The Opposite House in Around the World

Jul 16, 2015 Renae rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-literary, genre-magical-realism, read-in-2015

In this novel, Helen Oyeyemi presents a disquieting, dreamlike story, told from two perspectives: Maja, a Black cubana dealing with pregnancy and her heritage and her mother’s Santería; and Yemaya Saramagua, an Orisha (a minor god in both Santería and Nigeria) living in a “somewherehouse” between Cuba and Lagos. Both characters’ stories seem to have things in common, but I didn’t quite get how or why the author chose to link them. It was far too subtle and tenuous connection, lost in the book’s ...more

12 likes · Like · see review

Dec 11, 2011 Vicky rated it liked it

Shelves: location-africa, around-the-world, location-caribbean, magic-realism, 2012-reads

Around the World = Cuba

Despite being mainly set in London, this is my selection for Cuba. It the story of Maja Carrera, a black Cubana, the child of academics exiled by the Castro regime, whose only experience of Cuba exists in the form of half-remembered memories, snatches of song, and the Santería rituals of her mother. Santería forms a divisive subject in her parent's lives; embraced by her spiritualist mother whilst rejected by her rationalist father. Maja, pregnant by her white Ghanaian boy ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Jun 03, 2016 Poorni rated it really liked it · review of another edition

"The Opposite House" is Oyeyemi's take on migration and cultural displacement. The novel starts at the somewherehouse, with its two doors; one opening to London and one to Lagos. While we are only allowed a glimpse of Lagos, the story focuses on Maja, a 25 year old Cuban whose family migrated to London when she was a kid. She believes she feels nothing for her country or her roots till she is pregnant when she starts to think increasingly about "her Cuba". She starts to feel increasingly disconn "The Opposite House" is Oyeyemi's take on migration and cultural displacement. The novel starts at the somewherehouse, with its two doors; one opening to London and one to Lagos. While we are only allowed a glimpse of Lagos, the story focuses on Maja, a 25 year old Cuban whose family migrated to London when she was a kid. She believes she feels nothing for her country or her roots till she is pregnant when she starts to think increasingly about "her Cuba". She starts to feel increasingly disconnected with her life in London and no one seems to be able to help her. Not her white Ghanaian boyfriend, not her Santeria believing mother. And not her Father for whom reason comes above all else.

There is also the question of the relationship between Yemaya and Maja. Are they two entirely different people? Or is one the manifestation of the others' confused mind? Whatever be the case, Oyeyemi tells a wonderful story. The imagery, the magic realism, her descriptive language all hold you captive from the very beginning. I fell in love with Oyeyemi's descriptions. She describes rooms in the somewherehouse as "sugar cubed afterthoughts stacked behind doorways". Then there are sentences like these- "His last name shall be his father’s name. His second name shall be his grandfather’s name. His first name shall be a name for his ownself, but unknown to him, all those fathers before his grandfather live in this name."
"Books: I am attracted and repelled; books are conversations that are not addressed to me and I want to sneak up and listen but I also want to be invited in. If I was invited in the conversation would not be what it was."

As someone who's recently moved to another country and has spent around seven years away from her motherland the excerpt below struck a chord. Probably why it's my Favourite few lines from the book- "... sometimes it just doesn’t really feel like anywhere over here. I look at maps and stuff and none of the places seem real. I think that’s what happens when you don’t belong to a country, though – lines are just lines, and letters are just letters and you can’t touch the meaning behind them the way you can when you’re home and you look at a map and you see, instead of a place name, a stretch of road or an orchard or an ice-cream parlour around the corner. You know."

I don't think anyone has every described that feeling of alienation quite so hauntingly, yet in such simple words.

The only problem I had with the book is the Yoruba and Santeria references. I had to read up on Santeria and their deities on Wikipedia before I could proceed with the book and even then, it was confusing. But even without knowing all that, the book will still speak to you. The authors voice and the point she tries to make comes across loud and clear.

Can't wait to read more of Oyeyemi. This one is definitely a must read!

...more

Like · see review