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Review
War in the memory of a child
A review of Dulue Mbachu's novel, War Games.
By Kayode Ogunbunmi
The author of War Games must have taken to heart the dictum that
laughter is the best medicine for most ailments.
This compact, 203-page novel of childhood memories, is one huge
cascade of mirth and incredulity, even though its main theme is an
otherwise sobering lesson on the destructiveness and, ultimately, futility of
war.
War Games is another novel on the most contentious chapter in Nigeria's
history - the infinitely ruinous civil war fought by Nigerians following the
declaration of the state of Biafra. But the humour does not detract from the
harrowing scenes of deprivation and anguish that the author manages to
convey in this latest addition to the national lore on Biafra.
That the author, Dulue Mbachu, was able to process these through the
innocent mind of a child barely out his diapers, is a testament to his
storytelling skills. Although this is his first book, Mbachu is a respected
journalist and has published short stories in many journals.
War Games, as the blurb says, is a coming of age tale. But what a way to
do it! The story follows the main character, five-year-old Basil
Chekwubechukwu Odukwe (Cheche), from his idyllic, pre-war existence in
Jos to the strange harshness of life in a rural community in wartime
south-eastern Nigeria.
The son of a well-to-do trader, Cheche's life is upended by the crisis which
follows the first military coup in Nigeria. His family has to return to the east,
leaving most of their possessions behind to escape attacks on easterners
living in the north. Life becomes harsher when the hopes of a new life in a
young country (Biafra) is replaced by the reality that the new country's
leaders are ill prepared for the war they have to fight to protect their nation.
Surely, and deservedly so, a lot of books have been written on this
historical episode. But the charm of this novel is that its characters -
notably Cheche and his young friends - can hardly be bothered by the
convoluted diatribes of the young nation's political and military leaders.
Heck! Aburi is a meaningless concept to a kid hunting rats - and later
lizards and frogs - to survive in the remote village of Amafor.
The youngsters cannot even be bothered with the radio - and the two
know-alls in the village prove to be such liars and purveyors of untruths
that even the elders don't care much for them. So, the twists and turns of
the war are only gleaned in the gradual disappearance of most staples
from the diet - including salt; the spread of illnesses, malnutrition and
deaths - and stoppage of schools.
All these are related through the uncluttered lens of a growing lad. To
Cheche and his new friends, all these create much room for the laughter
and fun. They laugh their way through reported setbacks of Biafra's army;
and the worries and apprehensions of their parents. Even the panicky
dashes for homemade bomb shelters are just another game devised by
elders to amuse the kids - or so they see it.
It is probably a good thing, though that Cheche's parents are among the
few, able to provide some form of material comfort to their family during the
war. The laughter among the grimness does not therefore appear so
contrived. Not even when it comes to death from kwashiorkor - for which the
children of Amafor have a ditty for. "For me, it simply demonstrated that,
ultimately, laughter is always an appropriate response, no matter the
situation," the narrator says at one point (page 132), perhaps the author's
backhanded gesture at atoning for the humourous take on the rather
weighty issue of war.
He shouldn't have bothered. The lightness of heart and pace is one of the
strong points of War Games. And a tendency to over-explain why things
had to happen is a minor irritant to what is a good read. The novel could
also do with a bit more detail on Cheche. The reviewer was left with a
furrowed forehead, trying to picture what this interesting kid looks like - fair,
dark, thin or chubby?
It is said that a first novel contains a bit of the author. Mbachu might have
to deal with gentle jabs of how much of his growing up years is shared with
Cheche, and how much is really fiction. But it probably does not really
matter. After all the memories of an over 40-year-old event on the
impressionable minds of a young kid must necessarily be part mythical.
War Games holds its own against other novels that have come out about
the Nigerian civil war. It is also infinitely a more pleasurable read that most.
(Culled from Next newspaper)
Readers' Comment:
Posted by Omoniyi on May 21 2009
I av read the book, I think ur review has done justice to the book. But the
book might not win any award from the Western media, as it does not
feature a child soldier and also, it is not as gory as they like to portray our
wars, as if anybodys' war is actually pretty!
War in the memory of a child
A review of Dulue Mbachu's novel, War Games.
By Kayode Ogunbunmi
The author of War Games must have taken to heart the dictum that
laughter is the best medicine for most ailments.
This compact, 203-page novel of childhood memories, is one huge
cascade of mirth and incredulity, even though its main theme is an
otherwise sobering lesson on the destructiveness and, ultimately, futility of
war.
War Games is another novel on the most contentious chapter in Nigeria's
history - the infinitely ruinous civil war fought by Nigerians following the
declaration of the state of Biafra. But the humour does not detract from the
harrowing scenes of deprivation and anguish that the author manages to
convey in this latest addition to the national lore on Biafra.
That the author, Dulue Mbachu, was able to process these through the
innocent mind of a child barely out his diapers, is a testament to his
storytelling skills. Although this is his first book, Mbachu is a respected
journalist and has published short stories in many journals.
War Games, as the blurb says, is a coming of age tale. But what a way to
do it! The story follows the main character, five-year-old Basil
Chekwubechukwu Odukwe (Cheche), from his idyllic, pre-war existence in
Jos to the strange harshness of life in a rural community in wartime
south-eastern Nigeria.
The son of a well-to-do trader, Cheche's life is upended by the crisis which
follows the first military coup in Nigeria. His family has to return to the east,
leaving most of their possessions behind to escape attacks on easterners
living in the north. Life becomes harsher when the hopes of a new life in a
young country (Biafra) is replaced by the reality that the new country's
leaders are ill prepared for the war they have to fight to protect their nation.
Surely, and deservedly so, a lot of books have been written on this
historical episode. But the charm of this novel is that its characters -
notably Cheche and his young friends - can hardly be bothered by the
convoluted diatribes of the young nation's political and military leaders.
Heck! Aburi is a meaningless concept to a kid hunting rats - and later
lizards and frogs - to survive in the remote village of Amafor.
The youngsters cannot even be bothered with the radio - and the two
know-alls in the village prove to be such liars and purveyors of untruths
that even the elders don't care much for them. So, the twists and turns of
the war are only gleaned in the gradual disappearance of most staples
from the diet - including salt; the spread of illnesses, malnutrition and
deaths - and stoppage of schools.
All these are related through the uncluttered lens of a growing lad. To
Cheche and his new friends, all these create much room for the laughter
and fun. They laugh their way through reported setbacks of Biafra's army;
and the worries and apprehensions of their parents. Even the panicky
dashes for homemade bomb shelters are just another game devised by
elders to amuse the kids - or so they see it.
It is probably a good thing, though that Cheche's parents are among the
few, able to provide some form of material comfort to their family during the
war. The laughter among the grimness does not therefore appear so
contrived. Not even when it comes to death from kwashiorkor - for which the
children of Amafor have a ditty for. "For me, it simply demonstrated that,
ultimately, laughter is always an appropriate response, no matter the
situation," the narrator says at one point (page 132), perhaps the author's
backhanded gesture at atoning for the humourous take on the rather
weighty issue of war.
He shouldn't have bothered. The lightness of heart and pace is one of the
strong points of War Games. And a tendency to over-explain why things
had to happen is a minor irritant to what is a good read. The novel could
also do with a bit more detail on Cheche. The reviewer was left with a
furrowed forehead, trying to picture what this interesting kid looks like - fair,
dark, thin or chubby?
It is said that a first novel contains a bit of the author. Mbachu might have
to deal with gentle jabs of how much of his growing up years is shared with
Cheche, and how much is really fiction. But it probably does not really
matter. After all the memories of an over 40-year-old event on the
impressionable minds of a young kid must necessarily be part mythical.
War Games holds its own against other novels that have come out about
the Nigerian civil war. It is also infinitely a more pleasurable read that most.
(Culled from Next newspaper)
Readers' Comment:
Posted by Omoniyi on May 21 2009
I av read the book, I think ur review has done justice to the book. But the
book might not win any award from the Western media, as it does not
feature a child soldier and also, it is not as gory as they like to portray our
wars, as if anybodys' war is actually pretty!
