“This Thing Around Your Neck”: A Special Short Story Collection from Nigeria

We need to read literature from around the world, not just the US and UK authors

I always make a point to read books from around the world (I write about it here and here). I want to hear and understand diverse perspectives, and enjoy beautiful fiction from different countries.

I am so glad I found this book by a Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie:

“This Thing Around Your Neck” is a collection of unrelated stories, all featuring Nigerian protagonists. Many of the stories explore the connection between Nigeria and the US through the eyes of Nigerians trying to make America their home.

Each story is filled with tension, sadness, and conflict. It was just mesmerizing how quickly Adichie developed each one. All her protagonists come to life almost immediately, and you instantly feel that tension and anxiety they’re experiencing.

These were my favorite stories:

• “Imitation” is about a Nigerian woman who discovers that her husband is leading a double life. She and their children live a wealthy life in the US, while her husband spends most of the time in Nigeria “because of business” — where he invites his mistress to live in their house in Lagos.
• “The Thing Around Your Neck” and “On Monday of Last Week” exploring stories of Nigerians moving to the States, highlighting their hardships, family dynamics, and the challenges adjusting to American life, constantly comparing it to life back home.

“The trick was to understand America, to know that America was give-and-take. You gave up a lot but you gained a lot, too.”

• “Tomorrow Is Too Far” gave me actual shivers, as the story of the protagonist’s 10-year-old brother’s death unfolded.

I saw a comment somewhere that I completely agree with: Adichie makes short story writing seem easy — deceptively easy. In this sense, her writing reminded me of Anton Chekhov, with his mastery of making something very complex feel effortless and seamless.

Once again, I can’t emphasize enough how enriching, rewarding, and mesmerizing it is to read fiction from the countries far away from your own. To me, it’s one of the most precious aspects of reading as a whole.

What an absolute delight of a read. I am already looking forward to reading Adichie’s novels “Half of a yellow sun” and “Purple hibiscus”.

I never post book reviews without a beer recommendation. Books and beers – that’s what I do.

We have so many great breweries in and around Edinburgh, and today’s beer is from one of them: a pale ale by a microbrewery Campervan.

Their beers are served in the cosy pub Lost in Leith, just around the Leith Shore, where this picture was taken on a beautiful, sunny Saturday.