Oil on Water
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- Create Date：2021-08-24 08:54:39
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Helon Habila
- ISBN：0141046848
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Summary
From the desks of Nigeria's newsrooms， two journalists are recruited to find the kidnapped wife of a British oil engineer。 Zaq， an infamous media hack， knows what's in store， but Rufus， a keen young journalist eager to get himself noticed， has no idea what he's let himself in for。 Journeying into the oil-rich regions of the Niger Delta， where militants rule and the currency dealt in is the lives of hostages， Rufus soon finds himself acting as intermediary between editor， husband， captive and soldier。
As they follow the trail of the missing woman， love for the 'story' becomes about much more than just uncovering her whereabouts， and instead becomes a mission to make sense of their own muddled lives。
In a cruel twist of fate， Rufus finds himself taking on Zaq's role much more literally than he ever anticipated， and as the body count rises， and the environment burns， he learns that truth can often be a bitter pill to swallow。
As they follow the trail of the missing woman， love for the 'story' becomes about much more than just uncovering her whereabouts， and instead becomes a mission to make sense of their own muddled lives。
In a cruel twist of fate， Rufus finds himself taking on Zaq's role much more literally than he ever anticipated， and as the body count rises， and the environment burns， he learns that truth can often be a bitter pill to swallow。
Reviews
Maggie
，
the premise of the book was very interesting， but the focus on journalism and the story structure were what made this book 3 stars for me。 I wanted more of an emphasis on the environmental impacts and the story of the villagers displaced from their homes but these topics were too much in the background。
Lanre
，
Sometimes it takes fiction to find out the truth of what's going on in my country。 Intelligently documented and revealing tale。 Sometimes it takes fiction to find out the truth of what's going on in my country。 Intelligently documented and revealing tale。 。。。more
Sarah
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A young journalist is following his idol， investigating the kidnap of the wife of a British oil engineer。 This is a harsh commentary on the deadly cost of the region’s oil industry as well as the journalist’s journey beyond his dying idol。
Alice Gould
，
Whilst I found the setting and overarching plot of this novel fascinating， I really struggled with it's execution。 The timeline jumped around in a way that made it incredibly hard to follow， particularly when characters were also struggling with fevers and alcoholism。 A whole chapter I believed was a dream sequence until the end， purely based on how confusion and unlikely it seemed。Maybe part of the problem was the length。 There were a lot of interesting characters， but not enough pages to explo Whilst I found the setting and overarching plot of this novel fascinating， I really struggled with it's execution。 The timeline jumped around in a way that made it incredibly hard to follow， particularly when characters were also struggling with fevers and alcoholism。 A whole chapter I believed was a dream sequence until the end， purely based on how confusion and unlikely it seemed。Maybe part of the problem was the length。 There were a lot of interesting characters， but not enough pages to explore them。 We spent a lot of time with Rufus， his inner monologue， and flashbacks to his past that didn't seem to add much。I found the mystery of the kidnapped woman easy to forget， hard to invest in and ultimately revealed as an anti-climax， despite the story working well。 However， the setting of the Delta， the people who live their and the contrast with oil companies that pollute it pulled this up for me。 。。。more
Joe Tristram
，
Ultimately good， and felt worth reading， but for a lot of it I was wondering if it was badly written or whether the style （very flat， lots of repetition， extremely tortuous storyline） was deliberate。 I decided it was deliberate， but remain unsure why。 What made it worth reading despite this was the story it tells and the atmosphere it conjures up。
Nancy Xu
，
I’ve seen the accolades for Nigeria’s prosperity from oil but not how it looks in the villages and the ecosystems it destroyed。 This is a beautifully written piece about places， people and conflicts that I’m so unfamiliar with。 Strap in and take a jungle river cruise with this book， but be warned someone is waiting around the bend to sink your boat and take you in。
Leonie Borsch
，
In "Oil on Water" by Helon Habila， which was published in 2010， we meet the young reporter Rufus。 He tells the story how he and his burned-out colleague， the legendary reporter Zaq are on their way to find the perfect story - about Isabel Floode， the kidnapped wife of the british oil-operations manager James Floode。 On their way through the Niger-Delta they do not only encounter the military， but also the militants， who do not hesitate to sacrifice their lives for their self-declared "freedom-fi In "Oil on Water" by Helon Habila， which was published in 2010， we meet the young reporter Rufus。 He tells the story how he and his burned-out colleague， the legendary reporter Zaq are on their way to find the perfect story - about Isabel Floode， the kidnapped wife of the british oil-operations manager James Floode。 On their way through the Niger-Delta they do not only encounter the military， but also the militants， who do not hesitate to sacrifice their lives for their self-declared "freedom-fight"。 The polar opposite to this violence is the fictional island Irikefe， a place where peaceful worshippers live， who value nature and each other。 The paradise that has been in the oil-polluted Niger-Delta， is still existing on Irikefe。The novel adresses Nigeria's biggest problems: the environment-polluting Oil-industry and the fight between the government and the militants， who do not care if they kill or hurt innocent people。 It is a warning and a scream for help at the same time。 The novel is a mosaic of flashbacks and the things happening at the moment， which creates confusion and turbulence matching the one in the book。Unfortunately this was a bit too confusion， so I could not really enjoy reading it。 Also there was no "flow" in creating tension。 There were some spikes which were thrilling but all in all it was a bit boring and unemotional。To conclude， the book was okay， but I would not recommend reading it in school， as it was too complicated to follow the plot / story， which makes it a challenge to read （the story was really great tho）。 。。。more
Peace Onuobi
，
His books are really
Leah Rachel von Essen
，
Oil on Water by Helon Habila is a compelling read depicting two journalists trying to find a kidnapped woman in the Nigerian Delta， an environment dominated and devastated by the impact of oil， plagued by violence and pollution。 As Rufus， our protagonist， and Zaq， the disillusioned established journalist who accompanies him， search， they deal with lies and shadows， disease， soldiers， and militants。 Occasionally I got a little lost in the nuances of the timeline due to the way Habila weaves the s Oil on Water by Helon Habila is a compelling read depicting two journalists trying to find a kidnapped woman in the Nigerian Delta， an environment dominated and devastated by the impact of oil， plagued by violence and pollution。 As Rufus， our protagonist， and Zaq， the disillusioned established journalist who accompanies him， search， they deal with lies and shadows， disease， soldiers， and militants。 Occasionally I got a little lost in the nuances of the timeline due to the way Habila weaves the story in and out of the past， but overall this was a quick and interesting read， that shone slick with the effects of oil as Rufus stood witness。 。。。more
Carol
，
Habila explores the complex and contradictory issues of the oil-rich Niger Delta through the characters of two investigative journalists。 Rufus is the rookie and Zak， his ‘hero’ is vastly experienced， drink-sodden but also still driven to pursue the story of a lifetime。In their search for the kidnapped white wife of British oil executive， they experience everything from the toxic rivers poisoning native flora and fauna to the innocent and terrified villagers， government forces and the militants Habila explores the complex and contradictory issues of the oil-rich Niger Delta through the characters of two investigative journalists。 Rufus is the rookie and Zak， his ‘hero’ is vastly experienced， drink-sodden but also still driven to pursue the story of a lifetime。In their search for the kidnapped white wife of British oil executive， they experience everything from the toxic rivers poisoning native flora and fauna to the innocent and terrified villagers， government forces and the militants pursuing their ‘rightful share’ of the oil revenue。。。。and the ever-present orange flares。Beautifully written by an ex-journalist， the plot may have weaknesses but the messages， the style and the imagery do not。 Fabulous to have found a ‘new’ writer。 。。。more
Alex
，
read for Lynn Badia's Literature Of The Earth Class。 I think it's probably the second to least favorite book of mine we've read so far， but nonetheless I thought it was a good story。 Just got bored with the writing and felt that at some points it would have been more enjoyable to hear it as an audiobook rather than written word。 read for Lynn Badia's Literature Of The Earth Class。 I think it's probably the second to least favorite book of mine we've read so far， but nonetheless I thought it was a good story。 Just got bored with the writing and felt that at some points it would have been more enjoyable to hear it as an audiobook rather than written word。 。。。more
Ruby Books
，
Oil on Water follows Rufus， a journalist， who is trying to find a British woman kidnapped by Nigerian militants。 The story is not as clear cut as you think – neither the militants nor the military are completely to blame， and the book also touches on exploitation and environmental effects of oil pollution。 I was honestly a bit disappointed by the ending – it was quite abrupt and I wish there was more explanation。 But overall this was an interesting read。
Stephenie
，
Great storytelling with Insight into petrochemical colonization in AfricaHabitat presents well developed characters in this story that could easily be a true tale。 The complexities are presented with empathy and courage。
William Milks
，
There is some promise with this book。 However， it tries too hard playing with time and recollection。 The narrative is jumpy。And I could never ever ever shake the feeling that Habila was trying to present his own take on Heart of Darkness。
Virginia Johnson
，
I found the characters beautifully flushed out and I became increasingly worried about Rufus， the young reporter， who thought this was an opportunity to learn from a great reporter。 And it all goes very bad。 And becomes clear that none of it is actually as clear cut as Rufus （or I） would like it to be。 That there is no singular “truth”。 And by the end I was as exhausted as Rufus。
Anja Goodsmith
，
I don't get the ending。。。。 I don't get the ending。。。。 。。。more
Esther Oluwakemisola Aluko
，
Favourite Quotable line: "。。。 These people endure the worst conditions of any oil-producing community on earth， the government knows it but doesn’t have the will to stop it， the oil companies know it， but because the government doesn’t care， they also don’t care。 And you think the people are corrupt？ No。 They are just hungry， and tired。" I believe that the quote above makes quite clear what the book is about however for further clarification， here's the synopsis of the book:When the wife of a Br Favourite Quotable line: "。。。 These people endure the worst conditions of any oil-producing community on earth， the government knows it but doesn’t have the will to stop it， the oil companies know it， but because the government doesn’t care， they also don’t care。 And you think the people are corrupt？ No。 They are just hungry， and tired。" I believe that the quote above makes quite clear what the book is about however for further clarification， here's the synopsis of the book:When the wife of a British oil executive is kidnapped by rebels in Niger Delta Two Journalist- Zaq- a once-great Journalist who has now fallen from grace and Rufus- a novice journalist who looks up to Zaq as a role model is sent on a mission to cover the story。 Believing this might be the 'great story" every journalist longs to write in a lifetime， he takes on the quest with his role model Zaq。 On arrival， the risk accompanying the story becomes clear to him as the blue in the sky but thinking he had come with the right person his fear is laid to rest。 However， Zaq falls ill and the responsibility of covering the story begins to slowly fall on him。This is is the first time I'll read a book by Helon Habila and I totally love it。 The story is straightforward though the kidnapping story is a frame story which complements the story in focus。 Oil on water relishes in its astounding imagery。 It paints a picture of the situation in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria and the war that was waged in the region in the name of oil extraction。 The story hits the nail on the head in a bold manner showing and outrightly telling the tragedy of the way oil pollution has negatively affected the environment and the people of Niger Delta， ranking it as one of the most polluted regions in the world。 I love the timely digress into the tragedy of the life of each character we come across。 It helped to provide a soothing effect to the constantly tensed atmosphere。 Oil on water made me appreciate the effort of journalists in a light I've never done before。 It made me wonder how many stories I have read where the said journalist had to put their life on the line to cover the story。 Helon Habila's oil on water also raises the question of people who fight for the right cause but do it in a wrong way。 Take it or leave it， anyone who fights for the right cause in a wrong way is bound to lose their values in the course of their battles。 I loved reading the conversation between Zaq and Rufus they were so personal and real so that you felt welcomed being the third person in the conversation and just listening。 This is a beautiful story that takes on the task of exposing the negative impact of oil in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria。 It's a beautiful 4。3/5⭐ and I highly recommend。 。。。more
James Henry
，
Just from a structural stand point， Oil on Water is worth a read。 Helon Habila weaves in and out of the main story of two Nigerian journalists tracking down a kidnapped white woman with complete dexterity。 He starts in the middle， goes back and forth in time， hopping around so casually that in lesser hands it could have felt confusing or， even worse， a mess。 But Habila never loses control of his unwieldy timeline—in fact， the loose structure only helps the story， building suspense and mystery in Just from a structural stand point， Oil on Water is worth a read。 Helon Habila weaves in and out of the main story of two Nigerian journalists tracking down a kidnapped white woman with complete dexterity。 He starts in the middle， goes back and forth in time， hopping around so casually that in lesser hands it could have felt confusing or， even worse， a mess。 But Habila never loses control of his unwieldy timeline—in fact， the loose structure only helps the story， building suspense and mystery in a story that wouldn’t have much of either if told straight through。 Habila also excels at using larger systemic problems （the exploitation of the Nigerian people and their land by foreign oil companies， the militants fighting back against these companies） and major trauma for the main character as subtext for the main story: these ideas are always present， foregrounded whenever necessary， but they don’t become the focus of the book。 They give the story character and a true sense of time and place without overwhelming us—a very hard balance to achieve。 。。。more
Jonathan Layton
，
Best part about the book was the chronology， not the characters。
Lulu garcia
，
A fascinating socio-political adventure story， the meatiness of penmanship results in visceral and tense storytelling。 I love getting the chance to learn about political workings of other places， and though I have no way of verifying its accuracy， Habila delves into the interworkings of a world all its own an the humans burdened by it。
Tobechukwu Udeigbo
，
This book revolves around the Niger Delta area， the struggle for oil and power， the contaminated water， the fleeing Niger-Deltan residents and the consequences of greed。 Helon Habila takes the reader on a ride exposing the environmental conditions， poor health， insecurities， and the harsh realities that people in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria are experiencing through the eyes of two journalists， Zaq and Rufus。 Zaq， who was nibbling on his past glory as an accomplished journalist， was on a miss This book revolves around the Niger Delta area， the struggle for oil and power， the contaminated water， the fleeing Niger-Deltan residents and the consequences of greed。 Helon Habila takes the reader on a ride exposing the environmental conditions， poor health， insecurities， and the harsh realities that people in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria are experiencing through the eyes of two journalists， Zaq and Rufus。 Zaq， who was nibbling on his past glory as an accomplished journalist， was on a mission to reclaim his fame and his reputation after a lost love affair， a fall out with his past employer， and a past criminal record smeared his name。 He decided to go on a dangerous but newsworthy trip to rescue a British woman who was kidnapped by the militants for a ransom; which， he believed， would resuscitate his glory。 Tagging along with him is Rufus， a photo journalist whose goal was to gain some recognition while pursing this story and to be accorded some respect among his journalist peers。 As these two men began their journey， Helon visually captured the effect of oil spill in the area。 There are ferocious fires bulldozing villages daily which can be seen through the orange glows。 There is also a lack of security in this area。 Homegrown militants， who are residents of the area but are against the oil companies who have exploited the lands， are terrorizing people， stealing and threatening anyone who is not in support of their mission。 Their goal is to secure their lands and partake in its glorious financial output。 The environmental degradation of the area is captured by Helon's words which informed the readers about the negative economic impact of oil spill。 Rivers， that habited big fishes and crabs and was a source of their livelihood， have degraded because of the pollution。 Dead fishes and dead bodies often washed off the shores， and many residents in the area travel far in other to get quality fishes and crabs to sell。 I did not know much about the Niger Delta area and their struggles， but this book opened my eyes to what is currently happening there。 I often read about the militants， as thugs and jobless young people， from a negative perspective; but this book humanized and shed a positive light on them。 I cannot imagine being a resident of this area and not feeling a pang of pain over what the oil companies are doing to my people and to my land。 After reading this book， I developed a new perspective about the Niger Delta militants and actually applaud them for fighting to keep these greedy politicians and expatriates at bay。I hope someone from the government reads this book and begins a reconciliatory process about this issue which is damaging lives and have rendered thousands homeless。 How can a whole village move from their ancestral home because they feel unsafe in their land？ How dare the Nigerian government kidnap a chief， who is the most respectable person in a community， from his home and return his dead body to his community because he refused to sign off his lands to hungry and selfish oil company CEO's？ I recommend a sincere apology to be tendered to the Niger Deltans and for these residents to get a fair percentage from any profit made from oil sales。 They should be compensated by awarding everyone a monthly stipend， security， free healthcare and quality education at no cost to them。 In addition， I would suggest that a member from each community， elected by the people， should be a member of the Executive board in every oil company in the area。 This would help prioritize and consider the needs of the Niger Deltans before any decision is made by the board。I rate this book 9。5/10 and highly recommend it to every young Nigerian especially those who desire to take up leadership roles in the country。 Our decisions matter and have ripple effects。 So， when we seat at the table， lets be on the right side of history for posterity。 。。。more
Joshua Calandrella
，
Eye opening and dark。 I'm a bit more interested in the writing style and composition than the characters and plot。 A fever dream for sure。 My skin continues to itch and pugnant petrol fumes irritate my eyes （more or less from tears）。 I guess it's good to have memories of places I've never been。 Eye opening and dark。 I'm a bit more interested in the writing style and composition than the characters and plot。 A fever dream for sure。 My skin continues to itch and pugnant petrol fumes irritate my eyes （more or less from tears）。 I guess it's good to have memories of places I've never been。 。。。more
Sandra
，
THING I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK1。 The writing was clear， precise and straight to the point。 English isn't my first or even second language so I appreciate it when an author especially an African author isn't too invested in showing the readers that they know English。THINGS I DID NOT LIKEEverything else。 First of all the story had a great start to it。 Two reporters one young and the other past his prime are following a story about a white British woman kidnapped by oil militants in Nigeria I had hi THING I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK1。 The writing was clear， precise and straight to the point。 English isn't my first or even second language so I appreciate it when an author especially an African author isn't too invested in showing the readers that they know English。THINGS I DID NOT LIKEEverything else。 First of all the story had a great start to it。 Two reporters one young and the other past his prime are following a story about a white British woman kidnapped by oil militants in Nigeria I had high expectations。 I don't know when this story changed into a looooong internal monologue of the narrators past and all the things that he had gone through in his hustle to became a reporter， don't get me wrong there is no problem with flashbacks when they are well done and actually progress the plot of the story。The character were uninteresting and from some point on I totally forgot what the author was trying to say， the zigzag method of story telling did not help this story either。 Finally the ending was too rushed but even if the ending was done well would this book have been worth my while？ I cannot say。 Disappointing to say the least 。。。more
Jaey Cyril
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Helon Habila manages to describe the complex issues facing the Niger Delta region of Nigeria with regards to oil and gas exploration and production while telling a poignant tale of two journalists - one experienced and the other growing - who go in search of the kidnapped wife of an expatriate。The theme of healing for some of the characters is refreshing and perhaps expresses the author’s hope for the same in the region and Nigeria at large。
J。N。 N。 Mbunabo
，
Oil on Water by Helon Habila is an outstanding read。 It tells the story of Rufus， a young journalist who embarks on a journey into the ‘wilderness of the Niger Delta’ to find an English woman who was kidnapped by the Militants。 The story explores many themes; chiefly political， environmental pollution， degradation and humanity。 I think the characters were well developed and thus it was easy to understand their individual perspective。 This book was enlightening for me because it gave me an insigh Oil on Water by Helon Habila is an outstanding read。 It tells the story of Rufus， a young journalist who embarks on a journey into the ‘wilderness of the Niger Delta’ to find an English woman who was kidnapped by the Militants。 The story explores many themes; chiefly political， environmental pollution， degradation and humanity。 I think the characters were well developed and thus it was easy to understand their individual perspective。 This book was enlightening for me because it gave me an insight into the problems in the Niger Delta and the high level of structure in militancy movement。 Somewhere in my mind， I think Helon may have known a certain Rufus in real life。 Helon’s writing made me feel the sufferings of the inhabitants of the Niger- Delta; the deprivation， the loss of lives， the pain， the fear etc。 I highly recommend this book。I didn’t like the ending。 This is because I have many unanswered questions; my curiosity is still hungry。 I would have liked to know if Isabel was finally rescued。 I thought Rufus， would have liked to know， I mean what was the point in going through all that stress， Zaq’s death， if the ultimate mystery wasn’t solved eventually。 I discussed this with Ebiemi Azigere and she made me understand that the ending was just right。 In her words ‘the story is about a story and he（Rufus） got his story about how she was kidnapped’。 Well， I’d still like to know if Isabel got back with her husband; if Koko had the baby; if Rufus got his job back; if Gloria went back to her fiancé or began a relationship with Rufus。Call me Oliver Twist， I will always ask for more。 。。。more
Andrin Albrecht
，
A powerful book that reads quick and effortlessly， has plenty of compelling depictions of everyday struggles and even moments of humor， and then also that very real， utterly monstrous background that makes you wonder if it wouldn't be more socially acceptable to simply pour real blood into the engines of our European cars 。。。 Habila's writing style is both easy and vivid， his characters are unique and deeply human， and the few slip-ups along the edges are barely worth mentioning。 This is a book A powerful book that reads quick and effortlessly， has plenty of compelling depictions of everyday struggles and even moments of humor， and then also that very real， utterly monstrous background that makes you wonder if it wouldn't be more socially acceptable to simply pour real blood into the engines of our European cars 。。。 Habila's writing style is both easy and vivid， his characters are unique and deeply human， and the few slip-ups along the edges are barely worth mentioning。 This is a book worth reading for everyone， because it's both highly relevant and never moralizing， reads effortlessly and lingers long after， gives us a glimpse into a Nigeria that feels like a familiar society struggling with familiar problems， and a post-apocalyptic deathscape all at the same time。 Go for it – you won't regret it。 。。。more
ann
，
a gripping novel surrounding the violence of petrocultures， particularly in the nigerian delta。 deals heavily with themes of environmental， individual， and communal trauma， memory， truth， and journalistic integrity and work。 incredibly powerful， moving， and educational。 you will not think of oil and the oil industry the same after this book。
Jay Shelat
，
Despite its rushed conclusion， Oil on Water is a complex and intriguing story that highlights neocolonialism in the form of oil markets in Nigeria。
PietjePuk
，
The writing is clear and precise。 Very atmospheric， but no redundancy。 Interestingly sparse metaphoricity。 The angle of journalistic rendition of environmental calamity as well as its human consequences hits the nail on the head when it comes to questions of representation。
Nondumiso
，
Helon Habila takes you on a chase through an underworld of investigative journalism in a war-locked country， and his pace is impeccable。Two journalists are recruited to find the kidnapped wife of a British oil engineer。There’s Zaq， an infamous hack whose journalistic skills came naturally to him – he never went to university to study。 But his columns in the newspaper have made him well-known for his intense eye for detail and his pithily subjective views。 And there’s Rufus， a keen cub eager to g Helon Habila takes you on a chase through an underworld of investigative journalism in a war-locked country， and his pace is impeccable。Two journalists are recruited to find the kidnapped wife of a British oil engineer。There’s Zaq， an infamous hack whose journalistic skills came naturally to him – he never went to university to study。 But his columns in the newspaper have made him well-known for his intense eye for detail and his pithily subjective views。 And there’s Rufus， a keen cub eager to get himself noticed， who has no idea what he’s let himself in for when he joins the mission of traveling into the oil-rich regions of the Niger Delta， where militants rule and the currency dealt in is the lives of hostages。 Rufus soon finds himself acting as intermediary between editor， husband， captive and soldier。 As they follow the trail of the missing woman， the chase for ‘the story’ becomes about much more than just uncovering her whereabouts， and develops into a mission to make sense of the journalists’ own muddled lives。 Read full review: http://blog。exclusivebooks。co。za/nond。。。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Oil on Water
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Oil on Water&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Oil on Water&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0