The Village Witch Doctor and Other Stories

by Amos Tutuola

Yoruba legend and culture were the source of much of Amos Tutuola's writing and the stories collected here are no exception. They feature characters from folklore, archetypal figures from Yoruba society, supernatural or magical happenings, acute human observation and often a moral point. Their very titles - from 'The Duckling Brothers and their Disobedient Sister' to 'Don't Pay Bad for Bad' - are evocative of a unique blend of tradition and imagination, which belongs to the same universal culture as Aesop and the Brothers Grimm.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Nigeria, African Literature, Africa, 20th Century, Literature

115 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1990

About the author

Amos Tutuola (20 June 1920 – 8 June 1997) was a Nigerian writer famous for his books based in part on Yoruba folk-tales.
Despite his short formal education, Tutuola wrote his novels in English. His writing's grammar often relies more on Yoruba orality than on standard English.

Reviews

[Nathan "N.R." Gaddis]

A late collection of shorts (1990) which lack the dazzle and the magic of the early Tutuola. One suspects that they would have benefited from being strung together into a novel. Several stories here will be familiar from other contexts.

[Jesus Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Village Witch Doctor

Coleccion de cuentos Africanos en mezcla de mitología y enseñanza moral



Varios tienen a dos personajes en común, The Tortoise Man, y su esposa Yanribo, the beetle woman.



Hay varios personajes que hacen magia, Juju.

Todos me han gustado mucho, 4 estrellas todos



4 stars

[Cody · Rating 3 out of 5]

hey i'm the only one on goodreads with this book. it's because i had to buy it for like $2 from engaldn. definitely not as cool as other tutuola books so dont sweat it if you cant be as cool as me and own it.

Then, frighteningly, he said, 'But as you are a man, how are you going to deliver your pregnancy? This is a big problem for you.'

[Maja · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short story collection is heavily influenced by Yoruba culture and legends. It features folklore, magical and supernatural elements and is an interesting observation on human behaviour.
Overall I enjoyed some of the the stories, it was interesting to learn about the Yoruba culture, but most of stories were just fine and didn’t particularly stick out. However I have read some great reviews of Tutuola’s previous books, so I will definitely consider picking up more of his work in the future.

[Erinayo Adediwura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Amos Tutuola book in the bag! I sincerely enjoyed it as always. Amos Tutuola is the hub of Yoruba folklore and I am more than grateful that he published these books. It was however interesting that one of the folklores in this book mirrors similarly the base plotline of Anikulapo ( the movie) by Kunle Afolayan. The whole story of a vulture and the gourd and the ability to make people rise from the dead, and the betrayal, It was such a surprise to see that here. I am guessing it is a general Yoruba folklore. Anywaysssssss, I highly recommend an Amos Tutuola book as always!

[vicalicalic · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite its brevity, I couldn't quite finish it, but it is good as a collection of fables (the tone is good for kids, the themes are good for adults so it depends what you're after). A childlike peek into Yoruba culture and traditions.

[C.L.N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tutuola's quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. This last collection is less DRUNK than The Palm Wine Drinkard and becomes more of a straight-ahead collection of fairy tales. I like it when he stumbles more

[Davidson Ajaegbu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found the stories hilarious, but with moral undertones.

[Spiegel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was all right as a book of fables.

[Firstpersonnarrator]

Booooooooring.

[AB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story story: story

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories written by Amos Tutuola who passed away in 1997. He was a Nigerian man, who became famous for writing stories based on old Yoruba folk tales. He had a very limited education, but was a wonderful storyteller. Some tales were delightful, some strange. While there was a lesson to be learned from most, sometimes the circumstances at the end of the story were most dire! Somewhat a little different from Aesop's. Would recommend if you love African writers, particularly those of fairy or folk tales.

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

perfect for what it is, which is a way of trying to take in tribal knowledge (of the Yoruba, of which Tutuola was apparently one) Christian teachings and liberal humanist idealism and transform it into something which engages and entertains. thought provoking, wise, refreshingly unpredictable

[Rob Lloyd · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly these stories suffer the curse of not matching the brilliance and zest of The Palm Wine Drinkard.