Christopher abani born 27 december 1966 is a nigerian and american author. Worth reading for its searing depiction of modern africa, but abani is no chinua. Jun 22, 2019 i had lunch with chris abani last week. Graceland chronicles okes struggles in making it out of the lagos ghettos. The elvis oke of chris abanis novel is a child left to fend for himself in the urban jungle of lagos, nigeria. It deals with elviss struggles with sexuality in a perverse and ethically erased diatribal way.
Graceland ebook by chris abani 9781429929820 rakuten kobo. Graceland 2005 read online free book by chris abani in epub. Some telling details of rape,schiophilia,incest,anal sex,crucifixes,human. It details cultures,change,struggle,good,evil,forces and allows us at the same time an opportunity to be apprehensive and sentimental. Becoming abigail, a spare yet voluptuous tale about a young nigerian girls escape from prostitution is so hypnotic that it begs to be read in one sittingabigail is sensitive, courageous, and teetering on the brink of madness. Born in nigeria, abani published several works as a young man for which he suffered severe political persecution, more than once being sent to prison. It is a superbly written, structurally fascinating work and i found. Graceland opens with a nod to langston hughes a dream deferred. His other prizes include a pen freedomtowrite award, a prince claus award, and a lannan literary fellowship. Chris abanis striking new novel, graceland, wins the reader with its conceptan elvis impersonator in nigeriaand keeps him with strong storytelling and characterization.
International impac dublin literary awards best novel nominee. Read graceland a novel by chris abani available from rakuten kobo. Chris abani belongs to the newer crop of nigerian authors whose writing has been held against them by authoritarian regimes. Most of his work is known for addressing political and cultural issues in his home country, nigeria. Some telling details of rape,schiophilia,incest,anal sex,crucifixes,human trafficing,renouncing politics and just the age old. Read unlimited books and audiobooks on the web, ipad, iphone and android.
Elvis is a nigerian teenager who has to escape his dangerous surroundings in order. Abanis stories show us life balanced on the blade of a knife. At age sixteen he published his first novel, for which he suffered severe political persecution. On it were arranged his few books, each volume falling apart from years of use. Graceland is a dazzling debut by a singular new talent the sprawling, swampy, cacophonous city of lagos, nigeria, provides the backdrop to the story of elvis, a teenage elvis impersonator hoping to make his way out of the ghetto. What ive come to learn is that the world is never saved in grand messianic gestures, but in the simple accumulation of gentle, soft, almost invisible acts of compassion. Elvis oke lives in one of the most notorious and squalid ghettos of lagos, he makes a living as an impersonator of his namesake, elvis presley. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. At times he was held in solitary confinement and he was held on death row for some time after being sentenced to death for treason. Graceland by chris abani was an excellent book, good pace, excellent detail, and wonderfully full characters.
Chris abani at age sixteen he published his first novel, for which he suffered severe political persecution. Chris abani books list of books by author chris abani. Graceland by chris abani book cover, description, publication history. Chris abani s fiction and poetry has been widely anthologized. His book daphnes lot is a collection of poetry for which he won a 2003 lannan literary fellowship. A magazine cutting of a bmw was coming off the far wall, its end flapping mockingly. The nigerian comingofage novel as a globalization device. Graceland today show pick january 2005 9780312425289 by chris abani and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. While in exile he quickly gained a western audience. His latest book, kalakuta republic, is a collection of poetry based on his experience as a political prisoner in nigeria, and received the pen usa west freedomtowrite award and the prince claus of the netherlands award. Graceland study guide contains a biography of chris abani, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. He first sought refuge in england after being wanted by the government for writing supposedly incendiary material written. Broke, beset by floods, and beatings by his alcoholic father, and with no job opportunities in sight, elvis is tempted by a life of crime.
Graceland is a dazzling debut by a singular new talentthe sprawling, swampy, cacophonous city of lagos, nigeria, provides the backdrop to the story of elvis, a teenage elvis impersonator hoping to make his way out of the ghetto. Graceland is a 2004 novel by chris abani, which tells the story of a teenager named elvis, who is trying to get out of the ghettos of lagos, nigeria. Imprisoned on several occasions by the nigerian authorities, once when he was only 16, he now lives. The book he had fallen asleep reading, ralph ellisons invisible man, fell from his side to the floor, the old paperback cracking at the spine, falling neatly into two halves as precisely as if sliced by a sword.
Chris abanis graceland is the story of sixteenyearold elvis, a nigerian teenager living in lagos in 1983 who wants nothing more than to be an elvis presley impersonator. We hope that this guide will provide you a starting place for discussion, and suggest a. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading graceland. The plot of the novel, a political thriller, proved uncomfortably close to actual events. He says he is part of a new generation of nigerian writers working to convey to an englishspeaking audience the experience of those born and raised in that troubled african nation. Chris abani depicts the poverty and violence in lagos and how it affects the everyday lives of elvis and his family. Graceland is a novel by chris abaniwhich tells the story of a teenager abanii elvis, who is trying to get out of the ghettos of lagos, nigeria. Abigail is sensitive, courageous, and teetering on the brink of madness. Abani s stories show us life balanced on the blade of a knife. He got imprisoned several times for doing antigovernment actions, the last imprisonment was a death sentence. The okes are igbo, one of nearly 300 indigenous people in this populous country, the narration informs ussounding, as it frequently does, like an informational guide for foreigners. A richly detailed, poignant, and utterly fascinating look into another culture and how it is. Graceland summary chris abanis graceland is set in late twentieth century lagos, nigeria. Byatt, and when you read chris abani you see exactly how the truth can kill.
Chris abani has 46 books on goodreads with 19776 ratings. Though unlike our tuscan journeyman, elvis is granted two guides, redemption and the king of beggars. Graceland is a dazzling debut by a singular new talent the sprawling, swampy, cacophonous city of lagos, nigeria, provid. Graceland graceland 2004 is chris abanis second novel. This novel is set in maroko, a sprawling, swampy, crazy and colorful ghe. Feb 01, 2004 abani weaves the journals recipes and tribal lore together with elviss memories of his early years to provide background for the main action during 1983. Chris abani becoming abigail read and download epub, pdf. A richly detailed, poignant, and utterly fascinating look into another culture and how it is crosspollinated by our own. Chris abani s graceland is set in late twentieth century lagos, nigeria. Read graceland by chris abani for free with a 30 day free trial. The notion is almost too weird to swallow, but then chris abanis. Graceland is a dazzling debut by a singular new talent the sprawling, swampy, cacophonous city. That summary alone is what got me to pick up abanis novel, but what is even more impressive than elviss characterization is the cultural and worldly scope in which abani crafts elviss story. A piece of wood, supported at both ends by cinder blocks, served as a bookshelf.
A nigerian teenager leaves his troubled home and reflects on his past before finally leaving nigeria in search of a better life. Graceland is split between two main narratives, with the main story taking place in lagos in 1983, and the secondary narrative taking place in the small village of afpiko between 1972 and 1981. The bare cement floor was a cracked and pitted lunar landscape. In 1991 abani left his mother country and sought refuge abroad. He was a political prisoner in nigeria at various times during 1985 and 1991. There is a whole body of literature in traditional languages, he explains, but the aboriginal voice will not be given the same accord. Graceland is a grotesque, painfully hilarious look at the dark underground world of lagos nigeria, and it brings back vivid memories of an urban culture seemingly always on the verge of a complete societal breakdown. Chris abanis riveting novel is a superbly written, structurally fascinating work and i found myself captivated by the hilarity of some of the scenes, often as i found myself on the verge of tears.
Chris abani is a novelist, poet, essayist, screenwriter and playwright. Chris abanis riveting novel is an unrelenting focus on blight, squalor, savagery, and violence. Christopher abani or chris abani is a nigerian author. A novel by chris abani and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Two years later 1985 he was imprisoned on the grounds that this work had served as a blueprint for the failed coup of general vatsa. Graceland graceland 2004 is chris abani s second novel. Chris abani was born in nigeria in 1966 and published his first novel at sixteen.
Graceland is a cultural novel written by chris abani and published on january 26, 2005. His novel, graceland, chronicles a dark page of nigerias history as we follow a young boy learning to live and love in the turbulent eighties. Effortlessly gliding between past and present, chris abani spins a timeless story of misfortune and triumph. It centers on a teenager named elvis, who works as an impersonator of his famous namesake and who is trying to get out of the ghettos of lagos, nigeria.
Chris abanis fiction and poetry has been widely anthologized. He went into exile in 1991, and has since lived in england and the united states. Elvis, the main character, stays true to the themes of a lot of african literature, forming some of his most salient relations with the women in his life. In this dazzling debut by a singular new talent, the sprawling, swampy, cacophonous city of lagos.
Buy chris abani ebooks to read online or download in pdf or epub on your pc, tablet or mobile device. Abani began writing at a very young age and published his first novel, masters of the board, while still a teenager. In his 2004 novel, graceland, chris abani, already an accomplished poet. He has a talent for elvis impersonations hence the name and wants to make it big so he can escape his violent and tumultuous life. Chris abani s riveting novel is an unrelenting focus on blight, squalor, savagery, and violence. Chris abani is part of a new generation of nigerian writers working to convey to an englishspeaking audience the experience of those born and raised in that troubled african nation. Abani weaves the journals recipes and tribal lore together with elviss memories of his early years to provide background for the main action during 1983. Chris abani, curator of akashics black goat poetry imprint, is a nigerian poet and novelist and the author of song for night, the virgin of flames, becoming abigail, and graceland a selection of the today show book club. Graceland is a novel by nigerianamerican author chris abani, first published in 2004.