An African in Paris

by Bernard Binlin Dadié

Writing in an informal and episodic style, Bernard Dadié recounts a West African man's first journey to France, from the exhilarating moment when he obtains his ticket through a humorous and fascinating tour across the City of Light. In 1959, when Un Negre a Paris first appeared, the French still held West Africa under colonial rule. Dadié's subtle parodies draw on intimate knowledge obtained over decades spent observing the colonizers abroad and now, suddenly, on their own home terrain. His remarks on Parisian living conditions, wordplay, manners, and and morals are entertaining and poignant, charming yet profound.

Genres: Novels, France

184 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Bernard Binlin Dadié was an Ivorian novelist, playwright, poet, and administrator. Dadié received several awards in recognition of his literary career, with one of the last being the Grand Prix des Mécènes of the GPLA in 2016.[

Reviews

[Alice Pastre · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ne me demandez pas d'où sorte les 12 petits points que j'octroie a ce livre. Moi-meme je ne sais pas... Je sais que c'est un classique de la literature mais les longues descriptions de Paris sont d'un ennui accablant. J'ai toute fois bien aimé le contraste sarcastique entre l'idyllique Paris qu'il s'imaginait et la grise vérité. Ca ne m'a tout de meme pas empêché d'abandonner cette lecture.