Bad Immigrant - Libroj.org

248 paĝoj

Lingvo: English

Eldonita je 13-a de novembro 2021 de Interlink Publishing Group, Incorporated, Interlink Books.

ISBN:: 978-1-62371-905-0

(1 recenzo)

An account of an immigrant family's struggle and the lessons learned about diversity.

Writing at the height of her powers, The Bad Immigrant cements Sefi Atta's place as one of the best storytellers of our time. Through the voice of her first male protagonist, Lukmon, Atta peels away nuanced layers to expose the realities of migration from Nigeria to the USA, such as the strains of adjustment and the stifling pressure to conform without loss of identity.

Covering a wide range of issues, including interracial and intra-racial tensions, and familial strains exacerbated in a new geographic and cultural environment, this novel is a thoroughgoing exposition of the many challenges that confront a modern migrant, told from the perspective of a protagonist whose sophistication and educational prowess is no guarantee of success in a country that is prone to valuing conformity over merit. Atta grounds Lukmon's narrative in a wide array …

An account of an immigrant family's struggle and the lessons learned about diversity.

Writing at the height of her powers, The Bad Immigrant cements Sefi Atta's place as one of the best storytellers of our time. Through the voice of her first male protagonist, Lukmon, Atta peels away nuanced layers to expose the realities of migration from Nigeria to the USA, such as the strains of adjustment and the stifling pressure to conform without loss of identity.

Covering a wide range of issues, including interracial and intra-racial tensions, and familial strains exacerbated in a new geographic and cultural environment, this novel is a thoroughgoing exposition of the many challenges that confront a modern migrant, told from the perspective of a protagonist whose sophistication and educational prowess is no guarantee of success in a country that is prone to valuing conformity over merit. Atta grounds Lukmon's narrative in a wide array of cultural and literary allusions that testify to the author's wit and sophisticated management of complicated matters in a manner at once erudite and accessible.

In The Bad Immigrant, Atta deftly drives the narrative forward with repartee that forges deep intimacy with the characters and engenders sympathy for all of them, even those we find infuriating.

2 eldonoj

Stephanie Jane recenzis Bad Immigrant de Sefi Atta

Unlikable narrator

3 steloj

I remembered unfortunately being underwhelmed by the previous Sefi Atta novel I read, The Bead Collector, so decided to give her writing a second try when I saw review copies of her newest novel, The Bad Immigrant, offered on NetGalley. This story of a reluctant immigrant to America from Nigeria has an interesting premise with our protagonist, Lukmon, continually finding fault with his American life while his wife, Moriam, and their two children seem to find their feet pretty swiftly. It's not a 'happy immigration' novel. However, Lukmon tells his story in the first person so, as readers, we only ever really know what he thinks about things or the way in which he chooses to interpret what other characters say to him.

Personally, I didn't get on with Lukmon at all which I think has a lot to do with my ultimately only feeling lukewarm about the novel as …

I remembered unfortunately being underwhelmed by the previous Sefi Atta novel I read, The Bead Collector, so decided to give her writing a second try when I saw review copies of her newest novel, The Bad Immigrant, offered on NetGalley. This story of a reluctant immigrant to America from Nigeria has an interesting premise with our protagonist, Lukmon, continually finding fault with his American life while his wife, Moriam, and their two children seem to find their feet pretty swiftly. It's not a 'happy immigration' novel. However, Lukmon tells his story in the first person so, as readers, we only ever really know what he thinks about things or the way in which he chooses to interpret what other characters say to him.

Personally, I didn't get on with Lukmon at all which I think has a lot to do with my ultimately only feeling lukewarm about the novel as a whole. I felt as though he was perpetually whining and blaming everyone else around him for his lack of American progress and his passive-aggressive attitude frequently irritated me. I can enjoy reading about unlikeable characters if I find their stories capture my attention, but in The Bad Immigrant I more often found myself wishing I were reading from Moriam's point of view instead. Lukmon's failures to engage left me unable to really understand what he wanted - other than to go back to Nigeria. It's a shame because Atta has a lot to say about racism and sexism in America, particularly in relation to the cultural norms that the family grew up with in Nigeria. I found lots to think about in the characters arguments, their opposing views of the situations they encounter opening my eyes to ideas that were new to me. However this wasn't enough to overcome Lukmon's tiresome litany of complaints.

Temoj

Fiction, general