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The Fortunes of Wangrin
Amadou Hampaté Bâ [note special accents on the "e" in Hampate and "a" Ba not correctly reproduced here—see ms.]
Translated by Aina Pavolini Taylor with an Introduction by F. Abiola Irele
Winner of the Grand Prix Litteraire de l’Afrique Noire
"I think this is perhaps the best African novel on colonialism and it draws very richly on various modes of oral literature." —Ralph Austen, University of Chicago
"It is a wonderful introduction to colonial rule as experienced by Africans, and in particular, to the rule of African middlemen." —Martin A. Klein, University of Toronto
"The Fortunes of Wangrin is not only a wonderful novel by one of Africa’s most renowned intellectuals, it is also literally filled with information about French colonization and its impact on traditional African societies, African resistance and collaboration to colonization, the impact of French education in Africa, and a host of other subjects of interest." —Francois Manchuelle, New York University
Wangrin is a rogue and an operator, hustling both the colonial French and his own people. He is funny, outrageous, corrupt, traditional, and memorable. Bâ’s book bridges the chasm between oral and written literature. The stories about Wangrin are drawn from oral sources, but in the hands of this gifted writer these materials become transformed through the power of artistic imagination and license.
The Fortunes of Wangrin is a classic in Franchophone African literature.
Amadou Hampaté Bâ was a distinguished Malian poet and scholar of African oral tradition and precolonial history.
Translator:
Aina Pavolini Taylor is an independent translator with wide experience of Africa, now living and working in Italy.
F. Abiola Irele is a professor in the Department of Black Studies at Ohio State University.
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
A searing fictional indictment of colonialism and its corruption of both its French citizens and African subjects, this novel written by the late Malian scholar presents the life of Wangrin, a child of great intellect and promise, who veers from the traditional customs of his West African society to embrace the worst characteristics of his foreign benefactors. Determined to exploit his education, he gains employment as a primary school teacher through an assist from the district officer, but he has his eye on life's better things. The wily and resourceful Wangrin seizes every opportunity to advance himself, running several ingenious scams on both his French employers and his own people. His jealous rivals and outmaneuvered European foes repeatedly try to get the elusive rogue arrested and humiliated, but the African finds ways to beat back their assaults, overcoming every attack from the relentless Count de Villermoz and his ally, Remo. Skillful in his detailed characterizations of the Africans and French, Hampat? B? uses each of Wangrin's skirmishes with the law as a chance to explore harsh bigotry and blind nationalism, which served as the pillars of colonial rule. His best work surfaces in his depiction of Wangrin, whose cunning and clever tongue are only a part of the man's complex personality. Ultimately, the continual struggle to keep his enemies at bay while acquiring more wealth takes a fateful toll on Wangrin, and his fall is as sensational as his rise. Though the plot's momentum is occasionally slowed by the narrator's asides, this award-winning novel, first published in French in the '70s, is memorable for its trenchant political and cultural commentary on the effects of colonialism in Africa. (Nov.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
In French Africa at the beginning of the 1900s, a young African man determines to work his way up in the civil service maintained by the conquerors. The chaos of France's colonies is reflected by the chaos of Wangrin's life and the lives of those around him. Ba's 1976 novel, an acknowledged African classic, shows how Wangrin is forced to adapt to the social and political changes the French impose upon his culture and also shows the fates of those not as able or willing to adapt as Wangrin. As interpreter for a French officer, Wangrin is uniquely placed to see both sides of colonialism, and his ability to function in the conqueror's realm allows him to secure himself and his family in a time of economic and political uncertainty. Always looking out for his own interests yet always willing to help out a less fortunate friend, Wangrin is a fascinating character. Greedy but compassionate, he is often just a step ahead of his French superiors and of compatriots jealous of his relative wealth.
Bonnie Johnston --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.Review
The Fortunes of Wangrin is not a novel in the Western tradition. It is a remarkable work of fiction "rescued" from a dying oral tradition.... --
The New York Times Book Review, Caryl Phillips Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.About the Author
Amadou Hampaté BÂ was a distinguished Malian poet and scholar of African oral tradition and precolonial history.
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