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the back of the book clearly says it begins a year after biafra. and that's fine - it is more about post-biafra coups and reconstruction and the shock of aftermath, politically, but really that is all backdrop for this one woman's story, b
in my mind, because i am notoriously illiterate when it comes time to read the back covers of books, this was going to be a novel about biafra. and i thought to myself - "oh, i loved Half of a Yellow Sun, i will read this one as well and it will be excellent".the back of the book clearly says it begins a year after biafra. and that's fine - it is more about post-biafra coups and reconstruction and the shock of aftermath, politically, but really that is all backdrop for this one woman's story, beginning when she is eleven years old.
unfortunately, nearly every character in the book is more interesting or likable than her, so the reader is put in a really frustrating position of being stuck with the crappy tootsie roll center of a perfectly good lollipop.
because i am capable of reading the back copy when i focus, i see now that "this novel charts the fate of two nigerian girls, one who is prepared to manipulate the traditional system and one who attempts to defy it." the manipulating-character is actually pretty great. her story and background and situation are very compelling, and even when she is being horrid, she is still a character you wanna root for. the defiant one - our heroine - is defiant in a way that i do not care for. she is not an unrealistic character, but she is not someone i admire, but i think the reader is meant to. even when she does brave or noble acts towards the end, her behavior in other parts taint any soft feelings i may have otherwise had for her. i understand her frustration, as an educated, middle class citizen of a culture that had infuriating double standards for women in legal, political, familial, and professional contexts, but she is frequently argumentative without being productive, and engages in unnecessary small battles that i suppose are meant to lessen her desire to win big battles that are not within her reach. some would see that as triumphing within one's own enforced limitations, i see it as wasted energy and fruitlessly making enemies. i am being vague because i don't want to ruin any plot for anyone, and i liked this book more than it sounds like i did - i am probably just being nitpicky, because i had such high expectations, given my past experience with nigerian fiction.
here:
...and african authors, it seemed, were always having to explain the smallest things to the rest of the world. to an african reader, these things could appear over-explained. harmattan for instance. you already knew: a season december-january, dust in the eyes, coughing, chilly mornings, by afternoon sweaty armpits. whenever i read foreign books, they never explained the simplest things, like snow. how it crunched under your shoes, kissed your face both warm and cold. how you were driven to trample it, then loathed it after it became soiled. all these things! no one ever bothered to tell an african! this never occurred to me, until an english friend once commented on how my accent changed whenever i spoke to my nigerian friends. that was my natural accent, i told her. if i spoke to her that way, she would never understand. she looked stunned. "i don't believe you," she said sincerely. "that is so polite."
after i'd come to terms with how polite i was being, i became incensed at a world that was impolite to me. underexplained books, books that described a colonial africa so exotic i would want to be there myself, in a safari suit, served by some silent and dignified kikuyu, or some other silent and dignified tribesman. or a dark dark africa, with snakes and vines and ooga-booga dialects. my africa was a light one, not a dark one: there was so much sun. and africa was an onslaught of sensations, as i once tried to explain to a group of english work mates, like eating an orange. what single sensation could you take from an orange? stringy, mushy, tangy, bitter, sweet. the pulp, seeds, segments, skin. the sting in your eyes. the long lasting smell on your fingers...
why couldn't it all have been like that??
there is a lot that goes unmentioned in this novel. in some chapters, time passes swiftly after long drawn-out chapters where everything is explained in great detail. this left me with an uneven reading experience. but this is just blathering. it's a good book, i mean it.
come to my blog!
The friendship between the two women is the most attractive th
Reading this felt like being told someone's life story, and the Nigerian context makes it especially interesting for me as I've now read a few books from Nigerian authors and settings. Since I was cooped up with her it's a good thing I liked Enitan; her high spirits, sharp tongue, feminist discontent and friendliness towards other women like Sheri, whom her family and husband dislike, made her a firm friend from early in the telling.The friendship between the two women is the most attractive thing about the narrative to me and Sheri's sparkiness provides some needed leaven. Both of them have to negotiate a position in a culture that has limiting and exacting expectations of women and they meet the sexism they experience in totally different styles. It was good to see stubborn Enitan admitting she had learned from Sheri, and confident Sheri taking advice from Enitan when she needed it. Such subtle details give the story emotional richness, and the strong focus on relationships integrates with flavourful descriptions of everyday life and political commentary.
Atta's direct, unornamented but sure-footed and witty style binds everything together to give the impression of real autobiography, told chronologically and without foreshadowing. Enitan's changing priorities move the narrative forward, rather than a storytelling voice shaping and smoothing. Instead of leading to a central crisis, the story is set in a zone of unrelenting tension, where the emergence of Enitan's political consciousness roots in the reader a deepening sense of Nigeria's problems. Atta doesn't explain, rather the text embodies the losses and conflicts of community and tradition in the age of extractivism; for example Enitan discovers in her relationship with an artist her limited knowledge of her Yoruba heritage, and remembers her mother's flamboyant style of dress before she became absorbed in the church, and it's possible to read the creeping cultural homogenisation of global neoliberalism in the language and desires of the characters, for example the way economic problems are blamed on Muslim 'Northerners'. However, the focus on personal happiness and self-determination rang my social justice bells pleasantly. This is an easy read with far-from-easy themes.
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This novel started out so promising and became more interesting as all good novels should, until page 175, and then...
The book is divided into three very unequal sections 1971, 1985, and 1995. The 1971 section sees the protagonist Enitan in her childhood, developing a friendship with Sheri (the next door girl) which she is forbidden to spend time with although it is never made clear why this, but she goes ahead an Shame! What a technically flawed mess! And hours of my life I'll never get back :(
This novel started out so promising and became more interesting as all good novels should, until page 175, and then...
The book is divided into three very unequal sections 1971, 1985, and 1995. The 1971 section sees the protagonist Enitan in her childhood, developing a friendship with Sheri (the next door girl) which she is forbidden to spend time with although it is never made clear why this, but she goes ahead anyway. It's in this friendship that the character's differences shine through and like all well-described relationships, we begin to understand what makes these characters tick and we find out what we like or dislike about them. And we begin to understand Entian's parents and their dysfunctionality towards one another. Also, the section takes place in scenes showing us all the action (awesome). So, great, I'm emotionally invested. Btw, this is the best section of the book and the shortest at 70 pages.
The 1985 section manages to maintain my interest, Entian and Sheri are now teenagers with very different lives. Entian is studying law in London and Sheri is in the Miss World pageant representing Nigeria. Yet when they meet back in Lagos, the relationship is not what it should be. The dialogue shows signs of slipping into banter and only becomes more so. The dynamics of their relationship is no longer a focal point, so the emotional development of these characters weakens. Instead, and to horrible effect, they become more self-reflective of the failures about their country. Fair enough, young adults trying to make a start in life often find blame in the system or in others as a reason to why it's all too hard. But note that this is a complete shift in the tone of the book from where we started and where we're now going. The other shift is in Entian's parents' failure to succeed as a couple and all the reasons associated with that. But the parents are never really developed at the internal level, and Entian's thoughts lack real feeling, leaving me in a cerebral mess trying to figure out what I'm supposed to take from all this, because, lo and behold, I'm no longer emotionally invested. Fortunately, there are still lots of scenes, although the narrative interruptions with Entian's thoughts are increasing.
The 1995 section is an abomination. Sheri is now a secondary character. The parents are now caricatures of a divorced, resentful couple. Entian loves an artist until that doesn't work out, but we never really feel her pain, despite having given us an interesting new character. Then she meets her husband-to-be, who is as flat as a sheet of paper. The dialogue is endless banter, and frustratingly redundant. Scenes have become long narrative exposes in Entian's head, and they are about the demise of Nigeria, the political situation in Nigeria, the perception of Nigeria... yes, we are now reading a social commentary novel that is about the facts of Nigeria first, and the shallow characters second. And the repetition, it goes on and on. It's that bad. The last section started on page 177, and on page 230, I couldn't take it anymore. My mind numbed. I decided to skip to the last ten pages. I didn't miss a thing. I saw how she wrapped up everything and it was just more of the same. Worse yet, the social commentary went all the way to the end. The saddest part of all is that Entian is only interesting in the first section of the book! Along the way, I was more interested in Sheri and in the artist boyfriend... talk about a lack of writing perspective!
In some ways I don't blame the writer, but the publisher and the editor for not sitting down Ms. Atta and explaining to her why her choices for the novel are bad, how it is a breach of the reader's trust, and in what ways she can fix it (throw the last section in the incinerator and rewrite is like the first).
Don't waste your time reading this.
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There isn't really a plot h
This is an interesting and colorful, but also disjointed and rushed, story of a young woman growing up in Lagos, Nigeria. It begins in 1971, when she's 11, and ends when she's 35. Unlike a lot of African literature, this book seems aimed more at insiders than outsiders (unsurprising since it specifically discusses this issue), with the result that the story and setting seem complex and authentic, although some of the dialogue was confusing to me as an American reader.There isn't really a plot here, unless "life happens" is a plot. When we first meet our narrator, Enitan, she is an only child in a well-off but unhappy household, and finds her new best friend in the next-door neighbor of whom her parents disapprove. Then Enitan goes off to boarding school; when she returns home for vacation, she witnesses something terrible happen to her friend. Then she goes to London to complete her education, becomes a lawyer and works there for awhile. Then she tires of England, returns to Lagos, and clashes with her father. Then she has a relationship with an artsy guy, but breaks it off when he cheats on her. Then…. well, you get the picture. There is nothing tying all these scenarios together, except that they involve the same character and that the challenge of being a modern woman in Nigeria is a prominent theme.
Despite all that, this isn't a bad book. Atta can write. Her characters and settings are interesting, her ideas well-expressed and her scenes vivid. This book contains the seeds of at least three excellent novels; I wish the author had chosen and nurtured one of them rather than stuffing seemingly everything she wanted to write all into one book. Many of the scenes and situations in the book are fresh and painfully real, giving glimpses of what a great book this could be if the author focused in and fully developed a few of them.
Many readers have apparently disliked Enitan. Perhaps because she's a modern-minded woman who pushes against her society's expectations, but I suspect the real culprit is that lack of development. For instance, Enitan's husband has traditional ideas about gender roles, expecting her to serve his friends drinks and not stepping in to help even when she's grieving. And she is a well-educated urban professional with a strong sense of herself and her opinions. When no reason is shown for her obviously poor choice in marriage – she chooses this guy seemingly at random, without his first displaying any positive qualities – it's easy for readers to become annoyed with Enitan's subsequent frustration. How can we fully sympathize with her dissatisfaction when she puts herself in these situations and we don't understand why?
[Note: I have read no fewer than three books in the last few months with this same problem, the inexplicable marriage of our heroine to a guy with no redeeming qualities, who of course turns out to be a turd. All 20th century settings, all employed heroines with college degrees and a reasonable sense of self-esteem. Authors, I know you want to make clear who we're meant to root for, but healthy people don't just marry whoever looks their way.]
In the end, then, this book shows talent but not quite enough discipline; it has some strong plot moments and characters, but its plotting is disjointed - as, sometimes, is its writing, jumping from one idea to another without transition. I'm open to reading another book from this author, but I'd want to see some strong reviews first.
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From Everything Good Will Come, pgs. 260-261
"And African authors, it seemed, were always having to explain the smallest things to the rest of the world. To an African reader, these things could appear over-explained. Harmattan for instance. You already knew: a season, December-January, dust in the eyes, coughing, chilly mornings, by afternoon sweaty armpits. Whenever I read foreign books,
From Everything Good Will Come, pgs. 260-261
"And African authors, it seemed, were always having to explain the smallest things to the rest of the world. To an African reader, these things could appear over-explained. Harmattan for instance. You already knew: a season, December-January, dust in the eyes, coughing, chilly mornings, by afternoon sweaty armpits. Whenever I read foreign books, they never explained the simplest things, like snow. How it crunched under your shoes, kissed your face both warm and cold. How you were driven to trample it, then loathed it after it became soiled. All these things! No one ever bothered to tell an African! This never occurred to me, until an English friend once commented on how my accent changed whenever I spoke to my Nigerian friends. That was my natural accent, I told her. If I spoke to her that way, she would never understand. She looked stunned. "I don't believe you," she said sincerely. "That is so polite."
After I'd come to terms with how polite I was being, I became incensed at a world that was impolite to me. Underexplained books, books that described a colonial Africa so exotic I would want to be there myself, in a safari suit, served by some silent and dignified Kikuyu, or some other silent and dignified tribesman. Or a dark dark Africa, with snakes and vines and ooga-booga dialects. …" "…But people concentrated on certain aspects of our continent: poverty, or wars, or starvation; bush, tribes, or wildlife. They loved our animals more than they loved us. They took an interest in us only when we were clapping and singing, or half naked like the Maasai, who were always sophisticated enough to recognize a photo opportunity. And for the better informed: "How about that Idi Amin Dada fellow, eh?" That Mobutu Sese Seko fellow, that Jean-Bedel Bokasso fellow, as though those of us who just happened to be living in the same continent could vouch for the sanity of any of these fellows."
Of course, this style of writing does come with its risks/disadvantages. Hence, the jumbled up stories that don't seem to have an absolute conclusion for some characters like Sheri—whose story is rather interesting. Still, I appreciate the writer taking the risk and challenging herself to write in this way. It's something many contemporary writers wouldn't try, unless they're writing a series.
Furthermore, the themes might seem, to many, expressed as rants or diatribes in Enitan's mind. Some may say the writer's message is poorly conveyed, or they weren't even sure what message Sefi wanted to convey. Seeing as the themes surfaced in a random manner, with no supposed link connecting all of them. But on a second read, you may discover that all her messages—political activism, feminism, and others—fall under the central theme many have missed: Life in early post-colonial Nigeria. Using these multiple themes, Sefi shows readers what life was like then, for men, women, children, the aged. So her themes are interlinked. As for the "rants", I found them not as bothersome as others did. In fact, they were quite informative. To me, a Nigerian born in 2003. What better way to learn history, if not with the little bit of drama that is Enitan's life, right?
Besides, in a book club I joined, our host said—and I agreed—life is random. So if Sefi chose to mimic life in its random style by throwing in seemingly random/disjointed events, I have no problem with that. Except, I wish some people's stories which had a promising start were finished.
I do admit: sometimes, Enitan's rambling went on for too long and I had to skip it. In that case, I'd say the author should've second guessed her means of dropping information. So they didn't appear as info dumps readers like me ended up skipping at times.
Let's now analyse our characterization. Specifically, our heroine. Personally, I like Sheri more than Enitan. But I also know Enitan is an equally admirable character, unlike what many think. If she's selfish/self-absorbed, sees men in a bad light, and stubborn, let's not forget that she witnessed Sheri's rape by three boys, something that generally made her distrustful (of men) and headstrong (with men). Like humans, her experiences changed her. Or at least, moulded her into the strong person she grew up to be, willing to fight against the government for the sake of her father. Sure, she made sacrifices along the way, like we humans do. But in general, I can't see Enitan as a selfish person. She's a lady influenced by her experiences.
Now that's there, the highlight of this work for me is the writing style of the author. It's a common thing among African writers to use very deep and African-appealing analogies to paint the scenes for readers. African writers especially use comparisons African readers can easily relate to, yes. But that style of description...it never gets old. I fell in love with every metaphor, simile and analogy Sefi used to immerse readers into her narrative. Her writing style, in this regard, is nothing less than original and beautiful. Not a single cliché expression did I see.
Another thing I love about this work is the relationship dynamic between Sheri and Enitan. These two women are simply incredible. And their friendship? Even more noteworthy. They have different views of the world as it concerns women, but they're willing to talk and listen to one another about them. They're also willing to understand each other where they don't agree. Their dialogues/scenes together are another highlight in this narrative. It really brought out the theme of friendship among women. Males, females, and nonspecifics can all learn something from the portrayal of this theme.
I only wish she'd shortened some of the talks about history, so it looked less like an info dump. I also wish she'd given the relevant characters in the story a sort of conclusion, just as she gave them an interesting beginning. Not only Enitan, even though she's the main character.
All in all, I highly recommend this work if you're curious about post-colonial Nigeria.
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This is the first of Atta's books I've read, but I have been interested in her work for a while having read some of her views on WOC feminism. I appreciated observing how Enitan's views on her place as a woman in Nigerian society and her understanding of man-woman relationships evolved over time, even though sometimes her bluster was somewhat grating at times. Of all the characters, Sheri was my favourite - perhaps because in some strange way she embodies for me the archetypal Nigerian woman (able to rise above her past to make something powerful and meaningful of her life, even if it lies within the narrow confines of Nigerian society). I will definitely re-visit this book in the future.
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"It's easier to walk around a rock," she said. "Than to break it down, and you still g
Fantastic Nigerian novel!!! It was really, really nice to read something that was stylistically so different from American/European novels. It follows the life of a woman as she grows up and becomes a lawyer. One of the things that I most appreciated about it was that the protagonist, Enitan, makes very conscientious decisions about what she wants for her life, about being a "modern woman," among other thintgs."It's easier to walk around a rock," she said. "Than to break it down, and you still get where you're going. I saw that in the past I'd been inclined to want to break rocks, stamping my feet and throwing tantrums when I couldn't. Acting without grace. So cynical was I about the core of strength an Afican woman was meant to possess, untouchable, impenetrable, because I didn't possess one myself.
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My only reservation is in all the socio-political commentary in this book, Fela's name was not mentioned even once.
When an African writes, Everything they pen down is gold such is this masterpiece by sefi.My only reservation is in all the socio-political commentary in this book, Fela's name was not mentioned even once.
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But it was one thing to face an African community and tell them how to treat a woman like a person. It was entirely another to face an African dictatorship and tell them how to treat people like citizens.Reading this so soon after devouring Elena Ferrante's first three Neapolitan novels, I was struck by the overlap of interests of these books: a memoir-esque account of a girlhood friendship between two clever girls that remains a lifelong touchstone as they grow up to struggle against patriarchy
But it was one thing to face an African community and tell them how to treat a woman like a person. It was entirely another to face an African dictatorship and tell them how to treat people like citizens.Reading this so soon after devouring Elena Ferrante's first three Neapolitan novels, I was struck by the overlap of interests of these books: a memoir-esque account of a girlhood friendship between two clever girls that remains a lifelong touchstone as they grow up to struggle against patriarchy, against oppression. The political situations of the books are different, though both cover many brutal events, and Atta's novel left me feeling a lot more optimistic and emotionally satisfied. There is less emotional ambiguity in its ending. (And I loved the ending! Atta nails the last part of the book beautifully. The book earns its title, not with the amount of awfulness and heartbreak it--and protagonist Enitan--endures, but because it insists that all those pieces matter.)
The official book description focuses on childhood, but that part of the book is very brief. What's being traced throughout the book is Enitan's development as a woman, person, citizen. She's never not been capable of argument and self-assertion, but especially to start with, a lot of it is rooted in her sheltered childhood and in her privilege. But the personal is political, and the political is personal, and Atta takes care to show how Enitan's beliefs and analysis are rooted in her experiences and in her interactions with other women. One of my favorite passages is when Enitan is struck with the idea that she could in fact be correctly labeled a feminist--not just because she's an outspoken woman--and thinks about the frustrating categorization of women:
By the time they came of age, millions of personalities were channeled into about three prototypes: strong and silent, chatterbox but cheerful, weak and kind-hearted. All the rest were known as horrible women. I wanted to tell everyone, "I! Am! Not! Satisfied with these options!" I was ready to tear every notion they had about women, like one of those little dogs with trousers in their teeth. They would not let go until there was nothing but shreds, and I would not let go until I was heard. Sometimes it felt like I was fighting annihilation. But surely it was in the interest of self-preservation to fight what felt like annihilation? If a person swiped a fly and the fly flew higher, would the fly become a flyist?I can see the flaws of Everything Good Will Come, and I can predict all the ways other readers might find it unappealing (I'm sure the feminism in this book is considered too didactic by readers, the time-skipping structure doesn't seem to lift the narrative well, the book didn't always smoothly integrate its exposition, and I was alternately in love with or frustrated by the prose--but my favorite line was, "My mother was hollow, I thought. There was nothing in her. Like a drum, she could seize my heartbeat, but that was all."). I still really liked this book, though.
I sighed. "I want to be something like…like president."...more"Eh? Women are not presidents."
"Why not?"
"Our men won't stand for it. Who will cook for your husband?"
"He will cook for himself."
"What if he refuses?"
"I'll drive him away."
"You can't," she said.
"Yes I can. Who wants to marry him anyway?"
"What if they kill you in a coup?"
"I'll kill them back."
"What kind of dream is that?"
"Mine." I smirked.
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There are so many elements covered during Thank you @myriad_editions for gifting me a copy of Everything Good Will Come by Sefi Atta - I thoroughly enjoyed it! It starts a year after the Biafran War in 1971, with Nigeria under military rule, when Enitan and Sheri first meet as children, and follows their lives as they grow up until 1995. I love this kind of story, and Atta blends the personal stories of the two women against the backdrop of Nigeria's political and economical struggles very well.
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There are so many elements covered during the course of this book, as you'd expect from one dealing with decades of two lives. Particularly compelling components for me were Enitan's strained relationship with her mother, the pressure she feels when she's 35 and still childless, Sheri's decision to work the system and find a sugar daddy (before it turns sour), and Enitan's fight to prove herself as a capable lawyer in a country which used 'feminist' as an insult.
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I loved Atta's use of dialogue too - I find a lot of authors struggle with speech, it often comes off stilted and awkward, whereas here you can sense the sparks between all the different characters with their angry, passionate, jealous and witty back-and-forths. She also slips some keen-eyed observations in there regarding how the rest of the world views Nigeria and how Nigerians feel about their country.
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I did think some parts were a little rough around the edges (there were some weird proofreading errors), and I think there could have been more dimension had the chapters been narrated alternately by Enitan and Sheri, rather than just Enitan, but overall it was a very rich read and made me look forward to reading more by Sefi Atta!
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I liked the beginning, of the novel before it became an activist journey. All is well that ends well. I don't really know what to make of Enitan. Probably the timing of the Military Regime. I can't say I understand her thoughts or her argument.
I liked the beginning, of the novel before it became an activist journey. All is well that ends well. ...more
A beautifully written novel that did more than any other Nigerian novel I've read so far to show Nigeria of the late twentieth century and particularly Lagos in all its aspects, good and bad. As it spans over twenty five years we see how the political situation was continually in flux with the constitution itself being changed and ignored, how corruption and outside interests were ever present and how stolen wealth, greed and one sided perceptions of Africa exist.
It's also though about
4.5 starsA beautifully written novel that did more than any other Nigerian novel I've read so far to show Nigeria of the late twentieth century and particularly Lagos in all its aspects, good and bad. As it spans over twenty five years we see how the political situation was continually in flux with the constitution itself being changed and ignored, how corruption and outside interests were ever present and how stolen wealth, greed and one sided perceptions of Africa exist.
It's also though about the city of Lagos and it's changing face and about the position of men and women in that society and it's very much about the friendship between Enitan and Sheri that begins when they are children and continues throughout the novel as they take very different paths. Through them we see the options or otherwise for women in this society, including women like Grace, a journalist who fights to write the truth and Enitan's mother who clings to her church and her hatred of Enitan's father. They discuss Yoruba traditions, religion, inequalities between men and women, language and food and a rich portrait is constructed with its frustrations, joys, fears and triumphs. At the same time the imprisonment of those who speak up against the government is a big part of the book and the line that you risk crossing by speaking out.
It isn't quite five stars because there is a section in the middle which feels a little slow and repetitious but other than that this was an excellent read.
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Through her relationship with her parents, her friendship with Sheri, her marriage and her association with pro-democracy activists we get a vivid picture of life for upper middle class Nigerian wom
Enitan is born in 1960, the year of her country's independence. Through her life from childhood to adulthood, we get to experience post-civil war Nigeria, Nigeria under a short-lived democracy, Nigeria under military dictatorships, Nigeria through the oil boom and Nigeria through economic depression.Through her relationship with her parents, her friendship with Sheri, her marriage and her association with pro-democracy activists we get a vivid picture of life for upper middle class Nigerian women who came of age in the 80s and 90s. Talking about class, Sefi masterfully covers the lives of both the wealthy elite and the poor masses through the eyes of the protagonist. She doesn't veer too far into letting us see life from their perspective, instead she lets Enitan make her observations and the reader is left to decide on the accuracy of Enitan's judgments.
It is no mean literary feat to be able to fit a compelling story into a setting which threatens to swallow the whole plot with its volatility. But Sefi Atta pulls it off brilliantly, making sure that what we remember from this book is not only the struggle of a country finding its way, but also the struggle of a woman trying to snatch herself from the limits of societal expectation.
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A lot of characters were introduced and not given enough time to be remembered (esp. the best friend), making the main character fall away.
The book could've been much shorter than is, and there are lot of unnecessary parts in the book.
Nonetheless, it was insightful about war, Nigerian life, family, love, and military life which I think most Africans are able to relate to.
It's a story about a young Nigerian girl (and her friend) growing up in Nigeria. The period of the writing spans between 1971 and 1995, when the military regime held sway.
Perhaps it was because it's been a while I have picked up a fiction book, but it was difficult for me to get into this story. It took me almost a week to flip the first page. But then, I eased into the story, got sucked in and finished it in 4 days, this des
This evening, I finished Sefi Atta's novel - Everything Good Will Come.It's a story about a young Nigerian girl (and her friend) growing up in Nigeria. The period of the writing spans between 1971 and 1995, when the military regime held sway.
Perhaps it was because it's been a while I have picked up a fiction book, but it was difficult for me to get into this story. It took me almost a week to flip the first page. But then, I eased into the story, got sucked in and finished it in 4 days, this despite my heavy workload. I can only thank a friend for telling me it's a good book else I would have abandoned it on the very first page.
Enitan, the narrator, took us on a journey from when she was 11 years old to when she was 35. Enitan, an only child in a middle-class but unhappy household, was delighted to meet a next neighbour friend whom her mother disapproves of. She eventually goes to boarding school, then off to England to study, and comes back to Nigeria. She works as a lawyer in her father's law firm, but leaves the place after a disagreement. Dated an artist but breaks it off after he cheated. Eventually gets married and gives birth, in between this period, her father is imprisoned, and her mum dies.
The summary aboves does a disservice to the book, because of the impeccable descriptive ability of Sefi Atta. In the book, she would say the obvious yet leave you yearning for more.
Look at this below,
"Sheri was a Moslem and she didn't know much about Christianity, except that there was a book in the Bible and if you read it, you could go mad." Hahaha
Anyone who grew up in South West Nigeria will reminisce about this.
Reading it, I would smile reading the illustrations she provided to certain situations, but I could not help feeling that I would be completely lost if I were not a Nigerian. Was she writing strictly to an African audience? Then I saw these lines,
"...to an African reader, these things could appear overexplained. Harmattan for instance. You already knew: a season, December–January, dust in the eyes, coughing, chilly mornings, by afternoon sweaty armpits. Whenever I read foreign books, they never explained the simplest things, like snow. How it crunched under your shoes, kissed your face both warm and cold. How you were driven to trample it, then loathed it after it became soiled. All these things! No one ever bothered to tell an African!"
I also feel the details in the book deserve more than a Novel. Could this have been written as an autobiography or a political treatise of the lives of middle-class Nigerians during the period of the military junta? I think so.
I think this especially because this book touches greatly on the plight and travails of the female gender in our society. The neglected wife for lack of male child. Solace of religion for an abandoned woman. Finding a husband. Rape. Domestic abuse. Miscarriage. Women political activism.
It's an interesting and colorful book particularly for a Nigerian because Sefi Atta writes beautifully. I'm glad another of her book has been recommended.
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There were several instances in this book that seemed as if the author was just throwing in a femini
Giving this book 2 stars kills me a little bit inside, but I have to agree with the many reviews here: the editing needed tightening. In the first 40 pages, I was so absorbed in this story that I couldn't put it down. I had to know what was going to happen. I cared about the characters, I was intrigued with the political backdrop. Everything meshed so well. Then, the complexity began evaporating.There were several instances in this book that seemed as if the author was just throwing in a feminist rant. If you know me at all, you know I love feminist rants, particularly when they're so well embedded within the story like Emecheta's The Joys of Motherhood. Atta clearly tries to do what Emecheta did with her feminist rants, only it's not well embedded. It seems separate from the story. And it was distracting.
The story seemed disorganized after the second part. First we were here and then, we trial blazed into areas I wasn't sure connected with the overarching theme. We went to the prisons, the injustice, the instability, but we didn't get the inner workings of our main character. Instead, she seemed fine and motivated. Seems logical, but with all of her thoughts so far in the book, why didn't we get more inside her head for these things? One moment, Atta is talking about injustice and war and the next a feminist rant. The thing is, THEY BOTH GO TOGETHER but somehow they didn't mesh in the stream-of-consciousness. I don't know how this is possible, but it happened.
By the last 170 pages, I was reading to finish the book. I didn't care. I lost interest in the characters and the one character I was super interested in fell flat. I'm so sad that this book didn't turn out to be a better read for me.
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It started out interesting enough. I liked the childhood story and found Enitan's friend, Sheri very complex and fascinating. Enitan was only interesting because of the role she play
I was told this was a critically acclaimed Nigerian book so patriot that I am, I decided to give it a try. By the time I was halfway through I did not see any reason to finish it other than the fact that I had already started. I will not pick it up again except for a class, and even then I will be reluctant to do so.It started out interesting enough. I liked the childhood story and found Enitan's friend, Sheri very complex and fascinating. Enitan was only interesting because of the role she played in the dynamics of the relationship. I think the problem was that the only time that Enitan's life seemed worth reading about was when she was with Sheri. After we lost touch with Sheri,the story lost me.
Atta uses a memoir-like style as she narrates events in Enitan's life but there were very few times that I felt like I should care. Enitan just tells us her lifestory but I don't really see a plot. And even though we're stuck in her head, I think she is the dullest character in the book. Sheri, and Enitan's parents all have more depth and it get's annoying when she keeps telling us things that happen in such a boring way. I really don't care about her.
I started reading this book and then couldn't get through it. I tried to read it again a year later but it wasn't any more engaging. There are very few memorable scenes in this book and I wish Atta had tried to entertain more than inform. I think the story would have had some potential, if only I knew what it was.
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I would like to say that this is a book
We are introduced to Enitan when she is 11 years old and this for me is the more interesting bit/period of the book. Enitan comes from an upper middle class dysfunctional family where the mum is obsessively religious and the dad is a somewhat successful lawyer. She befriends her neighbour, Sheri, who is a rebel in every sense of the word, to the disapproval of her mother. The book follows their journey into adulthood and the choices they have had to make.I would like to say that this is a book about friendships that stand the test of time and the challenges of being a woman in an oppressive society and country. Feminists will look at it that way perhaps but for me, it was a boring book. Enitan was a difficult woman to understand. I kept trying to rationalise her actions and her way of looking at the world but I just couldn't relate.
Sheri is actually a more interesting character, complex and fascinating and I feel like it's her story that needed to be told. The bits I enjoyed in the book were the ones Sheri was a part of. I wanted to get to know her, I wanted to really get into her world and connect with her but her appearances in the book were scattered and scarce, what a shame!!
It could have been a good book if it focused on one specific story. Maybe. Just a Meh Read, 2/5.
...more I'm not sure what the point of all these developments in Enitan's life were, I didn't feel them tie in at the end, with the exception of one or two things.
And this felt similar to life: things happen, different things. Some exciting, some alienating, some exciting and some ordinary.
In all of that the writer's w
If you asked me what this book was about, I probably would not be able to coherently respond. So many different things happened, in a methodical way (which has been tricky to comprehend ).I'm not sure what the point of all these developments in Enitan's life were, I didn't feel them tie in at the end, with the exception of one or two things.
And this felt similar to life: things happen, different things. Some exciting, some alienating, some exciting and some ordinary.
In all of that the writer's work was a pleasure to read, easy, had flow and engaging.
A passage that I enjoyed:
Whenever I read foreign books they never explained The simplest things, like snow. How it crunched under your shoes, kissed your face both warm and cold.
How you were driven to trample it, then loathe it after it became soiled.
All these things!
No one ever bothered to tell an African!
This never occurred to me until an English friend once commented on how my accent changed whenever I spoke to my Nigerian friends.
That was my natural accent, I told her.
If I spoke to her that way, she would never understand.
She looked stunned.
"I don't believe you" she said sincerely. "That is so polite"z
Afte I'd come to terms with how polite I was being, I became incensed at a world that was impolite to me.
Underexplained books, books that described colonial Africa so exotic ai would want to be there myself, in a safari suit, served my some silent dignified ktribesman.
Or a dark dark Africa with snakes and vines and pigs-boobs dialects.
My Africa was a light one, not a dark one: there was so much sun.
And Africa was an onslaught of sensations, as I once tried to explain to a group of English work mates, like eating an orange.
What single sensation could you take from an orange?
Stringy, mushy, tangy, bitter, sweet.
The pulp, seeds, segments, skin.
The sting in your eyes.
The long lasting smell on your fingers.
A former chartered accountant and CPA, she is a graduate of the creative writing program at Antioch University, Los Angeles. Her shor
Sefi Atta was born 1964 in Lagos, Nigeria. She was educated there, in England and the United States. Her father Abdul-Aziz Atta was the Secretary to Federal Government and Head of the Civil Service until his death in 1972, and she was raised by her mother Iyabo Atta.A former chartered accountant and CPA, she is a graduate of the creative writing program at Antioch University, Los Angeles. Her short stories have appeared in journals like Los Angeles Review and Mississipi Review and have won prizes from Zoetrope and Red Hen Press. Her radio plays have been broadcast by the BBC. She is the winner of PEN International's 2004/2005 David TK Wong Prize and in 2006, her debut novel Everything Good Will Come was awarded the inaugural Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa.
Her short story collection, Lawless, received the 2009 Noma Award For Publishing in Africa. Lawless is published in the US and UK as News From Home.
She lives in Mississippi with her husband Gboyega Ransome-Kuti, a medical doctor, and their daughter, Temi.
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