The Fishermen

wowow this book was really something else. I loved it :)) I even recommended it to my dad (who essentially only reads non-fiction,) so that should tell you enough. I just want to talk about this book with someone

set in 90s post-colonial Nigeria, the book portrays the massive tragedy of a family alongside the unraveling of a nation. all told from the perspective of the youngest brother, 9-year-old Benjamin. it scratched every itch in my body and is the perfect combination of west African storytelling, folklore, politics, and coming-of-age/boyhood. extremely well done on all fronts.

the narrative voice of this author. wow. it's immensely haunting and mythical and captured me from the start. not a single breath was wasted and Obioma pushed the story til the very end. it seriously did not even let up at the last sentence. what a thrilling finish. I cried.

the misfortune that befalls the boys and the disintegration of the lives around them was difficult to read but I think that's a testament to how well everything was crafted. the backdrop of Akure. the genuine family dynamics. the pacing. the deft lyrical prose. all brilliant. the biggest strength of this book was its characters and because so much hinges on our relationship with them as well as their distinct grief, Obioma wisely pours into them, then allows us to see what happens when they are broken and agony leaks out. there is much to be mulled over

a great read :)))) probably somewhere between 4.5 and 5 stars but giving it a 5 because I will support this man!!!!!

I wanted to DNF it by page 60. I wish I had. This just wasn't a book for me: I found it irritating and depressing, chock full o' superstition, violence (physical and emotional), ignorance, toxic masculinity, abuse, trauma. The so-and-so-is-this-animal comparisons felt forced. The story was annoying in other ways: not exactly an unreliable narrator, but (minor more a case of oh, I neglected to mention this super-important detail that happened a few chapters ago and completely changes the reader's understanding of the situation). That was jarring and felt gimmicky. For me, a good storyteller will take themself out of the story so it's the action and feelings that the reader focus on. This felt more like, look at me!

Not quite the right book for my mood, but still enjoyed it much more than I thought I would (the blurb skimread I did didn't give me much of an idea!)

Written really well, and I especially liked the way each different chapter was started.  Went by quickly in sittings - 40 mins whizzed by as I was sucked into the story - but it was a sad tale. The characters had believable personalities and I did feel for them all. Would check out more of the author's books!

When four brothers return from sneaking off to fish the off limits Omi-Ala river they encounter the village madman Abulu. Rumored to have the power of prophecy he points to the eldest boy Ikenna and tells him he will die at the hands of a fisherman. Unable to shake the words of the madman he spirals into paranoia, certain that the fisherman in question refers to one of his brothers. It's a tiny spark that sets his family ablaze and it's consequences span the length of the book. It's unrelenting, unsparing, dark and an incredibly dense story for the 20-something author.