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    Oil on Water
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    Oil on Water
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    Oil on Water
    Audiobook8 hours

    Oil on Water

    Written by Helon Habila

    Narrated by Richard Allen

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    In the oil-rich and environmentally devestated Nigerian Delta, a British oil executive's wife has been kidnapped. Two journalists - a young upstart, Rufus, and a once-great, now disillusioned veteran, Zaq - are sent to find her. In a story rich with atmosphere and taut with suspense, Oil on Water explores the conflict between idealism and cynical disillusionment in a journey full of danger and unintended consequences. As they navigate polluted rivers flanked by exploded and dormant oil wells, they must contentd with the brutality of both government soldiers and militants. Assailed by irresolvable versions of the 'truth' about the woman's disappearance, dependant on the kindness of strangers of unknowable loyalties, their journalistic objectivity will prove unsustainable, but other values might yet salvage their human dignity.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDreamscape Media Audio
    Release dateMay 16, 2011
    ISBN9781611201239
    Unavailable
    Oil on Water

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    Reviews for Oil on Water

    4/5

    6 ratings9 reviews

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    • 3/5
      The opening chapter describes a harrowing river journey that immediately brings to mind Heart of Darkness. It is not the same story, but the physical surroundings, the fog, the fearful emotional atmosphere...I'm thinking, "Mistah Kurtz, he dead." It was a strong powerful chapter.
      The story is of an ambitious Nigerian reporter who is trying to find the kidnapped wife of an expatriate European oil executive. Nothing is as it seems, and the plot moves slowly, somewhat weighed down by the earnestness of the narrator. There are a number of potentially fascinating characters, but they lack definition; they all tend to sound the same. Much of the prose is irrelevant and plodding: "She was pretty and clever and the sex was good, but I didn't see myself spending the rest of my life with her."
      Greed is destroying the society and environment of Nigeria -- the greed of the oil industry, the greed of the world that demands the oil, and the greed of the Nigerians. But the ones with the most money wield the power, so the Nigerians are suffering for that. The story was a way to highlight the inequities and cruelties. I liked that this is a book written by a Nigerian, with Nigerian protagonists.
    • 4/5
      A very interesting fictional story, if one filters it on the real background Nigeria's oil industry. Habila tells the story of an abducted Englishwoman who is the wife of an oil manager. Two Nigerian reporters are acting as intermediaries in search of her and the abductors. But soon it becomes clear that the abduction is only the hanger of this story. Rather, it is about the people who are driven out by the oil majors with false promises. Whole villages sell their land to these companies, shortly after the drilling begins, the fish die in the water because the quality of the pipes is miserable. Thus the food of the population is withdrawn and they have to look for a new place. However, this is becoming more and more difficult since the contamination spreads with the expansion of the drilling sites. In addition, rebels are at work, who want to fight the oil industry on the one hand, in order to help the population, on the other hand partly no longer know why they are fighting.This story is very profound and gives much thought. I highly recommend this book.
    • 4/5
      Most striking is the toll our need for oil imposes on poor people subjected to the oil company's ruthless needs. But this book also is about a young man's admiration for an older reporter.
    • 5/5
      Oil on water is a stunning novel, one I highly recommend it to people who want to be enlightened about human and environmental conditions in other nations. Maybe some people think it's not cool to be reading fiction about the damage caused by "big, bad corporations" but really, I don't care about opinions -- I want to know what's happening in the world. Oil on Water highlights only a small portion of what's going on and what's been going on for some time, but what is happening now and what's been happening in the Delta area of Nigeria for nearly 50 years is just shameful. Set in the Niger Delta, Oil on Water examines the changes brought about by the oil industry, which drilled its first well in 1956 and has remained a permanent fixture ever since. This very short but powerful novel, the story seen through the eyes of a journalist named Rufus, briefly brings together the stories of five different groups in the area: 1) the people who live in the Delta whose traditional lands, waterways and ways of life have been changed, exploited and in many cases, damaged beyond repair; 2) the numerous groups of freedom fighters/militants whose operations pit them against 3) the oil companies and 4) the government soldiers who routinely patrol the area; and 5) the journalists, who are invited to come and witness, record and relay the truth of what's really going on in the Delta. While the subject matter is disturbing on many levels, Habila's writing conveys a very real sense of the human effects of the changes wrought by the oil industry there.The frame for this novel is that the wife of an oil-company executive has been kidnapped and a group of journalists have been invited to make the journey up the river for an interview with her and her captors. Rufus is a new reporter at the 3rd largest paper in Port Harcourt, and when the request to get the story comes in, he volunteers for a job that all of the journalists know is potentially fatal after the earlier killings of two reporters on a similar mission. Along with him is his idol Zaq, a "once-great reporter" now past his glory days, once famous for his stories that emphasized the humanity beneath events. As they make their journey upriver for the story, they become part of it -- they are held as prisoners and encounter others who have also been taken captive; they are firsthand witnesses to murder and other violent acts, and throughout their trek they experience the horrific devastation of waterways and land that used to sustain entire populations. The story goes back and forth through time as Rufus relates both his past and Zaq's; Rufus also talks to various people they encounter along the way and hears their respective stories of how they came to be where they are at present.The author spares no detail in describing the environmental devastation, including the "foul and sulphurous" river with its floating dead and dying wildlife, the fish that have disappeared, the perpetually-burning flares of gas that burn throughout the night and produce toxic fumes, and land that is so oil soaked that nothing can grow. But he also focuses heavily on the human side of things. Government corruption is a reality that sustains poverty, and poverty engenders groups like the militants/freedom fighters, who disrupt oil production until they're paid off, kidnap for huge ransoms and are in a state of perpetual warfare with government soldiers that involves the lives of otherwise innocent people. Tapping oil lines just to survive, sometimes with disastrous results, according to the author, is another human consequence, as is the move to bigger cities where work is hard or nearly impossible to come by.This novel reveals an all-too-human story, based on realities that most people reading this book, including myself, can't even begin to fathom. It brings to light an ongoing state of environmental devastation and human rights issues that most people either aren't aware of and well, frankly, probably don't care about because it's somewhere over in Africa and isn't relevant to daily living. And that's really a shame. I loved this novel. -- recommended
    • 3/5
      I received my copy of this book via the goodreads giveaway program. I was spending quite a bit of time cleaning up goodreads' award section and my interest was piqued when I noticed it had been recently shortlisted for the Commonwealth Prize (Best Book in the African Region). I'll admit, I was a bit disappointed. Perhaps my expectations were too high? I was expecting to be grabbed and shaken by the story Helon Habila weaved, but instead I was gently pulled along. I want my suspense stories to have a lil oomph! Nonetheless, I enjoyed it and it was well written.
    • 4/5
      This author has a wonderful talent in making scenes vivid and real. In the Niger Delta region, where oil drilling has devastating effects on the land, the waters, and the tribal peoples living peacefully for generations before the oil, life is fragile. Militants wishing to preserve their way and life and their lands resort to violence and blowing up oil equipment. Soldiers are tasked with stopping them, often with more violence. The people of Nigeria try to live normal lives, some in the city of Port Harcourt, others in the forests along rivers. Serene islands dot the rivers -- oases where some live in peace until violence arrives.

      After an oil executive's wife goes missing, 5 reporters are dispatched from Port Harcourt to find her and speak with the head of the most well-known militant group, believed to be holding the woman. This militant leader is known for not harming reporters and welcoming press regarding his cause. The assignment weaves the lives of two reporters together, old and young. Their quest turns into high adventure and, like the river, surprises lie unseen around every bend.

      This is not only a good story, it's about true events still happening in this part of the world, so it's educational and eye-opening. The book would make a wonderful adventure movie. It has every element to make a successful movie.

      The story is told in sections that don't always follow chronologically. The flashbacks are very effective and I liked those. I think the story would be better served if most of it were told in a more straightforward manner, with shorter flashbacks. I found it slightly confusing at some points where new scenes out of sequence started but then was able to discern where in the story the current scene was. We never learn what happened to the other 3 reporters. That happens in life, but in this case, it's disconcerting.

      The reader is never told what illness Zaq has. I wanted to ask, is this because there are so many illnesses in that region with these symptoms it may never be known or it is because the author thought it didn't matter? Even alluding to the fact that the illness wasn't diagnosed would be better than no curiosity about it at all, but then, maybe that's an American way of looking at things. Perhaps the author's way of handling it is just how it would be handled in the delta region. These observations don't make the story less powerful.

      Much of what happened was so realistic -- the misconceptions, deceptions, disillusionment, fear, sorrow, caring, interactions, ambitions and more. This is a story of our time; if you know little about this part of the world, you should read this.

      I'd lke to add that I think the reader confusion was purposeful to mirror the labyrinthine course of the river delta area and perhaps also the confusion of events in the story. The book begins by alluding to fog and confusion in an artful way, however confusion that causes the reader to backtrack, trying to understand where things fit in may not be such a good thing. It's an intriguing thought process on the part of the author, though.
    • 3/5
      Thank you for the gift of this book, which I received as a Goodreads giveaway. Habila's writing is careful and sparse, balancing each thread of the story. There is nothing extra in this book, and Habila's attention to detail creates haunting images and characters. However, because of the spare language I found it difficult to follow at times, it requires patience to link the episodes together. It is not an easy book to read, Habila's writing will carry you along to a certain extent but also demands that you work with him to appreciate the whole picture. Habila struck an impressive balance between describing some of the more universal difficulties experienced by all developing nations and presenting a more unique and nuanced portrait of Nigeria's specific challenges. An obviously promising author, I look forward to reading his voice as it continues to mature.
    • 4/5
      Book Description:In the oil-rich and environmentally devastated Nigerian Delta, the wife of a British oil executive has been kidnapped. Two journalists―a young upstart, Rufus, and a once-great, now disillusioned veteran, Zaq―are sent to find her. In a story rich with atmosphere and taut with suspense, Oil on Water explores the conflict between idealism and cynical disillusionment in a journey full of danger and unintended consequences.As Rufus and Zaq navigate polluted rivers flanked by exploded and dormant oil wells, in search of “the white woman,” they must contend with the brutality of both government soldiers and militants. Assailed by irresolvable versions of the “truth” about the woman’s disappearance, dependent on the kindness of strangers of unknowable loyalties, their journalistic objectivity will prove unsustainable, but other values might yet salvage their human dignity.My Review:This book shows the conflict and damage that the oil companies have done to the Niger Delta in Nigeria. Oil companies are reaping the rewards while the people of Nigeria are suffering. I found Helon Habila to be a great storyteller and the book held my attention. It was a bit violent is places but Habila's tone seems to soften the blow. The characters were complex and the plot was interesting. The story shifts from the present to the past and tends to confuse the reader in places. I would highly recommend this book to those who like contemporary African literature or those wanting to learn about the devastation from an oil spill.
    • 4/5
      10. Oil on Water by Helon Habila (2010, 216 pages, read Feb 14-26)It’s been awhile since I got so pleasantly lost in a book. This is the wrong take on this, of course. It’s not charming. This is about Nigeria’s sacrifice for the world’s oil consumption. We follow Rufus, a young reporter driven by some sort of search for truth, or maybe just for a story, as he ends up wandering through the waterways of Niger Delta, seeing firsthand the pollution from oil exploration and the dead villages. He stumbles across rebel militias, deranged government counter-insurgency forces, displaced populations, and a shrine whose purpose seems to be to provide a refuge from modern life.The events don’t always seem real, or at least there is a sense of detachment from them. Some of this comes from Rufus as strives to be a neutral observer. He struggles with this in the face of some of the things he experiences, nearly breaking down as suspected-rebel captives are doused with gasoline while he is set aside to watch.I’m not sure how many deeper layers there are here, or where they reside. Or maybe this is simply a tour of the different players in this Nigerian problem. But, I enjoyed it nonetheless.