Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
I went into this book blindly, it is heralded as one of her best works and comes highly recommended. All I knew about it was it followed two secondary school sweethearts across the years they spent apart and the lives they lived before they came back to each other. While I loved it, Americanah didn’t fully land with me. I had tweeted on a book community about how I felt the book misses the mark when it comes to romance. I was dragged for my opinion because how dare I criticise the laureate that is, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Don’t get me wrong, of course, she is a phenomenal writer, she is captivating, and expressive and most definitely has an exceptional way with words. However, The story itself feels like a series of events that culminate in the final 50 pages where the plot finally becomes enthralling only to end. Leaving me wanting more.
Synopsis
Americanah follows Ifemelu and Obinze, two young Nigerians who fall in love as teenagers but are separated by circumstances and immigration struggles. Ifemelu moves to the United States for university, where she battles with the realities of what it means to be black and African. Meanwhile, Obinze, unable to follow her due to post-9/11 immigration restrictions, lives undocumented in London before returning to Nigeria and becoming successful. Years later, Ifemelu also returns to Nigeria, where she and Obinze must confront their past, the choices that drove them apart and whether their love can survive the time and distance that has shaped them.
What I Loved
One thing you can’t deny is that Chimamanda is masterful in the art of combining storytelling and social commentary. I love a book that tells me about the world. I could see myself and many others of the African diaspora in Ifemelu’s story. I can pinpoint the moment when I realised I was black in a world that had never seen me as nothing but. Americanah is a beautifully crafted novel that offers a profound and insightful exploration of non-American Blackness and the complexities of race, culture, and belonging. Not only is Ifemelu traversing the black-white divide but also the African and the African American divide. This book explores so many rich themes that I could dedicate an entire analysis to the significance of Ifemelu’s hair alone. Despite her sharp intellect and keen exploration of race, identity, and the role hair plays in desirability, she is not immune to the age-old pressures of conforming to beauty standards.
The novel thoughtfully explores the cultural contrasts between America and Nigeria. Adichie captures the nuances of both societies—the expectations, social hierarchies, and unspoken rules that shape daily life. From the subtle microaggressions and racial dynamics in America to the class structures and evolving modernity of Nigeria. The depth of this exploration adds authenticity to Ifemelu’s journey, making her experiences feel both deeply personal and universally relevant. Ifemelu’s pain is poignant. The struggles she faces especially at the beginning of her journey where this new world shocks her and everything she knows to be true. Her experiences are enlightening, heartbreaking and infuriating to read and that resonated with me.
Where It Fell Flat for Me
While I admire Chimamanda’s sharp analysis and dissection of race and identity, at times, it feels excessive—almost preachy. The depth of commentary comes at the expense of the plot, making it feel more like Racism 101 than a seamless narrative. Instead of allowing the themes to unfold naturally, the novel often tells rather than shows, leaving me wishing she had trusted the readers to draw their conclusions.
The characters are tools for Chimamanda’s ideas—at times, they felt like constructs created to facilitate specific scenarios, and conversations rather than fully realized individuals.
A consequence of this is that the story is no longer plot-driven. I don’t think anything that happens in the story drives the plot forward. Things are just occurring. I understand that the story takes place over 15 years, and this is a lot of life to get an insight into. However, it feels like a non-fiction commentary on identity padded out into what is supposed to be a love and life story.
The love itself, while you can sense it beneath the layers of life that both characters are building, was never fully fleshed out enough in its onset for me not only to be convinced by it but also latch on to it enough to eagerly await the reunion. My anticipation was attributed to finally seeing what all the fuss was about not because I was attached to their love. I am not connected to their love story nor am I rooting for them. The excitement of the final chapters is bolstered by the affair and the scandalous nature of it. I don’t believe the reconciliation would have been so gripping if it was two single people simply reconnecting. In the end, after 600 plus pages, I am left unsatisfied.
Final Thoughts
I will always find myself captivated by Adichie’s literary prowess. She is an exceptional writer. However, while the novel shines in its social and cultural commentary, it consistently pulled me out of the narrative and the romance which is supposed to underpin the story felt sluggish. There is also more to be said, maybe one day I’ll do a more in-depth review. For now, I can say, I loved it but it didn’t quite get me where I needed to be. Despite this, Americanah remains a thought-provoking and important read that will surely inform the reader.
I hope you enjoyed this review and it provided some food for thought! I’m pretty sure this is an unpopular opinion so would love to hear similar reviews or opposing ones too! I hope to write more reviews for thought-provoking books, so stay tuned.
I’m very much still waiting on her new novel Dream Count which comes out in March! My love for her stories is not easily swayed!
Until next time,
Signed,
A Mo-tivated Reader ☺️
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