Aké: The Years of Childhood

I found the book fascinating given that I already have some knowledge of the characters. It was a real pleasure meeting Mrs Bere Ransome-Kuti in a setting different from the picture painted by the media. She and Eniola are truly an inspiration. so also is Daodu... great guy!

One of my favorite memoirs of all time.

Wole Soyanka is a Noble Prize winning Nigerian author. In this book he tells the story of his childhood. He grew up in the 1940's in Nigeria. His father was a teacher, his mother ran a shop and his extended family could be called middle class. Through the eyes of this young boy, the reader glimpses a time and a place where Nigerian and British culture mixed. World War II is going on but it is glimpsed from afar. More pressing to the child is his day-to-day encounters with his parents and his teachers. School is strict: children are canned as a matter of course and the adult world around him is accepted in all its irrationality. The child's voice is engaging and he has a fine sense of humor but I found the book hard to follow sometimes, getting the characters confused and incidents not really fleshed out enough for my taste. However, it is a rare glimpse into a time and a place that is unique and is no more. I'm glad the author took the time and the trouble to share it with the world.

I could read this again and again and get something new out of it every time.

The book is excellent, a series of poignant vignettes that serve to define the hero.

He is a fine writer and full of character and perceptions. I love this Africa.

Ake: The Years of Childhood has some interesting depictions of Nigeria in the late 1930' and early 40's from which a Westerner can learn. As the title indicates that the work is more about the town Ake than about Soyinka himself as a child, perhaps that shold have been expected. However, I was hoping for more autobiographical insights. I had read Tolstoy's "Childhood" just before "Ake" and was stunned by the detail and verisimilitude of Tolstoy's remembered emotions in his reminiscences. Soyinka's "Ake" pales by comparison.

It's amazing how "detailed" the story is. It has enough humor as well.

Once you get used to the "colonial" style grammar, you begin to realise you are reading an amazing book, by a unique author. Shakespeare's got nothing on Wole Soyinka. A true classic!

Ein grossartiges Buch, um Afrika besser zu verstehen!

This review is not about the book i have not start reading it. The quality pf paper and the different types of fonts inside is literally bad!

Very good quality and delivered on time.

Extremely interesting and brings back old time memories.