
On the one hand, I
really admire this book. I think the themes are incredibly important, and
Adichie explores them deftly and interestingly. It is certainly a
thought-provoking, deep book – and nor did I find it overly moralistic. It’s
more a novel to make you think, to answer questions you didn’t even realise you
had. One of my favourite aspects of this book were the contrasts drawn between different
kinds of racial experiences. For example, the difference between being Nigerian
and moving to the US, or being African American and having grown up there; or
the differences Obinze and Ifemelu encounter between the UK and the US. The
cultural differences between Nigeria, the US and the UK are likewise all
fascinatingly explored.
There are some
aspects of the plot that I also found very interesting. Ifemelu’s experiences
when she first arrives in America are heart-wrenching, but feel very real, and
for the first time we get a strong sense of the kind of person she is, what can
and cannot break her. The device of her blog about race is a clever and very
interesting one, which I felt really worked. Likewise, Obinze’s life in London
as an illegal immigrant opens your eyes to a lot of things you might not have
thought about otherwise. In fact, I would have loved to know more about Obinze’s
life. At first the book seems ready to be a dual narrative, but Ifemelu’s story
definitely takes precedent in the end. We only see snatches of Obinze’s
experiences in the UK, and I personally would have liked a more equal split. I
think I would have felt more engagement with Obinze’s character if we’d found
out more about the rest of his life, and while we do see a little contrast
between experiences in the UK and America, I think perhaps more would have been
beneficial.
For me Americanah is one of those books that I found
more interesting than enjoyable. It at times felt quite slow to me, and it took
me a while to become properly engaged with the book – and even when I was
engaged, it was the themes I was reading it for, not the characters.
Ifemelu and Obinze,
individually, are interesting characters, but I feel like a lot of the other
characters aren’t particularly developed. Even Blaine and Curt feel only
half-done, and there are a lot of minor characters whose purpose seems only to
say inappropriate things at dinner parties. I know that this a book about
themes more than about characters, but I still think that Adichie could have strengthened
her arguments by strengthening some of the minor characterisation. For example,
take Kimberly’s sister Laura. She says some atrocious things, but because she
is only ever really an atrocious person, we almost dismiss some of the things
she says just as her being an ignorant and not very nice person, rather than
seeing broader issues in American culture as a whole. Kimberly herself is slightly
more complex, but I feel like Adichie slips into stock figures a little too
often. And when her characters are visibly there just to make her point, they
make that point far less well.
Moreover, I didn’t
feel entirely convinced by the relationship between the central characters. I
wasn’t gripped enough by the story of their relationship and love to be fully
engaged with the plot. I think part of the problem for me was this: Ifemelu
goes to America while they are still together. They have a vague plan that he
will follow, but this is mentioned in just one line; I simply didn’t believe
that these characters who are so in love and reliant on one another that they changed
university choices just to be in the same place, would so happily separate. I
feel like more was needed to explain this, even just a scene of them planning
their future. The actual breakdown of their relationship when she gets to
America is very believable, and written very well – but I wasn’t convinced by
their relationship prior to that. Throughout the book I was invested in the
themes, but the relationship at the heart of it is not that engaging, which
kept me removed.
This is quite a mixed
review, I know. I admire the book for its themes and what it’s trying to do,
but I found the characters and plot at times lacking. If you want a gripping,
engaging book, this might not be it – but Adichie does explore important themes
in a very interesting way, and it certainly provides some food for thought.
Greatest
strength: The way
Adichie explores the themes of race and culture.
Greatest
weakness: The
characters, I think – or at least the relationship between them.
Let’s
finish on a quote:
‘The only reason you say that race was not an issue is because you wish it was
not. We all wish it was not. But it’s a lie. I came from a country where race
was not an issue; I did not think of myself as black and I only became black
when I came to America. When you are black in America and you fall in love with
a white person, race doesn’t matter when you’re alone together because it’s
just you and your love. But the minute you step outside, race matters. But we
don’t talk about it.’
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I enjoy reading your written reviews as well! I have yet to read Americanah, but have heard a lot about it from plenty of BookTubers. I like the organization of your review, for it gives me an idea about what is really good and not so good about the novel. For me, the strength of characters is crucial. I will be looking forward to reading more and I compliment the idea that you are able to stick to a consistent schedule! :)
ReplyDeleteHello again Josh. I'm glad you liked my review - I've heard Americanah raved about with more enthusiasm than me by quite a lot of Booktubers, so perhaps you have to see for yourself what you think? Like you I care a lot about characterisation, and if I feel a book's characters are weak it can devalue it a lot for me.
DeleteI post Booktube videos on Mondays and blog book reviews on Wednesdays. What can I say? I like structure :)