What Is the What
by Dave Eggers · first published 2006
3mentions
2recommended by
3HN commenters
2010–2017first – last mentioned
67% recommend33% neutral
What Is the What is the epic novel based on the life of Valentino Achak Deng who, along with thousands of other children--the so-called Lost Boys--was forced to leave his village in Sudan at the age of seven and trek hundreds of miles by foot, pursued by militias, government bombers, and wild animals, crossing the deserts of three countries to find freedom. When he finally is resettled in the United States, he finds a life full of promise, but also heartache and myriad new challenges. Moving, suspenseful, and unexpectedly funny, What Is the What is an astonishing novel that illuminates the l
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"Anathem" by Neal Stephenson is the best book I've read in years. The first 50 pages or so are a slog, but after that I couldn't put it down. "What is the What" by Dave Eggers is also phenomenal.
on “Ask HN: What should I read next?” ↗"What is the What" is one of the most beautifully written books of the last decade. I wholeheartedly endorse this.
on “Ask HN: What should I read next?” ↗…he lived and choices he made. The words, they're a mere side effect of a life lived deeply and fully. This is why writers like Dave Eggers write about other people who have lived extraordinary lives (What is the What and Zeitoun). Because he grew up in relatively bland suburbia. He lost both his parents very young, and wrote about that but then what is he going to write about?
on “Ask HN: Would you rather be a better writer or developer?” ↗