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GraceLand: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.18) - 22 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The Elvis Oke of Chris Abani's novel is a child left to fend for himself in the urban jungle of Lagos, Nigeria. 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. In a place where angels fear to tread and only fools rush in, Elvis searches for redemption and a small piece of graceland.
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"Tale of a Nigerian Elvis impersonator -- but not as funny as it sounds. Gets dark quickly, a search for fathers and identity and revolution -- Redemption more than anything else. "
— Paul (5 out of 5 stars)
GraceLand Listener Reviews
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" Sordid,violent, not a glimmer of hope or humanity. Couldn't finish last ten pages. "
— Anna, 5/28/2011 -
" This a story about life in the gritty streets of Legos. The story was good but I didn't how the story ended. I guess the ending was more "real life", but I don't read fiction for the "real life." Give me closure any day. "
— Mike, 5/18/2011 -
" Very well-written but ambitious in the complex intertwining of several strands of narrative and several modes of text (recipes, description of rituals, narrative). "
— Heike, 5/5/2011 -
" Interesting perspective of African youth living in poverty. Well written from a child's eyes. "
— Luigib, 12/25/2010 -
" An interesting portrayal of a very hard life. Also a coming of age story. I enjoyed reading it; it was hard to put down. "
— Diana, 11/18/2010 -
" Well written and fast paced, this book was interesting and unfortunately saddening. "
— Sarah, 9/10/2010 -
" Warning: This book does not tread lightly (nor should it). "
— Susan, 8/17/2010 -
" A captivating story that is marred by really poor structure. A simple, straightforward narrative would have been much better than the flashbacks, African recipes and random quotes that begin every chapter. What was the editor thinking? "
— Michelle, 7/3/2010 -
" Good book, poor ending. Very haunting. "
— Tanya, 6/23/2010 -
" about half way into graceland. love the characaterization of elvis and of lagos, nigeria "
— Chella, 6/2/2010
About Chris Abani
Chris Abani is the acclaimed author of GraceLand and The Virgin of Flames. He is the recipient of a Guggenheim fellowship, the Hemingway/PEN Prize, the PEN Beyond the Margins Award, the Hurston Wright Award, and a Lannan Literary Fellowship, among many honors. Born in Nigeria, he is currently a Board of Trustees Professor of English at Northwestern University. He lives in Chicago.