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Discussion: Americanah
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Columbus wrote: "I'm just loving all of these comments!I just finished the book a couple of hours ago and honestly, I was a little afraid it wouldn't end well. That somehow this book couldn't possibly have a goo..."
I agree, it would be nice to have to think about it for awhile.
I thought it was interesting that Obama's impending presidency bout Ifem and Blain together, at least for a short time.
So did anyone think that Obinzie was set up in Europe? He was paying all that money to have the pseudo wedding and then the day of the wedding the authorities just happen to bust him.
Evelyn wrote: "So did anyone think that Obinzie was set up in Europe? He was paying all that money to have the pseudo wedding and then the day of the wedding the authorities just happen to bust him."My thinking was that it had just taken some time for them to catch up with him after he was reported to his place of employment (by the blackmailer whose ID Obinze was using). Although the exact timing of the capture also felt like a dramatic ploy by the author (and also it gave us a chance to see as much of the process and emotions involved in these "fake" marriages and the context at the courthouse as we could, without going through with the actual wedding).
there was never any real question in my mind that Obinzie was set up. among other things, its easier to use the girl over and over if she never actually gets married. and of course with him detained and deported, who s he going to tell?
I see Americanah has made the list of 15 nominated books for Goodreads best fiction here: https://www.goodreads.com/choiceaward...Definitely get out and vote in this first round if you are a fan!
Also, is there a general thread for promoting authors of color in this years nominations? I saw The Ghost Bride and And the Mountains Echoed on the list, too, both of which were in our polls this year...
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Definitely get out and vote in this first r..."
As my favorite book of the year...I voted.
Thanks, Michael!
already done. you didn't even have to ask.
I received Americanah from the library three weeks ago!! the waiting list was up to 89 last time I checked. I'm going to read through all the posts and add my two cents.
Looking forward to your comments, Tiffany!
Columbus wrote: "July 4th, 3:48am:Well, I'm not sure if its insomnia or just that I'm so anxious to start discussing this book that has me posting a question at such a bewitching hour --but here we are. Probably ..."
I knew Black people all over the world have internalized the notion of straight hair as the standard of beauty but not to the extent that Adichie mentioned in her NPR interview. It saddens me to think that very little remained within Nigerian women to hold on to, not only their natural hair but also their own spirituality. Thankfully, the human spirit is unflappable and she was able to eventually love her hair again.
M wrote: "I recently read Americanah. It is very well-written, and the observations about race are oh-so accurate. I'm enjoying following the discussion here, and thought I'd add a couple of my own thought..."Good point! Along with Ifemelu's detachment, I'm wondering how cut off from the US are the more developed cities in Africa? My Pan-Africanism professor taught us that the rest of the world learns about Black America through whatever is syndicated on television. That was decades ago when the syndicated shows were "Good Times" & "The Jeffersons". No one would have a complete view of African-Americans that way. Adichie gives us a lesson on the myriad of ways colonialism can manifest.
Columbus wrote: "When we first meet Obinze (The Zed) in Part 1, he's extremely successful though we know very little else about him. As Ifemelu describes him; "her first love, her first lover, the only person with ..."Thanks to Adichie's skill, I didn't see Obinze as a stereotype even though he's put in a typical setting. I was always ready for more depth from him & wasn't disappointed.
Blaine took some discovering and adjusting. I had a very flamboyant hairdresser named Blaine once. I kept picturing the gold lame blouse he wore the last time he did my hair. We meet Americanah's Blaine at a vulnerable moment for him and he seems weakened from the break-up. I'm glad we got to see different facets of him throughout the book. I liked him most when they met on the train, but Obinze is my favorite male character in the book.
It was good to hear all your comments, Tiffany, very interesting thoughts. With the year's nominations and this thread going I feel like I'm living it all over again!You made me realize I hadn't listened to the NPR interview so I went back and did that. I thought it very interesting that she says everyone she knew growing up in Nigeria straightened their hair, but she didn't feel like it was a way to look more "white", just that it was considered beautiful, it was how you became a woman. I immediately thought, wow, it must be incredibly subconscious, maybe media or missionaries have propagated this in such a way that the connection to whiteness isn't made, or that Nigerians who travel bring back the influence and so those who stay in Nigeria don't see the source - but am I thinking correctly? Am I wrong that this is white racism acting on Nigerian hair preferences? I don't really know the chronology of this hair tradition in Nigeria so I'm curious if anyone else has thoughts on this.
No, you're correct, this is white racism acting on Nigerian hair preferences. In that great class on Pan-Africanism, we learned of the European agenda in Africa - they were bringing "God, greed and guns". Missionaries, guns to take over the land and their greed for the gold and precious stones abundant in Africa. Combine that with a little publicized documentary "400 Years Without A Comb", which showed some of the effects of the slave trade on Africans deprived of their basic necessities while in captivity, and you get a sense of why and how the hair debate runs so deep. As the US gains prominence during the Industrial Age, the world gets inundated with all things "American". Whether it's cognitive dissonance and/or television, the world begins to see first white Americans, then African Americans in their best light (not including the televised horrors during the Civil Rights Era). Many African American women had their hair straightened or wore wigs with straight hair to be successful on television. That's what the world sees of the dominant culture and it seeps into people's subconscious.
While I'm not surprised Adichie says she didn't feel it was a way to look more "white", I am surprised she didn't connect when Nigerians began to want straight hair.
Columbus wrote: "From the beginning of this book, Adichie brings up really uncomfortable issues that most Americans of all ethnicities seem to shy away from. She appears to have no problem making you squirm. I fin..."I love that about her; I love to experience her take on the uncomfortable. Ifemelu's blog brings up so much of what we're thinking and then some.
I found The Root's blogger tale infinitely more sad and anger-provoking than Ifemelu's Tostitos' tale. Ifemelu's scene with the coach ripped me apart though.
Tiffany wrote: "No, you're correct, this is white racism acting on Nigerian hair preferences. In that great class on Pan-Africanism, we learned of the European agenda in Africa - they were bringing "God, greed and..."Thanks for the response, Tiffany. I appreciate the reference to the documentary; I'd never heard of it, but as you say it is little publicized. I don't see it available, for example, at Amazon. However, the book is available for purchase: when you search for "400 years without a comb" at Amazon you get 3 results - two editions of the book, and the Andis High Heat Press Comb for straightening hair. Wow, that says it all.
Would you recommend the documentary? I did find it here: http://www.houseofnubian.com/IBS/Simp...
Also, I ran into this book during my searches, which has good reviews: Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America.
Your mention of the TV connection resonated with me, since television images were such a part of my childhood. I forget about how much other countries learn about America from its television shows, and seeing images of African Americans with straightened hair or wigs would not give an outside observer the context to understand the history behind it.
Michael wrote: "Tiffany wrote: "No, you're correct, this is white racism acting on Nigerian hair preferences. In that great class on Pan-Africanism, we learned of the European agenda in Africa - they were bringing..."I would absolutely recommend the documentary. I ought to be must-see for all Americans. Something resonates deep down when you see it. I'm going to have to read Hair Story.
I was very happy to see Ifemelu come to the self-love of her hair on her own. It helped her character come to life.
Columbus wrote: "Leave it to the NYTimes to get it right!http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/12/15/..."
Yeah!!!!
Thanks for sharing
I saw it also made the top ten at Book Page.
But said for me is that hoping to find a list that has both Americanah and The Good Lord Bird in the top 10 (beside my own list). :)
Thanks for sharing, Columbus, that is pretty impressive since they are only listing 5 fiction books total for the year!I did notice two, maybe three authors of color out of the 20 Goodreads winners this year (not sure how Kami Garcia who wrote Beautiful Creatures: The Manga defines herself): Khaled Hosseini won for And the Mountains Echoed in Fiction, and Malala Yousafzai won for I Am Malala in Memoirs. Still no authors of African descent and looking back I don't see any authors of color at all in the Goodreads winners for 2012, 2010, and 2009 (unless I missed someone or unless we count graphic novel illustrators). We still have a long way to go - kudos to everyone in this group for keeping the flame burning!
Beverly wrote: "hoping to find a list that has both Americanah and The Good Lord Bird in the top 10 (beside my own list). :) "I haven't found one yet, but our local Atlanta feminist bookstore had some guest authors pick their recommendations last week, and The Good Lord Bird was on Pearl Cleage's list. There are some pretty good suggestions for books by authors of color on the list (mainly suggested by the authors of color, notably):
http://charisbooksandmore.com/event/i...
These were general suggestions, so they include books from past years, not just 2013.
(And I've just noticed I've gone waaay off topic, so I apologize!)
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http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/31397/a-...
[Transferring this message from another thread!]Hello. :) I recently (yesterday) finished reading this book, and I greatly enjoyed it. It was very relevant to where I am right now, as the issues raised are all stuff I've been thinking about in 2013. I've read books by people of color before, but never one so current, where the characters were recognizable to me as people I've met and talked to.
I have some questions about the characters that I would love to have additional opinions on. I read through the discussion of the book as the group read it, but these weren't touched upon all that much.
1) Why do you think Dike attempted to commit suicide? Dike is a character that, maybe because of his youth, is shrouded in some ambiguity as he's not yet articulate enough to talk about race. Uju and Ifemelu also avoid asking him about his motives.
2) What do you make of Emenike? He was one of the characters that fascinated me the most, the way he changed, chameleon-like, to fit amongst the society he chose to seek. At the dinner party, his dialogue could've almost been that of anyone of his friends at the table.
3) Do you find it plausible that Ifemelu and Blaine's relationship could be rekindled by their mutual love for Obama? I read the reviews and this is something a lot of people seemed to have problems with. Myself, I remember that Obama made it seem as if anything was possible when he was first elected, for a black man to be president, for a woman to become Pope . . . and I don't even live in the United States. And yet, that chapter pulled me out of the story for a bit, although I did enjoy parts of it. (My favorite was Shan still being self-involved and not even following the election!!)
Looking forward to your replies. :)
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http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2...
Columbus wrote: "The year-end recognition and awards for Americanah are finally piling up and deservedly so. A finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award along with some other writers of color.http://www..."
Yes, I was glad to see that!
A bit of news about Americanah:http://hellobeautiful.com/2014/05/30/...
The story also mentioned that Half a Yellow Sun is in theaters but it must be in very limited release because it not in any DC area theater.
William wrote: "A bit of news about Americanah:http://hellobeautiful.com/2014/05/30/...
The story also mentioned that Half a Yellow Sun is in theaters but it must be in very limited release because it not in any DC area theater."
Very limited so far.
http://www.montereymedia.com/theatric...
Those are good questions, especially why did Dike attempt suicide - my first thought was that it had something to do with his Mum, I think she was quite cold and put too much pressure on him to live up to all her expectations instead of just being himself. I also thought maybe he was secretly gay and felt like he'd rather be dead than carry on living a lie, admitting it to his Mum wouldn't be considered. I think that's plausible because Dike seemed, to me, to put on an act to fit in, be popular and amiable. Nobody can be that happy all the time.As for Blaine and Ifemelu, yes, I do think its possible that their mutual appreciation of Obama rekindled their relationship - because neither were ready to move on and were lingering, just waiting for some common ground again.. Obviously it didn't last but for that time it was enough, because they didn't hate each other, they were simply moving in different directions, but still felt safe and familiar with each other.
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http://www.bronzelensfilmfest.com/blf...
ah nuts. I'm going to be Atlanta for a bit next month. no luck for me then.
No wider release any time soon then, I suppose.
There will be a showing of Half of a Yellow Sun at Duke Univ in Durham, NC on July 24, 2014. Tickets are free but you have to call the phone number to reserve. I'm not familiar with the venue and will probably opt for streaming on the internet through panatv.comHere's the Duke link:
http://ami.duke.edu/events/archive/20...
Mod
http://www.theguardian.com/books/audi...
I'm super late BUT I'm so happy that I'm finally able to join one of the discussions for this group . Just finished Americanah last night and it was easily my fave book of the year (although I've only read 6 others this year :). I rated it a 4 out of 5 and I think it would've been a 5 star addition if it had been a non-fiction book only of the race blogs OR if the novel had been a little shorter (I didn't really care for the section of the book that talked of her joining the women's magazine in Nigeria. didn't think it added anything).Hope that I don't stir up trouble, but one reason that I really loved the book in general (and Ifemelu specifically) was that I kept thinking to myself "YES, here's an NAB who 'gets it' ". Growing up in NYC I went to school with AB's and NAB's and until undergrad I never knew that such a bad rift existed between some of us. In college I discovered many NAB's who looked at AB's in a way that was not much different than I'd expect a bigot to view us. Very surprising experience for me, but it certainly was not the last time I encountered that ideology. It reminded me of the part of the book when Shan asked Ifemelu for the word that Nigerians called AB's.
Regarding Aunty Uju and why she stayed with the General, I didn't find her decision surprising at all. I saw many similarities between the dating choices of Nigerian women in the novel and the choices of some AB women today. When you're constantly told that there's a "good man shortage" but your marital status is still viewed as a sign of your worth, many women will take whatever comes along. Whether that's a married man, an abusive man, whatever comes is better than being single. When Ifemulu came back to Nigeria the question that was on the top of every woman's head was if/when they were going to get married. Look at what Aunty Uju put up with in the States (paying a man's car note??!!), and she was a doctor.
I agree with Wilhelmina that Ifemelu will probably get bored in a few months and leave Obinze. She seems like a self-saboteur when it comes to relationships and too much of a free spirit to be tied down to any one person or one place for long. I think that she also had a huge narcissistic streak. Why should she come back to Nigeria for years and expect for Obinze to take the idea of leaving his wife lightly? I liked her character overall, but there were moments when she got under my skin (such as when she told Obinze that she always saw the ceiling with other men?!).
Curt's character was what I expected. Blaine's character was not. I honestly thought he was going to be a Republican or a Hillary Clinton supporter.
I loved reading about Obinze's time in England. Eminike's character was so real to me and always makes me ask the question: what's the point of "making it" if you have to pretend to be someone else when you do?"
One topic that I was surprised that no one mentioned was religion. Has the author ever talked about her ideas on religion? Her novel Purple Hibiscus dealt with religious extremism and this novel also had some interesting passing comments. I definitely thought that Ifem was either an atheist or agnostic at best. Even Obinze made a comment about his daughter that seemed to knock religion ("Obinze feared she would grow up to be a woman who, with that word "amen," would squash the questions she wanted to ask of the world.")
Anyone else pick up on this or have any thoughts on the role of religion and equality (racial and gender) in this author's writing?
Literary Fiction by People of Color
Books mentioned in this topic
Americanah (other topics)The Good Lord Bird (other topics)
And the Mountains Echoed (other topics)
Beautiful Creatures: The Manga (other topics)
Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Pearl Cleage (other topics)Kami Garcia (other topics)
Khaled Hosseini (other topics)
Malala Yousafzai (other topics)
Pearl Cleage (other topics)
More...
They showed this on the news and I felt awful for that little girl.