Chaar_Bagh reviewed Changes by Ama Ata Aidoo
Review of 'Changes' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
This is a text that once again fleshes out what Gayle Rubin called the 'enormous diversity and monotonous similarity' of women's lives. Set in urban Ghana in the last decade of the 20th century, Aidoo's female characters struggle to make sense of a world where 20th century women's expectations of life, love and career scrape against a new modern patriarchy that simply cannot comprehend their dissatisfaction or unhappiness. Written with occasional wry humour and compassion, Aidoo doesn't caricature anyone - men or women- and provides a glimpse of a post colonial society without smoothening out the complexities. The writing was pitched well except for some surprisingly tritely written portions especially regarding the interaction between two female friends.
This is a text that once again fleshes out what Gayle Rubin called the 'enormous diversity and monotonous similarity' of women's lives. Set in urban Ghana in the last decade of the 20th century, Aidoo's female characters struggle to make sense of a world where 20th century women's expectations of life, love and career scrape against a new modern patriarchy that simply cannot comprehend their dissatisfaction or unhappiness. Written with occasional wry humour and compassion, Aidoo doesn't caricature anyone - men or women- and provides a glimpse of a post colonial society without smoothening out the complexities. The writing was pitched well except for some surprisingly tritely written portions especially regarding the interaction between two female friends.