Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Miracle

"Ifemelu's father sat in his well-worn sofa, silently reading his well-worn book. He had been jobless for months, fired from the federal agency for refusing to call his new boss mummy. "If you have to call somebody mummy to get your salary then you do so!" Ifemelu's mother had said when he, wracked with bitterness, came home with his termination letter, complaining about the absurdity of a grown man calling a grown woman mummy because she had decided it was the best way to show her respect."

Someone said somewhere that Adichie is a better novelist than a short story writer. That person might be right. There is a déjà vu element in this short story, something that makes you forget each paragraph the moment you are done with it. Perhaps I'm particularly biased because I'm Nigerian, and the incidents described in this short story are what I see on daily basis in Nigeria. But I miss the psychological depth that informed the short story, "Tomorrow is too Far."
Anyway, ENJOY!

2 comments:

  1. I enjoyed reading that actually. Tells all one needs to know about the current state of affairs in Nigeria. No pun intended. Nice to know Adichie has still got her touch, short story and all. Thanks for sharing, sir.

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