The Thing Around Your Neck Book Review
In this The Thing Around Your Neck book review, I discuss my thoughts on the first story collection from hyphenated American writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I will also discuss how Adichie plays with audience prejudices. The novel is self-aware and unpredictable, despite its title.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's first story collection
Chimamanda Ngozi Adachie's debut story collection, The Thing Around Your Neck, is an extraordinary work of fiction. First published by Fourth Estate in the UK and Knopf in the US, the book was met with a plethora of positive reviews. The collection covers a wide range of topics and is a wonderful read for fiction fans of all ages.
Throughout her story collection, Adichie explores the contradictions of the human condition. "Tomorrow is Too Far," for example, features an unnamed young woman whose family has suffered the loss of their firstborn son. As her narrator, she explains the mystery behind his death, a secret she had previously kept.
The Thing Around Your Neck is a collection of twelve short stories. The stories cover topics that are common in post-colonial African societies. Some of the stories are based on Adichie's own life experience. "The Headstrong Historian" traces a family history from colonization to the post-colonial period in the 1980s. "The Shivering" takes its inspiration from the Sosoliso plane crash in 2005.
Character development
The Thing Around Your Neck demonstrates the importance of character development, as the narrator struggles to survive in a new country. The story revolves around Akunna, an African girl who has won the American visa lottery. She was told to move to the US with her uncle and get a big house and car in a month, but instead she faces sexual harassment, poverty, loneliness, and exploitation in the workplace.
"The Thing Around Your Neck" combines genres and uses first-person narration to create a unique reading experience. Set in modern-day Nigeria and the nineteenth century, this novel features first-person narration, past tense narration, and other literary devices. The plot revolves around Nigerian women and their relationship with men and religion, as well as relationships with other people.
Symbolism
Symbolism in the thing around your Neck is a powerful way to explore the relationships between characters. Throughout the novel, we see two different sets of people, and each of them has their own set of issues. We also see the complexities of relationships, especially when two people have the same cultural background.
The theme of isolation, social opinion, and identity are explored throughout the novel. We're also introduced to themes of racism and loneliness. The story is told in the first-person, with some scenes occurring in the past tense. The story is told through the voice of the protagonist, Akunna.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian author who focuses her fiction on Nigerian life, and this is evident in the stories she weaves. Her book explores the lives of Nigerians in a post-colonial environment. The characters are intelligent, but are also self-centered and flawed.
Relevance to readers of all cultures
The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a collection of short stories woven with longing, beauty, and a deep human struggle to reconcile two very different cultures. It is a testament to Adichie's skill as a writer and proves her relevance to readers from all cultures. The novel has been licensed for publication in 19 languages, which further validates its literary merits.
A comprehensive text guide to The Thing Around Your Neck is available in the form of an Insight Text Guide. This resource features in-depth discussion of the story's themes and characters. Produced by Insight Publications, an independent Australian educational publisher, these guides are designed to help students gain a deeper understanding of the material.
