Book No. 2 (2014): WE NEED NEW NAMES
We Need New Names
Author: NoViolet Bulawayo
In this book, the main character, recounts her coming of age in a poverty-, hunger-, and disease-stricken African country (ironically called Paradise in the book) and, later, in Detroit, Michigan. I find that the African diaspora that we already know is the main topic of this book of fiction, as told on the point of view of the narrator. Reading it halfway, I almost felt that the book was merely a contrived commentary and reportage of things about Africa that I am already familiar with. It's a good thing that the author balanced it with her keen observation, even of the mundane, which she translated into a beautiful prose. I like the way the book use metaphors that suggest disillusion, failure, etc. That ending paragraph is one that I can't forget.
Author: NoViolet Bulawayo
In this book, the main character, recounts her coming of age in a poverty-, hunger-, and disease-stricken African country (ironically called Paradise in the book) and, later, in Detroit, Michigan. I find that the African diaspora that we already know is the main topic of this book of fiction, as told on the point of view of the narrator. Reading it halfway, I almost felt that the book was merely a contrived commentary and reportage of things about Africa that I am already familiar with. It's a good thing that the author balanced it with her keen observation, even of the mundane, which she translated into a beautiful prose. I like the way the book use metaphors that suggest disillusion, failure, etc. That ending paragraph is one that I can't forget.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Date read: March 20, 2014
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