Buy Second-Class Citizen (Penguin Modern Classics) by Emecheta, Buchi from desertcart's Fiction Books Store. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. Review: A difficult read for all the right reasons and leaves you wanting more - This is the second novel I have read by Buchi Emecheta and it is the kind of novel that should have come at the beginning as it is a prequel to her first published novel, In the Ditch. Having read both novels back-to-back, I want more. In this novel we learn about Adah’s childhood and marriage and how she moved from Lagos in the early 1960s with her two children to join her husband in London. Regarding her childhood, her parents die when she is still young and she becomes a servant in her uncle’s household. However, by sheer force of will she gets herself an education, does brilliantly at school and gets a good job in the US consulate. We finds a way to benefit from contradictory ideas about women. Yes, they are second-class citizens and must always be subordinated to a male relative or husband, but if they have brains, those brains must be milked for all they’re worth, so let them go to school, let them get a good job, then grab their pay packet and live off their sweat. The exploitation continues in London where Adah’s husband, Francis, is studying accountancy. While he reads a couple of chapters a day and slopes off to watch the neighbours’ TV, she has to work and support him and the children. In quick succession she has three more children, despite trying to get birth control without Francis’s permission. She is glad when he goes off with other women because it gives her a night’s peace. Meanwhile, poor old Francis keeps failing his exams. Of course he blames Adah and reminds her how far she falls short of what a husband has a right to expect from his wife. The fecklessness and cruelty of the man is sickening. To some extent the reader can sympathise with him – as Adah does – given his position of powerlessness in a racist society. However, a lot of his problems come from his clumsy attempts to transfer Nigerian ideas about the low status of women into a Britain where women are beginning to achieve some level of equality and independence. He is also a victim of his innate selfishness, laziness and general ineptitude. At one point when Adah is recovering from the birth of their third child – in which she nearly died – and is unable to work, Francis reluctantly gets a job as a temporary postman. He moans about how arduous and dangerous it is and looks for any excuse to take a day off. Then Adah sees a black postwoman whistling happily as she walks down the street delivering letters. There is violence and what we now call coercive control. The worst thing though is what Francis does to Adah’s dream of becoming a writer. She buys some child’s exercise books and writes a novel. She shows it to her colleagues at the library in where she is working. They think it’s brilliant and they encourage her to get it typed up and submitted to publishers. She tells Francis but he refuses to read the manuscript. Instead he…..you can guess. This is a difficult novel for all the right reasons, mixing racism, poverty, misogyny and ignorance. But amid the gloom, Adah shines brightly. She is a worthy heroine who deserves to succeed. We know what happens to her next from Buchi Emecheta’s first novel. Now we want to know what happens after that. Review: INTRIGUING - So much to learn from late Buchi. Every woman should learn from her.
| Best Sellers Rank | 62,918 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 1,230 in Women's Literary Fiction (Books) 5,576 in Literary Fiction (Books) 7,766 in Contemporary Fiction (Books) |
| Customer reviews | 4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars (295) |
| Dimensions | 12.9 x 1.4 x 19.6 cm |
| ISBN-10 | 024153268X |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0241532683 |
| Item weight | 170 g |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 224 pages |
| Publication date | 7 Oct. 2021 |
| Publisher | Penguin Classics |
I**S
A difficult read for all the right reasons and leaves you wanting more
This is the second novel I have read by Buchi Emecheta and it is the kind of novel that should have come at the beginning as it is a prequel to her first published novel, In the Ditch. Having read both novels back-to-back, I want more. In this novel we learn about Adah’s childhood and marriage and how she moved from Lagos in the early 1960s with her two children to join her husband in London. Regarding her childhood, her parents die when she is still young and she becomes a servant in her uncle’s household. However, by sheer force of will she gets herself an education, does brilliantly at school and gets a good job in the US consulate. We finds a way to benefit from contradictory ideas about women. Yes, they are second-class citizens and must always be subordinated to a male relative or husband, but if they have brains, those brains must be milked for all they’re worth, so let them go to school, let them get a good job, then grab their pay packet and live off their sweat. The exploitation continues in London where Adah’s husband, Francis, is studying accountancy. While he reads a couple of chapters a day and slopes off to watch the neighbours’ TV, she has to work and support him and the children. In quick succession she has three more children, despite trying to get birth control without Francis’s permission. She is glad when he goes off with other women because it gives her a night’s peace. Meanwhile, poor old Francis keeps failing his exams. Of course he blames Adah and reminds her how far she falls short of what a husband has a right to expect from his wife. The fecklessness and cruelty of the man is sickening. To some extent the reader can sympathise with him – as Adah does – given his position of powerlessness in a racist society. However, a lot of his problems come from his clumsy attempts to transfer Nigerian ideas about the low status of women into a Britain where women are beginning to achieve some level of equality and independence. He is also a victim of his innate selfishness, laziness and general ineptitude. At one point when Adah is recovering from the birth of their third child – in which she nearly died – and is unable to work, Francis reluctantly gets a job as a temporary postman. He moans about how arduous and dangerous it is and looks for any excuse to take a day off. Then Adah sees a black postwoman whistling happily as she walks down the street delivering letters. There is violence and what we now call coercive control. The worst thing though is what Francis does to Adah’s dream of becoming a writer. She buys some child’s exercise books and writes a novel. She shows it to her colleagues at the library in where she is working. They think it’s brilliant and they encourage her to get it typed up and submitted to publishers. She tells Francis but he refuses to read the manuscript. Instead he…..you can guess. This is a difficult novel for all the right reasons, mixing racism, poverty, misogyny and ignorance. But amid the gloom, Adah shines brightly. She is a worthy heroine who deserves to succeed. We know what happens to her next from Buchi Emecheta’s first novel. Now we want to know what happens after that.
H**J
INTRIGUING
So much to learn from late Buchi. Every woman should learn from her.
K**R
Five Stars
Very good
S**N
Dust cover?
Disappointed! No dust cover on book. Why show book with cover? Should have been added to description.
C**N
Proprio un bel libro
R**5
Incredible book! I had to read this for my literature class and I honestly had a hard time putting it down once I picked it up. It's such an honest story. It's concise yet emotional and meaningful without any further embellishment. It covers so many important issues. It was refreshing to read about such a strong, resilient, and determined woman in class. I've already recommended the book to so many people!
S**E
Opens your heart and ind to struggles we rarely hear about... excellent narrative captivating and I do not want to finish the book as the people have become friends...
D**E
Very nice novels
S**E
This is an absolutely amazing story. I couldn’t put it down. Emecheta does such an incredible job with her characters in this book. Adah is an inspiration!
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