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missmethven's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Shocked that this was a booker prize nominated book 🥴 I don’t even know where to start! There were real glimmers of potential storylines or places the book could explore but none of them were visited and I was left disappointed page after page. The elementary writing, the unresolved ending - not great
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Racism
teacim's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
4.5
‘If the prey do not produce their version of the tale, the predators will always be the heroes in the stories of the hunt.’ —Igbo proverb
If you are looking for a straightforward narrative with an unambiguous ending, this is unlikely to be the novel for you. On the other hand, if you are receptive to Igbo cosmology, are happy to navigate uncertainty and can simultaneously admire a character’s courage while regretting (some of) his choices, you may enjoy this challenging read as much as I did.
‘I stand here before you, as bold as a king’s tongue, to plead my host’s cause, knowing you will hear my voice—’
In the Igbo cosmology, each being has a guardian spirit, a chi. A chi has been through many cycles of reincarnation and is aware of earthly challenges. This chi, our narrator, is currently hosted by Chinonso Solomon Olisa. And it is Chinonso’s life and choices under review as his chi appeals to Chukwu, the creator of all, that Chinonso’s commission of a grave crime was unknowing.
We are taken through Chinonso’s (Nonso’s) life. We learn how Nonso, a young poultry farmer in Umuahia, Nigeria, prevents the suicide of Ndali Obialor. A later chance meeting draws the two of them together. Ndali, well-educated and the daughter of wealthy parents, falls in love. Her parents apparently have no objection to his lowly status, but education matters. Nonso sells most of his possessions to travel to Cyprus to obtain a degree. Ndali does not want him to go.
Nonso’s odyssey involves many challenges, obstacles and tribulations. How much of what happens is fated, how much is a consequence of free will? I kept reading, shifting my view with each twist in the tale. I tried to keep sight of Ndali as the story unfolded but, as for Nonso himself, my view was restricted by the circumstances. I wondered whether Nonso would find his way home, and what he might find if he did.
It took me a while to fall in with the pace of this novel, to accept a foreign (to me) cosmology, to accept this relationship between fate and free will. I struggle with the doctrine of determinism (most of the time), and yet I cannot reject it absolutely. And for Nonso, luck does not seem to be part of the equation of life.
I finished the novel full of admiration for the writing but still wondering …
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
If you are looking for a straightforward narrative with an unambiguous ending, this is unlikely to be the novel for you. On the other hand, if you are receptive to Igbo cosmology, are happy to navigate uncertainty and can simultaneously admire a character’s courage while regretting (some of) his choices, you may enjoy this challenging read as much as I did.
‘I stand here before you, as bold as a king’s tongue, to plead my host’s cause, knowing you will hear my voice—’
In the Igbo cosmology, each being has a guardian spirit, a chi. A chi has been through many cycles of reincarnation and is aware of earthly challenges. This chi, our narrator, is currently hosted by Chinonso Solomon Olisa. And it is Chinonso’s life and choices under review as his chi appeals to Chukwu, the creator of all, that Chinonso’s commission of a grave crime was unknowing.
We are taken through Chinonso’s (Nonso’s) life. We learn how Nonso, a young poultry farmer in Umuahia, Nigeria, prevents the suicide of Ndali Obialor. A later chance meeting draws the two of them together. Ndali, well-educated and the daughter of wealthy parents, falls in love. Her parents apparently have no objection to his lowly status, but education matters. Nonso sells most of his possessions to travel to Cyprus to obtain a degree. Ndali does not want him to go.
Nonso’s odyssey involves many challenges, obstacles and tribulations. How much of what happens is fated, how much is a consequence of free will? I kept reading, shifting my view with each twist in the tale. I tried to keep sight of Ndali as the story unfolded but, as for Nonso himself, my view was restricted by the circumstances. I wondered whether Nonso would find his way home, and what he might find if he did.
It took me a while to fall in with the pace of this novel, to accept a foreign (to me) cosmology, to accept this relationship between fate and free will. I struggle with the doctrine of determinism (most of the time), and yet I cannot reject it absolutely. And for Nonso, luck does not seem to be part of the equation of life.
I finished the novel full of admiration for the writing but still wondering …
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
definitely_anya's review against another edition
3.0
Started well but had some pacing issues, could’ve done with an edit in places. The length of the book made it considerably less impactful
surabhidiwan's review against another edition
4.0
I am writing this review immediately after finishing the book. I am still immersed in the thought that love can move mountains, but it could kill, make one grieve, lose oneself, make one change one's life, take decisions one would be afraid to take otherwise, I can go on and on.. The protagonist in the book - Chinonso has big dreams, is introduced to life, when one decision destructs him completely, swallowing him into darkness, from which he would never come back. He is betrayed, but when he finds hope, he's in another pit. He has always lost everything - knowingly or unknowingly..in the end, when he thought he lost everything, is when he was actually about to gain everything he ever wanted - Ndali, and her dreams, he set them on fire oblivious to this fact..
This book reflects how love can change fates of people, purely based on the feeling of being together. The book also shows that we are all born with a destiny that we can't change, come what may! Though a book of fiction, it constantly gives a tinge of life lessons in the words of the 'great fathers', which I loved the most about this book. The book is traditional, which is another of its characteristics, which may or may not bore it's reader..The book is beautifully written introducing me to Igbo tradition of Nigeria. The best part about this book? The story is being narrated by the 'chi' (conscience) of Chinoso and describes our chi has its own limitations. Basically chi is our instinct, and when we don't listen to it, one is bound to face the unthinkable.
This book reflects how love can change fates of people, purely based on the feeling of being together. The book also shows that we are all born with a destiny that we can't change, come what may! Though a book of fiction, it constantly gives a tinge of life lessons in the words of the 'great fathers', which I loved the most about this book. The book is traditional, which is another of its characteristics, which may or may not bore it's reader..The book is beautifully written introducing me to Igbo tradition of Nigeria. The best part about this book? The story is being narrated by the 'chi' (conscience) of Chinoso and describes our chi has its own limitations. Basically chi is our instinct, and when we don't listen to it, one is bound to face the unthinkable.
amyvl93's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-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
2.5
I wanted to love this so much but An Orchestra of Minorities really didn't work for me. The novel follows Nonso, a poultry farmer who one night saves a woman from jumping off a bridge. He and the woman, Ndali, fall in love but her wealthy and educated family do not see him as a suitable husband. The novel than follows his attempts to win their favour.
It is narrated by Nonso's chi, who is defending some terrible action of his to the Gods and this chi was, initially, an interesting narrative device. They were moments of humour and warmth, and insight into human behaviour where the chi draws on his history of accompanying humans over the centuries. However, this narration also occasionally slowed the narrative right down until basically a stop. This meant the pacing just felt off at times - where they'd be moments of intense action and we would then get four pages of description, taking you away from the characters and their story.
What really didn't work for me was the denouement of the novel, where we learn what it was that Nonso did that has put him at the mercy of the gods. I couldn't work out if Obioma wanted us to buy the chi's case that he was somehow justified as a result of his various misfortunes and that did not sit well with me. Relatedly, I found that although Ndali is a fundamental character to the plot we never learn that much about her - men that Nonso spends brief periods with are typically better drawn, including the men in Ndali's family, which I found frustrating.
I think Obioma is undeniably a strong writer but this didn't work for me.
It is narrated by Nonso's chi, who is defending some terrible action of his to the Gods and this chi was, initially, an interesting narrative device. They were moments of humour and warmth, and insight into human behaviour where the chi draws on his history of accompanying humans over the centuries. However, this narration also occasionally slowed the narrative right down until basically a stop. This meant the pacing just felt off at times - where they'd be moments of intense action and we would then get four pages of description, taking you away from the characters and their story.
What really didn't work for me was the denouement of the novel, where we learn what it was that Nonso did that has put him at the mercy of the gods. I couldn't work out if Obioma wanted us to buy the chi's case that he was somehow justified as a result of his various misfortunes and that did not sit well with me. Relatedly, I found that although Ndali is a fundamental character to the plot we never learn that much about her - men that Nonso spends brief periods with are typically better drawn, including the men in Ndali's family, which I found frustrating.
I think Obioma is undeniably a strong writer but this didn't work for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Racism, Xenophobia, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicide attempt
sarahmontplaisirklueber's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Some sections of it got very long-winded. The narrator is the "chi" of the main character, and it was hard to follow the rambling at some points.
emleemay's review against another edition
5.0
Agbatta-Alumalu, the fathers of old say that without light, a person cannot sprout shadows. My host fell in love with this woman. She came as a strange, sudden light that caused shadows to spring from everything else.
Wow. How do I even begin to review this book? All words seem inadequate. It is exceptional. It is beautiful. And it is unlike anything I've ever read before.
It's challenging, too. I don't want to sell it to readers who won't like it. It's a clever and dense literary work, heavily influenced by Nigerian cosmology. It takes some time to settle into the unusual narration - the story is narrated by Chinonso's chi (a kind of guardian spirit) - but once I did, I could not put it down.
She poked her hand into the dark and secret places of his life and touched everything in it. And in time, she became the thing his soul had been yearning after for years with tears in its eyes.
The strength of this novel, I feel, is that it is fundamentally an old and universal tale. A tale of a poor man who falls for a woman above his station and will do anything within his power to please her family and earn the right to be with her. These familiar concepts are given a distinctly Nigerian spin, making it stand out from the stories that have come before it.
As I said, it can be a tough read. The characters often switch between Nigerian Pidgin, untranslated Igbo, and the "language of the White man", but it is impressive how easily I understood everything without knowing a word of Igbo. I guess a huge part of it is the way that the author - through the chi - constructs each scene.
But it's tough for another reason, too. The chi's wisdom and wit add warmth to the story, but there is no disguising the fact that this is a dark book, full of tragedy and misfortune, including one instance of on-page rape. There is one particularly tragic event - you will know the one I mean - and it is made all the more disturbing because it is so obvious. The reader sees it coming long before Nonso does, and the way Obioma leads us up to the inevitable made me deeply anxious and upset. It is painful to witness.
Guardian spirits of mankind, have we thought about the powers that passion creates in a human being?
We are told in the beginning that Nonso's chi has come to plead for his host before the supreme Igbo god, Chukwu. We know instantly that this kind, laid-back farmer's life is about to unravel. And yet this, somehow, makes it all the more tense when we are led on the journey to find out what happened to him.
Gorgeous descriptions, Nigerian mythology, a love story that rips your heart out, and a complex and fascinating protagonist who we want so very very much to succeed-- all these things await the reader who picks up this book. If any book deserves to become a "classic", then [b: An Orchestra of Minorities|35003282|An Orchestra of Minorities|Chigozie Obioma|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1517039126s/35003282.jpg|56281537] certainly does.
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jslive's review against another edition
4.0
"An orchestra of minorities" by Chigozie Obioma is "epic" in more ways than one: long, wide-ranging and somewhat difficult to read because of the strange narrative structure. The story is crushing and the characters exasperating, but I'm glad I read it.