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A review by iriswindmeijer
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
5.0
Americanah is a great novel and made me realize how much racism there is in America. I’d love to read Ifemelu’s blog, her view on the American people is very interesting. The dialogue is superb and keeps you reading, this novel has got a lot to tell.
The romance is endearing, Ifemelu and Obinze both experience their feelings towards each other in ways that make me, the reader, experience them as well. The complexity of their relationship is explained very well by Adichie while we follow the couple in multiple countries: sometimes together, sometimes not. Nevertheless, there is so much more than romance to this novel, since it also touches upon so many aspects of immigration, race and racism towards the African Americans.
The plot is very interesting, the flashbacks fill in on Ifemelu’s story while she is getting her hair braided to leave America. The impact of this novel is immense, there is a lot going on but Adichie manages to explain and illustrate what is wrong with America, and why the African Americans want to become ‘Americanah’ but also want to stay true to their own identity. In one of her blogs, Ifemelu states “Dear Non-American Black, when you make the choice to come to America, you become black”. In Americanah, her identity is shaped by others.
Ifemelu is a strong woman with her own will. When she breaks up with her boyfriend because she cheated on him, she corrects him when he says “you gave him what he wanted”. She denies and says “I took what I wanted”.
Adichie knows how to make the characters feel real and evoke their emotions. I was kept on the edge until the very end of this novel. This novel is an eye-opener, one of the best books I’ve read lately.
The romance is endearing, Ifemelu and Obinze both experience their feelings towards each other in ways that make me, the reader, experience them as well. The complexity of their relationship is explained very well by Adichie while we follow the couple in multiple countries: sometimes together, sometimes not. Nevertheless, there is so much more than romance to this novel, since it also touches upon so many aspects of immigration, race and racism towards the African Americans.
The plot is very interesting, the flashbacks fill in on Ifemelu’s story while she is getting her hair braided to leave America. The impact of this novel is immense, there is a lot going on but Adichie manages to explain and illustrate what is wrong with America, and why the African Americans want to become ‘Americanah’ but also want to stay true to their own identity. In one of her blogs, Ifemelu states “Dear Non-American Black, when you make the choice to come to America, you become black”. In Americanah, her identity is shaped by others.
Ifemelu is a strong woman with her own will. When she breaks up with her boyfriend because she cheated on him, she corrects him when he says “you gave him what he wanted”. She denies and says “I took what I wanted”.
Adichie knows how to make the characters feel real and evoke their emotions. I was kept on the edge until the very end of this novel. This novel is an eye-opener, one of the best books I’ve read lately.