Books : What Is the What (Vintage)

Rating: - Straightforward, Unpretentious Memoir
I'm a fan of Eggers, and even though I'm not crazy about how the precious and overly self-aware syle of writing in AHWOSG has seeped into literature, I think he has been an important influence. I was pleasantly surprised at how well he avoided his trademark style in this novel -- not that it's a bad thing in other contexts -- but because it wouldn't have worked here. As a result, this is a kind of sparsely (and well) written story. The only thing I thought was a little contrived was the device used to tell the story, which is that Valentino is telling his story to his captor in a robbery, and then some others. They aren't listening, so he's kind of recounting the story to the reader as though he was talking to the captor. I suppose it makes it more interesting than a simple straight-out memoir, but it's a little contrived. The fact that the modern day asides are so short is evidence that they could have just been cut out altogether. (One could say it's just creative, I suppose).

I found the story very interesting, and I would not have made it through any form of nonfiction about the same topic. THis is a credit to Eggers. The character development is credible, and the way he weaves the question "What is the What" through the novel is compelling and profound. It's very well constructed and told, and could be read by a wide age range. It's also fairly evenhanded in its treatment of the politics, and never gets preachy or self-important. (He in fact debunks many of the exaggerated stories of the Lost Boys, which I thought was a pretty brave thing to do).

If you are a fan of Eggers, you will appreciate this book unless you're just in love with his schtick, which is absent. If you're one of the haters (people love to hate AHWOSG, it seems), you might want to give this a try. I think Eggers will go down as a very important writer and this is very well done. And the profits go to charity!

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Rating: - A good book that gets better with diatance
There have been enough African horror stories in recent years to constitute a genre - the heart of darkness narrative. Most readers turn to these tales with a mixture of humane concern and prurient fascination. Back in Conrad's day, the European or American narrator generally found himself caught between warm fuzzy liberalism and the horror. In recent years, African narrators, often children, have been the ones whose innocence has been challenged by horrendous deeds and bestial actions done in the name of liberation but in the service of greed. The thin line between naivete and cynicism is particularly treacherous for writers who lived to tell the tale, but haven't had enough time to fully see their experience in perspective. By working with Dave Eggers, Valentino Achak Deng filters the story of his years as a lost boy, and thus provides the reader a chance to get close to him. I tend to shy away from confessional narrators like Ismael Beah, whose A Long Way Gone was too direct for my taste. I appreciated his tale, but it seemed too naïve.

The magic of What is the What is impressive. By creating creaky framing devices (the break-in of Part 1) and historical coincidences (the death of Diana Spencer and the destruction of the twin towers occur on significant days in Valentino's life), Eggers reminds us that this is a fiction based on a real life and actual incidents in Sudan's history. In the process of peeling off the artifice, the reader paradoxically draws closer to the young man who narrates the story. He preserves some mystery because we know that we don't know all that he might have said. We long to see him more clearly, just as we gaze at the drawing on the cover and wish that his eyes and features weren't obscured by shadow. But Valentino is himself trying to uncover the mysteries of fate, self, and the elusive "What," which seems both mystical and concrete.

There were times when I wanted more historical detail - religious conflicts and the promise of oil wealth explain the problem in broad terms, but Sudan has been part of public discourse for so long that one longs for more nuance. However, Valentino is not a political scientist, and the balance between naivete and knowledge is delicate. Eggers provides promising leads for the reader who wants more history. I loved the way the past and present narratives intertwined to make us sympathetic to Valentino's need for love and affection. His relationship with Tabitha was particularly affecting because we first experienced her in America and only gradually learned about the origins of their relationship. After he leaves his hometown to journey across Sudan with the Lost Boys, we forget about his parents for a long time, but we feel their absence keenly. Deng and Eggers have created a story rich in emotion and human feeling, no small task when facing the horrors of Sudan. In the end, we only know a little more about the situation in Sudan and Darfur, but we feel as if we have a Sudanese friend. And yet we can't even recognize his face or say for sure if his name is really Valentino Achak Deng.

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Rating: - A thought provoking and enjoyable read
Dave Eggers' What is the What is a fictional, yet truthful account of Sudanese refugee Valentino Deng and his life throughout civil war stricken Sudan and the United States of America. Eggers' retelling of Deng's life is not one of a robotic biography, but rather a fluid reminiscence interspersed with moments of the present and laced throughout with Eggers' own voice. The story is simultaneously frightening and beautiful, a feeling created by a combination of Deng's personal strength and Eggers' unique sense of timing and dark humor. This voice pokes fun at the ironies between Deng's life in America and Sudan. For example, the American Deng works the front counter at a health club in a county where almost 60 million people are overweight but while in Sudan he tried to get an extra ration card because food was scarce. There doesn't seem to by any anger at these ironies, Deng appears to be more confused by them then anything.

The plot is exciting enough to hold one's interest and be fun, yet still contains enough truth and soul to it to make you really think about Deng's plights during his journey. It is the ability to maintain this balance which truly takes the book from an interesting tale to a piece of literary art. The story itself is not only beautifully written, but expertly paced; on multiple occasions I found myself ready to put the book down for the night and turned the page to discover that I was at the end of a chapter. It is those little things that make the book an absolute joy to read. Also, I feel that I must mention the hardcover art is absolutely beautiful and protected the book from harm when I spilled a cup of tea on it, which is something I was pleasantly surprised by. What is the What is an great thought provoking, yet very accessible read, and I would recommend it to everyone.

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Rating: - MUST READ
The book was recommended by a Bible study leader and it did not disappoint. I learned so much regarding the past and current situation in Sudan (not necessarily the point of the book) that I am now embarrased about my previous ignorance. This book changed the way I look at the world. I highly recommend it!

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Rating: - A Very Powerful Story
What is the What tells the fictionalized story of Sudanese Lost Boy Valentino Achak Deng. The novel follows his journey from leaving his home in Marial Bai to escape the Sudanese Civil War, to his arrival in the United States and his life in Atlanta. Though I had heard about the problems in Sudan and the Lost Boys, reading Achak's powerful personal story made me aware of their suffering as they tried to escape war and begin life in a new, strange and sometimes hostile country.
Along his journey, Achak sees starvation and death and even experiences deprivation and violence. Sometimes the novel was difficult to read because of the detailed descriptions of what Achak saw as he walks across Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya. The only way that he and many of the other boys were able to force themselves to walk long distances with little or food and water was by telling themselves they would eventually get to a place where they would be rich and have everything they ever dreamed of. While they walk, they assume this wonderful place will be a refugee camp, but when they arrive at one, it is overcrowded and without adequate food. After living at other refugee camps they settle down in Kakuma, a refugee camp in Kenya, and hear that some of the unaccompanied minors living at the camp will be taken to the United States to live. The boys can't wait to go and soon began to dream about everything that was waiting for them in the U.S.: school, money, jobs, houses, food.
As I read the book, I found myself waiting for the long suffering Achak to get his chance to go to America and wishing he would have a happy and full life in the U.S. But Eggers does not end the book happily. In Atlanta Achak still feels like a stranger and, despite the generosity of some people, he still does not have an easy life.
Eggers tells the story in Achak's voice and from his point of view which helped me imagine what Achak was going through. Throughout the book the reader learns Achak's story as he tells it in his mind to people he meets or thinks about. This book and the way Eggers chose to tell the story allowed me to relate to Achak's story and helped me to understand more clearly how confusing and awful it was for the people living in Sudan. In the forward Achak writes that though this is a novel "the most horrific events in this book could occur, and in most cases did." Even with the simple writing the truth behind the story is what makes it so powerful. By writing the book and giving its profits to The Valentino Achak Deng Foundation, rebuilding Sudan, peace and humanitarian organizations, and Achak's college education Eggers has insured that more people learn about the Lost Boys and their stories and that people continue to help them and their familes recover and have better lives.