What Is the What

Dave Eggers

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Who Would Like This Book:

This is a powerful, movingly-told story about Valentino Achak Deng, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, brought to life by Dave Eggers’s empathetic, immersive writing. It’s both a harrowing account of survival and a lens into the complexities of being a refugee in America, blending memoir and novel seamlessly. Readers interested in real-life stories of endurance, global history, or the immigrant experience will find it absorbing. If you crave books that stick with you, that shift your perspective, or give voice to those often unheard, this one is a must-read.

Who May Not Like This Book:

Some found the narrative structure jarring, especially the present-day framing device, and felt parts of the story dragged or were overly repetitive. If you’re sensitive to graphic violence or find emotionally heavy subjects overwhelming, parts of this book may be tough to handle. For diehard Eggers fans expecting his signature playful style or humor, this much more serious, restrained approach may feel like a dramatic shift. The blend of fact and fiction also left a few readers unsure about what was ‘real’ and what was dramatized.

Heartbreaking, educational, and deeply human - this novelized memoir illuminates the refugee experience in a way that’s unforgettable. Challenging at times, but absolutely worth reading.

About:

'What Is the What' by Dave Eggers is a powerful and heart-wrenching fictionalized memoir that follows the life of Valentino Achak Deng, a Sudanese Lost Boy who flees his village during the civil war. The book combines the experiences of many Lost Boys into one person's history, sharing the struggles and resilience of Deng as he navigates through violence, starvation, chaos, and despair on his journey to freedom. The story alternates between Deng's childhood in Sudan and his new life in America, providing a compelling narrative that is both heartbreaking and inspiring.

The book is written in a captivating and informative style that effortlessly weaves together the past and present of Valentino Achak Deng's life. Through the first-person narration, the reader is drawn into Deng's harrowing experiences, his search for survival, and his determination to start anew in a foreign land. The alternating timelines, engaging characters, and rich descriptions of Sudan's history and culture make this novel a poignant and eye-opening exploration of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

Characters:

Characters in the book, primarily Valentino, represent resilience and the human spirit, while also showcasing the varying human responses to trauma and recovery.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is characterized by its accessibility and emotional depth, blending storytelling with humor, and employing a narrative device that personalizes Valentino's experiences.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot centers around Valentino Achak Deng's traumatic experiences as a Lost Boy of Sudan, navigating both the horrors of war and the challenges of resettling in America.

Setting:

The setting shifts between the war-torn landscape of Sudan, the refugee experience, and modern-day America, emphasizing stark contrasts in Valentino's life.

Pacing:

The pacing alternates effectively between present and past, though some find it slower during extensive descriptions of trauma.

I have no reason not to answer the door so I answer the door. I have no tiny round window to inspect visitors so I open the door and before me is a tall, sturdily built African-American woman, a few y...

Notes:

The book is a novelized autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan.

Valentino's story entails his escape from civil war in Sudan and the hardships he faced as a refugee.

The narrative toggles between Valentino's past experiences in Sudan and his present life in Atlanta, America.

The book opens with Valentino being robbed in his apartment, which triggers memories of his past.

Valentino, at seven years old, was forced to flee his home when his village was attacked by militia.

He was part of a group of boys who traveled on foot across Sudan to Ethiopia, facing numerous dangers along the way.

The Lost Boys of Sudan were a group of unaccompanied minors who fled violence and sought safety in refugee camps.

Many elements of Valentino's journey highlight the brutal realities of war, including starvation, disease, and violence.

The book emphasizes the stark contrast between Valentino's life in war-torn Sudan and his struggles to assimilate in America.

Dave Eggers wrote the book after several interviews with Valentino, aiming to capture his voice and experiences authentically.

The title refers to a Dinka creation myth about choosing between the known (cattle) and the uncertain (the 'What').

Eggers donated the profits from this book to the Valentino Achak Deng Foundation, which supports education for Sudanese children.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

The book contains graphic depictions of violence, trauma, and suffering related to war, sexual violence, and themes of death and loss, warranting high content warnings.

From The Publisher:

What is the What is Dave Eggers's astonishing novel about one of the world's most brutal civil wars

Valentino Achak Deng is just a boy when conflict separates him from his family and forces him to leave his small Sudanese village, joining thousands of other orphans on their long, long walk to Ethiopia, where they find safety - for a time. Along the way Valentino encounters enemy soldiers, liberation rebels and deadly militias, hyenas and lions, disease and starvation. But there are experiences ahead that will test his spirit in even greater ways than these . . .

Truly epic in scope, and told with expansive humanity, deep compassion and unexpected humour, What is the What is an eye-opening account of life amid the madness of war and an unforgettable tale of tragedy and triumph.

'If there was ever any doubt that Dave Eggers is one of our most important storytellers, What Is the What should put it to rest... [A] strange, beautiful and unforgettable work' San Francisco Chronicle

'A remarkable book: harrowing, witty, wretched, delightful; and always compelling, always surprising' London Review of Books

2006

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544 pages

Ratings (10)

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Loved It (2)
Liked It (2)
It Was OK (2)
Did Not Like (1)

Reader Stats (17):

Read It (10)
Want To Read (5)
Not Interested (2)

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About the Author:

Dave Eggers is the author of many acclaimed books, including The Circle; What is the What and Zeitoun. He is the founder of the publishing house and magazine McSweeney's and the cofounder of 826 Valencia, a youth writing center that has inspired similar programs around the world. His work has been translated into forty-two languages.

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