What Is the What
Ratings35
Average rating4.2
15
Ratings35
Average rating4.2
What Is the What is the epic novel based on the life of Valentino Achak Deng who, along with thousands of other children--the so-called Lost Boys--was forced to leave his village in Sudan at the age of seven and trek hundreds of miles by foot, pursued by militias, government bombers, and wild animals, crossing the deserts of three countries to find freedom. When he finally is resettled in the United States, he finds a life full of promise, but also heartache and myriad new challenges. Moving, suspenseful, and unexpectedly funny, What Is the What is an astonishing novel that illuminates the lives of millions through one extraordinary man.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Reviews with the most likes.
What an amazing story. Best book in a while. Images of South Sudan running through my mind
This book changes you! This book talks about everything good and bad about today's world. You cannot finish this book without being thankful for all those things you take for granted in life. Really witty and though the book drags on a bit, it is definitely a good read.
The story of Valentino Achak Deng is amazing and unbelievable. The way Dave Eggers told it was not. It took me almost five months to finish this book and that's even considering I had to skim through some of it, otherwise I firmly think it'd taken me six or seven months. The reason for that is merely the storytelling.
Throughout this book I found myself thinking this was great and even recommending the book to people - but then it hit me that even though the stories in Achak's life are so incredible, full of pain and distress, and that one can't help but feel sympathy for him and all the people in Sudan -the storytelling was just not up to par, and it made the book so much less enjoyable.
I do think this needs to be read just to learn about the implications in the story itself, but I would even say watching a documentary on it would be better and far more exciting. Overall I would say it was a poor execution.
