Beasts Hype

Uzodinma Iweala’s Beasts of No Nation, a tale of a child soldier in an unnamed West African country, received a largely positive review by Simon Baker in this Sunday’s New York Times. Here’s a snippet

The acute characterization, the adroit mixture of color and restraint, and the horrific emotional force of the narrative are impressive. Still more impressive is Iweala’s ability to maintain not only our sympathy but our affection for his central character.

In addition, my friend Chimamanda mentioned his novel when she was asked by the Guardian which books she liked in 2005. There’s a Q&A in Time, a nice review in the Plain Dealer, and an interview in the Pittsburgh Tribune. And, well, there’s also that little recommendation by Salman Rushdie. Lots of buzz, to be sure, but I’m really interested in the subject and look forward to reading it (just got a copy this week).