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King Albert
Aging King Albert and young Bikounou become political and romantic rivals in Effidi, a Cameroon village gradually entering the modern world
167 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1976
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October 25, 2023
Excellent satire! Amusing, charming, balances mirth and philosophical interludes, and written in wonderful language. The touch of irony makes this book a relevant post-colonial read.
I enjoyed the conflict between the characters - “King” Albert the merchant, Toutouma the father and unionist, and Bikounou the “Vespasian” (because he rides a Vespa) - as representations of capitalism, communism, and individualism. Bikounou’s character is what I’d colloquially refer to as a ‘dumpster baby’.
The book discusses love, the role of women in society, class struggles (Vespa vs bike), and a contested road that leads from the small village Effidi, the home of our protagonists, to the next town. Francis Bebey doesn’t shy away from explicitly voicing the conflict between western influences as a threat to tradition and hence the “authenticity” of Cameroonian culture. I liked it when the local priest suggested to change from reading mass in Latin to the local language and the congregation refuses because “God understands only Latin, and he never learned our language at school”.
These conflicts are further exemplified in the power struggle between the characters, who are not only running for a local election: Nani, Toutouma’s daughter, is in love with Bikounou, but is forced to marry Albert.
[spoilers]
I was a tiny bit sad that Nani was doomed by the narrative: even though Albert realised that forcing a woman to marry him is wrong and that she should be allow to choose her husband herself, she decides to stay with him.
I enjoyed the conflict between the characters - “King” Albert the merchant, Toutouma the father and unionist, and Bikounou the “Vespasian” (because he rides a Vespa) - as representations of capitalism, communism, and individualism. Bikounou’s character is what I’d colloquially refer to as a ‘dumpster baby’.
The book discusses love, the role of women in society, class struggles (Vespa vs bike), and a contested road that leads from the small village Effidi, the home of our protagonists, to the next town. Francis Bebey doesn’t shy away from explicitly voicing the conflict between western influences as a threat to tradition and hence the “authenticity” of Cameroonian culture. I liked it when the local priest suggested to change from reading mass in Latin to the local language and the congregation refuses because “God understands only Latin, and he never learned our language at school”.
These conflicts are further exemplified in the power struggle between the characters, who are not only running for a local election: Nani, Toutouma’s daughter, is in love with Bikounou, but is forced to marry Albert.
[spoilers]
I was a tiny bit sad that Nani was doomed by the narrative: even though Albert realised that forcing a woman to marry him is wrong and that she should be allow to choose her husband herself, she decides to stay with him.
Displaying 1 of 1 review