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Hangman
Hangman: A Novel | Maya Binyam
11 posts | 8 read | 5 to read
An enthralling and original first novel about exile, diaspora, and the impossibility of Black refuge in America and beyond. In the morning, I received a phone call and was told to board a flight. The arrangements had been made on my behalf. I packed no clothes, because my clothes had been packed for me. A car arrived to pick me up. A man returns home to sub-Saharan Africa after twenty-six years in America. When he arrives, he finds that he doesnt recognize the country or anyone in it. Thankfully, someone recognizes him, a man who calls him brothersetting him on a quest to find his real brother, who is dying. In Hangman, Maya Binyam tells the story of that search, and of the phantoms, guides, tricksters, bureaucrats, debtors, taxi drivers, relatives, riddles, and strangers that will lead to the truth. It is an uncommonly assured debut: an existential journey; a tragic farce; a slapstick tragedy; and a strange, and strangely honest, story of one mans stubborn quest to find refugein this world and in the world that lies beyond it.
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Gissy
Hangman: A Novel | Maya Binyam
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Pickpick

7th book read from Women‘s Prize for fiction Long List
Unpopular opinion but this time, I really liked this novel. In a peculiar, unique sarcastic tone, the author narrate different topics: (social, political, cultural, etc) through this man who visited his country after 26 years of exile.I think it was so creative. Character has a fragmented thinking process, thinking about what he is thinking/observing/doing. ⬇️

Gissy (Cont.) it was funny but in a surrealistic/existencial narrative. I know it is not one of the favorites novel in this list but I enjoyed it because it was different. 4⭐️ 7mo
DieAReader 🥳Awesome! 7mo
See All 6 Comments
BarbaraBB Awesome that you liked it! I couldn‘t get through it. 7mo
Gissy @BarbaraBB It is different and mine is an unpopular opinion. I don‘t think this novel will be in the short list.

The experience in reading these novels from the long list have been so interesting, trying to see why the judges selected them😃

I watched a couple of videos about long list predictions and various interesting novels were mentioned that were not selected. I wish I could read them later. But too many books, too little time
📚☹️
7mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 7mo
39 likes6 comments
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charl08
Hangman: A Novel | Maya Binyam
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Book on the beach! (Well, next to the beach. And I wasn't stopping.)

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charl08
Hangman: A Novel | Maya Binyam
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Long week, large hot chocolate, new library book

Aims42 A great way to celebrate it finally being Friday and the weekend 🥳🙌 Enjoy!! 7mo
BarbaraBB I bailed on this one… 7mo
46 likes2 comments
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Leniverse
Hangman: A Novel | Maya Binyam
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Mehso-so

This must be the weirdest book on the #WomensPrize longlist. It reads like a Kafkaesque fever dream. When you finally understand what's going on it hits hard, but the way there feels really long for such a short (just shy of 200 pages) book. The humour and the side eye given to everything from missionaries to news stories would have carried the book if the journey hadn't been so confusing and exhausting to both the reader and the MC.
#WomensPrize

39 likes1 stack add
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rmaclean4
Hangman: A Novel | Maya Binyam
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Panpan

A long serpentine parable that all comes together in the last chapter. You have to have patience with not understanding what is happening. I can admire the writing skills involved, but not a favorite read for me. 2 🌟

squirrelbrain Bottom of my list at the moment. 😬 8mo
dabbe #fanofthepan! 🤩🤩🤩 8mo
charl08 Still waiting for my copy to come in... 🤔 8mo
BarbaraBB I didn‘t like it either. 8mo
19 likes4 comments
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Hooked_on_books
Hangman: A Novel | Maya Binyam
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Mehso-so

I think Binyam was attempting social critique here and I appreciate that instinct, but the execution didn‘t work for me at all. While there were a couple places where I chuckled, the main character is so bumbling it just seemed silly and the critique fell flat. I‘m a bit disappointed this made the #womensprize for fiction list.

squirrelbrain This is bottom of my list so far. 8mo
Hooked_on_books @squirrelbrain I can see why! It‘s a waste of a spot on the list. 8mo
BarbaraBB This is the only one so far I didn‘t like. 8mo
43 likes3 comments
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AnneCecilie
Hangman: A Novel | Maya Binyam
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Pickpick

Our protagonist gets a call that he need to go home and that‘s what he does. We follow him on the plane ride and his other transportations, and while he travels people he meet will tell him his story, both strangers and extended family.

That ending caught me completely by surprise but at the same time it explains something that happens during the novel.

55 likes1 stack add
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BarbaraBB
Hangman: A Novel | Maya Binyam
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Panpan

What have I just read and why? I was willing too dive into the estranging world of Hangman, where an African man after two decennia of exile returns to his homeland. It didn‘t make much sense to me though, the stories told by the people he met upon his return.

My least favorite of the #womenprize longlist so far.

(Photo: hiking with my girlfriends)

BarbaraBB #ATY24 - with a touch of magic @jenniferw88 8mo
squirrelbrain I agree entirely! 😬 8mo
Librarybelle Yikes! But, I hope the hike was fun! 8mo
See All 9 Comments
Caroline2 Ok, I‘m skipping this one then 😂 8mo
ChaoticMissAdventures I feel like I "get it" but it didn't work for me. I am glad I am not alone, I am a bit lost by these long list picks this year. 8mo
dabbe #fanofthepan! 🤩🤩🤩 8mo
Suet624 Yes, but who are those intriguing figures in the photo. 8mo
BarbaraBB @Suet624 My girlfriends with whom I went hiking for the weekend! 8mo
Suet624 Love that. 💕 8mo
81 likes9 comments
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ChaoticMissAdventures
Hangman: A Novel | Maya Binyam
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Mehso-so

This is a case of "I see what you did there, well done, this just isnt for me"

Binyam did a fantastic job creating a fever dream of a book, following an unnamed narrator. It takes a minute to understand the purpose of his journey, but the unfolding is just obvious enough. Unfortunatly for me, I got bored about half in. ?.

ChaoticMissAdventures Things started to feel repetitive, I understood the catch of the book, and I was a bit tired of living in the fever dream. I scanned the last bit of this.

I do think that Binyam has crafted an excellent book, that just wasn't for me, but I will be picking up her next book as I think she is super talented
8mo
dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 8mo
BarbaraBB Just finished it. 🤨 8mo
32 likes4 comments
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squirrelbrain
Hangman: A Novel | Maya Binyam
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Mehso-so

That was…. different. 🤔 My least-liked book on the #womensprize long list so far.

An unnamed man returns to unnamed country (in Africa) to find his brother, who may be dying. Along the way he meets many people, who aren‘t named and who he should recognise but doesn‘t, who all want to tell him their stories.

I liked the stories at the start but they became very repetitive and the way of naming characters was frustrating ⬇️

squirrelbrain …‘son‘s mother‘s brother‘ is very wearing after a while. I also got the ‘twist‘ / concept of the book fairly early on. A bit too clever-clever for me, or maybe I‘m not clever enough for this book. 8mo
Deblovestoread Just reading that blurb made my head hurt. 😂 That‘s a pass for me. Thanks for taking one for the team! 8mo
MicheleinPhilly Ugh. Pass! 8mo
See All 6 Comments
jlhammar This one wasn‘t really calling to me. I‘m in line for the audiobook so might give it a try and bail if I‘m not feeling it. 8mo
BarbaraBB I am reading this one too and kind of waiting for where it goes 8mo
youneverarrived Wow I don‘t think I could read a full book written like that 🙈 8mo
64 likes6 comments
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ChaoticMissAdventures
Hangman: A Novel | Maya Binyam
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#weeklyforecast
#wpfl24
#womensprize

All the holds coming in at the library, setting up for a busy reading week! I also have All That She Carried from the Nonfiction long list on audio ✔️✔️✔️

Pageturner1 ooh coffee looks good! and of course the books too— 😀 8mo
36 likes1 comment