Ben Okri

I was eager to read this book because the synopsis lent a feeling of otherworldliness that intrigued me. It described an abiku, or spirit child, born into the human world but who decides to remain human. His companions from the spirit realm then decide to bring him back to the spirit world. I also had never read anything from an African author so I was looking forward to this. However, it wasn't long before I found it a chore to finish the book. I largely felt that the story had no direction and did not match up with my impressions from the synopsis. There was not much about the boy's choice to remain human or about the other spirits' attempts to bring him home. I felt the story focused more on his day to day life and his father's personal development.

The postmodern writing style was new to me and did not suit my tastes. This is what really contributed to my feelings that the writing was just all over the place. I couldn't make heads or trails of what the authors true purpose was in telling this story. There were clear measures about the political and economic climate in African nations but I just didn't know what the author wanted this book to be.
Oddly enough, the final chapter represented a clear departure from the style of the rest of the book and I found it energizing, but it was too little too late.… (mer)

This collection of stories reminds me of nothing so much as the classic by D.O. Fagunwa, also of Nigeria, Forest of a Thousand Daemons. I don’t think that these stories have the imagination or power of Fagunwa’s novel—which I parenthetically urge you to read; it’s brilliant—but they do share an emphasis on phantasmagoria drawn from local mythologies. The stories largely deal with the newly independent Nigeria as it falls prey to greed and violence and its ties to its history and traditional values begin to disintegrate. A promising work and I look forward to my next work by him.… (mer)

Reason read: ANC, Booker winner list 1991, ROOT,Alpha

I expected this book to be good or I hoped it would be good because I own it. The story is set in Nigeria during the fifties/sixties. The main character is Azaro who is an abiku or spirit child, his mother, father, Madame Koto, Jeremiah the photographer, and landlord. The story is filled with Yoruba mythology and the time line seems like it might of bit repetitive but I don't know if that is true because of the heavy constant in and out of the spirit world and spirits, rambling, and constant action. I found it all to be too much.

Okri was born in Nigeria. He was taken to the UK when he was not quite two by his parents where his dad attended law school and returned to Nigeria in 1966 or 68 depending on where you look. The Nigerian Civil occurred between 1967 to 1970. Okri moved back to the UK in 1978 and he has dual citizenship.

The opening paragraph; "In the beginning there was a river. The river became a road and the road branched out to the whole world. and Because the road was once a river it was always hungry."

When you read this book you are very aware that there are influences from the Bible and I could see Chinua Achebe all over the book. I cannot rate this book very high because; lack of plot, minimally developed characters, structure/writing style. It meets achievement as it won the Booker but I'm not convinced it was the best book in 1991. Okri was the youngest writer to win the Booker prize at 32.… (mer)