A friend, unlike me, has a penchant for discussing books that have won recognition with international prizes, whether or not he has read them. Such is the case for this book, which I am sure he has not read. I am not sure which of many literary prizes it won. But because of this, I struggled through it.
Four Nigerians, like the author, relate a complicated tale of their lives with far too many characters with foreign names to ever keep track of. They all are extremely insecure and questioning their self worth, trying to understand each other, and forever taking offense where none was intended. For example, traveling around the world, one rich corrupt banker involved in extensive money laundering, in graphic scenes beds many men, consumes huge amounts of whiskey, and claims to be a devout Catholic, attending Mass regularly, while bemoaning her unwed status. Another character, a hotel maid, is raped by a famous guest as a stand-in for the infamous Straus-Kahn case.
The complicated names of food items and the traditions of various tribes of Nigerians and Ghanaians is just too foreign to me to comprehend. Choppy and incoherent, the book does not come to a unifying end- it just stops, but not in time to avoid disappointing me.
I cannot recommend this book.
1.5/5
The Passionate Reader 