A LONG WAY FROM DOUALA
Published on 25. February 2021
Book
Paperback/Softback
160 pages
978-1-913109-01-1 (ISBN)
Description
Important issues of violence, terrorism, homosexuality and migration feature in A LONG WAY FROM DOULA , the first publication in English of a work by Max Lobe, an important new voice in African writing.
On the trail of Roger, a brother who has gone north in search of football fame in Europe, Choupi, the narrator, takes with him the older Simon, a neighborhood friend. The bus trip north nearly ends in disaster when, at a pit stop, Simon goes wandering in search of grilled caterpillars. At the police station in Yaounde, the local cop tells them that a feckless boza who wants to go to Europe is not worth police effort and their mother should go and pleasure the police chief if she wants help! Through a series of joyful sparky vignettes, Cameroon life is revealed in all its ups and downs. Issues of life and death are raised but the tone remains light and edgy.
On the trail of Roger, a brother who has gone north in search of football fame in Europe, Choupi, the narrator, takes with him the older Simon, a neighborhood friend. The bus trip north nearly ends in disaster when, at a pit stop, Simon goes wandering in search of grilled caterpillars. At the police station in Yaounde, the local cop tells them that a feckless boza who wants to go to Europe is not worth police effort and their mother should go and pleasure the police chief if she wants help! Through a series of joyful sparky vignettes, Cameroon life is revealed in all its ups and downs. Issues of life and death are raised but the tone remains light and edgy.
Reviews / Votes
'A Long Way From Douala reads like a love letter to Cameroon. A clever and compelling new voice in African literature' (The Monthly Booking)'There is something about the way the novel ends that is both fitting but leaves you hungry for more. I want to see where the characters go next and be swept away in Lobe's poignant descriptions of Cameroon' (Bad Form Magazine'This very enjoyable novel with a loveable narrator is all about the journey, I for one, didn't want him to arrive' (Shiny New Books) 'Redolent with the sights, sounds and smells of modern Cameroon, this is in fact a classic road trip, a Homeric quest in which our two young heroes may not discover what they were seeking but learn a great deal about themselves, each other and the state of Africa. A jostling, poignant tale, it left me hungry for more' (Michela Wrong, author Borderlines and It's Our Turn to Eat) 'His eye is as compassionate as his characterisations are rich. I only wish this novel had been twice the length. You are in for a treat' (Patrick Gale) 'Max Lobe immerses us in the Cameroon of today... All this churns up the daily life of the novel's characters whose lives are narrated with humour and satire.' (Amnesty ) 'The role played by mothers, the fascination of football, and the influence of Boko Haram over daily life is chronicled with total delight' (Tribune de Geneve)More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HopeRoad Publishing Ltd
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Weight
249 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-913109-01-1 (9781913109011)
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Schweitzer Classification
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Persons
Max Lobe was born in Douala, Cameroon. At eighteen he moved to Switzerland, where he earned a BA in communication and journalism and a master's in public policy and administration. In 2017, his novel Confidences won the Ahmadou Kourouma Prize. Far From Douala, his latest novel, was published in 2018 to rave reviews in Switzerland and France. Other books by the author: L'Enfant du miracle, 39 rue de Berne, Confidences and La Trinite bantoue. Max Lobe lives in Geneva.