books, 2015

To say that Americanah shines as a commentary on race and class is an easy statement, but what really impressed me was the scope of Adichie’s attempt in this book, and that she does keep it together to the end. Adichie manages to bring to life so many characters with diverse backgrounds. Most characters do have race in common, however their histories and backgrounds are distinct, and this is what – I think – she set herself to demonstrate.

Other reviewers complain that as a love story this boo ...more

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Mar 11, 2014 William rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2014

An excellent book. It follows Ifemelu and Obinze on their joint and separate paths. Meant for each other but separated by fate and the paths they must follow in their individual search for meaning and self-fulfillment. Obinze must suffer failure and humiliation before he finally finds success ( but not happiness)where he least expects it - back home in Nigeria. Ifemelu finds success in America but is unable to come to terms with her true identity - her African heart.
The issue of race is explored ...more

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