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Books have been my constant companion since “Heaven knows when.” Books have always been my source of solace. For me, books are a form of escape. A trick I use to escape from the harsh reality of life. Whether you are bored, sad, or finding your place in life, books have got you covered. I’ve always been a big lover of books since I was a kid, devoring books of genres and time periods. I’ve read so many books that it is difficult for me to pinpoint my top 20 favorites. Picking a favorite book is an impossible task. However, if I were in a tight spot and had to choose a favorite niche, I might go for Greek myths.
Throughout my book reading journey, I have discovered lots of good and bad books and encountered lots of masterpieces and disappointments. I have come to realize that even the most skilled and celebrated writers can occasionally produce or publish work that falls short of their usual standards. It is difficult to pen down the reason some skilled writers occasionally publish books that are not up to their usual par. However, some of the reasons are; creative block, inadequate resources, and other environmental factors
When it comes to books I don’t like, the one book that tops the list was written by Teju Cole. Don’t quote me wrong. I don’t want to give off the impression that Teju Cole is a bad writer. He is a very good writer. In fact, he has won lots of awards, including the prestigious 2015 Windham Campbell prize for fiction. He has also won US artists awards. It is just like I mentioned earlier- sometimes famous and talented writers produce works that are below the par of their standards.
Also, it is important to take note of this; although Open City by Teju Cole is one of the books I don’t like. I’m not totally writing this book off, nor am I tagging it as a totally bad book. I just do not like the book due to some specific reasons. I’m pretty sure there are lots of people out there who find this book really interesting. The fact that I do not like this book does not diminish the book’s potential value for others. As humans, we all have our own preferences and opinions. Like our fingerprints, our likes and dislikes are unique. One of the sayings that has always guided me since I was a kid is; one man's food is another man’s food man’s poison. This saying extends beyond books and all other facets of life.
Open City was written and published by Teju Cole in 2011. The novel takes us on a profound exploration of journey, detachment, curiosity, life and meaning. One of the reasons I do not like this book is because of the disjointed plot. Usually, a plot follows a chronological order- exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution . However, in Teju Cole’s Open City, the narrative is scattered, jumping from narrative to another, leaving readers struggling to keep up with the story. This is really frustrating to readers seeking a clear plot.
Moving on with the reasons I don’t like Teju Cole’s Open City, his writing style is unnecessarily dense and abstract, making it difficult for readers to understand deeply the intended message without reading over the lines multiple times. One of the elements that makes a story interesting to read is the ability to draw readers in through the use of creative and literary techniques. Open City lacks what it takes for readers to keep wanting to turn the pages and read the next one. He made use of falshbacks a lot, however, there’s no element of suspense. In contrast to Teju Cole’s Open City, the writing style of Gulliver’s Traels is up to the par. Johnathan swift uses literary elements that glued readers to his work.
Teju Cole has written so many other books. But I haven’t read them yet because i read one of his books and I didn’t want to read any other book from him. Maybe one day, I’ll have a change of heart and find a time to read another of his books.
Although Teju Cole has published other works, my experience with 'Open City' has left me hesitant read any other books written by him. Maybe one day, I’ll have a change of heart and find a time to read another of his books. For now, I don’t have the will and passion to revisit his writing style. Perharps one day, my burning curiosity for books will lead me to his path.
This is my submission to the Inleo prompt suggestion for the month of April. The topic is: Tell us about a book you like or don’t like.
Check the calendar out:
Thanks for reading.
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