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A review by clarereadstheworld
L'Enfant Noir: Prix Charles Veillon 1954 by Camara Laye
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
4.0
In this beautiful book Camara Laye recounts his childhood growing up in rural Guinea. The narrative takes us through his school years and leads us up to the moment he steps onto the plane which would take him to France to follow his higher education.
This book has been translated to English, but I couldn't find a copy, and actually I already had this French copy of my bookshelf from my French degree many years ago now. I decided it was time to read some French again, something I've been putting off for quite a while! It's a very different experience reading in a language which isn't your mother tongue, but I'm glad that I chose to read this one in it's original language. I felt a much closer connection with the author knowing that there isn't a translator between us.
The village where Laye grew up, and his friends and family really shine out from the pages of this book. It's not hard to see why Laye won the Prix Charles Veillon writing prize for this book. While reading I could really feel myself standing in Guinea, watching everything through Laye's eyes.
Laye's talks the reader through the important customs and traditions in his village, explaining reasons and origins where he can. However, he often tells the reader that he can't fully explain something, because he left the village before he was old enough to fully understand all of his culture and history. At these moments, I really felt Laye's pain at having made the difficult choice to pursue his education in France, and in all that this meant he lost.
The last chapter as he prepares to leave for France brought tears to my eyes. So much of what his dad said to him before leaving is similar to what my own dad said to me before I left home, and I know that bitter sweet feeling of excitement and regret, as you sit on the plane after a tearful goodbye so well.
A fantastic read, that I would absolutely recommend. A classic of French and Guinean literature.
This book has been translated to English, but I couldn't find a copy, and actually I already had this French copy of my bookshelf from my French degree many years ago now. I decided it was time to read some French again, something I've been putting off for quite a while! It's a very different experience reading in a language which isn't your mother tongue, but I'm glad that I chose to read this one in it's original language. I felt a much closer connection with the author knowing that there isn't a translator between us.
The village where Laye grew up, and his friends and family really shine out from the pages of this book. It's not hard to see why Laye won the Prix Charles Veillon writing prize for this book. While reading I could really feel myself standing in Guinea, watching everything through Laye's eyes.
Laye's talks the reader through the important customs and traditions in his village, explaining reasons and origins where he can. However, he often tells the reader that he can't fully explain something, because he left the village before he was old enough to fully understand all of his culture and history. At these moments, I really felt Laye's pain at having made the difficult choice to pursue his education in France, and in all that this meant he lost.
The last chapter as he prepares to leave for France brought tears to my eyes. So much of what his dad said to him before leaving is similar to what my own dad said to me before I left home, and I know that bitter sweet feeling of excitement and regret, as you sit on the plane after a tearful goodbye so well.
A fantastic read, that I would absolutely recommend. A classic of French and Guinean literature.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content