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Forest of a Thousand Daemons: A Hunter's Saga
"His total conviction in multiple existences within our physical world is as much an inspiration to some of the most brilliant fiction in Yoruba writing as it is a deeply felt urge to 'justify the ways of God to man.'"— Wole Soyinka , translator and Nobel Laureate A classic work of African literature, Forest of a Thousand Daemons is the first novel to be written in the Yoruba language. First published in Nigeria in 1939, it is one of that country's most revered and widely read works, and its influence on Nigerian literature is profound, most notably in the works of Amos Tutuola. A triumph of the mythic imagination, the narrative unfolds in a landscape where, true to Yoruba cosmology, human, natural and supernatural beings are compellingly and wonderfully alive at a world of warriors, sages and kings; magical trees and snake people; spirits, Ghommids and bog-trolls. Here are the adventures of Akara-ogun—son of a brave warrior and wicked witch—as he journeys into the forest, encountering and dealing with all-too-real unforeseen forces, engaging in dynamic spiritual and moral relationships with personifications of his fate, projections of the terrors that haunt man. Distinguished Nobel Prize-winning author Wole Soyinka offers a supple and elegant translation and provides an essay on the special challenges of translating Fagunwa from the Yoruba into English, along with a glossary of Yoruba and unfamiliar words. With illustrations by acclaimed Nigerian printmaker Bruce Onobrakpeya. Daniel Orowole Fagunwa was born in western Nigeria in 1903. He died in a motorcycle accident in 1963. Praise for Forest of a Thousand Daemons : “A deep tale of the spirit; a classic of the African imagination.”—Ben Okri "Fagunwa is as important to the Nigerian imagination as Grimm’s tales to the Western imagination. Except that Fagunwa’s book is not a collection of oral tales, but an original modern novel, one that sets out to test the limits of the form of the novel, the range of myth and its overlap into daily life. Soyinka offers us not a simple translation but a complex and truly respectful re-rendering. With this tender touch by Soyinka, Fagunwa’s book comes alive—reanimated in this new language. Beautiful, important and endlessly fascinating. A must read."—Chris Abani, author of The Virgin of Flames and The Secret History of Las Vegas Praise for the "The work of Fagunwa stands at the head of creative writing in the Yorùbá language and exerts the most pervasive influence on every category of Yorùbá literary expression . . . He responded early to the need for a literature in the vernacular, at a moment when a new cultural consciousness began to emerge out of changing social conditions.”—Abiola Irele, scholar of African literature “Among the Africans who deserve some kind of secular sainthood is Wole Soyinka.”— The New York Times “Mr. Onobrakpeya . . . is one of the best known and most prolific African printmakers.”— The New York Times
153 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1938
270 people are currently reading
4634 people want to read
About the author
D.O. Fagunwa
6 books206 followersDaniel Olorunfẹmi Fagunwa MBE (1903 - 1963), popularly known as D.O. Fagunwa, was a Nigerian author who pioneered the Yoruba-language novel. He was born in Oke-Igbo, Ondo State. An Oloye of the Yoruba people, Fagunwa studied at St. Luke's School, Oke-Igbo, and St. Andrew's College, Oyo, before becoming a teacher himself.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
August 12, 2019
Simply a must read for any fans of Amos Tutuola, Leonora Carrington,Gisele Prasinos,, Can Xue, Ermanno Cavazzoni,to name a few inhabitants of a truly special little shelf in my library.
March 31, 2017
Amos Tutuola's The Palm-Wine Drinkard & My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, in their richly-imagined record of the Yoruba spirit world running alongside modern life, seemed totally unprecedented and fresh when they appeared in the 50s. But Tutuola had an advantage -- he wrote in English and quickly noticed and brought to international attention.
But he has a clear forerunner -- D.O. Fagunwa, who was channeling Yoruba myth into gorgeous novels as early as 1938, with this, his debut and the first novel ever written in the Yoruba language. Because it was composed in Yoruba and went translated until 1968, after his death, his renown seems to have lagged behind Tutuola's, but he his style is much more refined. Part of the excitement of Tutuola is that his stories seem to be recorded at the moment of crystallization out of oral tradition -- he writes with a breathless conversationally and meandering style. Fagunwa, had already leapt beyond this point, balanced between classically elegant storytelling structures and an almost modernist layering structure punctuating the action.
On the other hand, he also had the advantage of translation by Nobel Laureate Nigerian Poet Wole Soyinka, whose vocabulary and elegance of wording are formidable by any standard. Had Tutuola written in Yoruba and been translated by Soyinka, would the style also have appeared more refined? It's hard to judge exactly. But just note that, however wonderful, Tuotula was not the first to take on this world, and D.O. Fagunwa is at least equally, if not more, worthy of you attention.
But he has a clear forerunner -- D.O. Fagunwa, who was channeling Yoruba myth into gorgeous novels as early as 1938, with this, his debut and the first novel ever written in the Yoruba language. Because it was composed in Yoruba and went translated until 1968, after his death, his renown seems to have lagged behind Tutuola's, but he his style is much more refined. Part of the excitement of Tutuola is that his stories seem to be recorded at the moment of crystallization out of oral tradition -- he writes with a breathless conversationally and meandering style. Fagunwa, had already leapt beyond this point, balanced between classically elegant storytelling structures and an almost modernist layering structure punctuating the action.
On the other hand, he also had the advantage of translation by Nobel Laureate Nigerian Poet Wole Soyinka, whose vocabulary and elegance of wording are formidable by any standard. Had Tutuola written in Yoruba and been translated by Soyinka, would the style also have appeared more refined? It's hard to judge exactly. But just note that, however wonderful, Tuotula was not the first to take on this world, and D.O. Fagunwa is at least equally, if not more, worthy of you attention.
August 30, 2022
I've been searching for this book for a very long time (like 7 years now I think ).
I've been earnestly searching for it since, because back then i used to listen to this program on the radio where they picked Yoruba book to read every week for a 1 hour period and it was usually a book about significant to Yoruba culture or written by a reknown Yoruba writer so they used to read the Yoruba version of this book and I used to to listen to it but eventually I lost track and since then I purposed to find it, and eventually I was able to find it but sadly it was in Yoruba and I can speak and understand the language to an extent but I'm illiterate, so i had to pass on it and eventually I found out that there were English translations of D.O Fagunwa's works by none other than the iconic Wole Soyinka himself I was thrilled because I'm a big fan of Soyinka's work too and I had utmost belief in his ability to do justice to the books, eventually after i searched far and wide i couldn't find this book but i was able to find the second book in the series (The Forest of Olodumare) and it's written in a way that you can understand irrespective of whatever order you read it.
So I was very overjoyed when I found this book with my friend who came home from college and told me that they used it in English for their first semester so I collected it immediately )that was like 2 weeks prior to writing this review )but I was occupied so I was unable to read it until this morning(the date I'm writing this review) and I finished it a couple hours later, the book is only 140 pages so I guess it's not that farfetched.
Now I want to talk about the book itself,
The first thing i would like to applaud is Soyinka's Translation this man is a ****ing genius please 😭 it's no wonder that he's one of the most renowned African writers, his translation of Fagunwa's writing is literal perfection he translated it in a manner that only someone with in-depth understanding of both English and Yoruba can translate it because translation from English to Yoruba especially when it's a writer like Fagunwa has to be executed perfectly if not the writing will feel shallow and the literary genius of the author is undermined but Soyinka overcame all those challenges and even went as far as conjecting English terms for certain mystical Yoruba creatures, in Western literature some of these will probably translate to stuff like "Elf, Gnome, Dwarf or Fairy" but all of these terms are western and very foreign to Yoruba mythology there are no elves or dwarves because those terms don't do them justice and creates a false image in the mind of the reader so what was Soyinka's solution? He came up with a nomenclature for these Yoruba creatures in English and with that he arrived at the formation of words like "ghommid( to describe creatures known as iwin in yoruba they are chaotic prone supernatural creatures usually like monster, gnom(without the e another Soyinka exclusive word), Dewild" all of these terms are used to paint a perfect picture of the Yoruba mythological creatures without creating a false image of them by using a western term in order to prevent the writer from plunging into confusion.
Soyinka also does a perfect job of translating Yoruba expressions, idioms and proverbs while simultaneously providing the context for a yoruba illiterate to understand it, plus he does a great a job of translating some of the proper nouns, Soyinka is a genius in his own right and his mere translation of this book is alluding to it.
Now on to the actual writing about the plot of the book itself and about the work of Fagunwa(original writer) himself.
Fagunwa is a yoruba man well versed in the mythology and religion of the people but yet at the same time a staunch Christian who has been converted after the expansion of Europe into Africa and yet despite the differing ideologies of Yoruba beliefs and Christianity he still manages to draw out the similarities( for example the belief in a supreme deity, Yoruba people believe in deities but believe all these deities are subservient to one supreme being)between both beliefs and expands on it to create a well written African fantasy story, considering how Fagunwa wrote this book in the 1938 he was literally the one of first African writers to write fantasy where most African writers wrote about the modern era and about African history, Fagunwa delved into fantasy and tells a story with Yoruba myths while drawing influence from Shakespearean works and Greek myths too.
In this story he not only manages to tell the thrilling story of a hunter who goes through the most dangerous place and faces all kind of suffering and pain but he also manages to make philosophical references and draw parallels to human life he discusses concepts like inherent selfishness of men, betrayal, the concept of right and wrong, moral victory, karma all while telling the story of a man fighting monsters and going through tribulations at the end of the story too he manages to slip in a couple life lessons about sins like pride and ungratefulness he also gives advice on proper upbringing based on traditional Yoruba customs and all so some of these may be unrealistic almost 90 years later but brilliant nonetheless,he also talks about obedience to the creator and while I'm not a big fan of real life religion in fiction, when it's done right it can be genius plus with Fagunwa it's minimal very subtle .
I definitely enjoyed this book very much and wish everyone could read it especially if you are interested in African culture and want to get a fun read about it.
If there's anyone who bothered to read this at all and read it to the end I want to say I'm very thankful because my writing is still pretty amatuerish(but im learning) as much as i love and enjoy reading, but if you read this far thank you for reading😭 and sorry I had you read my whole boring backstory and all i was just very passionate about this book.
I've been earnestly searching for it since, because back then i used to listen to this program on the radio where they picked Yoruba book to read every week for a 1 hour period and it was usually a book about significant to Yoruba culture or written by a reknown Yoruba writer so they used to read the Yoruba version of this book and I used to to listen to it but eventually I lost track and since then I purposed to find it, and eventually I was able to find it but sadly it was in Yoruba and I can speak and understand the language to an extent but I'm illiterate, so i had to pass on it and eventually I found out that there were English translations of D.O Fagunwa's works by none other than the iconic Wole Soyinka himself I was thrilled because I'm a big fan of Soyinka's work too and I had utmost belief in his ability to do justice to the books, eventually after i searched far and wide i couldn't find this book but i was able to find the second book in the series (The Forest of Olodumare) and it's written in a way that you can understand irrespective of whatever order you read it.
So I was very overjoyed when I found this book with my friend who came home from college and told me that they used it in English for their first semester so I collected it immediately )that was like 2 weeks prior to writing this review )but I was occupied so I was unable to read it until this morning(the date I'm writing this review) and I finished it a couple hours later, the book is only 140 pages so I guess it's not that farfetched.
Now I want to talk about the book itself,
The first thing i would like to applaud is Soyinka's Translation this man is a ****ing genius please 😭 it's no wonder that he's one of the most renowned African writers, his translation of Fagunwa's writing is literal perfection he translated it in a manner that only someone with in-depth understanding of both English and Yoruba can translate it because translation from English to Yoruba especially when it's a writer like Fagunwa has to be executed perfectly if not the writing will feel shallow and the literary genius of the author is undermined but Soyinka overcame all those challenges and even went as far as conjecting English terms for certain mystical Yoruba creatures, in Western literature some of these will probably translate to stuff like "Elf, Gnome, Dwarf or Fairy" but all of these terms are western and very foreign to Yoruba mythology there are no elves or dwarves because those terms don't do them justice and creates a false image in the mind of the reader so what was Soyinka's solution? He came up with a nomenclature for these Yoruba creatures in English and with that he arrived at the formation of words like "ghommid( to describe creatures known as iwin in yoruba they are chaotic prone supernatural creatures usually like monster, gnom(without the e another Soyinka exclusive word), Dewild" all of these terms are used to paint a perfect picture of the Yoruba mythological creatures without creating a false image of them by using a western term in order to prevent the writer from plunging into confusion.
Soyinka also does a perfect job of translating Yoruba expressions, idioms and proverbs while simultaneously providing the context for a yoruba illiterate to understand it, plus he does a great a job of translating some of the proper nouns, Soyinka is a genius in his own right and his mere translation of this book is alluding to it.
Now on to the actual writing about the plot of the book itself and about the work of Fagunwa(original writer) himself.
Fagunwa is a yoruba man well versed in the mythology and religion of the people but yet at the same time a staunch Christian who has been converted after the expansion of Europe into Africa and yet despite the differing ideologies of Yoruba beliefs and Christianity he still manages to draw out the similarities( for example the belief in a supreme deity, Yoruba people believe in deities but believe all these deities are subservient to one supreme being)between both beliefs and expands on it to create a well written African fantasy story, considering how Fagunwa wrote this book in the 1938 he was literally the one of first African writers to write fantasy where most African writers wrote about the modern era and about African history, Fagunwa delved into fantasy and tells a story with Yoruba myths while drawing influence from Shakespearean works and Greek myths too.
In this story he not only manages to tell the thrilling story of a hunter who goes through the most dangerous place and faces all kind of suffering and pain but he also manages to make philosophical references and draw parallels to human life he discusses concepts like inherent selfishness of men, betrayal, the concept of right and wrong, moral victory, karma all while telling the story of a man fighting monsters and going through tribulations at the end of the story too he manages to slip in a couple life lessons about sins like pride and ungratefulness he also gives advice on proper upbringing based on traditional Yoruba customs and all so some of these may be unrealistic almost 90 years later but brilliant nonetheless,he also talks about obedience to the creator and while I'm not a big fan of real life religion in fiction, when it's done right it can be genius plus with Fagunwa it's minimal very subtle .
I definitely enjoyed this book very much and wish everyone could read it especially if you are interested in African culture and want to get a fun read about it.
If there's anyone who bothered to read this at all and read it to the end I want to say I'm very thankful because my writing is still pretty amatuerish(but im learning) as much as i love and enjoy reading, but if you read this far thank you for reading😭 and sorry I had you read my whole boring backstory and all i was just very passionate about this book.
November 9, 2012
Fairy tales: stories with moral and pedagogical intent especially towards the end of the book. The Adventures of Akara-Ogun in the Forest of a Thousand Demons talk about meetings with elves, half-animal half-human beings, spirits, warriors, kings and sages. The writing style is remarkable with an interesting use of terms and a rhythm well suited to the subject matter. Read in the Italian translation.
May 30, 2021
Perché il nome di Soyinka campeggia sulla copertina di un libro scritto da Fagunwa?
Perché il premio Nobel nigeriano è stato colui che ha tradotto in inglese e fatto conoscere al mondo questo romanzo, forse il primo scritto nella Nigeria moderna.
È un romanzo affascinante in cui temi prettamente africani come la presenza dei demonii del titolo e si fondono con quella di un Dio che è quello dei cristiani. Le avventure di Akara-ogun, si inseriscono in una cornice in cui l'autore immagina il vecchio guerriero presentarsi al suo villaggio per quattro giorni di fila ogni volta per raccontare una parte della sua storia. Sono racconti fantastici, pieni di elementi magici: non solo demonii, ma anche animali parlanti, pozioni e magie; il tutto inserito in un contesto pedagogico spiccato. Ci si trova ad incontrare demonii che lungi dall'essere malvagi (ma attenzione, a volte lo sono!), istruiscono Akara ai precetti morali. Se l'aspetto etico viene a volte trasmesso attraverso discorsi, in altri casi viene esemplificato da favole, veri e propri racconti nel racconto in un richiamo in cui vari piani si intrecciano.
Una lettura piacevolissima, scorrevole, ma anche molto interessante da un punto di vista culturale.
Perché il premio Nobel nigeriano è stato colui che ha tradotto in inglese e fatto conoscere al mondo questo romanzo, forse il primo scritto nella Nigeria moderna.
È un romanzo affascinante in cui temi prettamente africani come la presenza dei demonii del titolo e si fondono con quella di un Dio che è quello dei cristiani. Le avventure di Akara-ogun, si inseriscono in una cornice in cui l'autore immagina il vecchio guerriero presentarsi al suo villaggio per quattro giorni di fila ogni volta per raccontare una parte della sua storia. Sono racconti fantastici, pieni di elementi magici: non solo demonii, ma anche animali parlanti, pozioni e magie; il tutto inserito in un contesto pedagogico spiccato. Ci si trova ad incontrare demonii che lungi dall'essere malvagi (ma attenzione, a volte lo sono!), istruiscono Akara ai precetti morali. Se l'aspetto etico viene a volte trasmesso attraverso discorsi, in altri casi viene esemplificato da favole, veri e propri racconti nel racconto in un richiamo in cui vari piani si intrecciano.
Una lettura piacevolissima, scorrevole, ma anche molto interessante da un punto di vista culturale.
September 3, 2016
An Ingrate will they call me if i fail to write this piece. Published in 1938
-----------------------------------
16 years ago, I remember my dad Olubunmi Famosaya would pick this book while on his way to work, flip through the pages with exceptional pleasure and burst into laughter each time he approached the end. He passed it on to me and well i was young and so I dint find anything hilarious about the characters unfortunately. I dumped the book to return to it when my brain capacity was mature enough to deconstruct those hyper-textual strategies.
16 years later, that was two weeks ago, lol, i ordered for this book because honestly it had had a special place in my heart and i never forgot those words from the text that my dad always tease us with.
Yes i have indeed finished this book and yes i was sadly mistaken to have thought that Fagunwa and Soyinka weren't humorous. Infact there is never a chapter that isn't packed with dramatic hilarious escapades that will never disappear from your consciousness. The force of the language, the rhythm of the words, the metaphors and dream sequences were exceptional.
You see, Fagunwa is an extended proverb and you have to be extremely vast in Literature to understand the message of this piece and to be mentally mature to understand the dialects, strategies and models of the concentric ideologies of Fagunwa. So what you'll find are literally strategies that are not only representatives of the writing habits of literature, but also those of oral literature. Every page is extremely difficult to analyse, technically but One thing that struck me is the ease in which soyinka had used to translate this thoughts because Fagunwa's truths is hidden in the proverbial nuance of the text. This truth lay a set of principles of morality as he interfaces from the physical world to the metaphysical world and synced their knowledge all in one book. This is undoubtedly the First interesting book that threw me off balance, the zest, brilliance and confidence oozing out of the text it incredibly fascinating and its second to none.
Bunmi Famosaya Jnr
PhD researcher
London
2016
-----------------------------------
16 years ago, I remember my dad Olubunmi Famosaya would pick this book while on his way to work, flip through the pages with exceptional pleasure and burst into laughter each time he approached the end. He passed it on to me and well i was young and so I dint find anything hilarious about the characters unfortunately. I dumped the book to return to it when my brain capacity was mature enough to deconstruct those hyper-textual strategies.
16 years later, that was two weeks ago, lol, i ordered for this book because honestly it had had a special place in my heart and i never forgot those words from the text that my dad always tease us with.
Yes i have indeed finished this book and yes i was sadly mistaken to have thought that Fagunwa and Soyinka weren't humorous. Infact there is never a chapter that isn't packed with dramatic hilarious escapades that will never disappear from your consciousness. The force of the language, the rhythm of the words, the metaphors and dream sequences were exceptional.
You see, Fagunwa is an extended proverb and you have to be extremely vast in Literature to understand the message of this piece and to be mentally mature to understand the dialects, strategies and models of the concentric ideologies of Fagunwa. So what you'll find are literally strategies that are not only representatives of the writing habits of literature, but also those of oral literature. Every page is extremely difficult to analyse, technically but One thing that struck me is the ease in which soyinka had used to translate this thoughts because Fagunwa's truths is hidden in the proverbial nuance of the text. This truth lay a set of principles of morality as he interfaces from the physical world to the metaphysical world and synced their knowledge all in one book. This is undoubtedly the First interesting book that threw me off balance, the zest, brilliance and confidence oozing out of the text it incredibly fascinating and its second to none.
Bunmi Famosaya Jnr
PhD researcher
London
2016
October 3, 2022
This is supposedly the first (or one of the first?) novels written in Yoruba (in Nigeria in 1939). It's extremely fantastical. I found it interesting because it introduced a whole new (to me) group of mythical creatures & stories. If you like mythologies/epics from other cultures, you might find this interesting. Like many tales with mythical beings, it's very over-the-top in terms of the adventures & escapades the protagonist encounters. Probably 3.5 stars.
May 31, 2019
più interessante che bello, direi, ma pur sempre da leggere soprattutto se si pensa che è uno dei primi libri scritti in lingua yoruba e che presenta miti e leggende locali frammiste alle influenze della cultura cristiana.
Molto bella la traduzione di Mario Biondi e bellissima la copertina.
Molto bella la traduzione di Mario Biondi e bellissima la copertina.
March 27, 2022
My rating reflects my level of understanding of the book more than the quality of the book itself. Aside from the obvious barrier of 1930s misogyny, I think I need much more knowledge of Yoruban narrative tradition to access it.
July 15, 2016
Funny and fantastic.
In many cultures, stories and folktales are told not only to entertain, but also to pass on important lessons about life and living. Some of these stories are infused with magical realism; this makes them more memorable, and the lessons more so.
This is what D.O. Fagunwa did; the stories do not merely tell of Akara-Ogun the brave hunter and his many adventures in the Forest of Demons, they also record important aspects of the Yoruba culture and tradition, such as religious beliefs, language (proverbs), food, dressing, music, artifacts, food, vocation, values, and social hierarchy. Some of the richness of our culture is preserved on the pages of this book.
Of course, it is a classic work of literature and has been translated into other languages, but I'm glad I read the Yoruba version; it preserved the originality for me.
In many cultures, stories and folktales are told not only to entertain, but also to pass on important lessons about life and living. Some of these stories are infused with magical realism; this makes them more memorable, and the lessons more so.
This is what D.O. Fagunwa did; the stories do not merely tell of Akara-Ogun the brave hunter and his many adventures in the Forest of Demons, they also record important aspects of the Yoruba culture and tradition, such as religious beliefs, language (proverbs), food, dressing, music, artifacts, food, vocation, values, and social hierarchy. Some of the richness of our culture is preserved on the pages of this book.
Of course, it is a classic work of literature and has been translated into other languages, but I'm glad I read the Yoruba version; it preserved the originality for me.
March 28, 2022
This book was a fast ride and definitely different from most things I read before. It surprised me every other page and even though I still don’t know if there is a deeper message or if I understood anything, it’s worth reading. Some passages were more for the connoisseurs of the ghastly and some aspects are highly mysogenistic as others said, but it is also nearly a century old and witnesses its time.
January 9, 2008
This translation of D.O Fagunwa's Igbo Eledumare by Soyinka is superb. The diction gives a picturesque translation of the original language.
Soyinka is not just a writer, he is a linguist.
March 31, 2014
Ogboju Ode Ninu Igbo Irumonle. Superb realism merging realms.
March 16, 2016
This book is amazing, one of the best adventure novels in the Yoruba language.
Want to read
July 22, 2025https://sciencefictionruminations.com...
Um. Maybe??
But The Palm-Wine Drinkard (1952) still sounds like the book for me! If I can ever find a copy (short of buying one....)
Um. Maybe??
But The Palm-Wine Drinkard (1952) still sounds like the book for me! If I can ever find a copy (short of buying one....)
June 7, 2017
More a collection of mythologies than a novel, Fagunwa's story is enticing in its primitiveness-- reminiscent of The Epic of Gilgamesh-- and Wole Soyinka's translation is masterful at preserving the oral cadences of such a tradition. Especially interesting is the metafictional aspect of this story, which places the events of the text as a retelling of the textual Hunter's epic experiences, but it is ultimately ruined by the decision to moralize in such a transparent manner, forgetting the tact of the past's poets.
February 20, 2008
Akara-Ogun's travels through the Forest of a Thousand Daemons represent adventures at their most fantastic. Warning explorations undertaken to be recounted. As the audience slowly grows, so does the moral tenor. Folk tales, fables, and other nation-building aesthetics are wonderful crime scenes.
May 24, 2013
Imaginative, surrealistic, bizarre, fun: very much like the work of another Nigerian author Amos Tutuola
Read
March 1, 2025this was a fascinating adventure in translation.
originally published in the 1930s, this is a classic piece of yoruba literature (the first yoruba novel?) and i picked it up because i wanted to read something from africa. obviously you gotta take classic literature with a grain of salt, and i definitely had my critiques about this, but overall i really enjoyed it!! there was some really incredible language work here - and i think some of that is the translation but i also feel like the translator worked hard to imbue the feelings that the original author was hinting at. (the opening note from the translator was lovely.) i expected this to be surreal, and the deeper we got into the story the more strange it became.
what's so compelling about this is that it revolves around man and nature and God. there's a lot of references to christianity in particular, but it speaks a lot about how man destroys the earth and how there are consequences in nature that one cannot escape. the commentary on humanity was probably my favorite part - mainly because so much of this is relevant and relatable even now.
however. i have to say...the main character is infuriating. not only was there a lot of misogyny in here (i'm not really surprised) but the MC just kept behaving like...well...a dumb human. ignorant, arrogant, clever but cruel.
the whole thing was really poignant i think because it does force you to look at your own actions and your own life and how you interact with the world at large.
i'm not sure i'd recommend it as a feel-good fantasy story, but there's a lot of digest in here and i think if you're looking to read classic african lit, you definitely should add this to your tbr.
(also i just want to say....that one section with the Universe's Most Disgusting Creature? scarring. absolutely grotesque. horrendous. vomit-inducing. but damn, that imagery and language DID ITS JOB...)
“Those who already boast a full stomach continue to see glorified positions, seek to live like kings, forgetting that the fingers of the hand are unequal. And it is also in your nature that your minds are never at peace; those who find happiness today ensure that their neighbors find no peace the day following; death today, tomorrow disease; war today, confusion tomorrow; tears today, tomorrow sorrow — such is the common pursuit of you children of earth.”
originally published in the 1930s, this is a classic piece of yoruba literature (the first yoruba novel?) and i picked it up because i wanted to read something from africa. obviously you gotta take classic literature with a grain of salt, and i definitely had my critiques about this, but overall i really enjoyed it!! there was some really incredible language work here - and i think some of that is the translation but i also feel like the translator worked hard to imbue the feelings that the original author was hinting at. (the opening note from the translator was lovely.) i expected this to be surreal, and the deeper we got into the story the more strange it became.
what's so compelling about this is that it revolves around man and nature and God. there's a lot of references to christianity in particular, but it speaks a lot about how man destroys the earth and how there are consequences in nature that one cannot escape. the commentary on humanity was probably my favorite part - mainly because so much of this is relevant and relatable even now.
however. i have to say...the main character is infuriating. not only was there a lot of misogyny in here (i'm not really surprised) but the MC just kept behaving like...well...a dumb human. ignorant, arrogant, clever but cruel.
the whole thing was really poignant i think because it does force you to look at your own actions and your own life and how you interact with the world at large.
i'm not sure i'd recommend it as a feel-good fantasy story, but there's a lot of digest in here and i think if you're looking to read classic african lit, you definitely should add this to your tbr.
(also i just want to say....that one section with the Universe's Most Disgusting Creature? scarring. absolutely grotesque. horrendous. vomit-inducing. but damn, that imagery and language DID ITS JOB...)
“Those who already boast a full stomach continue to see glorified positions, seek to live like kings, forgetting that the fingers of the hand are unequal. And it is also in your nature that your minds are never at peace; those who find happiness today ensure that their neighbors find no peace the day following; death today, tomorrow disease; war today, confusion tomorrow; tears today, tomorrow sorrow — such is the common pursuit of you children of earth.”
April 20, 2024
i liked it
a friend who runs a bookstore recommended, since he knows i am a fan of amos tutuola (PALM WINE DRINKARD, MY LIFE IN THE BUSH OF GHOSTS), and have taught a bit of yoruba folklore along with tutuola's novels.
hard not to compare these works that are essentially yoruba folk tales as novels, and so i guess i would say tutuloa's humor really makes the books come alive in ways this doesn't.
the narrative style is different - fair game - it's a fellow telling a story about a story teller who is telling a story about a hunter who goes into the forest of a thousand daemons and is confronted with all manner of adventures. sounds familiar to anyone who has read MY LIFE IN THE BUSH OF GHOSTS ... but here the hero never seems to be much bothered by the beasts or creatures that threaten. the conflicts never take more than a paragraph or two to resolve, so the tension is lost.
it was cool to see it as another extension of yoruba folklore, and for that i am grateful.
a friend who runs a bookstore recommended, since he knows i am a fan of amos tutuola (PALM WINE DRINKARD, MY LIFE IN THE BUSH OF GHOSTS), and have taught a bit of yoruba folklore along with tutuola's novels.
hard not to compare these works that are essentially yoruba folk tales as novels, and so i guess i would say tutuloa's humor really makes the books come alive in ways this doesn't.
the narrative style is different - fair game - it's a fellow telling a story about a story teller who is telling a story about a hunter who goes into the forest of a thousand daemons and is confronted with all manner of adventures. sounds familiar to anyone who has read MY LIFE IN THE BUSH OF GHOSTS ... but here the hero never seems to be much bothered by the beasts or creatures that threaten. the conflicts never take more than a paragraph or two to resolve, so the tension is lost.
it was cool to see it as another extension of yoruba folklore, and for that i am grateful.
October 30, 2020
Loved this book!
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February 23, 2025It's my first time here let see how it's geos
This absolutely nonsense app why lie to take me here to waste my time waste of time no where to read
This absolutely nonsense app why lie to take me here to waste my time waste of time no where to read
January 18, 2021
Incredible. Beautifully translated fairytale picaresque set in the Forest of a Thousand Daemons, where a magic charm-equipped hunter faces off against ghommids, mythical creatures of a variety of shapes and natures. It all has a kind of Tolkienesque feel, which is definitely brought forth through the rich language that leaves it feeling like something Tolkien himself could have written. Definitely one of the best novels of its type to have ever been written anywhere in the world and it is leaving me with a strong desire to explore African literature to far greater depths.
I've ordered two more Fagunwa novels in English translation after days of searching from a Nigerian bookstore online. No word yet on shipment, hopefully they come in, because I'm desperate for more.
I've ordered two more Fagunwa novels in English translation after days of searching from a Nigerian bookstore online. No word yet on shipment, hopefully they come in, because I'm desperate for more.
July 13, 2014
After Tutuola's prominence, Fagunwa's gradual emergence into the light of literary history in English is both positive and essential to understandings of Yoruba literature and the West African traditions that continue to shape contemporary writing. Good times reading, too; these are well-told stories.
April 22, 2019
You can listen to an in-depth discussion of 'Forest of a Thousand Daemons' on Sherds Podcast: http://www.holdfastnetwork.com/sherds...
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September 8, 2012need to find this book
August 4, 2016
That took long enough
March 6, 2016
tutuola is better but this one has some funny stuff too more bunyany
Read
December 10, 2018i remember reading this twice or thrice, real entertaining with lessons to draw. will always be a classic to me
Want to read
January 8, 2021i want to read this
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