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| The Dark Child: The Autobiography of an African Boy
Paperback
Author: Camara Laye
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Release Date: 1954-01-01
ISBN-10: 080901548X
ISBN-13: 9780809015481
List Price: $13.00
Average Customer Rating:
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Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com
The Dark Child is a distinct and graceful memoir of Camara Laye's youth in the village of Koroussa, French Guinea. Long regarded Africa's preeminent Francophone novelist, Laye (1928-80) herein marvels over his mother's supernatural powers, his father's distinction as the village goldsmith, and his own passage into manhood, which is marked by animistic beliefs and bloody rituals of primeval origin. Eventually, he must choose between this unique place and the academic success that lures him to distant cities. More than autobiography of one boy, this is the universal story of sacred traditions struggling against the encroachment of a modern world. A passionate and deeply affecting record, The Dark Child is a classic of African literature.
In reply to AaLii "AaLii's review below "I can't believe I read this garbage"
| Customer Rating: | | I took the time to read all your reviews on books you said were garbage (can't belive u included Things Fall Apart). One advice, change your major, drop those classes and write your own book. Be sure to make up your own words, and I hope to hear about you winning a Nobel Prize. This book depicts his life in Africa growing up and the reason while it is still in print after about 6 decades is because it brings back memories to most Africans who read the book. Even though it is specifically about some boy, a lot of individuals can relate to it. |
A sweet sentimental autobiography of an African Child
| Customer Rating: | The Dark Child also known as "The African Child" is a childhood account of a Guinean writer, Camara Laye. In the very sentimental book the author writes about his childhood in Kouroussa, a village in Guinea. He credits his father for his foresight in giving him a western education despite knowing that their ties will be altered soon. He writes lovingly about his mother for her excessive protection as he embarked into adulthood and also his doting grandmother who viewed her grandson as above faults. His father realizing the changing environment of Africa opted to send his son to school instead of spending time in the forge. His mother on the other hand is tearful when Laye departs to France for a study leave. He also writes about his friendship with Fanta on their way to school. As a grownup man living with his uncle in Conakry, he developes a relationship with a half-caste lady, Marie Lorifo.
The African Child replaced The Narrow Path by Francis Selormey as my favorite African autobiography.
When Laye returned back from France, he married Marie Lorifo. But his life took a drastic turn later on in the sixties when he went on exile to Senegal to escape Sekou Toure. His parents died during his years in Dakar. His wife was unjustly imprisoned for seven years by Toure while arriving at the Guinean airport to visit her ailing dad. When she was released seven years later, she divorced Laye because he had married a second wife. Theirs is the saddest love story that I have read and I cant understand why such tragedies would have befallen one of my favorite authors. Laye died in 80.
Echoing the writeup of one of the reviewers, I ask in a similar vein, "Must every book written in Africa deal with the negative influence of colonialism"? Reason why I asked this is that Laye's novel was savagely and unjustly attacked by some of his contemporaries in Africa.
Another great read is So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba. |
In response to reviewer's, AaLii " AaLii ", review......
| Customer Rating: | | If you haven't read the review previously posted by the above said, you might find reading it before reading this review to your avail. I would first like to say that I am a sophomore in high school, and have read The Dark Child for an honors english project. You use words that were probably brought to you by using a thesaurus and referring from a more basic word of the same meaning. YOUR writing is very choppy. I am taking the following STRAIGHT from your review, and would LOVE to hear what is wrong with it: "...you will be put off by the poor writing and the utter directionlessness of this book...". can YOU tell me what is wrong with this?! I'm assuming, with the utmost belief that you are a complete idiot, that you DO NOT see the error of your ways, when in HELL did "directionlessness" become a word?!?! I mean, come on! You obviously are not too bright, and I don't think that you could possibly write, in such an elementary fashion, your opinion that, "...you will be put off by the poor writing and the utter directionlessness of this book..." I also think that you completely missed the point of your teacher giving you the assignment. She gave you the assigment to give you an example of literature coming from a place where not too many authors are known. It's a different point of view on the world, but obviously you are too simple minded to understand what the author has gone through. This book is a fine example of the pride that these people have in their lands and customs. The author has captured the very emotions of the people. He shows the reader the difference in the people's beliefs and priorities. He helps you to be able to put yourself in his shoes, and understand why he believes what he believes and why he does what he does. I think this book is very well written, and a very good story. |
Good portrait
| Customer Rating: | Laye offers a compelling portrait of what life was like, for him, in the early 20th century French colony of Guinea. It offers vivid detail about life, social customs, village relations and the like, as well as an interesting exploration of the significant differences between village life and city life. Some have criticized Laye for offering an overly romanticized
It was a colony where the French had privileged status and the black Guineans were second class citizens and forced labor used. But Laye can't be reproached for writing about what he lived and what he saw; perhaps a more political work would've been less biographical. Must every memoir be political? |
I can't believe I read this garbage
| Customer Rating: | A year ago in my freshman language arts class, I was forced to read The Dark Child. Previously having been assigned garbage such as Nectar in a Sieve and Things Fall Apart, I expected this book would be terrible as well. I was not to be disappointed.
I soon discovered that The Dark Child was a sort of childhood memoirs written by a native of rural Guinea, which is described as a primitive paradise. After choking down five pages of the poorly written (or poorly translated?) prose, I thought to myself, "Could there be a premise less compelling than a boy living an idyllic life in 1920s rural Africa?" I mulled over this thought for a while and decided that there wasn't. This book is plagued by the fundamental problem that the reader knows, doesn't want to know, or doesn't care about what's coming next. Even if you are interested in what life was like for Camara Laye's people, you will be put off by the poor writing and the utter directionlessness of this book - indeed, I constantly found myself dumbfounded by the meandering descriptions, the contrived dialogue, and the pointless vignettes.
In conclusion, I would suggest to the prospective buyer that you spend your money on something better-done and more enjoyable, such as a porn DVD. |
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