marshamudpuddle's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
3.0
This is certainly of historical interest, but in all honesty I think African literature written in English has come a long way since this first example of it, both in terms of capturing the rhythms of oral storytelling more effectively and in terms of crafting more engaging novels. Still there is certainly some vivd and imaginative writing here, and the 'complete man' who gradually returns his rented body parts until he is just a skull is a very startling character!
dylan2219's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
so much fun and very inventive and strange; reads like fireworks and full of brilliant turns of phrase. Love a book where I literally never see anything coming. The “complete gentleman” is a brilliant invention. One of those stories told from all voices. Passed from the bark of a tree to us today, captured all the whispers of soil through time. Inhabited by all things, anything happens. Captures the essence of the song line, oral history, basket weaving.
marsican's review
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
leftylucyprivateeye's review against another edition
3.0
Reading this book is like actually being transported into the mind of a mystical drunk wandering through the Nigerian bush looking for a dead friend. The language is both simplistic (English is Tutuola's second language) and extraordinarily vivid, conjuring up a whole pantheon of monsters and saviors. It's very stream-of-consciousness with no real plot, just a series of bizarre misadventures. Super weird, but a quick read well worth it.
spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition
3.0
This book reads exactly like folklore, which is essentially is (having been based on Nigerian folklore), and folklore rarely makes a good story: folkloric plots are typically nonsensically and poorly paced; characters are defined by a single attribute, be that a personality trait, occupation, relative, or physical characteristic; events are haphazard and fundamentally didactic in nature. And yet the language buoys along what would otherwise be a mildly interesting yet ultimately banal little story.
emilxf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
samdalefox's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I decided to pick this up in order to expand my reading of African writers. I have read a couple of contemporary Nigerian authored novels, but I was recommended this as a classic since 'The Palm Wine Drinkard' was the the first African novel published in English outside of Africa and received much acclaim and criticism. I had no idea what to expect going into it, having no familiarity of Yoruba folk lore or culture.
Overall, I enjoyed it! The storyline is adventurous, surreal, and moved quickly, and it was refreshing to read about an (overly?) confident protagonist. It took me a while to get used to the style, it reads as quite simplistic and repetitive, I think it sounds better being told orally, like most fairytales/folktales.
I didn't understand the cultural significance/symbolism of all of the events and supernatural beings that the protagonist encountered, but I generally enjoyed reading about them and I think the purpose behind some of the tales may be to generate discussion. Certain events and beings stood out more than others. My favourite beings were: the complete man who was also a Skull, the farmland owner of Wraith Island, the Spirit of Prey, and the visual imagery painted by the Red-Lady and the Red People.
The story became a little repetitive in the structure... travel onwards... encounter a new being... friend or foe?... use some juju or luck to escape and continue the journey. There was only a little direct text addressing how our drinkard felt in any one moment, and I felt the overall journey ended quite abruptly. However, I enjoyed the journey, I'm glad to have read this, and I would recommend to others.
Overall, I enjoyed it! The storyline is adventurous, surreal, and moved quickly, and it was refreshing to read about an (overly?) confident protagonist. It took me a while to get used to the style, it reads as quite simplistic and repetitive, I think it sounds better being told orally, like most fairytales/folktales.
I didn't understand the cultural significance/symbolism of all of the events and supernatural beings that the protagonist encountered, but I generally enjoyed reading about them and I think the purpose behind some of the tales may be to generate discussion. Certain events and beings stood out more than others. My favourite beings were: the complete man who was also a Skull, the farmland owner of Wraith Island, the Spirit of Prey, and the visual imagery painted by the Red-Lady and the Red People.
The story became a little repetitive in the structure... travel onwards... encounter a new being... friend or foe?... use some juju or luck to escape and continue the journey. There was only a little direct text addressing how our drinkard felt in any one moment, and I felt the overall journey ended quite abruptly. However, I enjoyed the journey, I'm glad to have read this, and I would recommend to others.
emilija1033's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
12dejamoo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A sort of twisty, turny dive into a mixture of Nigerian folktales and the incredible imagination of Tutuola himself. So different from a lot of my book experience, but I really enjoyed it. I'd be keen to pick up some more of his work
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Violence