Here's what I wrote in 2008 about this read: "Memorable, haunting, educational. Fictionalized account of one of the "lost boys of Sudan" illuminates the fate of this country still in civil wars (Darfar continues in crisis today), and of it citizens. They have it very bad, even though some have survived and "thrived" to the point of being relocated to other countries (U.S. in the case our main character Valentino Achak Deng). My heavens, how good we have it in the developed world; how wretched man can be to man." ( )

'What is the What' is essentially a novelistic autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng, one of the thousands of Sudan's 'Lost Boys'--small children who walked the breadth of Sudan alone to escape a vicious civil war. Some of the lucky children were eventually rehomed in the West but many mainly boys but some girls spent years living in refugee camps, relying on foreign nationals for all their needs, never knowing if their other family members were alive or dead.

The book opens with Achak undergoing a home invasion by an American black couple in his adopted home of Atlanta, Georgia. The story that follows is a series of mental monologues between Achak, his present oppressors and a hospital receptionist who delays treating him of his injuries because he is uninsured, bit by bit telling them and us, of his ardous journey up to that point and some of the extraordinary people he met along the way.

Some of the minor characters and conversations are fictional, however, the book also reminds us of the incredible resilience of the survivors and that not all refugees are granted asylum whilst giving some background in to a now almost forgotten civil war.

Despite the author describing some really grim events his prose retains a relatively light touch, allowing both humour and sorrow. This isn't and easy read and I had a few minor quibbles. I felt that the editing could have been better as at times it felt a little unbalanced nor was I totally sure as to believe some parts of it, even the author admits many of the refugees' tales sound remarkably alike, but overall I found this a fascinating and enlightening piece of writing about a conflict that I was only vaguely aware of. This is my first experience of the author's work but I hope that it won't be my last. ( )

"What is the What" is called a novel, because many conversations were invented, some minor characters may have been invented... but it is at its heart a true story: the biography of Valentino Achak Deng, a boy who became a refugee from the wars in Sudan at the age of 6, and the many trials an tribulations he faced over the next 15 years or so. The book has horrors galore, but nonetheless, it is a book about hope and faith. Counterintuitively, there is a surprising amount of humor in the tale as well. There are true heroes in the story. Dut Majok, who disappears halfway through the book, certainly stood out as a hero. It is a long and intense book, but well worth it. ( )

What can I say about this book other than it's another heartbreaking work of staggering genius by Dave Eggers. The story gripped me with its details, some of which are horrifying and tragic, and Eggers assembles the threads of Valentino Achak Deng's narrative in an artful and emotionally resonant way.

I think this book offers valuable insight into the chaos of most modern wars/conflicts, and the effects it has on those forced to live through them, particularly the children, such as the Lost Boys of Sudan. ( )

Wow. This is a hell of a book--not stinting on the hell but matching it with the power of human perseverance and dignity. The autobiography of the Sudanese "lost boy" Valentino Achak Deng as told to and lightly fictionalized by Dave Eggers. Amazing true story, artfully realized. ( )