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consyspark's review against another edition
3.0
This House Is Not For Sale is a tale of a Family House, its occupants and their experiences while overseen by a Patriarch - Grandpa. It is set in an African country which is no doubt Nigeria. A consistent unnamed narrator- his grandson who is of school age, takes us through each chapter, telling a story about a character. Each chapter poses as an individual story and begs one to ask if the book is a novel or a collection of different short stories.
The family house serves as a sanctuary to people in need, housing different personalities and so the stories address themes such as poverty, murder, corruption, adultery, religion etc with Grandpa's voice as overlord. The stories are laced with humor and easy to read without getting bored.
E.C Osondu's writing is beautiful and simple but he left me confused when in one chapter, he is bold and unapologetic and writes of akara as it is, then in another, writes of udara/Agbalumo as African star apple. I definitely enjoyed reading this and look forward to reading more from him.
lottie1803's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
anna_mangnus's review against another edition
4.0
3.5, I liked the stories but the ending was way too abrupt and unexplained
idenkimifah's review against another edition
4.0
A riveting collection of short stories centered around an old 'family house' and its occupants.
Every story follows a different member of the household, exploring vast themes and encapsulating the rural essence which the novel is grounded in. Some stories have an ambiguous feel to them, which in hindsight might put off some readers but personally I feel that's what really makes this book come alive. We don't even know who is actually narrating these tales for us.
A 4.5 and sure to be re-read in the future.
Favourite story: Ibe
Every story follows a different member of the household, exploring vast themes and encapsulating the rural essence which the novel is grounded in. Some stories have an ambiguous feel to them, which in hindsight might put off some readers but personally I feel that's what really makes this book come alive. We don't even know who is actually narrating these tales for us.
A 4.5 and sure to be re-read in the future.
Favourite story: Ibe
nobodyatall's review against another edition
4.0
Kind of a cross between a novel and a short story collection.
A fascinating mix of modern and traditional, folk and fairytales, myths, religion and all sorts of other stuff.
Engrossing.
A fascinating mix of modern and traditional, folk and fairytales, myths, religion and all sorts of other stuff.
Engrossing.
pearlbookish's review against another edition
4.0
It was an interesting read centered around a house, with different characters and stories, but it ended abruptly like the author was tired and wanted to finish the book,aside that,it was a lovely read.
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