Imitation

by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Winner of both the Orange Prize and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie earned a MacArthur Fellowship with her brilliant fiction. In "Imitation" she explrored a unique aspect of the Nigerian-American experience.
Following the fashion of her country, Nkem has left Nigeria to raise her children in America, while her husband Obiora remains in their homeland. One day, a friend calls Nkem from Africa with the news that Obiora is keeping a girlfriend. "This is what happens when you marry a rich man," says the friend. Caught between two worlds and wanting the best for her children, Nkem faces a difficult decision.
All the more powerful for its restraint and calm, "Imitation" is a fascinating tale of one woman's struggle against isolation.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Cultural, Nigeria, Africa

1 pages, Audio CD

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE grew up in Nigeria. Her work has been translated into more than fifty-five languages. She is the author of the novels Purple Hibiscus, which won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize; Half of a Yellow Sun, which was the recipient of the Women’s Prize for Fiction “Best of the Best” award; Americanah, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award; the story collection The Thing Around Your Neck and the essays We Should All Be Feminists and Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions. Her most recent work is an essay about losing her father, Notes on Grief, and Mama’s Sleeping Scarf, a children’s book written as Nwa Grace-James. A recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, she divides her time between the United States and Nigeria.

Reviews

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If you did something in a different way, they would think you were abnormal, as though their way was the only possible way."

Imitation (A Vintage Short)

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

My review:

So as I said I'd do, I am making my way through this author's work. For my fourth selection I chose another short story called Imitation. And like with Zikara, this maybe a short story but the depth and humility are woven in, as deeply as with a full length book.


The story is about Nkem,a Nigerian woman living in the United States. Her husband is there Part time. Most of the time he is back in Nigeria.

When a "friend" of hers calls with some disturbing news about Obiora, Nkem's husband, she will be forced to look inward at her life alone and by her husband's side and make some tough decisions.

I must agree with the review I just read on here. This needs to be full length. I seem to be saying that about all her short stories. But they are that good. She writes in such a deeply personal way it is impossible I think not to become involved and then before you are even aware of it, you see your kindle says 90 percent done and you start to feel a bit dismayed. LOL.

So I very much liked this story and I will continue to read the work of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, both her short stories and full length books

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.8: Who do I appreciate? Adichie!

This writer slays me. In a little old short story, Adichie can get into a woman’s head in a big way, and make the story seem as huge in power as a novel. Her stories are relatable and they grab you. Once I started, I couldn’t put the story down—as happened with the two other stories of hers I read.

The story is about a Nigerian woman, Nkem, living in a rich American suburb with her kids and her hubby, who spends most of his time in Nigeria. Nkem thinks about an artsy mask on the mantle; a tough conversation with a friend in Nigeria; her different life in America; and mostly, her and hubby’s relationship.

Two reasons I gave this story only 3 stars: It’s a little blander (only a little, really) than the other stories I’ve read by Adichie. And a bigger complaint is that the story felt unfinished; I wanted some closure. Still, I love this writer’s language, style, and gist, and I love learning about Nigerian culture. This story almost made the 4-star mark so please don’t file it away as a plain old 3-star read. Lovers of Adichie shouldn’t miss it.

Even though I went against the tide and disliked Americanah, I’ve been all in with her short stories (especially Zikora). This story is part of a collection called The Thing Around Your Neck. Though I’m dying to get my hands on it, I’ll in the meantime grab every short story of hers that I can find on Kindle.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like a satin rope in my head, I ran down it never fearing the end. She's like that, this author. Like americanah, a taste of standing in someone's shoes.

[Eduardo García · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel that usually short stories don't allow for much plot or character development, which makes it hard to feel really invested in a story, but this one had me totally enthralled. This needs to be a full-length novel. This is the forth book I've read from this author; she's definitely become one of my favorites.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy Chimamanda’s writing. I did find that this story was a bit unfinished but I guess that's the downside of short stories. Nonetheless, I still found the story captivating.

[Bryce Druzin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the demythologizing of art and history in this story. When Nkem looks at the Benin mask and the Ife bronze head, she sees them as symbols of the egos of the Big Men who ordered them made, and the suffering those Big Men caused. Just like people look at the pyramids in awe instead of giant corrupt government boondoggle monuments to the egos of the pharaohs.

That’s not to say we can’t admire the artistry and skill of these objects, just that we shouldn’t forget how they were made.

It may be easier for a women to have this negative perspective (which I agree with), because in the times these historical objects were made, the chiefs were men. So men can imagine themselves as being the chiefs for which these objects honored, but women can’t. (I am assuming that these West African tribes were nearly always led by men)

[Desca Ang · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is taken from my bookstagram IG @descanto

“But to bring his girlfriend into your house?No respect. She drives his cars all over Lagos. I saw her myself on Awolowo Road driving the Mazda.”

What are you going to do if your man ‘ship’ you to a faraway land with the children while he is taking a mistress back home?

Meet Nkem, a Nigerian woman living in the United States. Things are great for Nkem: living in an American dream, wealthy husband who keeps coming back and forth Nigeria-States (even he spends most of his time in Nigeria), two children who go to the American school.

For somebody who has ever dated married men before, Nkem thinks that Obigora is the answers for her every-prayer as a woman. It changes when a ‘friend’ of hers calls with some disturbing news about Obiora’s mistress. Nkem then is forced to make a tough decision whether she will pretend that she knows nothing about it or forces her husband and move back with him in Nigeria.

Despite of the ending, I like this story; simply because Adichie contrasts the tension between living in poverty and self-respect. The depth and humility as a woman, a wife, and a mother are intertwined in the story. Too bad that the length of the story is too short. This story as Nkem’s voices need to be full length.

PS: this short story is a part of the collection The Thing Around Your Neck. It’s available to purchase on Amazon Kindle for 14k rupiahs.

[Jasmaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adichie is so good at characterization. She knows how to make a character 3D. On top of that, I feel like I personally know Nkem which says a lot about how observant Adichie is to the inner life of the African woman in different settings. She is attuned to the individual emotional cues our society often overlooks— and describes them in great detail to really drive home the point that we, as Africans, have some intense and downright unacceptable conflicts in our communities that eat away at our emotional life, however insignificant our culture and language may sometimes make it seem. As an African woman, I feel like this story is a LOUD response to all the generations of silence, acquiescence, and erasure that women had to undergo with their emotional lives and I’m LIVING for it ❤️

[Grace-Andie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made for an excellent essay about Nkem finding her identity despite her world being in conflict. Adichie truly does offer a unique, eye-opening and predominantly feminist perspective on a living situation that many [American] immigrants can relate to. Beautifully written, and a very compelling story!

[Cate · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read. It felt very unfinished and I would have like more of a resolution. I suppose that is the nature of a short story. Perhaps I will invest in the full collection.

[Emmannuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very captivating and gave me a good insight on what kinda place Lagos is

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have fallen in love with this author and cannot wait to read more

[Tina Panik · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much to unpack! Complicated yet simple at the same time.

[Simon]

Awesome

[Brenda Stoddart · Rating 4 out of 5]

More

Just when the juice starts flowing it was over. Sweet story draws you in...leaves your imagination excited. Just too short

[Marvelous Chimdindu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice book

[Kojo Tiger · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8/5.0

[🌸🦋 María 🦋🌸 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Jemima Kaweesi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short story and yet written so well. the plot, character development, storyline. wow!

[Amirat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wished it was longer , Chimamanda have a way of making u question things about the characters in your life , gave me more insight to why my mother wanted struggles when we first moved to the uk .

[Rolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thoughtful and real meditation on realizing your spouse is cheating on you.

[Y_thera ❤️ Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet❤️

[Kay-Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story starts with shocking news; Nkem’s husband Obiora has a girlfriend. Over the course of the story we realise that his having a girlfriend is not that shocking, she too had dated married men when she was younger and single. Through this news Nkem’s eyes are opened to who SHE is and where her life choices have led her.

Full review here https://plainjaynne.wordpress.com/201...

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in the mood to read a short story and I found this one on kindle (which is part of a vintage short story collection apparently), and decided pretty quickly to read it since I've heard so much about Adichie's writing, and been meaning to read "Americanah" for some time now.
The story is simple, but effective. It illustrates in a clear and concise way the reality of a woman and in doing so reveals an entire culture behind her.
The writing was clean, but not without beauty. I'm so glad I read it.
I think "Americanah" won't have to wait much longer on my shelf.

[Alex Linschoten · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sad story. Not really like Americanah, the only other book by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie that I've read. You get to spend a few days in the company of Nkem as she starts to realise her life may not be the idyll she once thought.

[Nain · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Ahh, nooo.
This one felt like it was cut too short. I was intrigued enough to get through what I thought were the "boring parts" in order to get to the interesting part where I felt like I would learn something. That part never came. Maybe this is because my experience with Adichie has consisted of her "Single Story" TEDTalk and her other vintage short "We Should All Be Feminists." Both of which I highly recommend. In comparison this older work of hers felt mediocre.

[dirkjevdlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

if you make a test for students about it, don’t do multiple choice questions bc this story is all about interpretation to me!

i had to read it for school and do a multiple choice test about it and the question about the turning point was so wrong because it’s totally up to the reader and not ‘something the teacher should decide what it is and every other answer is wrong’.

[Olga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good: writing, narrative (eery in its similarity), characters, theme of Big Men causing others pain (as another reviewer put it: the demystification of the masks).

Bad: the ending, unfinished (is that how a short story is done?); as a result, the build-up was not cathartic.

[Kally Sheng · Rating 3 out of 5]

What do you want in a marriage

My first Adichie book.

So what is love and what is marriage
And what is love in a marriage
What do you want in love
What do you want in a marriage

… America, the abundance of unreasonable hope. (Page 10)
I laughed

[Damola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good short story

Very well written, one of the stories in the things around your neck, read it a second time from a different perspective.