Half of a Yellow Sun

Overwhelmed! That is how I still feel, days after completing this incredible novel.

The story progresses slowly but steadily, giving the reader sufficient time to connect with each of the character, to understand the rationale behind their decisions, to feel their emotions and sense their touch. It is so delicately woven that even if one word were to be replaced or omitted, it would cause a ripple effect and tear up this beautiful masterpiece. The reader needs to take it all in slowly, feel the pain, the love, the warmth, the despair, careful not to miss a single word, for behind every word lie a million emotions. And one needs to be sensitive and perceptive enough to grasp them.

 The war begins first with few glimpses, when you least expect it. It is almost like a foreboding of things to come. And before you know it, you are diving into it head on.

We are more similar than we realize, in our views about female gender, in our insecurities of intellectual women, in the manner in which our society belittles them, and in how these tough, brave women fight hard to overcome this misogynistic attitude. Every country goes through a women’s movement; it is only the time and place that differs.

It is not an easy task to write about war (I believe portraying it onscreen is relatively easier). One can include gore, graphic details which make the reader’s stomach turn. One can be impassive and undisturbed about it, so as not to invoke any passionate feelings in the reader. But to depict the war in a way that makes you feel it, to experience it, to understand the multitude of emotions going through every character‘s mind, is an art. And Ms. Adichie is a true artist. She brings a depth to the words which make you empathize with the war survivors (or victims, depending on how you see them). This book will make you jump up and listen when the characters are excited, cry when they are tearful and sympathize with their loss. Not many novels can claim to have such as effect on its readers.

War feels the same everywhere. No matter where you live or which culture you follow, whether it is a civil war, a partition, a riot or a world war, the effect it has on us humans is the same. The complex emotions, of loss, anxiety, hatred, misery, felt by the characters will remind you of the sufferings of your countrymen as it reminded me of the heart wrenching stories of my country in 1947. It will also bring out the cruel realities of a war happening in amidst us, currently, that is now in its 7th year.

The story moves seamlessly across time periods, keeping its essence intact. More importantly, it gives you different perspectives of people in a war trodden country; distinct individuals whose lives are intertwined with each other’s.

I stared off reading the book continuously, taking a break only for mundane activities. But as the story progressed, I had to put down the book every few chapters and take a breath. I felt a kind of breathlessness, overwhelmed by the circumstances thursted upon the characters. I took my time soaking it all in, reflecting on the journey of the characters, relating it the happenings around the world today. The book has surely had a deep impact on me and how I see the world, our world.

For a fictional, non-spiritual, non self-help book, based on real situations to be able to make a reader introspect on life is what raises this book above all others.