Review: Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Title: Purple Hibiscus
Author: Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi
Length: 307 pages
Genre: Fiction, General
Publisher / Year: Anchor Books / 2003
Source: The incredible and amazing Carin sent me this book which she got SIGNED by the author.
Rating: 5/5
Why I Read It: Adichie is one of my favorite authors, I finally read her first book and the only one I hadn’t read yet.
Date Read: 01/09/11
I started with Adichie’s most recent publication, her collection of short stories, The Thing Around Your Neck, and really enjoyed it. From there I read Half of a Yellow Sun, her second published work, and loved it as well. This left only her first work, Purple Hibiscus, and although it’s been on my shelf for quite some time I had been putting off reading it because it’s sad knowing I have nothing left by her to read, but I finally sat down with it and I am a bit disappointed with myself for waiting so long!
This novel follows Kambili, a young girl of 15, through a few years of her life. We come to find that she lives with her wealthy parents and her elder brother, and that her father is very heavily religious but also very abusive at home. The children have strict schedules which they must follow and if they do anything outside of what he allows, or if they don’t come first in their grade, or if they feel sick or anything, they are punished brutally.
Through the novel we get a taste of life in Nigeria as the middle-class is falling away and the economic situation is increasingly polarizing people into either rich or poor. We also see what life can be like when a military dictator takes over, and the myriad ways this can affect regular life – especially for anyone involved in reporting the news. In addition to this though, the book gives a glimpse into a life with an abusive parent, into life with fundamentalist religion holding sway over all decisions, and shows how people can become so used to this as a regular way of life that it can be both internalized and accepted, and how hard it can be to break away.
What I love most about this work is how it highlights the difference between true religion and between religion used as a punishment / fundamental religion. It discusses some of the fault lines between religion and culture and the ways in which Christianity changed the Igbo culture for the worst and the ways it was used to colonize and pacify the people, and break them up.
The other thing I love is how she writes the abuser-abusee relationship so well. Adichie has written, in Kambili, a character who I think many will be able to empathize with, even as she loves her father. She has been raised with this abuse and so to her it is normal and is not incompatible with love. To her young mind, her father can love her and yet still punish her, and it confuses her when she tries to break the two apart and differentiate between real love and abuse. I love the nuance that was written in to the book to portray how it’s not always so easy to just break away or recognize it for what it is.
This was an emotionally powerful story that, as is typical with Adichie, was incredibly well written. I can’t recommend her works highly enough and do hope that she keeps publishing.
I bought all 3 of Adichie’s books based on your recommendation of her as an author, and haven’t read one yet, but I am looking forward to it. Glad to hear you liked this one as well.
So glad to hear you have the books Iris, I hope you give one a chance
I have had this book on my shelf since a friend recommended it to me. Of course, like a lot of my personal books, it remains unread, but reading about it here, and finding out all the pertinent plot points has me very interested in trying it out for myself sometime soon. I am particularly interested in the religion aspect of this one, though the discussion of parental abuse also seems like it is well done. This was a great review, Amy, and has inspired me to dust this one off the shelf and give it a try!
Yes, that is always the issue isn’t it zibilee, actually getting around to the books on our shelves! It was really done and I highly recommend it! (Nigerian review project on Oct 1st remember! If that helps. heh)
I own this one and I must say, first and foremost, the cover absolutely strikes me. I haven’t read anything by Adichie so I hope to get to it soon.
Yes, it is a nice cover isn’t it reviewsbylola? I hope you give the book a chance and love it!
Wonderful review, Amy! I haven’t read any of Adichie’s books yet, but from your review, she looks like a powerful writer. I liked the way you have described the contrast between the different feelings that the heroine feels for her father – how she has to obey her father but how she also loves him. Thanks for this wonderful review.
Thank you Vishy, her work is so fantastic and powerful, I can’t recommend it enough.
I really must read her at some point. I do have one of her books on my TBR pile, but I just haven’t got around to it yet.
You really must Kailana
I thought you had read this book already. It’s a good book. I loved it. It was almost on my all-time favourites list but replaced it with the second novel Half of a Yellow Sun. I enjoyed the parallels she drew between the traditional religion and christianity.
I should have read it previously Nana, but I just couldn’t handle the thought of having nothing new to read by her! I still can’t decide which I prefer between the two novels she’s written… And yes, the parallels were really fantastic!
Yep, Adichie certainly deserves praise for her craft. I enjoyed reading Purple and reviewing it too. And I like the way you did yours:-)
At first I couldn’t decide which one I loved more – Half or Purple. On reflection, Half has the edge only because all main characters are rounder and better developed, I think.
Your review really reminded me that I should read it already Adura, so thank you for that! I am still not sure which I love more. Such a hard decision!
Wow Amy! 5 Stars! I’m convinced! I think this sounds better than Half the Yellow Sun but I’ll try to read both of them when there is a chance. Thanks for this!
So glad to hear you are convinced JoV! I love them both, but they are quite different. The consensus here seems to be that Half is preferred just a bit, but I’m still undecided!
Wow this sounds so good! We had a family here locally who adopted children and abused them severely but were extremely “religious” and punished the kids in that vein. I’m sure this book would be heartbreaking, especially knowing that that kind of thing happens in real life all the time. =(
So sad to hear that Jenny. It’s such a tough situation because it seems to make it even harder for the children to break away from it.
It sounds like you loved this novel as much as I did.
I really did Stephanie
We have good taste, clearly!
Glad you finally got your hands around it and did enjoy it.
Thanks Geosi!
I didn’t think there was even half a chance that there would be a copy of this in Nova Scotia’s libraries – but I was wrong. I’ve reserved it – thanks for the recommendation!
Oh yes Debbie, Adichie’s books are very widely available. She is based in Texas now, and her books seem to be in almost every bookstore and library I’ve been to!
Stopping by to reiterate — lovely, succint review! I’ve only yet read ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’, but I fully intend to read all of Adichie’s work, including future novels and short story collections. It’s interesting that we were discussing podcasts the other day, as I came across this and thought you would like it. It’s Adichie on demystifying the modern African identity/series of identities, through sharing the work of Ghanaian writer Ama Ata Aidoo (whose work I respect and admire as well). Looking forward to your thoughts
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18142470
Thank you Shivanee, after reading one of her works I don’t think it’s possible to not want to read all of the rest
Thanks for sharing the podcast, I also really enjoy Ama Ata Aidoo’s work so am really looking forward to listening to it – thanks!!
I have both this and Half of a Yellow Sun on my TBR and have heard conflicting things about which one to read first. Your review certainly did not help! Regardless, I need to move one of them up the TBR pile. Glad you loved this one!
So glad to hear you have them both Carrie, both such great books
I really don’t know which to recommend you read first!!
This was on my TBR years ago when a friend of mine read and loved it. It’s back on TBR thanks to your review! Sounds like an incredible book. I can’t wait to read it.
Yay glad to hear it Emiliy, I think you would enjoy it.
I started with Half of a Yellow Sun and absolutely fell in love. I have seen her speak several times too, and although her sense of humour isn’t necessarily mine (she is a very serious but sarcastic sort of person it seems to me) I find her a really fascinating speaker. For a long time now I have been telling myself to read this and still haven’t. I do own The Thing Around Your Neck and I know I should read that soon as well. Thanks for the reminder
I’m so jealous that you’ve had the opportunity to see her speak Becky! Also, her sense of humour sounds like mine
I hope you enjoy her other works!
This is such a well written book lovely reviee Amy I loved it when I read if myself such a touching story all the best
Thank you so much Stu, and glad to hear that you enjoyed it as well.
I loved Purple Hibiscus too. Thank you to Shivanee for providing the link to Adichie’s book recommendation on NPR. I enjoyed hearing her talk about the reasons she recommended a particular book, and about the reader’s reaction afterwards. I read Our Sister Killjoy years ago and have not read anything by Ama Ata Aidoo since, but I’ve now got an interlibrary loan request submitted for Aidoo’s No Sweetness Here. There’s nothing by Aidoo in the public library in Edmonton, but Adichie’s books are available in multiple copies and formats.
Thank you Lindy, I’m so glad to hear that you liked it as well. I also loved that link from Shivanee
I hope that you love the Aidoo and the other Adichie books!