AMERICANAH by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

First book that Chimamanda ended "happily" or at least on a note that pleased me. As I read that last conversation between Obinze and Ifemmelu, I silently begged: "don't do more. Let this be the last chapter". I wanted it to end before the good thread changed. And boy was I glad! I feared Chimamanda Ngozi loved ending stories sadly and so was going to forever pry Obinze and Ifemelu apart, but thank goodness.

So here are my thoughts on the book:
First, I felt it was rather different from her other writings. It was great, don't get me wrong, but it was free from that encompassing wit in the thoughts of the characters. Okay, not free from. But it was not as much as I expected from her main characters, which only shows how diversified she can be. Her main characters do not all fall into the same stereotype.

I couldn't help feeling I was reading bits of the author's life. For one, I know she is an advocate of hair au naturale. I couldn't help feeling some parts like...you know were also exclusively hers.
Let me leave the author's life alone and go to the book. Insightful amongst other things. Ifemelu's race blog posts excited me because I had never really thought of race like that. It delivers race as it is. Can't decide who I like better: Zemaya or Shan?

Pardon me, I'm too happy with the ending to remember what I should say about the book. Anyway, I mostly talk on only parts of a book. Ifemelu is something of an unconscionable ashawo. She didn't even care how Kosi felt. Again, she just went and slept with someone random while dating Curt. Good thing he left her. (Anybody know his phone no?)

Sometimes I felt like the author wanted to air her views on certain things, but they might not have received as much readership if encapsulated in something other that a novel. The excerpts from Ifemelu's blog, the conversations between Blaine's friends about race, some general descriptions and even conversations about Nigeria and some other things seem rather resolute and more than normal for a novel. Only few people can have made such into novels.

So, I fell like I just read a story and a book on certain issues concurrently. It is not a bad feeling. Infact I am pleased. It is not a usual novel. But the best things are unusual, right?

P.S. I've always wanted to have that sort of relationship with a really rich white boy like Ifemelu had with Curt. So if you qualify, contact me before I get older.