Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth
 First edition | |
| Author | Wole Soyinka |
|---|---|
| Subject | |
| Genre | Literary fiction |
| Set in | Fictional country |
| Publisher | BookCraft |
Publication date | 2021 |
| Publication place | Nigeria |
| Media type | |
| ISBN | 978-0-593-31447-0 |
Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth is a 2021 novel written by Nigerian playwright and novelist Wole Soyinka. It was released on 28 September 2021, by BookCraft. The novel is a satirical political novel inspired by the current state of Nigerian politics. It tells the story of Dr. Kighare Menka, a surgeon tasked with providing limbs and organs for rich clients. It is his third novel, and his first since Season of Anomy in 1973.
Synopsis
The novel takes place in an imaginary version of Nigeria. A secret society made up of highly-placed members of the nation's political and religious elite trades in human body parts for use in religious rituals.
The body parts are stolen from a hospital run by Dr. Menka, a surgeon who treat war victim and whose friend Duyole is about to begin a job at the United Nations in New York City as representative of Nigeria. Duyole is targeted by mysterious forces who try to prevent him from taking the new position. It is unknown to Dr. Menka and Duyole how rich or powerful their enemy is.
Background and writing
Nobel Prize winner[1] Wole Soyinka had wanted to write mysteries got the inspiration for the novel for almost a decade before he started writing just before the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] Started in two sessions of 16 days between Dakar and Ghana, the lockdown helped Soyinka to finish the novel amongst other writings.[2][3] The novel was release in 2021, almost fifty years since Soyinka's last novel, Season of Anomy in 1973.[3][4] The title of the novel was gotten when Soyinka found out that Nigeria was among the happiest people in the world; something he found strange.[5]
In 2023, the French translation was published by Éditions du Seuil[5] and a translation in Italian was published by La nave di Teseo.[6]
The novel is intended as an allegory of the state-sponsored corruption that is common in Nigeria and similar African nations.[7]
Reception
Chronicles received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews which lauded the wordplay,[8] while Publishers Weekly in a positive review, noted that Chronicles is "A biting satire that looks at corruption in an imaginary contemporary Nigeria, Chronicles is also an intriguing and droll whodunit." and "A brilliant story that takes on politics, class, corruption, and religion from the very first chapters. It highlights Soyinka's lush, elegant language.[9]
Ben Okri, a Nigerian writer who contributed a review for The Guardian, called the book "a vast danse macabre" and "Soyinka' greatest novel, his revenge against the insanities of the nation’s ruling class and one of the most shocking chronicles of an African nation in the 21st century."[7] Columbian writer Juan Gabriel Vásquez writing for The New York Times noted that Soyinka wrote the novel as "lament for the spirit of his native Nigeria," and while the plot is "convoluted, obscure at times, [and] often tying itself in too many knots," the novel is ultimately a successful exploration of "the crossroads between corruption, religious fanaticism, endemic resentments and a legacy of colonial divisiveness."[1]
In a review for Complete Review M. A. Orthofer gave it a B+ praising the "impressively-wrought work," while noting that "the intricacies of its sentences and its plot are challenging".[10] Keishel William writing for NPR was somewhat less positive, concluding that the novel is not among Soyinka's best works, but "[t]he parts of the novel that are good are immensely good – and in true Soyinka fashion, the writing tosses you right into the middle of Nigerian life, for better or worse."[11]
See also
References
- ^ a b Vásquez, Juan Gabriel (28 September 2021). "The Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka's First Novel Since 1973". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ a b Tepper, Anderson (23 September 2021). "'At long last, Idunit!' Wole Soyinka on his first novel in nearly 50 years". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
- ^ a b Flood, Alison (28 October 2020). "Wole Soyinka to publish first novel in almost 50 years". The Guardian. London.
- ^ Maclean, Ruth (25 September 2021). "Wole Soyinka Is Not Going Anywhere". Retrieved 29 September 2021 – via New York Times.
- ^ a b Chemam, Melissa (18 September 2023). "Nigerian literary giant Wole Soyinka releases new novel in France". Radio France Internationale. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ Waqqas, Youssouf (2 July 2023). "Nigerian Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka: Europe has forgotten history lessons". The Majalla. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ a b Okri, Ben (27 September 2021). "Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth by Wole Soyinka review – a vast danse macabre". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
- ^ "CHRONICLES FROM THE LAND OF THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE ON EARTH". Kirkus Reviews. 28 June 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ "Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth". Publishers Weekly. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ Orthofer, M. A. (19 September 2021). "Chronicles From the Land of the Happiest People on Earth by Wole Soyinka". Complete Review. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ Williams, Keishel (2 October 2021). "Wole Soyinka's long-awaited third novel isn't his best work". NPR. Retrieved 22 September 2022.