- Title: Americanah
- Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- Publisher: Fourth Estate
- Pub. date: 14th May 2013
- Series: none
- Pages: 477
- Genre: adult fiction, contemporary, romance
- Links:
Ifemelu and Obinze are young and in love when they depart military-ruled Nigeria for the West. Beautiful, self-assured Ifemelu heads for America, where despite her academic success, she is forced to grapple with what it means to be black for the first time. Quiet, thoughtful Obinze had hoped to join her, but with post-9/11 America closed to him, he instead plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in London. Fifteen years later, they reunite in a newly democratic Nigeria, and reignite their passion—for each other and for their homeland.
Americanah is a book I picked up because of how highly praised it was. I have not read anything similar or any other books of Adichie’s prior to this. Turns out, I am an idiot for not having read this sooner!
In summary, the story revolves around mainly Ifemelu and Obinze, both Nigerians who end up living completely different lives once they immigrate but are drawn together later in their lives. The story spans well into their thirties and includes a myriad of characters from different countries.
As characters, I found Ifemelu and Obinze to be very realistic and relatable people. They had qualities I myself possess and some that I’ve observed in others. While Ifemelu is a gritty, down to earth personality, and Obinze is an idealist growing up, they had great plans and built ‘castles in the air’.
As someone who attended an overseas university and is now planning on working overseas as well, I found this very relatable. I’m even thinking of taking this book along with me! Anyways, both characters face ‘the slap of reality’ in two different but impactful ways as they grow throughout the book. Personally, I was very much attached to Ifemelu; her sense of self-identity and growth appealed to me! And can we all just agree on how swoon-worthy Obinze is at the end?
“Ifem, I am chasing you. I’m going to chase you until you give this a chance.”
The plot was very intricate in this novel. It is told from two perspectives: Ifemelu and Obinze. I found it fascinating how they both journeyed through similar paths but with their own individual voices. They had very contrasting points of view, which I think was necessary for a book this thematically heavy. Adichie wonderfully explored her principal themes in more ways than one with her two main characters.
I dreaded finishing this book, but the ending was worth it when the time came; Adichie ended her masterpiece with a sense of continuity, which I appreciated because it felt like the way of life. Obviously, the story continues and just because the book ended does not mean their story did.
When it comes to world-building, I found the author’s descriptions of locations so wholesome. There was an almost visceral quality to them; to how she integrated smell, sight and the rest of the senses to convey a lifelike account of each new location. It was marvellous!
I was also impressed by how the two main characters never overlapped. They had such distinct voices that I would know who it is from reading just the first sentence. How cool is that?
And those blog posts! As a newbie blogger, Raceteenth or Various Observations About American Blacks (Those Formerly Known as Negroes) by a Non-American Black inspired me to write honest, creative and unique blog posts. Ifemelu’s blog was pure genius, and I envied her style and sass. After the first couple of blog posts, I sat there and told myself I need more me in my own blog posts! I was appalled at how little of myself showed in my own blog! Besides my own moment of self-realization, this blog was the perfect outlet to explore the book’s themes in a more serious voice throughout the story.
Like I mentioned previously, Americanah was very heavy on themes: I’m not sure I even caught all of it, but here goes.
The central theme was racism: including American Blacks vs Non-American Blacks, American vs Non-Americans, etc. Each character had their own individual experience with racism, and they all mattered. Being a Brown person who has studied in three different countries in my lifetime, I have experienced and observed some racism in action, but Americanah gave me a new perspective. I found it fascinating how Obama being elected President had such an impact in the American community; something I fully appreciated when reading this book.
Another factor I was fascinated by was Black hair: Ifemelu’s experience and blog posts not only enlightened me about the significance of natural versus done-up hair but taught me things so simple, such as the multitude of styles and maintenance tips and more. I felt very ignorant by the time I finished this book, just so everyone knows.
Adichie also explored immigration as a theme. Ifemelu and Obinze struggled when they initially moved away from Nigeria. Then there was also Aunty Uju and all their classmates who moved abroad. I was fascinated by how each person’s story was so different even though they all knew each other. They each had different viewpoints on integrating into their new community: some wholeheartedly embraced the new society’s quirks and norms, while others attempted to blend into the background, and some endeavoured to stand out and be seen. One relevant quote that stood out for me was when Obinze contemplated on how,
“… all understood the fleeing from war, from the kind of poverty that crushed human souls, but they would not understand the need to escape from the oppressive lethargy of choicelessness.”
Identity was a huge theme that spanned the whole novel. In my opinion, Ifemelu absorbed everything she experienced into her identity and grew throughout her journey. Obinze had his childhood identity broken down and a new, stronger identity arise from the ashes. Aunty Uju, a woman who had such a vibrant and lively personality, to begin with, sacrificed much of that for her version of surviving in America. Dike, Ifemelu’s cousin, was of a wholly different mould, because he grew up in America, and that shaped his identity and views.
As a reader, of course, I can’t ignore all the references to reading and its experience, especially Obinze. Out of all his qualities, I related the best to his reading habits.
“He read contemporary American fiction, because he hoped to find a resonance, a shaping of his longings, a sense of the America that he had imagined himself a part of.”
I loved seeing that young child who was fascinated by all the places he read about in literature (in Obinze’s case it was almost singularly about America) because I myself was like that when I was younger. There were so many lines that made me smile because I would think “Well, I do that too when I read!”
At the end of it all, I feel that Americanah exceeded my expectations! I was worried that this 450-plus-page book with the teeny tiny font would bore me to death, but I had one of the best reads I have had in the last few years reading this book. Readers, I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone; it’s a novel that truly changes you and it would be a shame not to read it at least once in your life.
