Tense, absorbing
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As the previous reviewers have noted, Purple Hibiscus became completely addictive and I ended up finishing it at 1am. The characters are absorbing, although at first I couldn't really empathise with Kambili, especially during some of the earlier scenes with her cousin Amaka, where she annoyed me with her complacency. However, as the book went on, Kambili changes and her relationship with her cousins improves.It goes without saying how brilliant the character of Eugene is.He is brutal yet still commands the love of his children and his fanatical view of the Catholic faith affects every move Eugene makes.He believes everything, including excluding his father from his life and domestic violence, will eventually lead to salvation. Eugene is very complex,and he cannot be simply labelled as "evil" or "bad".
I thought the relationship between Kambili and the Father was particularly wonderful. Some of the scenes between them are just charged yet Adichie still manages to convey a sense of bittersweetness about the relationship.
The book has some incredibly tense moments in it and is just generally a fantastic book. Read it soon!
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A must read for all...
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When I got a recommendation to read this book, I honestly thought it would be another one of those books attempting to paint a foul picture of religion and although I am not a religious fanatic, I prefer to stay clear.
This book has indeed opened my eyes in a way other books I have read have not. The innocent love of Kambili... along with the teasing Father Amadi makes this book so surreal and wonderful that you feel yourself strangely present at the scene, like an invincible spectator. Gracefully written and far from 'backyard snob'! Good job!
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Heartbreaking
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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's triumphs with her first book which is engrossing for those who love evocative, emotional stories.
The very sad and harrowing story is told against the backdrop of Nigeria's political upheaval in the 1960s. Kambili, a 15 year old girl is subjected to a daily, stifling ritual that has been set by her father, a fanatical follower of Catholicism who is also brutal towards his children and wife.
I felt so desperately sad for Kambili and her brother Jaja because they are voiceless as well as oppressed and are routinely subjected to domestic brutality that belies the familiy's outward appearance. Instead of being a refuge, their home is a prison and you want them to escape. Thankfully, a momentary release comes in the guise of their Aunt, their father's sister and both children realise that their domestic situation is not normal nor acceptable. The story unfolds with an unexpected turn of events and at the end, you wonder if Kambili or Jaja will ever find peace or true happiness.
A heartbreaking but thought-provoking tale.
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Education as entertainment.
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What a fantastic read. A book full of warm, rich characters. Characters that come alive, as the reader shares their anger and disappointment at the fate life has in store for them. For any readers not familiar with Nigeria the usual two themes continually crop up: education and religion. But this is, at least, true to life.
For readers who enjoyed Purple Hibiscus, I heartily recommend another book on Nigerian life, albeit one based in modern day England: One Love Two Colours: The unlikely marriage of a Punk Rocker & his African Queen, by Margaret Oshindele. This is the true life account of a Yoruba woman and her marriage to an Englishman.
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Gripping and revealing
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Fifteen year old Kambili and her brother Jaja are the children of a wealthy Nigerian business man, and they enjoy the benefits that their father's wealth provides. Their father is a well known and highly respected man who is not afraid to speak out against a corrupt and tyrannical government; he is caring of his employees and overly generous with his abundant riches. But at home their father reveals another side, he is a demanding and deeply religious man, perhaps fanatically so, and out of a misguided zeal imposes an oppressive rule over his family's life with occasionally brutality. He expects his children to succeed, and there is serious trouble if they do not. When Kambili and Jaja are invited to stay with their relatively poor aunt and cousins in Nsukka they experience a freedom and joy previously unknown to them, and set in motion a series of events that will have a drastic outcome.
This is a moving, occasionally horrifying, but always enlightening tale. The characters are superbly drawn and individual. Kambili, who narrates the story, and Jaja are very appealing, they enjoy an especially close relationship able to communicate with each other with just their eyes. Their aunt and cousins too are very likeable; their aunt the complete antithesis of their father being fun loving and adventurous. Also in Nsukka there is the young and very manly Father Amadi, adored by all, who immediately takes a shine to Kimlablli, and awakens desires in her previously unknown.
The Purple Hibiscus is equally revealing about life in Nigeria and about the contrasting lives of practising Nigerian Catholics who interpret and live their faith in different ways. In the latter there is a clear warning of the dangers of oppression. But whatever ones views in that regard it remains a gripping story, a story which is hard to put down; and if one does it is sure to continue to haunt ones thoughts.
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