Customer Reviews

The Bride Price: A Novel

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Nigerian books are not exactly what one would call "popular" with a Western audience, but when books like "The Bride Price" are available, it is very hard to understand why. "the Bride Price" is a touching story of a young girl Akun-na, and her family. After her fathers death Akun-na must fight a sexist society in order to be with her own true love, Chike. The author Emecheta is a sociologist, and this comes out in the novel. Varous parts of Nigerian culture are shown to us poignantly and concisely. The book is written for a Western audience and comes across clearly. It is an excellent read for those wishing to learn about African culture, and should perhaps be on a required book list for highschoolers. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a short, funny, romantic classic

The "Bride Price" by Buchi Emecheta is an informative insight into the culture, traditions and history of the Nigerian peoples and as a whole, is well served as an introduction to the rich customs and heritages of Africans. I must admit that the ending, while it was not necessarily suprising, was a bit disappointing and seemed to sort of fizzle out. While the over-all theme that I detected, that being the inability of the African people to remove themselves from their cultures, families and religious and secular traditions (not that such is desirable), regardless of lingering influence from Western domination, was in a sense captured by Emecheta's choice of an ending, although I feel it could have perhaps been handeled better, with more of a twist. However, in ultimate value this novel is a easy and enjoyable read, with an, at times captivating story line that is deeply intertwined, once again in the culture and traditions of the African and specifically Nigerian people.

The Bride Price by Buchi Emecheta, conclusively provides a story for one of the mose entrenched igbo tradition, the bride price. As a female from Igboland, i am quite aware of the enormous significance of that custom and the concequences it has for any female who chooses to neglect or abandon it. Indeed Emecheta's story draws you in from inception and allows you to be a part of the protagonist's story. At the end of the story, you feel as if returning from a great cultural expedition and you are immensley disconcerted about the power of superstitions and of customs on situated individuals. Emecheta deserves all the credit for telling this powerful story with both unbridled style and grace.

The Bride Price is both an easy and enlightening read. Buchi Emecheta deftly captures the girl's adolescent fragility and power as she struggles to carve out her identity amongst the dictates of patriarchy, which her mother upholds to the point of betraying her own vulnerable daughter. ...

WARNING. This book was published under 2 different covers. Was purchased for my child's literature class and I purchased the wrong cover!!!! You'll most likely want the GREEN cover...

I loved this book so much. I cried at the end. I read the end over and over again. It was soooooo beautiful. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to indulge in a romance and learn about another culture. This is the first book i have read by Ms. Emecheta and I hope to read many more.

The Bride Price by Buchi Emecheta is an insightful novel into the life of the Ibo people of Nigeria. Although the novel made me angry when I read it, I enjoyed the novels historical correctness whether I like it or not this is the way women were treated at this point in time. This novel gave me a wake up call as to how far things have come sense this time. No longer are we objects to be inherited by our dead brothers relatives or destine to marry who our small town chooses for us whether we love then or not. The story I think would have had a much better ending if Aku-nna could have made it. So that she could prove her culture's old superstitions wrong. All in all, I would recommend this book to any one that would enjoy a good story. Also it is a quick read, the novel keeps you entertained by the use of vivid images and a direct story line to follow so no one can get lost. This novel is similar in nature to Things Fall Apart which has one character names Oknkowo which is also used in the Bride price, this might suggest that he was a real man from that culture.

This book makes the reader think seriously about the importance of preseving tradition in a changing world, and the high cost of that preservation.

The Bride Price by Buchi Emecheta is an insightful novel into the life of the Ibo people of Nigeria. Although the novel made me angry when I read it, I enjoyed the novels historical correctness whether I like it or not this is the way women were treated at this point in time. This novel gave me a wake up call as to how far things have come sense this time. No longer are we objects to be inherited by our dead brothers relatives or destine to marry who our small town chooses for us whether we love then or not. The story I think would have had a much better ending if Aku-nna could have made it. So that she could prove her culture's old superstitions wrong. All in all, I would recommend this book to any one that would enjoy a good story. Also it is a quick read, the novel keeps you entertained by the use of vivid images and a direct story line to follow so no one can get lost. This novel is similar in nature to Things Fall Apart which has one character names Oknkowo which is also used in the Bride price, this might suggest that he was a real man from that culture.

I found this book to be an easy read, both funny and romantic. Good job. If you want to read a book that goes straight to your heart, read Stolen Moments by Barbara Jeanne Fisher. . .It is a beautiful story of unrequited love. . .for certain the love story of the nineties. I intended to give the book a quick read, but I got so caught up in the story that I couldn't put the book down. From the very beginning, I was fully caught up in the heart-wrenching account of Julie Hunter's battle with lupus and her growing love for Don Lipton. This love, in the face of Julie's impending death, makes for a story that covers the range of human emotions. The touches of humor are great, too, they add some nice contrast and lighten things a bit when emotions are running high. I've never read a book more deserving of being published. It has rare depth. Julie's story will remind your readers that life and love are precious and not to be taken for granted. It has had an impact on me, and for that I'm grateful. Stolen Moments is written with so much sensitivity that it made me want to cry. It is a spellbinder. What terrific writing. Barbara does have an exceptional gift! This book was edited by Lupus specialist Dr. Matt Morrow too, and has the latest information on that disease. ..A perfect gift for someone who started college late in life, fell in love too late in life, is living with any illness, or trying to understand a loved one who is. . .A gift to be cherished forever.