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My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, Amos Tutuola's second novel, was
first published in 1954. It tells the tale of a small boy who
wanders into the heart of a fantastical African forest, the
dwelling place of innumerable wild, grotesque and terrifying
beings. He is captured by ghosts, buried alive and wrapped up in
spider webs, but after several years he marries and accepts his new
existence. With the appearance of the television-handed ghostess,
however, comes a possible route of escape. 'Tutuola ... has the
immediate intuition of a creative artist working by spell and
incantation.' V. S. Pritchett, New Statesman
This classic novel tells the phantasmagorical story of an alcoholic
man and his search for his dead palm-wine tapster. As he travels
through the land of the dead, he encounters a host of supernatural
and often terrifying beings - among them the complete gentleman who
returns his body parts to their owners and the insatiable
hungry-creature. Mixing Yoruba folktales with what T. S. Eliot
described as a 'creepy crawly imagination', The Palm-Wine Drinkard
is regarded as the seminal work of African literature. 'Brief,
thronged, grisly and bewitching.' Dylan Thomas, Observer 'Tutuola's
art conceals - or rather clothes - his purpose, as all good art
must do.' Chinua Achebe
Drawing on the Yoruba folk tradition, Amos Tutuola's tales combine
the resonance of universal myth with reflections on a range of
human vagaries. The leading characters of Pauper, Brawler and
Slanderer are all forced to embark on journeys of no return,
leading to incidents and adventures in classic Tutuola style. There
is a ploughing competition for the hand of the beautiful Popondoro,
and the reign of Pauper and Slanderer in the town of women is
inevitably brief. This is Tutuola at his most vivid and funny, at
his wisest and most imaginative.
When Amos Tutuola's first novel, The Palm-Wine Drinkard, appeared
in 1952, it was presented without introduction yet aroused
exceptional worldwide interest.
Yoruba legend and culture were the source of much of Amos Tutuola's
writing and the stories collected here are no exception. They
feature characters from folklore, archetypal figures from Yoruba
society, supernatural or magical happenings, acute human
observation and often a moral point. Their very titles - from 'The
Duckling Brothers and their Disobedient Sister' to 'Don't Pay Bad
for Bad' - are evocative of a unique blend of tradition and
imagination, which belongs to the same universal culture as Aesop
and the Brothers Grimm.
This is the story of Adebisi, a brave African huntress who sets out
for the Jungle of the Pigmies to rescue her four brothers. Along
the way, she conquers a giant, serves as the barber to a king and
endures the horrors of the pigmies' prison. Yet she will not give
up. By employing her strength and intelligence, she finds a way to
release her brothers and returns home to a hero's welcome.
The author ranks as one of the foremost living traditional African
storytellers - as recognised by the acclaim of his first book, The
Palmvine Drinkard. This book includes seven folktales especially
for young adults, but of universal appeal. Beautiful black and
white ink drawings illustrate the tales whose cast of characters
include humans, a goddess, an elephant woman, a boa constrictor and
a shell-man.
In Feather Woman of the Jungle, the people of a Yoruba village
gather on ten memorable nights to hear the stories and wisdom of
their chief. They learn of his adventures, among them his encounter
with the Jungle Witch and her ostrich, his visit to the town of the
water people and his imprisonment by the Goddess of Diamonds. Each
night the people return, eager to discover if there is a happy
ending. Amos Tutuola was born in Abeokuta, Nigeria, in 1920. His
first novel, The Palm-Wine Drinkard, was acquired by T. S. Eliot
and published by Faber in 1952.
This is the story of Ajaiyi, a man born into poverty who is
determined to improve his situation. In the hope of finding the
money he needs, he travels through unfamiliar lands filled with
strange creatures. He meets the Spirit of Fire with its huge
feathered head and flaming body, and receives assistance from a
wizard and a unicorn. Yet, in the end, the answer to his woes is
not far from home. Amos Tutuola was born in Abeokuta, Nigeria, in
1920. His first novel, The Palm-Wine Drinkard, was acquired by T.
S. Eliot and published by Faber in 1952.
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