Africa’s Best Stories
May 28th, 2010Author: StoryAfrica
Reviewed by: Richard, King's College Lagos, Nigeria
Africa’s Best Stories will blow you away…
I was really scared of finishing this book. I did not want it to end. But, well, every good thing must definitely come to an end.
Africa’s Best Stories is an amazing read. African authors hardly ever get heard about here in the United States and in Europe. It is a pity what we’ve been missing. Truth is, Africa has a lot of amazing, great writers. They’ve got their very own Sydney Sheldons, Mary Higgins, Danielle Steeles right there among them. This book will prove it to you. The book was an eye-opener for me. And henceforth, African literature has found a new fan in me.
Africa’s Best Stories is an anthology of short stories; extremely good, well-written stories by some really good African writers. These short stories are written by some of Africa’s best writers such as the stellar Chimamanda Adichie, Caine Prize finalists Muthoni Garland and EC Osondu, and Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka. These stories are typically set in African environments, with the exception of Maik Nwosu’s ‘In America’ which beautifully accounts an Africa villager’s first time in America- the land where the streets are paved with gold, and where angels come down to sing lullabies to its people at night.
The beginning story, ‘Why husbands who love their BMWs should avoid high-flying hairstyles’ is whimsical, witty, and funny. It takes you into the life of a professional Kenyan married man with a high-paying job who spends so much time taking care of his hair to the upsetting of his wife. The writer of the story, Muthoni Garland is one of Kenya’s best known writers. She is a Caine-prize finalist, and when you read the unique way she crafts her story, her plot and masterful command of the English language, you will understand why she is one of Kenya’s best writers.
Ah, the book is a treasury of stories that anyone would love and enjoy.
My only problem with the book was that it was only 250 pages. With the kind of beautiful stories contained in the book, I wished the book was a thousand pages. I wish this book was longer, because you will never want to put the book down. As an avid lover of literature I usually feel the need to explore new world literature. I’m glad I found ‘Africa’s best stories.’ My comfort is that there will be another edition of ‘Africa’s Best stories’ next quarter.
If you’re a literature connoisseur like myself and you’re looking for something new and refreshingly different, Africa’s Best Stories will do it for you. So, you may want to go get a copy. The book is available on Amazon.com.