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Americanah
- Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
- Length: 17 hrs and 28 mins
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I’m just not smart enough for this book
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Publisher's Summary
Shortlisted for the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction 2014.
From the award-winning author of Half of a Yellow Sun, a powerful story of love, race and identity.
As teenagers in Lagos, Ifemelu and Obinze fall in love. Their Nigeria is under military dictatorship, and people are fleeing the country if they can. The self-assured Ifemelu departs for America. There she suffers defeats and triumphs, finds and loses relationships, all the while feeling the weight of something she never thought of back home: race. Obinze had hoped to join her, but post-9/11 America will not let him in, and he plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in London. Thirteen years later, Obinze is a wealthy man in a newly democratic Nigeria, while Ifemelu has achieved success as a blogger. But after so long apart and so many changes, will they find the courage to meet again, face to face?
Fearless, gripping, spanning three continents and numerous lives, the National Book Critics Circle Award-winning Americanah is a richly told story of love and expectation set in today’s globalised world.
Critic Reviews
“Actress Adjoa Andoh brings to life Adichie’s complex, beautifully wrought novel – which is both a love story and a nuanced analysis of political topics including systemic racism in America; immigration in the UK; and the class system in Nigeria.” (Vogue)
"One of the previous decade’s landmark novels [...] Andoh is a skilled, exciting narrator." (The Times)
"Andoh's rich voice and distinct characters and rhythm keep the listener engrossed.... Andoh has fun adopting a mocking lilt for Ifemelu's snarky blog entries.... [and] a more serious tone brings authenticity to the heartbreak of Obinze's London experience." ( AudioFile)
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What listeners say about Americanah
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Veisinia
- 01-05-2016
Brilliant! Highly recommended .
A must for anyone who has migrated to the west. Beautiful insights and some funny moments. Love this book!
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2 people found this helpful
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- Avie
- 19-05-2015
Brilliantly narrated, extremely engaging
Wonderful prose and character work brought to life with possibly the best narration I have heard on Audible so far.
The nuance of the different types of Nigerian accents and how characters accents change as they are in different contexts (speaking with family, living in America etc) is so vital to the story...but I never would have gotten that depth had I been just reading the book.
Even if you have read the hard copy, do yourself a favour and listen to the audiobook as well, you will be so glad you did!
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2 people found this helpful
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- Yetunde Daramola
- 14-03-2019
scintillating
I couldn't do anything else once I started. Its the best of the Author's I have read so far.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Mary Rita Martin
- 09-12-2023
Transports you around the world
Good story, well written and enjoyable. Narrator is excellent.. The prose is engaging and interesting insight
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- Jennifer Robinson
- 25-11-2023
Great performance, story went down like medicine
I felt obliged to finish this, but found it a slog. I didn't find the characters likeable. I guess I'm too much of a rationalist, and too little interested in love affairs. The narrator did a fantastic job with voices and accents.
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- SUsan Hutchinson
- 24-10-2023
exquisitely insightful
Though not my favourite by this authour, it's still exquisitely insightful and a beautiful story
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- Anonymous User
- 27-07-2023
A journey of discovery
A wonderful book. I wasn’t a fan of the use of the character’s blog as a literary device to share perspectives - interesting as those were - but the book was so beautifully written overall and had so much to offer that this was just a minor annoyance.
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- Anonymous User
- 14-04-2023
An excellent read
Felt completely immersed in this story. Beautiful writing and interesting and relatable characters. I loved it!
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- Ebony Queen
- 09-03-2023
#Review
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, from beginning to end. The storyline is solid and entertaining and the narrator is just so engaging. A definite must read and I will read it again and again. Thank you
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- Anonymous User
- 30-07-2022
Beautifully written and perfectly narrated
I really enjoyed this book, it's narrated so perfectly by Adjoa Andoh. The story is heartfelt, written poetically. I learned a lot while absorbed in the characters' journeys. 5 stars!
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- Anna-Bo-Banana
- 28-04-2014
Dazzling, Romantic, and Witty
Where does Americanah rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I heard an author's interview on NPR about this book, and I immediately knew I wanted to read it. I downloaded the Audible version, and was delighted immediately by the narration by Adjoa Andoh. The book carried me into the romance of a young couple who are separated by circumstance and opportunity, and are later reunited by chance and perhaps the inevitability of returning "home". What made me love this book is the main character, Ifamelu, an academician, a romantic (at heart) but also a realist. While experiencing life in America, Ifamelu challenges what other Americans, and Black Americans especially think about "Black women" and "Africans" generally. I loved her fictional blog, Raceteenth, and I wish it were real frankly. Her biting and acid criticism of race and perceptions of race among minorities was thought provoking, funny, and at times stunning. The main character's romances, her sexuality, and her reflection on love and companionship weaved together with the academic side of Ifamelu in a way that had me laughing and crying, and ultimately sad the book had to come to an end. I would liken reading Americanah to reading one my of other favorite novels, "Face of an Angel," by Denise Chavez. The intimacy you feel with the characters is unmatched, and when a book has you blushing about things you rarely will acknowledge, much less articulate to another, you know you have something special. Finally, I can't emphasize what a great narrator Andjoa Andoh is. About 80% of the books I listen to on Audible have boring or flat narrators, and so this narrator set Americanah on audio apart. The narrator took time to change her tone of voice, add inflection to separate the "sound" of characters male and female, American and non-American accented English, and to create a world of many different characters. I loved it, and I hope you will too. I look forward to more from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
What other book might you compare Americanah to and why?
Face of Angel by Denise Chavez. This novel and Americanah have a lot of depth, and elve into intimacies that are sometimes uncomfortable, but necessary to understand the whole person.
What about Adjoa Andoh’s performance did you like?
She adjusted her voice to embody each character, and that was my favorite thing. She brought the characters to life, and her inflection carried the passion that I felt between the lovers in the story.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
A yearning for home, an adventure apart
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117 people found this helpful
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- Diana
- 28-09-2015
Smart, cool, perceptive, brilliant writing & story
Contemporary fiction is not a favorite area, but this book was on sale, and had high review stats. So, I listened.
Wow.
How is that we all have access to the same words in dictionaries, but some people can make amazing sentences. AND, use what they've learned from people-watching.
The narrator, too, turns this book into an art-form through an amazing performance of the characters. Humor shines through in all the right places.
There is nothing in this book that would have interested me - the main ideas, the characters in any of the countries - what happens in the process of immigrating and assimulating - the romantic thread - the racial issues - academia - the process of surviving economically. But, this book, this Audio Book, is awesome, amazing, and sucked me in.
I feel changed by the experience of this book, and expanded somehow.
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75 people found this helpful
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- Margaret
- 13-09-2015
Fascinating immigrant perspective - good story
American literature is full of immigrant perspectives - but these are mostly from the days of an Ellis Island stuffed full of European peasants fleeing economic deprivation in search of a better life. Americanah gives us a detailed look into a fresh perspective - African (Nigerian) immigrants coming to America or the UK in current times.
The main character, Ifemelu, and her college boyfriend, Obinze, both seek opportunity to grow and develop their lives outside the limitations of Big Man politics and limited economic opportunity in Nigeria. Ifemelu's experience includes fascinating details about what it's like to be a non-American black person in the U.S. and demonstrates the many faces of racism in the education system, in employment, and in the liberal intellectual elite. Adichie does a great job making the impacts of this racism real through the eyes of Ifemelu and her family and friends in the U.S. Obinze's challenges in the UK are more structural; in a post-9/11 world, it is difficult for a young, African male to get through the bureaucracy of EU/UK immigration, and he ends up returning to Nigeria and navigating the corruption as best he can to make his way.
Ifemelu and Obinze's star-crossed love life is the romantic plot intertwined with their immigrant experiences and plays out using conventional romance tropes, well-told. There are a couple of places where I didn't believe the storyline (Ifemelu's long silence to Obinze after a traumatic experience just didn't ring true but was necessary so that Obinze could develop his own plot complications.)
Is Americanah a great book? My personal standard for literature is that the crafting of a sentence is so breathtaking that you have to stop and stare - and I didn't find any of this high art in Americanah. Nonetheless, the book is extremely well-crafted - Adichie is a skilled writer with both an excellent eye for what's just under the surface, and fine writing technique. Her characters are extremely well-drawn, with lots of interesting detail and good development. The book is perhaps drawing so much attention because it tells such an important, under-told story and does it so well. As a reader, you care a lot about what happens next for each of these characters, and the book is a pleasure to read.
The narrator reads with a Nigerian accent, which takes a chapter or two to get used to, and ultimately adds a lot to the listening experience. Her inflections and expressiveness are superior to most narrators.
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- KP
- 18-08-2014
Didactic to a fault!
This was a beautifully written book, and I enjoyed the story. The author’s keen insights into issues of immigration and race and what it means to be black in America AND in Africa were really interesting. It was particularly interesting to read about Nigeria from the viewpoint of some very well educated people. The main problem I had with the book is that it was too didactic. The author was critical of whites, critical of blacks - Nigerians, and Americans. That’s ok, and a lot of it was interesting, BUT it just went on too long. All of the preaching bogged the book down. Much of it could have been edited out, and the powerful main points would still have had as much or more impact.
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- ezyduzit
- 28-01-2015
Good read
I really enjoyed the writing of this book, the Lagos was so relatable as a Nigerian and a Lagosian but the biggest let down in listening to this was the fact that the reader is not Nigerian and could not speak the language when it needed to be and mispronounced just about every name. Her slightly British accent was a joy for the English majority but it would have been a much better experience if the reader actually spoke the language of the author. It really did make what should be a really really good book merely mediocre and makes me feel like I need to read the book in paper to capture the language for my self how the author really meant it.
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- Marilyn
- 16-03-2014
Love this love story!
And it's so much more than a love story. Very intelligent, lyrical and insightful book about race relations and personal relations both within and without the United States. The Narrator was simply outstanding! Highly recommended.
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- New Orleans reader
- 05-04-2014
Narrator enhanced this book tremendously.
Would you consider the audio edition of Americanah to be better than the print version?
The narrator brought alive the Americanah experience in a direct way that the written page would not have. She literally gave voice to the characters that enriched the narrative for me.
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- Joan
- 21-08-2014
Engaging, humorous story; Irritating narrator
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
I highly recommend as a visual but not an audio read. The narrator does a fine job when the story is in the 3rd person or when she is speaking as the protagonist, but all her male and other-female characters sound like pre-adolescent boys. After so many hours of cringing when the narrator "turned male", I downloaded the e-book to enjoy the remainder of the story.
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- Cynthia
- 06-04-2014
couldn't listen to the narrator
I loved "Half a Yellow Sun" and was really looking forward to listening to "Americanah", but the narrator's different voices (particularly the American ones) were so screeching and nasally that I had to stop listening.
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- B.J.
- 30-09-2015
What's not to love?
Days after finishing this book I'm still thinking about it. I loved it while I listened and love it even more now. Here's why:
First off, the writing is wonderful. It's witty, poetic, sad ... it travels and takes you places. I can't count how many things happened where I felt like I was there and the people were real. That's an achievement. The way blogging is incorporated is a great tool in this writer's hands. It feels like the way people have used letters before to change the voice yet make a point. It never felt contrived and always contributed to the story.
Second, it opens up new thinking. I am in a city where many Africans have settled - yet they remain distinctly apart from the black community. I understand it more than I ever have before.
Third, the narration is brilliant. There are a host of characters, nuances with pronunciation, complicated shifts and yet Adjoa Andoh handles it all with ease. Her performance makes this one of the best audio books I've ever heard. I can't imagine a better book club selection.
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- Diana John
- 02-06-2013
Life-changing
This was well-near perfect. The narration was fantastic and had me speaking in a Nigerian accent to myself and saying the names to myself because the sounds that made them up were so beautiful. The story was powerful, authentic, moving and challenging. As a white person who grew up in South Africa during apartheid and then moved to England, I felt heartbroken at some of the experiences that are portrayed in this book. The author has written a sensitive, deeply moving story about what it means to be a black person in the modern world. Ifemelu is a wonderful heroine - she has her faults but she grows through the experiences that happen to her and we really come to love her as she comes to love and accept herself. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Half of a yellow sun was fantastic, but Americanah is faultless.
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- Emily Marbach
- 06-05-2013
The Best Read Book from Audible
The reader of this compelling story was better than anyone I have ever heard.
She juggled American, British, Nigerian, Senegalese and other accents so masterfully. I was mesmerised.
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- SDY
- 11-07-2013
Surprisingly boring
I normally like Adichie’s style and stories, but this book felt different. The protagonists' story is engaging at the start, but then the narration turns into a lecture about racism. It felt as if the author wanted to make a point, and then bang it over your head again and again, and then some more. I don’t disagree with the points she’s trying to make, but rather with the delivery- if I’d wanted to be lectured about how white folks don’t realize they’re being racist, I would’ve read an essay. All the secondary characters seem to be exactly the same- arrogant, pretentious and unaware of their racism and ignorance about Africa, whether they are in the London or the US. One would expect more subtlety and skill from an author of this magnitude.
All in all, this novel is not remotely as engaging or insightful as Half of a Yellow Sun or The Purple Ibiscus and the tonal repetitions of similar episodes make the reading quite dull. I wish it had been much shorter or edited better, perhaps then I would’ve enjoyed it more. Still, not an entirely terrible listen, particularly thanks to the ability of the narrator, who displays a vast array of accents.
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- Eileen
- 18-08-2013
Entertaining and poignant
What made the experience of listening to Americanah the most enjoyable?
The narrator was excellent, bringing alive the different cultures and circumstances of the main characters
Who was your favorite character and why?
Efamala, by far the most interesting, her take on cultural differences and norms were so well observed
Which scene did you most enjoy?
Probably the hairdressing scene, where she is making a major change because she can as she is successful, whereas the hairdresser is stuck in an underworld with no choices and no hope. Life chances, choice and individual determination are all thrown into the pot in this scene. Very memorable
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
It made me sad in so many ways. Migrants hardship, very day battles coping with different and alien circumstances, while facing hostility and prejudice are all dealt with, however not really with any sense of being a victim
Any additional comments?
The real triumph of this book is that the two main characters find success in their homeland, hardship, misery and success overseas brings fresh insights and resolution. It's really well read, I Could actually feel the crowds and the heat of Nigeria as well as picture the warehouse scene in London with clarity.
I would definitely read more from this author
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- A. Hunt
- 11-05-2013
A superb achievement
I loved this book. The story is convincing, I cared about the main characters, I was kept guessing, and I was drawn completely into their world.
Ifemelu's journey – from an outsider to whom everything is new and unexpectedly strange, to confident resident alien in the USA – was one I could relate to from personal experience. Like her, I was eventually pulled back home, never entirely feeling a sense of belonging, yet recognising the positive aspects of American life and values that are often overlooked by the country's critics (many of them from a point of ignorance).
The descriptions of American society and the minefield of cultural groupings and sensitivities that take so long to navigate are right on the mark here. Yet the narrative flows naturally, the characters have depth (even when they're apparently there to represent stereotypes!), and the social observation blends seamlessly with the story itself: Ifemelu's account of how her life unfolds, and to a lesser extent Obinze's story in England, too. Most of all, the love story is powerful and completely credible. It's a masterpiece of storytelling.
The narration is virtually flawless and I enjoyed having this story read to me. I'll probably go back to the beginning and listen to it all again!
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- Miss
- 09-04-2015
If only it had been shorter!
The parts of the story set in Nigeria are really engaging and interesting, but the dominant section in the USA is far too long and the plot is a thin vehicle for the author's preoccupations. The English section cliched. It takes considerable commitment to soldier through to the end despite the wholly excellent narrator, who is the real star of the story.
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- Solveig Taylor
- 13-10-2018
Culture shock
A story of love that endures, but most of all about the dream of America, and the harsh reality of immigrant/ expat life. This story brought back memories of my high school year in the US, ages ago, and of Janet from Kenya and Elizabeth from Sierra Leone who befriended and overwhelmed me with their warm, open and slightly scary otherness. I found this story at times uncomfortable and slightly nauseating. Maybe the long stretches of description of adapting to life in the US were a little too efficient in conveying the feelings of the protagonist. At other times I felt the narrative was overly talkative and eager to convince, but preaching to the converted in my case. It may have been the audio book format that got to me, as it forces the listener to swallow every word, instead of being able to skim the less interesting bits. I enjoyed the parts of the narrative set in Nigeria, purely because it describes a different, and therefore interesting place, and the way of thinking, the difference, but also the sheer humanity of people living there. Though I could personally relate to the protagonist's critical attitude and feeling of superiority, she sometimes annoyed me. I felt that in fighting prejudice, the narrator did not always see her own prejudice.
All in all a book I am glad to have read.
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- obinna
- 23-10-2013
For those of us in diaspora
Would you consider the audio edition of Americanah to be better than the print version?
Yes because of the various accents, which brings the story home
What was one of the most memorable moments of Americanah?
Most memorable part was Obinze's plight in London, I can relate to that on so many levels.
What about Adjoa Andoh’s performance did you like?
Okay but I would recommend getting coaching on pronouncing the Igbo words properly so it doesn't lose it's mean..
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Very much so
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- Elisa
- 06-05-2014
Simply Wonderful
What made the experience of listening to Americanah the most enjoyable?
this book had me from the first chapter right to the end. It was such an engrossing story and I was so sad when I realised I was reaching the end.
What does Adjoa Andoh bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
Adjoa Andoh is s brilliant narrator, she navigates all the accents and even the mixed accents and really does a great job bringing it to life.
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- Elizabeth
- 23-07-2013
Another great story from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
This book got me hooked. Not immediately, but within maybe 1 hour of listening I couldnt stop and during the weeks I listened to it, I lived for my car journeys and time spent with my earphones in.
Americanah is the story of Ifemelu, a girl who leaves Nigeria for America to study. She isn't hugely academic but follows a fairly academic life course, exploring issues of race from within America from an outsiders perspective. Alongside this, her relationships past and present are explored, up to the point when she returns to Nigeria (an 'Americanah') and confronts her past.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is in my opinion one of today's most talented writers. Alongside Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun it is an incredible story which is captivating, wonderfully written, and truly takes the reader (or in my case, Listener) on a journey.
I will probably buy this book in print despite having listened to it as an audiobook first, because I do want to read bits again and have a physical copy - it's that enjoyable.
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