«Far from Douala,» and you miss Africa

Les lettres romandes du mardi - Loris S. Musumeci

Roger wants boza. In other words, he wants to leave for Europe. The young Cameroonian is fed up with Douala. He dreams of soccer, he dreams of freedom. The boy is indeed handsome in the eyes of the girls, and an excellent player with the ball. But school doesn't interest him: there, he's simply no good. A disgrace for the family. Fortunately, little brother Jean saves the day in terms of his studies: he's brilliant. On the other hand, with girls and balls, no success.

It’s not just his love of soccer that drives Roger to leave for good: he hates his mother. She lashes out at him and beats him violently. In fact, she has eyes only for her «Choupinours» Jean—which allows jealousy to take root between the brothers. The only family member with whom a modicum of friendship is possible is their father. But he dies, while his bigoted wife stands by passively, preferring to pray rather than call for help. Enough is enough. Farewell, Douala. Roger goes missing. Jean sets out to find his brother with his cousin Simon, a model of courage. Let the adventure through a Cameroon ravaged by attacks begin.

From Oral Style to Humor

Max Lobe's writing is well-stocked. The writer knows how to balance longer narrative paragraphs and pauses. He pauses on details or some precious moment. An overly spicy dish, a girl's breasts, a colorful loincloth. d'un style oral is fully part of the author's taste for pauses. Expressions in all-African French give the novel a realistic, but above all comic, slant.

Nevertheless, the humor is never mocking. It tenderly points out the ridiculousness of Cameroonian language tics, without devaluing them. It's the language of the country. With its slow but agitated phrasing. And the burlesque has its place. Laughter and laughter! Jean and Simon, on their way to find their «brother-cousin», meet a beautiful, attractive woman who turns out to be a man. The pair's reaction is simply delightful. «The young lady's deep voice leaves no ambiguity. He's a tranny.»

Do you miss Africa?

As the journey progresses, the discovery of the land becomes more and more enjoyable. Its great merit is that it doesn't turn into an exhibition of Cameroon at any price. The adventure is devoid of any documentary allure. From page to page, town to town, the reader can appreciate the personalities of the place, and the misadventures take on a serious aspect.

Although the novel is a light read, the serious, more tragic side of things is brought out by Max Lobe, sometimes justly, sometimes excessively. When the author paints a picture of a corrupt society, he moderates the disaster; in short, his criticism is neither ideological nor gratuitous. So, when he evokes Boko Haram, it suits the adventure of Jean and Simon, who discover a changing society.

This is where the writer may be overdoing it: the questions of family identity and sexual identity. It should be noted that he falls into the dead end of psychologizing explanations; everything has a meaning that absolutely must be told and repeated to the reader in a logic that seems so simple. And yet, reading pleasure is guaranteed. Once Far from Douala on the table, you're already missing Africa.

 «But suddenly we hear gunfire. And everyone hits the ground. Silence. Terror. Good Lord! Where has Simon gone? I turn my head to the left, then to the right. In my heart, I recite: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. And then I try to remember the verse from the Quran. I’ve already forgotten it. Damn it!»

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Photo credit: © Loris S. Musumeci for Le Regard Libre