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GraceLand: A Novel | 
 enlarge | Author: Chris Abani
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Category: Book
List Price: $24.00
Buy Used: $4.93
You Save: $19.07 (79%)
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Rating:  42 reviews
Sales Rank: 255206
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1st
Pages: 336
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1
ISBN: 0374165890
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780374165895
ASIN: 0374165890
Publication Date: February 15, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Box has some wear. DPL 062508 All US orders shipped with delivery confirmation. Thanks!
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Product Description
In this dazzling debut by a singular new talent, 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. Broke, beset by floods, and beatings by his alcoholic father, and with no job opportunities in sight, Elvis is tempted by a life of crime. Thus begins his odyssey into the dangerous underworld of Lagos, guided by his friend Redemption and accompanied by a restless hybrid of voices including The King of Beggars, Sunday, Innocent and Comfort. Ultimately, young Elvis, drenched in reggae and jazz, and besotted with American film heroes and images, must find his way to a GraceLand of his own. Nuanced, lyrical, and pitch perfect, Abani has created a remarkable story of a son and his father, and an examination of postcolonial Nigeria where the trappings of American culture reign supreme.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 37 more reviews...
 Dreadful book, horribly written, unrealistic and depressing! October 17, 2004
Prisca Molotsi (nagoya, aichi Japan)
9 out of 26 found this review helpful
Having read all the favourable reviews by amazon.com readers, I decided to buy the book. I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into it....alas, I think I shall have to visit the dentist to rectify the case of serious rot that has set in.
Firstly and foremost, I cannot understand what drew the other readers to the book. I kept thinking, as I read it, that this is going to get better, it MUST get better, after all isn't the author a recipient of the Lannan Literary Fellowsip, etc., etc.
The problem with this books is that it is so disjointed and confusing. Mr Abani also fails miserly to bring the characters to life. I cannot sympathize with the main character, Elvis, mainly because I couldn't understand him. I think the best books are ones where you can either root for or boo the main character, you see the world through that person's eyes, you feel the pain and anguish, the anger, the happiness...you laugh out loud, cry, and wish the book would never end. This book fails to do all this. In short, it's a horrible bore.
There is no sense of continuity, events are mentioned in passing which are never, never described in the book, yet these events are important and I feel that they should have been included in the narrative. I also hate the poor way the author switches back and forth from one time period to another. A more competent writer would be able to do this wonderfully. Not Mr Abani.
Some things beggar belief. If you have ever lived in Africa and if you are familiar with Indian communties there, you know that there is no way on this earth an Indian girl, educated at Oxford, chaperoned by her BMW-driving big brother, would EVER make out with an African boys from a slum! For crying out loud! (By the way, this unbelievable occurance is mentioned as a mere aside. It is one of those important yet unimportant details that the author does not dwell on).
The only good thing about the book (other than it came to an end), is the Nigerian recipes offered. I have never come across a Nigerian cookbook, so this will have to suffice. I also like his explanations of the traditional herbs and plants used in Nigeria. Taking a look at the author's picture at the back, it is quite apparent that he is a connoisseur of things of a culinary nature. Which brings me to a point which has nothing to do with the contents of the book: Mr Abani's photo. Sir, were you blindfolded when you selected that picture?! I have never met Mr Abani, but I must say that this is the most unflattering photo I have seen of an author to date...bar none!
I suppose I will be the only one to give this book One Star, all you others rave on until you are blue in the face. I stick to my guns and say that this book is awful!
I love African writers and as and African myself, I take great pride in the great writers Africa has produced. Unfortunately, after reading this book, I must conclude that Mr Abani is not included in this revered group!
An unflinching look at growing up in Lagos May 29, 2006
Debbie Lee Wesselmann (the Lehigh Valley, PA)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
This debut novel is a raw, unflinching look at an unconventional teenager and his native Nigeria. Elvis, who is named after Elvis Presley and who makes a meager living impersonating the dead rockabilly star, lives in Lagos following a series of tragedies, including the death of his mother. He lives with his alcoholic father and his selfish, manipulative stepmother and step-siblings in a house that is only a shadow of what he knew as a young child. Lagos is not kind to this family. It is a city teeming with poverty, political oppression, and predators, all of which seem to conspire against everyone Elvis knows. His best friend Redemption is constantly scrapping for extra money and does whatever it takes, even if it means not asking questions. The King of the Beggars is both a performer and a political dissident. Elvis experiences the brutality of the ubiquitous Colonel and his forces, the exploitation of orphaned girls, the slave trade, and much more in this gritty, hostile world. Abani punctuates the scenes with comfort food recipes (all containing yams in some form) and details of the kola nut ceremony.
For a portrait of a country that must escape itself for it to survive, Abani's novel succeeds; however, as a story, the narrative can be less than compelling. It is difficult to care about Elvis because he is so detached from what happens that the scenes have little significance for the protagonist. Abani's occasional polemic speeches about life and sometimes heavy-handed prose weigh down what could be an astonishing tale of corruption and redemption. Despite these flaws, Graceland is worth reading for what it shows and tries to tell about growing up in a violent landscape. Abani has marked himself as a novelist to watch.
I recommend this novel for readers of literary fiction and for those who are drawn to fiction about Africa.
 A beautiful book that needs an audience April 22, 2004
BookLover
5 out of 6 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.
 Wanted To Love It - Couldn't August 7, 2004
F. W. Young (Toronto, Ontario)
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
I love Nigerian literature and music, so I approached this book with a sense of excitement.And "GraceLand" almost worked, but I couldn't connect with the characters. Elvis, his father, the King of Beggars... all of them were colorful, but none of them rang true.
 Decent, not great, book April 16, 2005
T. Snyder (AZ)
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
I picked this up because I thought the lead character sounded interesting: a Nigerian teenager, who is named Elvis, who is also an Elvis impersanator.
By the end of the book though, I hardly feel like I know Elvis. I feel like I better know his friend Redemption (great name) even though he only appears a few times. I could even imagine the King of Beggars (another great name) better than Elvis. He just was very blah as a central character. By the end of the book I almost found him annoying.
There are so many of Elvis' stories thrown in the book that it becomes too much to be cohesive.
However, there are enough interesting insights into life in Nigeria in the early 80s to make it interesting.
As a side note, I found the dropping of the music that was playing in the background to be annoying. It seemed like the author was trying to show how "real" and "authentic" the music is to the time and setting. It just felt really forced in there and it stuck out noticeably to me.
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