Novel · A way to begin
The Fortunes of Wangrin
L'Étrange Destin de Wangrin
Amadou Hampâté Bâ · 1973
Synopsis
Between 1900 and 1935, in French West Africa, Wangrin, born under a prophecy of ruin, leaves the colonial school with the certificate of studies and speaks French and several languages of the country. First a schoolmaster, he becomes an interpreter and secretary to the district commandant, and learns to play the colonisers and his own people against one another. Under the protection of the god Gongoloma Soké, he grows rich at the expense of the merchants and the administration, and gives the poor a share of what he takes.
Context
The book appeared in 1973 from the Union générale d'éditions, in the 10/18 series, with the subtitle “les roueries d'un interprète africain”. In an afterword of 1986, the author says he had the story from Wangrin himself or from his relatives and only put it in order; critics have debated this authenticity, the man's existence being accepted but the narrative making room for the supernatural. Aina Pavolini Taylor translated it into English in 1999, with an introduction by Abiola Irele.
Who it is for
A picaresque narrative in French, rich in beliefs and proverbs, whose tone shifts from playfulness to tragedy.
Prizes and reception
Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire in 1974, the year after its publication; reprinted in 1999 in the same series.
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