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| quote: | Originally posted by occrider
Just finished Half of Yellow Sun. I thought it was somewhat good, but it didn't really stand out as spectacular in as much as Egger's "What is the What", which I happened to read right before. I think it's because Half of a Yellow Sun largely focuses on the fictional account of the trials and tribulations of the Biafran upper class during the Nigerian civil war whereas Egger's prose covers the Sudanese Lost Boys in relative contemporary times and is somewhat anchored to actual events. IMO I can identify more with the characters from Half of a Yellow Sun, but What is the What is a far more powerful novel when it comes to prose and emotional evocation. |
I've been meaning to pick up the Eggers book for sometime, so it's nice to see someone give it a positive review.
I'm 300 pages into Half of a Yellow Sun and though I see what you mean about the focus on the upper-class, I think it also functions as a critique of the decadence of that class. They take their comfort for granted, and in the context of the war being waged around them there seems to be (the beginning of) an awakening taking place on that front. The characters are very vivid, though I would indeed like a little more emphasis on the historical context. I don't think this is meant to be a work of historical fiction inasmuch that the history takes centerstage, rather than a comprehensive character sketch of individuals experiencing a historic event.
I think part of my affinity for the book is my general preference for works of fiction in which the reader knows minimally more than the protagonist(s). In the case of Biafra it can leave the narrative as a slightly incomplete version of events, but in the context of the characters used to explore the history I think it works quite well.
But yes, I am going to need to read the Eggers book quite soon.
If you're interested in fiction with an African bent, I'd recommend immediately Ngugi Wa Thiong'o - 'Wizard of the Crow' (pictured in my avi) - best book of fiction I've ever read.
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