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Sample Annotated Bibliography
Mr. Burke/English


Okri, Ben. The Famished Road. Doubleday: New York, 1991.

In this 500 page novel, Okri, a Nigerian writer, tells the story of a spirit child who comes back to our mortal world for another life as the son of a poor family. The story details his struggle to decide whether to stay in this world and experience its complexities--pain and joy, poverty and pleasure, hunger and love--or to return as he is expected to to the spirit world where along with the other spirit children he enjoys a life of eternal bliss spent playing around the rivers and in the fields. The novel examines the harsh reality of Third-World politics and its effects on both the individual and the community as people find themselves abused and tormented by which ever party they don’t vote for. The novel employs African storytelling techniques in places that make it rich in detail and a vivid depiction of contemporary Nigerian culture.


NOTE: You will be expected to submit, at semester’s end, an annotated bibliography for all books you have read outside of class this semester. This will be an essential component of your final grade and must include all relevant information. As I have said before, I expect that you will read at least as many books this semester or at least challenge yourself as much as you did last semester.