Afrika přece není stát

Překonávání stereotypů o moderní Africe

by Dipo Faloyin

Paperback, 320 pages

Czech language

Published by N media.

ISBN:: 978-80-88433-46-0

(5 reviews)

Čtení plné slz – od smíchu, vřelého obdivu i lehkého studu Nějaký stereotyp spojený s Afrikou si nejspíš vybaví každý. Často je vnímána jako vyprahlá krajina posetá domorodými vesničkami a rozlehlými safari parky, jejíž obyvatele bez ustání sužují hlad, chudoba a občanské války. V knize Afrika přece není stát Dipo Faloyin s humorem a nadhledem nabízí tolik potřebný reálný pohled na často opomíjený region. Krok za krokem zkoumá koloniální dědictví jednotlivých zemí a předkládá čtenářům širokou škálu aktuálních témat: od mnoha tváří velkoměstského života v Lagosu a neutuchajícího západoafrického soupeření o nejlepší rýži jollof přes příběh demokracie v sedmi různých diktaturách až po nebezpečí, jež představují stereotypy v populární kultuře.

Střídavě z velmi osobního i čistě politického hlediska vypráví skutečný příběh kontinentu a oslavuje jeho nezaměnitelnou energii i podstatu pestrých kultur a komunit. Takto věrným a poutavým způsobem dosud Afriku západnímu světu pravděpodobně nikdo nepopsal.

6 editions

allanderek reviewed Africa Is Not a Country by Dipo Faloyin

A bit unsure what it wants to be

3 stars

There is quite a lot of personal stuff in here, and quite a bit of (contemporary) history. Personally I was here mostly for the contemporary history, but I didn't quite feel I got enough of that. Pockets of information about a few African states. I thought we would get to know all of the African states, the current status they have, the outlook for their future, perhaps a bit about how they came to be a country etc. The general point is taken, that Africa has many countries and there are significant differences between those countries.

Wild Woila reviewed Africa Is Not a Country by Dipo Faloyin

Lively, enlightening & optimistic

4 stars

Dismantles the many myths & prejudices outsiders hold about monolithic "Africa", along with a startling reminder of its colonial history and an overview of its many forms of dictatorship. Lively, enlightening & optimistic without being overly simplistic.

Reading time 6 days, 59 pages/day

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Geoff reviewed Africa Is Not a Country by Dipo Faloyin

Review of 'Africa Is Not a Country' on 'Storygraph'

5 stars

And I’ll give an honorable mention to the hilarious and sad send up of Hollywood’s two-dimensional take on Africa.

Regardless of plot: you must start your film with the camera high in the sky, surveying vast rolling grasslands that stretch until they simply cannot stretch any more. Let the camera hang still over the title sequence as our eyes settle on Real Africa. No signs of a modern, technologically advanced civilisation should visually block the view of these rolling plains: no tall buildings, paved roads, or illuminated billboards advertising expensive fragrances.

Land. We should just see land.

The sun should ideally be rising…

And from there it goes and goes, and …

A remarkable book that everyone should read. For folks like me, it is an important history lesson about Africa and the devastating impacts of European imperialism. And for everyone, it is a bright, beautiful, touching love letter to Africa.
And I’ll give an honorable mention to the hilarious and sad send up of Hollywood’s two-dimensional take on Africa.

Regardless of plot: you must start your film with the camera high in the sky, surveying vast rolling grasslands that stretch until they simply cannot stretch any more. Let the camera hang still over the title sequence as our eyes settle on Real Africa. No signs of a modern, technologically advanced civilisation should visually block the view of these rolling plains: no tall buildings, paved roads, or illuminated billboards advertising expensive fragrances.

Land. We should just see land.

The sun should ideally be rising…

And from there it goes and goes, and you will never see so many movies the same way again.

Nick Barlow reviewed Africa Is Not a Country by Dipo Faloyin

A book to learn from

4 stars

At times l, this book burns with a righteous anger, at others it shines with joy and humour, in still others it frustrates with a scattergun lack of focus. In those bright and angry moments, though, it's something to learn from. Great discussions of how 'Africa' has been created in Western media, and how the cultural treasures of the real Africa have been looted to museums in the rest of the world.

Jennie

rated it

May 7