Comments on: ARC Review #3 – Aya, Abouet

By: titilayo

titilayo — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:19:49 +0000

I read this one too for the challenge (and re-read it a couple of days ago). I really enjoyed it; it was just a great fun, funny story. I don’t think it’s at all un-African; it seems very African to me (I say this, obviously, as someone who’s not African), and I actually like that it’s not all “ABOUT BEING AFRICAN”, if you know what I mean? Sorry, my brain is still jetlagged. Also my thoughts on the books I’ve read for the challenge are being somewhat murkily influenced by another book I’m reading for the challenge, Kwame Anthony Appiah’s “In My Father’s House,” subtitled “Africa in the Philosophy of Culture”, which is largely going a bit over my head, but is interesting nonetheless.

By: Africa Reading Challenge [3] « Scavella’s Blogsphere

Africa Reading Challenge [3] « Scavella’s Blogsphere — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 19:28:46 +0000

[...] Abouet (Cote d’Ivoire) - Aya REVIEW [...]

By: Nicolette Bethel

Nicolette Bethel — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:10:47 +0000

John, I’m flattered and pleased you dropped by! I do read French, and had toyed with the idea of getting the book in the original. I’ll make it a point to do so in the future. I pre-ordered the English version of the second book, but as there’s a lag in the translation, getting the books in French does seem to make more sense.

By: John

John — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:17:42 +0000

It’s sad that people think this story is unAfrican. In fact, I’ve never read anything so close to the way people actually think and feel here in Abidjan. It’s not just the Ivory Coast of the 1970s but of 2008 as well. Of course news reports also have their truths but they emphasise the totally extreme at the expense of the ordinary.

If you do read French, please get this in the original because the use of local expressions is one of the book’s trump cards, which I guess is lost in translation.

By: Nicolette Bethel

Nicolette Bethel — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 23:47:26 +0000

I myself prefer Côte d’Ivoire but was trying to be accommodating. Thanks for the note — changing it now!

By: Nic Sebastian

Nic Sebastian — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:02:13 +0000

Did you know that “The government officially discourages the use of the name Ivory Coast in English, preferring the French name Côte d’Ivoire to be used in all languages”? (I only know because I recently got called on it..)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivory_coast

Cheers, N

By: ARC Review #3 posted « Scavella’s Blogsphere

ARC Review #3 posted « Scavella’s Blogsphere — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 05:31:10 +0000

[...] Posted on Thursday, September 11, 2008. Filed under: Literature | Tags: Afr, Africa, Africa Reading Challenge | Here. [...]