Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀Rezensionen

This story is about a young Nigerian couple who desperately want children and the lengths they will go to make it happen. I know many women are consumed by wanting to be a mother and this book makes me relieved that I am not one of them.

Recommended but this one is quite sad so pick it up with that in mind.

This is set in an unidentifed city in modern Nigeria.

Eniola is the eldest child in a family thrust into poverty when his educated father, a history teacher, was the subject of an educational purge when the ruling regime declared that history was a non-essential subject and removed from schools’ curricula. Now his father is too depressed to move from his bed; and his mother is struggling. Eniola, who had dreamed of a good school and a secondary education and his sister cannot pay their school fees even at the minimal public school they attend. Kids whose fees are in arrears are humiliated and beaten. The family chooses to pay Eniola’s sisters’ fees as she seems to have more promise. Eniola is apprenticed to a tailor, but he cannot afford the apprenticeship fees for that, either.

On the other side of the economic divide, lives Wuraola, a doctor to be from a well connected family. She is engaged to a man whose future also looks bright.

As the author says, ““real wealth was intergenerational, and the way Nigeria was set up, your parentage would often matter more than your qualifications. “ 148

But the wheel of fate turns, when Eniola is convinced by his friends to do a few favors for a boss man in exchange for food and money for his family. It seems a heaven-sent opportunity.

Wuraola’s fate also changes – her fiancé begins beating her. In addition, her father is asked to run for political office against a corrupt politician.

Both families’ fates are affected by the boss man and his corrosive political power.

The phrase “A spell of good things” can be a string of lucky events, but can also be ironically bitter about what the future holds after the good events vanish into thin air.

It’s an intriguing look at current Nigeria, and peopled with characters I really cared about.

'Alles wat had kunnen zijn’ is de tweede roman van Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ en het eerste ‘Boek van de maand’ bij Hebban, wat grote verwachtingen schept. Het stond op de longlist van de Booker Prize 2023 en werd uit het Engels vertaald door Elvira Veenings. Nigeria en bij uitbreiding het hele Afrikaanse continent is voor mij onbekend terrein. Met open vizier treed ik dit avontuur tegemoet.

De cover valt op met zijn felle kleuren en twee gestileerde personen die heel dicht bij elkaar komen, maar elkaar niet lijken te zien of niet willen zien: symbolen voor rijk en arm in Nigeria, waartussen een immense kloof gaapt die door het corrupte systeem uitgediept wordt. Als Adébáyọ van haar vaste route door Ifè afwijkt en de beelden uit de sloppenwijk op haar netvlies gebrand blijven, wordt haar roman geboren. Ze is geschokt en probeert zich in te leven in een voor haar onbekende kant van Nigeria. Hoe breek je uit die vicieuze cirkel?

De opbouw maakt zo’n cirkelbeweging met een proloog en epiloog, waarin de gedachten van Caro over de verkiezingen aan bod komen. Dezelfde persoon na verloop van tijd op dezelfde plaats. Alles lijkt hetzelfde en toch is niets nog hetzelfde na alles wat er is gebeurd. In vier grote delen, voorzien van een geheimzinnige titel en een bijhorend citaat en onderverdeeld in korte hoofdstukken, leren we de rijke arts in opleiding Wúràọlá en haar familie en de arme student Eniolá en zijn familie kennen.

Wat is verantwoordelijk voor die gapende kloof tussen arm en rijk in Nigeria? Adébáyọ beschrijft niet alleen hoe het corrupte systeem dit in de hand werkt, maar tekent eveneens minutieus, hoe de Nigerianen in hun eeuwenoude tradities vastgeroest zitten. ‘Alles wat had kunnen zijn’ vertrekt uit deze hoofdthema’s, maar kijkt verder.

Via Yéyé glijdt je terug in de tijd en krijg je inzicht in het belang van het huwelijk, zelfs al is haar dochter Wúràọlá bijna als arts afgestudeerd. Aan de andere kant zie je Eniolá hopen op een kwalitatieve opleiding, wat in Nigeria helemaal geen evidentie is. Zeker niet als zijn vader door een hervorming zijn job en al zijn energie verliest. Iyá Eniolá (Eniolá’s moeder) blijft niet bij de pakken zitten en vecht als een leeuwin, maar kan de bedelstaf niet afwenden. Zowel de sterkte als de mishandeling van de vrouw, depressiviteit, onderwijs als hoop op een betere toekomst zijn secundaire thema’s. De zus van Wúràọlá én die van Eniolá rebelleren tegen wat van hen verwacht wordt, maar het is uiteindelijk Eniolá die dé dominosteen doet omvallen, nadat het verhaal rustig alle andere dominosteentjes had klaargezet.

Het leven in Nigeria bekijk je vanuit verschillende perspectieven. Op die manier krijg je een gedetailleerd beeld en kan je je een levenswijze proberen voor te stellen die heel erg van de onze afwijkt. Toch zijn er ook universele zaken zoals het huiselijk geweld. Alles is in eenvoudige bewoordingen weergegeven en enkel de onvertaalde stukken uit het Yoruba doen de wenkbrauwen fronsen. Nochtans zijn die exotische namen zo poëtisch zoals Wúràọlá ‘gouden overvloed’ betekent. Geen ingewikkelde stijlfiguren, maar wel enkele mooie beelden:

‘De tijd was meedogenloos, hij stopte niet, zelfs niet om mensen de kans te geven zichzelf van de vloer te schrapen als ze verbrijzeld waren.’

‘Pas achteraf was hij (Eniolá) in staat om te bedenken dat die aanwezigheid niets anders kon zijn dan zijn eigen angst die, groter geworden dan zijn lichaam kon bevatten, naar buiten golfde om hem als een tweede schaduw te achtervolgen in het gras.’

Adébáyọ beschrijft de schrijnende wantoestanden zonder een oordeel te vellen of een oplossing aan te bieden en laat het einde open. Wat als er in een olieproducerend land zelfs voor een ziekenhuis niet genoeg elektriciteit is? Corruptie en tradities zitten zodanig in het leven van de Nigerianen verweven, zoals de afbeelding van de politiekers in de ankara-stof die ze als aalmoes tijdens hun campagne uitdelen, dat het kluwen moeilijk te ontwarren is. Vele personages wachten te lang om stappen te ondernemen en willen dan plots met te grote stappen vooruit. Ga nooit af op een fata morgana, maar blijf ook niet werkloos toezien. Ze houdt haar landgenoten een spiegel voor. Wie durft er in deze spiegel te kijken?½

De Nigeriaanse schrijfster Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ was al een twintiger toen ze voor het eerst - bij toeval - met eigen ogen zag in wat voor armoede een deel van haar landgenoten leeft. Dat maakte zo’n indruk op haar dat ze er jaren later, ‘A spell of good things’, haar tweede roman, over schreef.

Adébáyọ̀ zet haar belangrijkste thema, het grote contrast tussen arm en rijk in Nigeria, scherp aan door twee verhaallijnen met elkaar te verweven. De ene verhaallijn volgt de tiener Ẹniọlá, wiens vader zijn baan is kwijtgeraakt waardoor het gezin in rap tempo financieel afglijdt. De andere verhaallijn volgt de twintiger Wúràọlá, arts in opleiding en afkomstig uit welvarende kringen. De één kan alleen maar hopen dat er elke dag iets te eten op tafel staat, terwijl de ander zich bijna achteloos tegoed doet aan afhaalmaaltijden of een buffet op een verjaardagsfeest.

‘Alles wat had kunnen zijn’ opent sterk, met een scène die je de vernedering van Ẹniọlá’s leven in armoede goed doet voelen. Helaas weet de schrijfster de scherpte van die openingsscène niet vast te houden. In de volgende 350 pagina’s blijkt ze erg veel woorden nodig te hebben om de levens van haar hoofdpersonen te schetsen. Wat vooral opvalt is het overdadige gebruik van dialoog, zóveel, dat je het gevoel bekruipt dat je het script van een televisieserie zit te lezen. Ook de uitgebreide beschrijvingen van kledingstukken, lokale gerechten en nevenpersonages dragen daaraan bij. Pas in de allerlaatste 75 pagina’s wordt het verteltempo opgevoerd. Pas dan ook wil je écht doorlezen, maar dan is het verhaal al - vrij abrupt - afgelopen.

Wat geldt voor de schrijfstijl, geldt ook voor de thematiek. De potentie is er, maar de uitwerking blijft achter. Adébáyọ̀ snijdt grote thema’s aan zoals corruptie, politiek geweld, armoede, depressie, huiselijk geweld, de man/vrouwverhouding in Nigeria, het belang van onderwijs en het conflict tussen de generaties. Eigenlijk té veel om allemaal goed uit te werken, zeker naast al die sfeerbeschrijvingen. En dat is jammer, want je wil er meer van weten. Zo worstelt Wúràọlá met de relatie met haar verloofde, die voor haar familie de ideale man is, maar die ook nogal losse handjes blijkt te hebben. Dat is een thema dat bijna een eigen boek verdient, maar hier ondersneeuwt naast de andere thema’s, waardoor je, zeker aan het einde van het verhaal, met prangende vragen blijft zitten over het vervolg.

Best wel wat bezwaren dus, maar betekent dat ook dat je dit boek links moet laten liggen? Nee, zeker niet! Het geeft namelijk een interessant inkijkje in het leven in het moderne Nigeria en vooral in de vergaande gevolgen van politieke corruptie voor arm én rijk. Daarnaast laat Adébáyọ̀ je ervaren hoe het is om een boek te lezen waarin je woorden, begrippen en culturele gebruiken tegenkomt die je niet meteen iets zullen zeggen. Een leeservaring die veel lezers van buiten de ‘westerse wereld’ al op jonge leeftijd meemaken. Dat maakt het boek ondanks de bezwaren tot een gedenkwaardige leeservaring.

This book was quickly engaging. I was hooked right away. Although the story centered on aspects that are foreign to me the author shows that relations are difficult no matter what the background and traditions are. I don't know that I loved any of the characters but I did care about them and wanted a happy ending. That wasn't really the purpose though. I think it was really a reflection on relationships and love. The inability of any of them to effectively communicate with each other was the root of so many problems and I think that is universal. Like I said I would have enjoyed a deeper connection to the characters so I would be a bit more invested but it wasn't necessary just my preference.

*Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2023*

3.5⭐️

“She had never been able to shake the sense that life was war, a series of battles with the occasional spell of good things.”

Set in modern-day Nigeria, the narrative of A Spell of Good Things by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ revolves around two characters from vastly different walks of life - Ẹniọlá, a teenager who belongs to a family struggling to make ends meet and Wúràọlá, a young doctor from an affluent family - and how their lives become intertwined through an episode of violence and tragedy.

Ẹniọlá dreams of pursuing his education in a good school as his father had once promised. But his father, a teacher by profession, loses his job, and the family is unable to fund his or his sister Bùsọ́lá’s education. Ẹniọlá works odd jobs in a tailoring shop, unable to pay for an apprenticeship but hoping to acquire some skills while also earning some money. He, along with others in similar situations, is regularly punished by school authorities for their inability to pay fees and face expulsion once the stipulated grace period is over. In a bid to better his family’s circumstances, he gets embroiled with a local politician – an association that will irrevocably change his life.
Wúràọlá is twenty-eight, and despite her academic accomplishments and hard work, she submits to social and family pressure to find a husband. She accepts her childhood friend/ boyfriend Kúnle’s proposal, though her heart is not completely in the relationship. Both her father and her future father-in-law are associated with local politics, and the marriage between the families is a coveted union. Her need to keep the families happy and keep up appearances overrides her doubts about her feelings, and she finds herself hiding her fiancé’s true nature.

I loved the premise of A Spell of Good Things by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀. The prose is superb, as is the character development. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the setting, culture and traditions of the community and the dynamics within the families. The story revolves around themes of socio-economic inequality, politicization and regulation of the school system, political corruption, depression, and domestic abuse, among others. I found Ẹniọlá’s storyline emotionally impactful, and though I could sympathize with Wúràọlá and her family toward the end of the novel, I thought that her story was lacking in depth. The pace is slow for a larger part of the novel and suffers from minor repetition. There are many characters to keep track of, and while I enjoyed reading about the large families and extended families, there were certain characters whose stories felt important but remained somewhat unexplored. The final segment is shocking and heartbreaking and will stay with you long after you have finished the book.

Though there is a lot to like about this novel, I was not completely engaged in the narrative for most of the novel. Having said that, I do hope to pick more of the author’s work. I did feel the need for a glossary/key/index for all the Nigerian words and phrases in the narrative, which would have made for a more fluid reading experience.

“Time was unforgiving, it didn’t stop, not even to give people a chance to scrape themselves off the floor if they’d been shattered.”

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47. A Spell of Good things by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀
readers: Ore Apampa & Babajide Oyekunle
OPD: 2023
format: 12:40 audible audiobook (352 pages in hardcover)
acquired: August 19 listened: Aug 19 – Sep 1
rating: 4
genre/style: Contemporary Fiction theme: Booker 2023
locations: contemporary Nigeria
about the author: A Nigerian author who was born in Lagos, in 1988, and grew up in Ile-Ife, living in the University Staff Quarters of Obafemi Awolowo University.

My second from the Booker longlist was another good one, although very different.

This opens slow. We're in a Nigerian city that is not Legos, but is also apparently never named. We meet characters from two different economic classes: Wúràọlá, a young doctor starting her professional career, exhausted, and unmarried in her late twenties, although in a relationship. And Ẹniọlá, the teenage son of an out of work high school history teacher. Ẹniọlá's wants a college education, but his family is starving, and can't afford his school fees. He occasionally works at a tailor shop, but doesn't have the money needed to become an apprentice. Wúràọlá's mother has her dresses made at this tailor shop, making a thin connection between two.

This quilt of Nigerian life crawls along with problems and subtleties, and for 2 hours of audio time I was kind of bored, but it suddenly comes alive. Nothing dramatic happens, except when some stuff did happen, I became invested in Ẹniọlá's school problems, and Wúràọlá's relationship and family problems. It escalates more, becoming a satisfying novel.

One of the awkward lessons of this book for me was a different understanding of the title, from my original take, as optimistic, to something much more bitter (one meaning of a spell is "a state or period of enchantment", which, by definition, comes to an end).

This one is recommended to those with a little patience, because it eventually rewards, but also with maybe some optimism in their reserves. Also, note that I thought the audio readers were a little difficult to understand.

2023
https://www.librarything.com/topic/351556#8222418

I finished A Spell of Good Things, which really impressed me. Set in a province in Nigeria, it focusses on two families, one well-to-do, the other struggling just to find food for a family of four. One of the two main characters, Eniola, is the teenaged son of the poor family. His father has lost his job as a teacher because of imposed job cuts—the family now has no income. The other main character is Wuraola, a young doctor on her first exhausting hospital service. Her demanding boyfriend, Kunle, only makes her busy life more impossible. Kunle’s family is close friends with Wuraola’s, and his father is planning a run for governor of the province. And then there is his opponent, a ruthless, Mafia sort of politician, who would prefer to run unopposed. This novel really develops into a page turner that leads to a shocking conclusion. Political corruption and violence, an underfunded education system whose methods of discipline reminded me of Dickens, abuse of women—all of these issues are present in the world of the novel. Its characters are believably developed; I was able to sympathize with many of them. And its plot kept me reading well past midnight the day I finished it.

I liked this book very much, and I’ve now added Adebayo’s earlier novel Stay with Me to my TBR. I’ve not read any other books on the Booker long list, but I wouldn’t be surprised if….

Eniola is keen teen-aged student in contemporary Nigeria, attending a private school. When his father is let go from his job as high school teacher , Eniola's family goes from poor to impoverished. His father grows depressed and is unable to even rise from his bed. Eniola's mother eventually forces both him and his sister to beg for money and food on the streets. Since his family is unable to pay his school fees, Eniloa is caned and beaten at school. Over time, Eniloa feels he has found a solution to their poverty, but falls in with a bad crowd. Meanwhile, 28 year old Wuraola is from a very wealthy family. She works as a resident doctor at the local hospital. She has a boyfriend, Kunle, who her family pressures her to marry. Unfortunately their relationship has problems that Wuraola cannot admit to herself.

Eventually both Eniola and Wuraola's lives intersect in a violent way.

A fascinating look at class, family expectations, abuse and political corruption, this was a very worthwhile read. My one complaint is that the action in the story did not really begin until about 60 % through the novel.

Recommended.

The feelings I felt! So overwhelming and visceral, I groaned and paced and shouted. Stay With Me touches so many important themes about marriage, motherhood, culture and politics, mental illness, societal expectations, toxic masculinity, weaponized family bonds and sense of belonging, love, and fear and so much more. Yet, it just felt like the story of Yejide and Akin. Adebayo is amazingly talented, I can’t wait to read more of her work.

Ayóbámi Adébáyo’s debut novel, Stay With Me was the most compelling book I read in 2017 and her second novel, A Spell of Good Things is just as powerful. Set in Nigeria, we meet two families, one wealthy and one in poverty, whose worlds collide.

Eniola is a young teen whose family is plunged into poverty when his father is one of 6000 teachers who lost their job. His father comes deeply depressed and he, his mother, and sister are forced into begging family and strangers for money for food, rent, and school tuition.

Wuraola is a doctor from a wealthy family who becomes engaged to longtime family friend. She begins to question her future when her betrothed’s behavior becomes intolerable, knowing that her family will be angry if she calls the wedding off.

Eniola’s involvement with a local group of young men with ties to a powerful politician at first seems to be the answer to his family’s money problems, but soon turns dangerous.

Adébáyo brings the reader directly into this Nigerian setting, with the dichotomy of the poverty of Eniola and the wealth of Wurola’s circle jumping off the page at you. The customs, the food, the education, political, and medical systems provide an eye-opening experience for the reader.

Once again, Adébáyo’s story is heartbreaking and you ache for these characters that you will not soon forget.

This is a story of modern Nigeria with its wide economic disparity and political upheaval. It is a world where who your parents are is more important to your success than your abilities; an environment where children whose parents can’t afford to pay their private school costs are beaten. Wuraola’s parents are wealthy; she is a doctor doing a medical residency, about to be engaged to the son of another wealthy man with political aspirations. Eniola’s family is dirt poor ever since his father lost his teaching position when history jobs were eliminated. They barely have anything to eat, owe back rent and back tuition. Wuraola and Eniola’s world collide tragically when Eniola tries to help his family by working for a local politician. This same politician is running against Wuraola’s intended’s father.

I wasn’t sure about this book when I chose it, but I really liked it. It is heartbreaking, but so well written with fully developed characterizations that it quickly won me over. There are many important concepts here, presented with poignancy and a bit of humor. I did feel that the ending was somewhat rushed; I wish there would have been more of an explanatory denouement. It takes a while to get into the book, but don’t give up; it is a very worthwhile read.

Thanks to #netgalley and #knopf for the ARC.

Listened to audio and I am so glad I did!

When a young wife doesn‘t get pregnant, her mother-in-law forces a second wife into the marriage. This starts the narrative in which secrets are peeled back like an onion. In a culture where women‘s sole role is to bear babies, and the young wife wants to be independent (& the only wife) sad and disastrous things can happen. This is a dark book about sex and its dysfunction.½

The blurb on this book is a little misleading. I expected a book about a Nigerian couple going against the tradition of multiple marriages. Unfortunately, this is only a small part of the story. The rest of it involves lots of suffering. It is primarily the story Yejide and her husband, Akin, struggling with infertility and loss. It is told in alternating perspectives and multiple timelines from the 1980s to 2000s.

I enjoyed the author’s writing style, but there are a few issues with the construction. The characters are somewhat thin, and act in ways that are puzzling. The plot contains numerous holes, which become glaring by the end. One plot twist is completely unbelievable, and in fact, is negated several chapters later. I think it would have worked better for me if there were moments of lightness to offset the oppressive misery.

A young Nigerian couple meet at University in Ife, fall in love, and get married. The woman is a virgin, having promised herself that she would wait till she was married, so it's easy for her husband to fool her into thinking that it's her fault that after 4 years she has not gotten pregnant.
her in-laws take matters into their own hands. (Her own mother had died at her birth.) they secretly marry her husband to another woman, hoping that he would get her pregnant. Their whole world revolved around having grandchildren.
One day they brought the other wife over to yejide's house. Yejide was such an obedient daughter-in-law, that she raised no fuss. However, the lunch that she fixed for them had beans that were 3 days old.
2017 Hardcover Borzoi Books, Alfred A. Knopf
P.14-15:
"I stifled the urge to pull out funmi's Jheri curls because she slipped into the front seat beside my husband and pushed the small cushion I always kept there to the floor. I clenched my fists as akin drove away, leaving me alone in the cloud of dust he had raised.
'what did you feed them?' Akin shouted.
'Bridegroom, welcome back,' I said. I had just finished eating my dinner. I picked up the plates and headed for the kitchen.
'You know they all have diarrhea now? I had to park by a bush for them to s***. A bush!' he said, following me into the kitchen.

This short book packs a helluva punch. There hasn’t been a book in recent memory that has elicited so many audible gasps or exclamations of surprise from me. The hype for this book is well-deserved and explains why book reviewers say very little to preserve the twists and turns. Still, it wasn’t entirely perfect. I had a really hard time reconciling Yejide’s actions throughout the novel with the end of the book, which felt abrupt, cold and confusing to me.

Set in 1980s and 1990s mostly, Akin and Yejide are a progressive couple. But after 4 years of marriage, the meddling families procure a 2nd wife for Akim, convinced that Yejide is barren. Unbeknownst to the elders, Akin's brother becomes the "sperm donor" and Yejide give birth to two children, both of whom die from Sickle Cell disease. Convinced that Rotimi has the same fate, Yejide leaves her behind believing that she has died in a sickle crisis while with Akim during a military uprising. So sad that the elders still have certain beliefs and Akim can't talk to Yejide to say his brother was sleeping with her because he asked him to, so she could have children.

This is a readable, plot-filled book with many twists and turns. I enjoyed it and was blind-sided by it a couple of times, but did find the plot a bit much at times, there was no breather from it! There is an interesting backdrop of civil unrest in Nigeria and it is evocative of the place and time, but I might have liked a bit more of that at the expense of a twist or two.½

Absolutely wonderful. This debut is similar to Fates and Furies in that it explores the lies, misunderstandings, and assumptions that affect a couple’s marriage, but Yejide and Akin are depicted in a gentler, more compassionate fashion. The issue of infertility particularly makes this book ideal for discussions.

3.5 Good story

3.5 Good story

About the plot from Goodreads:
Yejide is hoping for a miracle, for a child. It is all her husband wants, all her mother-in-law wants, and she has tried everything - arduous pilgrimages, medical consultations, dances with prophets, appeals to God. But when her in-laws insist upon a new wife, it is too much for Yejide to bear. It will lead to jealousy, betrayal, and despair.

Firstly I thought that polygamy would be the main topic of the book. But it is more focused on the meaning of children in the marriage. The story is told from both Akin and his wife Yejide. I liked it because it was quite important to know views of them both. Sometimes it was a little bit confusing because it wasn't stated at the beginning of the chapter whose part it is.

It was also very interesting to get more acquainted with African culture, sometimes I was quite shocked.

I gave this book 5 stars, but can't even say why. I know only that I was reliving it all the time when not reading, talking about this story a lot with my husband and was very happy to continue reading any time I could. The story isn't emotionally easy to read but it's worth it.

Please see my full review at www.coffeeandtrainspotting.wordpress.com.

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher via NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Except for ending