Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorator is a fictional story that is getting international recognition. I cannot remember how I heard about this book.
Started: 5/2/2018
Completed: 5/27/2018
Recommended By: Nobody
Recommendation: Recommended
Review:
This is a stirring tale in a seemingly post-apocalyptic future. It feels like an allegory for current conditions particularly given the #MeToo movement. It is hard to talk about the book without providing spoilers, so bear with me if it seems that I'm not saying much about the plot. In a sense, this is a coming of age story. As usual, however, it has implications for all known civilization. I really liked listening to this book on CD as the dramatist, Anne Flosnik, has a rich and expressive voice. I happened to have a copy of the book (as I was planning to read it) and when I skimmed it for the spelling of various names, I would never have pronounced them correctly. Also, Ms. Flosnik brings a sense of "other" with a rich accent that I simply could not place (perhaps that is the intent). It could also be that I am simply unfamiliar with many African accents.
I cannot say that this book is Earth shattering or that it gave me a new perspective, but it was displacing. Perceiving the world from the protagonists point of view makes the familiar artificial and the use of Ju-Ju (a form of magic) further takes the world from the familiar. It is unclear to me, however, whether it is magic in the traditional sense or whether the practitioner is tapping into something else (perhaps some future technology). Shape changing suggests it is just plain magic, but I still like to leave the opening for something else.
As a fun read, this was fine. It have enough oomph to make it worth my time and I am glad to have read it.
This is a stirring tale in a seemingly post-apocalyptic future. It feels like an allegory for current conditions particularly given the #MeToo movement. It is hard to talk about the book without providing spoilers, so bear with me if it seems that I'm not saying much about the plot. In a sense, this is a coming of age story. As usual, however, it has implications for all known civilization. I really liked listening to this book on CD as the dramatist, Anne Flosnik, has a rich and expressive voice. I happened to have a copy of the book (as I was planning to read it) and when I skimmed it for the spelling of various names, I would never have pronounced them correctly. Also, Ms. Flosnik brings a sense of "other" with a rich accent that I simply could not place (perhaps that is the intent). It could also be that I am simply unfamiliar with many African accents.
I cannot say that this book is Earth shattering or that it gave me a new perspective, but it was displacing. Perceiving the world from the protagonists point of view makes the familiar artificial and the use of Ju-Ju (a form of magic) further takes the world from the familiar. It is unclear to me, however, whether it is magic in the traditional sense or whether the practitioner is tapping into something else (perhaps some future technology). Shape changing suggests it is just plain magic, but I still like to leave the opening for something else.
As a fun read, this was fine. It have enough oomph to make it worth my time and I am glad to have read it.
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