"Blessed thy land is with natural things,
Make use then, you should, of the good things,
Stop the conflicts, and listen to the radio,
Where they go, you can roll with them."
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My Superman by David O. Idahosa Trafford Publishing
book review by Sandra Shwayder Sanchez
My Superman is a memoir told in third person narrative style. At 563 pages, it appears an imposing challenge for the average reader, especially insofar as the English the author writes is the English spoken in Nigeria and will be strange for American readers. Nonetheless, this book is so full of pure diamonds of wisdom in the rough, variant version of the language, that it is definitely well worth the effort.
There is the brilliant device of revealing himself as though he were two people: David 1 and David 2. Everyone has different aspects of self that sometimes conflict with each other and at other times negotiate with each othe,r and ultimately that process of inner negotiation can lead to achieving greater understanding and recognition of others known as empathy. The book also deals with the universally crucial issues of politics and how we choose our leaders, the disparities in wealth among classes, racism and religious bigotry, and hypocrisy.
Because of the difficulty in following the dialect, a reader might best benefit from the deep insights this book so generously offers by sampling. It's like mining for diamonds, digging here, digging there. For example, chapter 3 is the fascinating story of David's family in Africa, and chapter 33 is dedicated to an astute analysis of American politics. Opening this book at random, you will find something rewarding.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review