Half of a Yellow Sun in The Roundtable

Mar 31, 2016 Viv JM rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-historical, zfabclub-2016, favourites, read-in-2016, author-female, fiction-literary, 1001-books-project

This is a wonderful, wonderful book. Half of a Yellow Sun is set in Nigeria during the 1960s - firstly in the early sixties, and then in the late sixties during the Biafran War (a period of history I am ashamed to admit that I knew nothing about prior to reading this). Adichie's writing is absolutely beautiful, so that you can really feel the mood of the country, without there being lengthy descriptions of what was going on. Although it is a war novel, it is also a novel about love, family, trus ...more

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Nov 27, 2016 El rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 21st-centurylit, biddles, cultural-studies-and-other, 1001-books-list, anarchism-revolutions

In January 2015 I read Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's debut novel, Purple Hibiscus. I didn't care that much for it. It was an important story, it was mostly well-written, but it felt like a debut novel - sort of clunky, too similar to a lot of other stories dealing with the same topics, lacking a strong authorial voice.

But I've had Half of a Yellow Sun on my reading list for some time. I've put it off for a while because war stories are not on the top of my list of favorite topics to read about, and ...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Petra rated it it was ok

Mar 21/13:
A slow start. Some of the characters are flat and/or irritating.
Richard is such a wimp. I have to wonder what he's doing in the story but I guess time will tell.
There's a lot of parties with drinking & political talk, which so far isn't going anywhere.
The war is just starting. Maybe things will pick up?

Mar 24:
I finished today and haven't changed my mind. I feel kind of sad about that because this is an important part of history and one that shouldn't be forgotten.
As I was reading ...more

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Feb 24, 2024 Irene rated it really liked it

Love and betrayal, fear and hope, resilience and despair, this novel explores the most universal elements of our humanity, both in the lives of key characters and in the lives of a nation at war. Set during the Nigerian civil war, this is a difficult book to read. Told through the struggles of characters who display ordinary heroism, this is a beautiful novel to read. The characters, the language, the reflection between the personal and the social, every aspect of this book was incredible.

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Jun 25, 2013 Lise Petrauskas rated it really liked it

Shelves: novels, africa, 21st-century-fiction

I really liked this book. I have a feeling that these characters are going to stick with me. Man, colonialism. Horrible, horrible idea.

I am really glad that I read Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe last year before reading Adichie's book. It gave me a sense of the Igbo culture pre-colonialism which really enriched the world of the novel for me. ...more

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Mar 28, 2007 Rachel rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction, africa

I think I'm becoming desensitized to war, but this was still a great book. And definately a subject I knew nothing about, sadly. Makes me need to know more. There was a really good, brief section, in which one of the main characters comes into contact with a couple of American journalists, and it showed the insensitivity of them, while still being understanding, but it was good. I am not sure how much I liked the time frame being split up, from early 60's to late 60's and back again. The one par ...more

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Apr 17, 2020 Heather(Gibby) rated it really liked it

Shelves: africa, 1001-to-read

This is an exceptionally well written historical account of the short lived country of Biafra.

I knew very little of this country's history and after reading the story I am doing a little online reading which is the mark of a great historical fiction if it leads the reader in wanting to know more. ...more

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Dec 29, 2020 Pamela rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: boxall-1001-read

This book is set in 1960s Nigeria, before and during the devastating Nigeria-Biafra war. Events are seen through the eyes of Odenigbo, a university lecturer with revolutionary ideals, his wealthy girlfriend Olanna, and their young houseboy Ugwu. Olanna has a twin sister Kainene, with whom she has a loving but difficult relationship. When the war comes, their relatively comfortable lives are torn apart, and they find that the conflict brings many unexpected trials.

This is first and foremost a bri ...more

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