Sunday 3 September 2017

The Fishermen, 2015, Chigozie Obioma ****

I met Chigozie Obioma in person when he was invited to Barcelona for his book promotion in Spanish and Catalan. I haven't read his book then, we took a picture together and I found his speech, questions and answers interesting. Click here for more info regarding his visit to my city.

Chigozie is a stellar storyteller and writer, another talented novelist full of promises from Nigeria,"The Fishermen" is only his debut novel, in spite of its accolades, I
think he's got more in store for us. The novel is a tragic and a hopeful read, a kind of allegory of family structures in Nigeria, in my opinion.

A man who is the bread winner of his family, left his wife alone with their six children and moves to a different city for work. As it is expected, things fall apart. A child is already lots of work for one parent alone, imagine six. Ikenna, the eldest,  believes that one of his siblings would kill him because a mad man says so, an incident which unleashes a series of shocking events. If their father were present, he would have been able to instill some sensibility in his children.

I am not sure why I did not enjoy this novel as much as I expected. My expectation was so high, I guess it killed the joy. For instance, Chigozie's next book will be published in 2019 "An Orchestra of Minorities" and I am wondering why is it announced in 2017? Situation like this keeps one's expectations high.  Nevertheless, "The Fishermen" is an interesting novel that I recommend, the author is one I'd like to follow closely.

The picture above was taken by me in Donousa, Greek Island.

I have two copies of this book, I will be giving one away from my blog. Those who visit often and leave their comments are more likely to win a copy. Remember to follow on Twitter @MaryOkekeReview  and on Facebook @MaryOkekeReviews for updates.

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2 comments:

  1. That is a stunning photo, Mary. I like the shadows.

    And yes I should love to win a copy of The Fisherman. Your review is intriguing but I wonder why you did not really enjoy it. High expectations? Sure my interest is piqued enough.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Afua, thanks. I guess I so much looked forward to it, that I created some sort of "expectations". That's my fault. How are you liking "Ghana must go"?

      Delete

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