| Graceland (Today Show Pick January 2005) |  | Author: Chris Abani
Publisher: Picador
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00
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Seller: belltowerbooks
Rating:  45 reviews
Sales Rank: 44,040
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st Picador Ed
Pages: 321
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.9
ISBN: 0312425287
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780312425289
ASIN: 0312425287
Publication Date: January 26, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
"A richly detailed, poignant, and utterly fascinating look into another culture and how it is cross-pollinated by our own. It brings to mind the work of Ha Jin in its power and revelation of the new."--T. Coraghessan Boyle
The sprawling, swampy, cacophonous city of Lagos, Nigeria, provides the backdrop to the story of Elvis, a teenage Elvis impersonator hoping to make his way out of the ghetto. Nuanced, lyrical, and pitch perfect, this is a remarkable story of a son and his father, and an examination of postcolonial Nigeria, where the trappings of American culture reign supreme.
Chris Abani was born in Nigeria. At age sixteen he published his first novel, for which he suffered severe political persecution. Abani went into exile in 1991, and has since lived in England and the United States. His book Daphne's Lot, a collection of poetry, won him a 2003 Lannan Literary Fellowship. He is also the recipient of the PEN USA West Freedom to Write Award and the Prince Claus Award. Abani now lives and teaches in Los Angeles. A Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year Winner of the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award Shortlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award Chris Abani's GraceLand is a dazzling debut by one of the most talented new voices to emerge from Africa. This gorgeously written and haunting novel is set in Maroko, a sprawling, swampy, crazy, and colorful ghetto of Lagos, Nigeria, and unfolds against a backdrop of lush reggae and highlife music, American movies, and a harsh urban existence. Elvis Oke, a teenage EIvis impersonator spurred on by the triumphs of heroes in the American movies and books he devours, pursues his chosen vocation with ardent single-mindedness. He suffers through hours of practice set to the tinny tunes emanating from the radio in the filthy shack he shares with his alcoholic father, his stepmother, and his step-siblings. He applies thick makeup that turns his black skin white, to make his performances more convincing for American tourists and hopefully net him dollars. But still he finds himself constantly broke. Beset by hopelessness and daunted by the squalor and violence of his daily life, he must finally abandon his dream. With job prospects few and far between, Elvis is tempted to a life of crime by the easy money his friend Redemption tells him is to be had in Lagos's underworld. But the King of the Beggars, Elvis's enigmatic yet faithful adviser, intercedes. And so, torn by the frustration of unrealizable dreams and accompanied by an eclectic chorus of voices, Elvis must find a way to a Graceland of his own making. Nuanced, lyrical, and pitch-perfect, GraceLand is the remarkable story of a son and his father, and an examination of postcolonial Nigeria, where the trappings of American culture reign supreme. A Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year
"GraceLand amply demonstrates that Abani has the energy, ambition, and compassion to create a novel that delineates and illuminates a complicated, dynamic, deeply fractured society."—Merle Rubin, Los Angeles Times " GraceLand teems with incident, from the seedy crime dens of Maroko to the family melodramas of the Oke clan. But throughout the novel's action, Abani—an accomplished poet who published his own first novel at Elvis's tender age of 16—keeps the reader's gaze fixed firmly on the detailed and contradictory cast of everyday Nigerian life. He shows how decades of authoritarian political rule breed indifference, and indeed weary fatalism, in the face of corruption and political terror, even while symbols of resistance such as the King of the Beggars become cultural heroes . . . Energetic and moving . . . Abani [is] a fluid, closely observant writer."— Chris Lehmann, The Washington Post
" GraceLand amply demonstrates that Abani has the energy, ambition, and compassion to create a novel that delineates and illuminates a complicated, dynamic, deeply fractured society."— Merle Rubin, Los Angeles Times
"Abani's Lagos is such an extraordinary place . . . This book works brilliantly in two ways. As a convincing and unpatronizing record of life in a poor Nigerian slum, and as a frighteningly honest insight into a world skewed by casual violence, it's wonderful . . . And for all the horrors, there are sweet scenes in GraceLand too, and they're a thousand times better for being entirely unsentimental . . . Original [and] worthwhile."— Sophie Harrison, The New York Times Book Review
"This is a coming of age novel - of an adolescent boy and a young and troubled country searching for direction. The teenage habits of swagger and posturing which both employ only serve to exacerbate their vulnerability. Nigeria is presented as a country rich in activity—its people are constantly talking, eating or moving; but also one steeped in casual violence, poverty and death. 'Life in Lagos is a gamble,' says Elvis' best friend Redemption, and not everybody is cut out for survival. Nigerian writers have consistently defied intense persecution by the state to produce some startling work, and Chris Abani is no exception . . . Some of the most affecting episodes in Graceland are the descriptions of physical torture which rarely last for more than a paragraph, but which linger in the reader’s memory. Abani is adamant that he is not just a product of these experiences and has repeatedly stressed in interviews that he is interested in the craft of writing, not just the impulses behind it . . . The verve of the writing is captivating. A novel on such a large scale, encompassing different decades and a host of characters . . . is at its best when describing vignettes of daily life, which are affectionate and funny, the struggle of a boy and a country full of contradictions."—Elaine Moore, Africa Policy Journal "Striking . . . Set against the terrible Nigerian political realities of the 1970s and '80s, GraceLand marks the debut of a writer with something important to say . . . [The book] wins the reader with its concept [and] keeps him with strong storytelling and characterization . . . [Abani] speaks in a fresh new voice. His elaborate examination of the rituals of manhood, his true-to-life description of the reality of the streets, his compassion for his characters—all ring with authority and insight."—Susan Larson, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
"[A] fine book . . . When I call Chris Abani original, I don't mean he has arrived at some new and slightly novel way of indicating the suffering of the artist in our unfeeling culture or of indicating the racial origins of his characters. I mean that his perception of the world is beyond or outside the common categories of contemporary fiction and that he is able to describe what he perceives compellingly and effectively."—Tim Marchman, The New York Sun
"Abani's novel is a clear-eyed view of postcolonial Nigerian life during the 1970s and 1980s . . . It provides compelling insight on this period that many historians would envy . . . Abani brings this world to milieu with considerable skill. Among the distinguishing characteristics of this book is its rich portrayal of the cultural life of Lagos's migrants and working class, particularly the influence of American culture through film, books, and music. Elvis and his companions are well familiar with James Baldwin, John Wayne, and the Everly Brothers, among many others. Such points of reference offer a different angle from most depictions of consumer taste in African fiction, or history for that matter. Like many of his predecessors, Abani also offers a complex portrait of family life under difficult social conditions, carefully weaving together the politics of the street and society-at-large with the politics of the family in equal measure . . . A rewarding novel [that] is also suggestive of the richness of the postcolonial condition as a realm of historical inquiry."—Christopher J. Lee, Harvard University, International Journal of African Historical Studies "Abani is a skillful descriptive writer . . . GraceLand draws a searing picture of a country devouring its own children. What you learn about Nigeria will make you want to weep."—Dinaw Mengestu, The New Leader
"Powerful . . . A lyrical and terrifying glimpse of a place saturated in American icons and pop culture, but entirely unlike America."—Michelle Chihara, Mother Jones
"[A] vivid, original portrayal of life in Lagos, Nigeria . . . Compelling, troubling, and delightful. Its language, though exotic, is always credible and often enthralling . . . Abani's intensely visual style—and his sense of humor—convert the stuff of hopelessness into the stuff of hope."—Carlo Wolff, San Francisco Chronicle
"An invaluable document from a [writer] whose continued development will be a pleasure to witness."—Gregory Miller, The San Diego Union-Tribune
"A wonderfully vivid evocation of a youth coming of age in a country unmoored from its old virtues . . . As for the talented Chris Abani . . . his imaginary Elvis is easily as memorable as the original."—Dan Cryer, Newsday
"[Abani's novel is] deeply concerned with how Western colonialism transformed Africa in ways both major and minor . . . Abani masterfully gives us a young man who is simultaneously brave, heartless, bright, foolis...
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 45
 A beautiful book that needs an audience April 21, 2004
BookLover
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
This book was quite a moving, magical experience for me. I was first drawn by just the cover (which is funny considering we're not supposed to judge books by covers yet I almost always am drawn to striking covers and then the contents). When I read the jacket, I thought of the recent Brazilian film CITY OF GODS. Well, I thought Chris Abani's book had far more humanity, and far more hope. The ending is sublime, and very emotional. The book is rather sprawling, detailing the life of young Elvis Okwe. His struggles to do the right thing are incredibly intense and heartbreaking. He really wants to be a good person, a good man, and its often things that are out of his hands that prevent him from doing that. All of the characters are well-drawn and unconventional, without ever being stereotypical, especially Elvis's father, who you think is just abusive and distant, but is really a tragic, complicated man, torn apart by the love of his country. GRACELAND encompasses many themes, but most importantly, it is about "redemption," not just for Elvis but for the country that Mr. Abani clearly loves. I loved this book and I hope it finds its audience.
Living on the brink of chaos November 15, 2005
Olujide Ige (Riverside, CA USA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This book pierces into the heart, and affords a glimpse of, the organized, orchestrated confusion that was Nigeria at the tail end of the 20th century. As long as one is ignorant of the epic story Chris Abani attempts to deflesh into 320 spare pages, it is possible to critique it on superficial things such as character development, style of writing, etc., only.
Music is the background, the rhythm to which Nigeria pulsates. It has to be experienced to be understood. It is a unique, almost spiritual thing and entirely appropriate that the author does his best to capture it.
Who grew up in Nigeria and didn't have a friend like Redemption? Every neighborhood had it's own 'King of de Beggars' forever holding forth on history, sociology, politics, you name it. Reading Dostoevsky in the grimiest of slums with no running water or electricity and raw sewage snaking across the dirt roads is quintessentially Nigerian, that black hole of human potential.
So good! April 27, 2006
Lila Ahronowitz (Davis, CA, USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Let me start by saying that this book was so good, so interesting and provoking both intellectually and emotionally. It follows a sixteen year-old boy named Elvis in Lagos, Nigeria, as he pursues various paths, from an idealistic dancer to a criminal to a prisoner of war, to his ultimate choice, where we see him as a more mature and independent young man.
What makes this novel so important is its function as a virtual tour of the actual hardships plaguing Nigeria, as seen through the innocent eyes of the main character. I think Elvis's naivete, offset by a tragic personal history, reflects the simplistic view of highly developed and morally righteous countries - especially America. As the reader (and Elvis) encounters poverty, classism, beggars being burned alive, civil war, torture, cannibalism, and government cruelty, our innocence is stripped away.
The struggles are counterposed, though, throughout the book with moments of hope, of kindness, of people working together to overcome unfairness and stand up for their rights. The book definitely evokes respect and optimism for the strength of the characters, and ends in a positive light, although it seems almost counterintuitive...
From the globally symbolic names to the glimpses of native Igbo culture, Graceland had me reflecting on the relationships between countries, particularly between America and the rest of the world, and universal mechanisms of hope in places of extreme hardship.
The writing style was reminiscent of a combination between Russell Banks's Rule of the Bone and Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things [thank you, Oakwood!]. The meaningful names, as well as the combination of clashing cultures and classes and the narrative of the adolescent trying to navigate them, put me right in mind of Rule of the Bone. And in the back-and-forth of time settings, the familial anguish, and the disastrous results of government dictatorship on lower-class society, the book echoed some themes of The God of Small Things.
All in all, this book was an excellent, meaningful read, a great fictional piece addressing factual problems, solutions, and attitudes.
Nigeria's Cultural Confusion September 7, 2005
Meredith
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Graceland is an enlightening yet very disturbing look into the poverty-stricken and corrupt nation of Nigeria. Although this book is a coming-of-age story, it also displays a culture besieged by American influence and internal discontent. Abani's choice to name the main character Elvis is particularly interesting since the reference to an American pop culture icon contrasts with the other metaphorical names like Redemption and Comfort. He is cloaked in a culture to which he doesn't truly belong and is alienated in a manner reminiscent of Ralph Ellison's nameless invisible man. Descriptions of the elaborate and vital kola nut ceremony are spaced throughout the book in a way that implies how deeply embedded such rituals are in Igbo people despite the background of American runoff; Nigeria has a society of multiple layers. Abani displays the curious intermingling of these two contrasting cultures very well.
The book was very well-written and the format made it particularly realistic. It is not chronologically organized, but the date preceding each section prevents confusion. This format, with excerpts from his mother's journal and descriptions of the kola nut ceremony mixed in, makes it easier to understand Elvis' perspective; details about his earlier life and Nigerian culture provide a context in which the story is set. The only problem I felt there was with the book was I felt Elvis could have been more emotionally developed. We see him undergo incredibly traumatic events (he has to deal with a drunken failure of a father and the memory of a mother who died of cancer when he was very young in the midst of intense poverty and the widespread crime that inevitably accompanies it), but it would have been interesting to read about the mental repercussions in more detail and perhaps with more nuance; his emotions seem a bit too straightforward. I felt myself more fascinated with the lesser characters because they are more dynamic and have greater depth. The aptly named Redemption is particularly interesting because he initally appears to be Elvis' downfall, but ultimately is his savior.
Well-written, sad and hard to put down March 17, 2004
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I read a review of this book in the local paper and decided to read it. Once again I was lucky to get hold of a book that I couldn't wait to finish. I've never even heard of the author but he shows great promise. There are scenes in the book that made me laugh, feel dread and set my teeth on edge. It must put a writer's teeth on edge to set such thoughts down on paper but to me this is what good writing is about. Having had a few years of contact with this particular culture, I could understand most of the things the author referred to and knew what some of the recipes tasted like, like moi moi, fufu and bitter leaf soup. The part about organ donors is true and can be verified by reading "Princess" or its next sequel, "Daughters of Arabia", I forget which. This must stop..but anyway this book would make a great movie. I totally recommend it.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 45
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