Mission to Kala

by Mongo Beti, Peter Green (Translator)

Medza is sent off to retrieve a villager's wife who has run off with a man from another tribe. Amongst his best appreciated and funniest novels.

Genres: Africa, Fiction, Cameroon, African Literature, Humor, Classics, The World

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1957

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

The narrator of this story is a young man who returns to his home in town for school vacation, only to be sent on a "mission" to an upcountry village to retrieve a cousin's wife. While in the village, he finds himself a celebrity due to his "high education." With the help of his cousin, the village sports hero, he quickly immerses himself in the social life of the village, enjoying the freedom of his cousin and friends along with his status as an honored guest. When he returns home, he finds life under his oppressive father unbearable. While the book is written in a comic tone with plenty of funny moments and mock heroic allusions, it also is a serious commentary on colonialism and Westernization and the confusion of values and identities that go with them.

[Shanae · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far one of the best works I've ever read in my life. Reading Mongo Beti's novel taught me a lot about myself. From the interpersonal relationships between men and women I learned a completely different view of Africa from Beti as well. The novel takes place in Cameroon and is nothing like the traditional Nigerian literature you might have already read or are familiar with. I recommend this novel to everyone - it's funny, thought provoking and completely entertaining. I'm certain it will have as great a didactic affect on you as it has on me.

[roni · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was like an African Catcher in the Rye. I actually wrote a mediocre paper exploring some of the similarities and I could detail some of them now...
both are written as a sort of reminiscence on the part of the speaker who feel sort of alienated
both protagonists have clandestine appointments with women which don't end in any kind of illicit activity
both protagonists have failed their exams
both protagonist are a little cocky.

Really well written and quite enjoyable.

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

A look inside the changing of Nigerian culture at a certain point in time...it was pretty good & funny too but I'm not so sure about the ending. Some kind of symbolic meaning no doubt but all that sorta stuff usually goes right over my thick head lol!!! Still, I liked the voice within this book & love (always) love looking into the ways & ideals of different cultures both past & present tense.

[Merilyn Meristo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muheda sulega ja voolava stiiliga kirjapandud lõbus lugu noormehest, kes linnas hariduse saanuna tuleb kodukülla ja peab kohe naaberkülla "könnide" juurde minema oma küla mehe ärakaranud naist tagasi tooma oma. Raamatu sügavam iva on siiski traagilisem. Ilma selleta poleks muidugi millestki jutustada olnud. Arvestades kirjutamise aastat, 1957 a., siis on eriti märkimisväärne, et valgetest räägitakse vaid möödaminnes, taustainfona kaugel taamal. Üsna vastandlik nt Coetzee teostele. Lk 67-70 leiab ka ajastutruult (kohustuslikult-soovituslikult) Venemaa ülistuse ja kapitalistliku Ameerika ärapõlgamise, ehkki pehmes vormis, siiski muigamaajavalt. Ott Ojamaa toob järelsõnas välja tugeva allteksti Aafrika rahvaste iseseisvuspüüdlustest, aga minu meelest on raamatu suurim väärtus hoopis selle tegelased ja nende omavaheliste suhete kujutamine, samuti peategelase sisekaemused. Raamat kompab ka õhkõrnalt erootikažanrit 😆

[Marcia Letaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Jean-Marie Medza,
I have just finished reading your humorous memoir, Mission to Kala, about a moment of decision, a fork in the road of your life. Although we often refer to these moments as points of decision, you have rightly expanded this point to illustrate the complexity of its architecture. Setting off as an adventurer of sorts into the upcountry, you drag us along to a village where we can experience a cavalcade of lazy, drunken, piggish characters set against the backdrop of shadowy creatures who have no voices but who perform the important tasks of working the fields and making the meals and caring for the children. Yes indeed, you set off to bring back the wayward wife of your kinsmen. How you hate her; how superior you feel yourself to this woman who dares to set out for freedom from an abusive, worthless, lazy husband, never considering the meager choices she has in life, never considering her point of view at all. How can you, a drunken coward, judge her?

[Shelley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this for a class in Humor and Irony in African Literature. Written in the 1950's, it carries the weight of colonialism. Cameroon did not gain independence until 1960. The main character, Medza, says "Wherever there was a Negro, there would always be some European colonial to kick his backside". It is the story of the divide between the educated African and the small village, uneducated African. The author uses sarcasm throughout the book, a bit too much for my taste. But the village that Medza goes to in order to bring his cousin's wife back home treats him as royalty. He has failed his exams but just the fact that he goes to school makes him very special.
I am glad to have read this as I would never pick it up on my own (difficult to find) but it was not an enjoyable read.

[Tafadzwa Mafi · Rating 4 out of 5]

its just a very interesting book as we get into the life Medza a young boy who has failed his exams. We see this journey as a journey of self discovery for Medza. He begins to view himself in a different light due to the respect he is shown in Kala. It also reflects the difference between Western education and Village education. It also n brings out strong characteristics of the colonia master. If one has not rea d this life changing novel, one should start now

[Mercy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe Goodreads has Mongo Beti!!! OMG! An amazing comming-of-age story and rural life in Cameroon.

[Shirley Mbele]

it was breathtaking.one of a kind and very captivating.l loved it.

[Kit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty awesome story with a premise something like The Ambassadors - if Strether were a callow college kid.

[Weadee · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

Picked it up because the premise seemed interesting. Pleasantly surprised to leave with a new favourite African book. File under books with the same sad, joyful irony that Holden Caulfield’s ramblings still fill me with to this day. I wasn’t expecting the narrative voice to carry the story as much as it did. The plot is simple, but the characters and the naivety of a young boy really drive it, which I love.

Maybe my enjoyment also comes from the perfect representation of the Western/colonial alienation I feel around people back home who place Western education on a pedestal. In a way, you feel no different from the people around you (aren’t you kin?) and yet it’s hard to see why they think of you any differently. The fact that he failed his exams not a fortnight before the mission set the stage for a sharp comedy and made it thought-provoking without being heavy-handed. The wit, humor, and sarcasm fit me perfectly.

My only quibble is the ending, though of course it was never going to end any differently. This is where I’m thankful for the little narrative notes at the top of each chapter, reminding me it’s just fiction and to be kind to our little protagonist. What a little adventure. Short enough to stay fun, long enough for the characters to stay with you.

[Osuokam Uteh-Obuseh · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I found this book in my dad’s library, he bought it in 1985.
It is a really good read, getting better with every page until the exploding climax.
It is short compared to most books but I think that’s what makes it so captivating.
It is also interesting how similar the family dynamics of an African family set in the 50s is to a modern day Nigerian family.
Lastly, the Peter green translation has a lot of uncommon words. Be prepared to have a dictionary on standby, if you are reading the early translations.

[Danny James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. Seriously funny and witty. A classic coming of age story in many ways, told by a somewhat naive teenage boy, but also with some deeper messages and meaning about the impact of colonisation of Cameroon. However, this is done on a very personal and individual level. I really like how the book explores this through individuals to give you the feeling of the experience of typical people around the time just before Cameroonian independence in 1960, rather than going into any detail of politics.
Parts of the book reminded me of Things Fall Apart in the way that at times it describes village life while the story is in a lull. Still, the story is very entertaining and comical. I like the little intros to the chapters written by the main character and narrative, and I loved the side characters met in the village with curious nicknames like "son of god"!
It's not only funny, it has sad moments, and I am still reflecting on the ending, which became more powerful for me the more I thought about it. Overall I loved the mixture of an entertaining story full of wit and humour, but with serious and meaning and messaging behind it, which makes for a great book for me.

[Thibault Jacquot-Paratte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Réellement excellent roman. Je comprend que le style d'écriture est soutenu, et formel, et qu'il puisse déplaire à certaines personnes, surtout des gens qui trouveraient que ce style serait "trop soutenu" par rapport à l'histoire. Je peux comprendre cet opinion, même si je ne le partage pas.

J'ai trouvé ce roman merveilleusement bien écrit, vivant, et incroyablement riche. Y-a-t'il une intrigue particulière? Non, pas vraiment. Est-ce que ça suit les schémas narratifs populaires de nos jours? Absolument pas.

On peut classer ce roman parmi le genre du bildungsroman. Il ne faut cependant pas y réduire. Si j'étais étudiant en littérature, je me plongerais dans une étude détaillée des thèmes du roman; ils sont si nombreux, si vifs. Pourtant, ils apparaissent tous sous la forme, presque de "détailles qui en disent long". Je crois qu'il y a peut-être du symbolisme religieux, mais je n'ai pas assez de connaissances en mythologie chrétienne pour pouvoir en dire plus.

Toutefois voilà ce que j'en retiens pour ceux que ça intéresse:

Le héros, qui a été envoyé étudier dans les écoles des colonisateurs, se retrouve dans un village de paysans, de "péquenauds", et alors que ces gens de la campagne tombent en admiration devant ce jeune homme, récompensé par les blancs, avec qui il y a d'évidents complexes d'infériorités pour divers raisons, ce jeune homme est lui-même confronté à ce que ces gens savent, ou possèdent. Ils sont à l'aise avec leurs corps, ont plus de liberté dans ce qu'ils font, ils ont une culture vivante, alors que d'où il vient cette culture plus traditionnelle est diminuée, vue comme "rustre", comme moins que rien.

C'est à la fin que nous arrivons dans ce qui me semble comme une parabole assez claire du colonialisme, ou de l'autoritarisme, comme on veut le voir. Le gars rentre chez lui, et confronte de façon passive son père très autoritaire, tout en sombrant lui-même dans certains problèmes comportementaux, d'abus d'alcool, et en laissant tombé ses acquis d'une certaine façon. À force d'avoir été aliéné de sa culture traditionnelle par un model de croissance capitalisme, sans but, sans fin, et sans motivation, il s'est retrouvé - justement, aliéné - dépourvu de certains traits les plus importants. La libération ; ni colonisé, ni authentique dans sa peau, sa culture.

En voilà ma lecture en tout cas, et ce fut une lecture très agréable. Peut-être vous verrez vous des choses très différentes, et c'est justement pourquoi ce roman me semble si riche ; il provoque des pensées, des réflexions, il fait voir des actions, des conséquences... c'est un très bon roman!

[Saminu Helma · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is a story about a schoolboy who while on holiday was sent to a village to convince a wayward wife (of his kinsman Niam) to come back home to her husband.
It is quite an interesting plot, howbeit, for me, it isn't the story that captivates so much as the character Jean Marie Medza. A teenager in his formative years tasked with a responsibility meant for a more elderly person, he finds out, ironically, in spite of his status as a townsman and a product of colonial education is far behind his peers in experience and responsibility.
Medza's awakening in Kala, where he finds himself a hero and admired by everyone gives him the impetus to stand up to his dictator of a father who had virtually controlled every aspect and course of his life.
His cousin, Zambo (son of mama) whom he meets for the first time in Kala alongside his friends (Duckfoot Johnny, Boneless wonder, Son -of-God...) are the architects and masterminds of his experiences and become an intrinsic part of his life. In Kala He meets and marries a young girl (Edima) in unconventional circumstances, and for reasons you will find out after reading the book ends up being his elder brother's wife.
After spending weeks in Kala, Medza completes his Mission and returns home with a wife (Edima), and with the realisation or awakening, if you may, that after years of almost continual terror of his father he cannot surrender the freedom acquired in Kala. It was at this stage of proceedings that he gets in a fight with his father and leaves home accompanied by his cousin Zambo.
The story is set in colonial Cameroon and depicts the life of Africans, and in this case young men and women, traditional rulers, peasants and large extended families. It's an entertaining read.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very funny coming of age novel, Beti's novel is chock full of memorable characters, silly situations and that kind of humour where the reader can see so much more than the overconfident and naïve first-person narrator. Set in 1950s Cameroon, the book does critique Westernisation, but the satire is roundly distributed to all players.
I hadn't expected to find the book as funny as I did - there is a kind of slapstick humour of the era which really holds up well. It reminded me of
Iraj Pezeshkzad's My Uncle Napolean (which I realise on checking dates twenty years' later, but there you go), a very different classic from Iran, in the style of humour set in a Westernising world. It's not without cringe moments - it is worth warning readers that the protagonist rapes someone, an act which the book does not condone, but which is treated uncomfortably lightly.
In addition to the humour, the books provide a sharp portrait of a country in which cities nestle next to subsistence agriculture villages, and a bicycle is a marker of a chief. Beti does this for a Western audience, but never in a way which patronises or disrespects the cultures at play, while still managing to poke fun at all of them.

[cozy tay ☾π · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot of this Mongo Beti's piece can be said to be one that is timeless, considering the fact that people are constantly coming of age daily and they have to make certain decisions to determine their place in life. Although, the setting is in Africa, it applies to everyone, that is, no matter where we are and what we are failing at, we would still be superior to others, it is now up to us to behave smartly in decieding wethere we want to allow this to get to our heads or not.

[Kate Throp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky and comic combined with a serious look at how colonisation/westernisation can impact on identity. Perhaps it is the current times that made me the notice the role of women in this society so overtly. Allowances need to be made for the time this was written (1957) and cultural differences. I enjoyed it even though I ended up wanting to slap him upside the head!

[Victor Maxwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and absolutely an interesting read. Jean-Marie had his fantasies and common teenage dreams answered as he became an overnight celebrity at Kala, aided by uneducated funny characters, he was allowed the luxury of basking in the glow of his purportedly rare achievement. Arguably set in the 1950s, the book brought Mongo Beti to the lights, after King Lazarus.

[Zinaj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great coming of age book based in Africa.

[Leslie (updates on SG) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Readable, but forgettable coming-of-age story for my AtW challenge (Cameroon). I was intrigued, however, by the references to classic Western works.

[Astack Tembo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice work
Yeah

[Savita Mulla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why can't I read a book

[Rasmus Tillander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Komediaa kolonisoidusta Kamerunista.

Mission to Kala on oivasti rakennettu farssi. Mutta se on myös kasvutarina ja tarina kamerunilaisen ja läntisen kulttuurin kohtaamisesta.

Kirja kertoo opiskelijanuorukaisesta, Jean-Mariaesta, joka epäonnistuttuaan vuosikokeissaan lähetetään vastusteluistaan huolimatta hakemaan serkkunsa karkuteille lähtenyttä vaimoa syrjäisestä Kalan kylästä. Kalaan päästyään Jean-Marie huomaa, että vaimoa ei näy missään, mutta häntä kohdellaan kuin kuningasta, koska on sivistynyt ja kouluttanut. Tämä johtaa sitten erilaisiin koomisiin tilanteisiin. Ja tämän lisäksi Jean-Marie tietenkin ajautuu huonoille teille kun maaseudulla rellestetään menemään ja palmuviini virtaa. Ja teinipoikien ollessa kyseessä tähän kuuluu sitten kaikenlaista, Jean-Marien serkku Zambo on nimittäin kivenkovaa päättänyt hankkia kiusalliselle ja naisten suhteen ujolle serkkupojalle romanttista seuraa.

Taitavaa romaanissa on se, miten Beti onnistuu tuomaan tämän hupaisan juonen sivuun poliittisia ja eksistentiaalisia elementtejä. Niissä itsessään ei ole mitään erityisen oivaltavaa, mutta ne tuovat kirjaan tiettyä syvyyttä. Erityisesti se miten Beti käsittelee syrjäisen Kalan asukkaiden suhdetta valkoisiin tuo romaaniin olennaisen lisäkerroksen.

[Jennifer Pletcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short novel about a young man named Jean-Marie Medza. He has just returned home after failing his baccalaureat exam. He is sure his town would be upset, but instead, they greet him as basically a hero. They send him on a trip to Kala to find a woman who has deserted her husband. When Jean-Maria arrives in Kala, he is greated like royalty. He stays with an uncle who lives there while he waits this woman to return to town. While he is there, he spends time with his cousin, finds a woman that he likes (and then becomes unexpecedtly married to), and is showered with gifts and attention. He does complete his mission and returns home.



This was a pretty good book. It is well written and entertaining. I found it amusing how a failed scholar was treated in a small village where no one could read or write. He was their hero for just going to school and getting an education - even though he wasn't extemely successful. The ending did get a little confusing and I felt the author was trying to tie up the story too quickly. But overall - a good read about this African country.

[Debra Tessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the book long ago. But I remember liking the book. It has something to do with education (the lack /the having of it) being necessary in attaining respect from pple. Little medza goes to Kala which is a rural set up and he is lionised/made to feel like a great man though only a boy who had actually failed his baccalaureate. The mere fact tht he had earned an education made the "inhabit-ants" of Kala lionize this boy.

[Firdaws · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. I love the story telling and the plot. I love the contrast between the educated and uneducated in colonial Cameroon. I think it is how the author represented those in a way that shows the perspective of the city and the village without demeaning any. The cherry ontop is the relationship Medza has with his cousin Zambo. Two peas in a pod really. Reminds me of my trip back to the village as a kid and having to answer their curiosity too❤️❤️

[Daniel Polansky]

A callow student is deputized to visit his rural cousins and retrieve his uncle's faithless wife in this jovial satire of local customs and the town/country divide. I gather Beti is better known for his more serious, anti-colonial work, but this was sharp and funny and mean and I'm sorry it seems like no one reads it anymore.

[SuS · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as part of my reading-of-the-world project (Cameroon). I really enjoyed it. It is full of funny observations and social commentary concerning all sorts of social dynamics: formal education vs. practical experience, tensions between different generations, traditional vs. modern cultural interactions, gender roles. I absolutely recommend this.