Camara Laye (1928–1980)

This 70 year old novel tells the story of a Europeans bewildering journey thru an unnamed African kingdom. The story touches on race and privileged behavior without it being the focus of the novel. Instead the reader is entranced by a wonderfully odd tale of discovery. The pretentious main protagonist (Clarence), so wildly without insight into his own character or the motivations of others, seemingly wanders forward in both dependence and arrogance. But is it really wandering?

A wonderful story that lives up to the overused Kafkaesque moniker.… (mais)

This is an engaging first-person account of youthful experiences in a Guinean village - 'from the age of 9', says the back cover, to leaving home for France as a young adult - observing his blacksmith/goldsmith father, visiting relatives in a more agricultural region, attending school, etc.
It is an articulate book, reacquainting me with the French literary tenses I had seldom encountered. This is slightly jarring: the carefully-crafted narrative, precise observations and wide vocabulary are not always in the child's voice, but in that of the educated adult, and some of the reflections do not ring true for a child.… (mais)