Books I Read May 11th, 2025

I count my blessings in quarter tones.

Cruel City by Mongo Beti – A restless villager tries to cope with the rapid urbanization of post-war Africa. A notable first novel, in the sense of demonstrating talent but not actually fitting working on its own. I did really enjoy the attached essay, however, in which Beti takes a shot at a then ascendant Camara Laye.

The Book Censor's Library by Bothayna Al-Essa – A father struggles against a dystopian future in which imagination has been eliminated.

Senegambia and the Atlantic Slave Trade by Boubacar Barry – A clear if dry overview of the 400 odd-years between the arrival of the first Portuguese trader and the complete colonization of the region. A grim but fascinating subject, and I'm always excited to learn about a portion of human history of which I'm only very broadly aware.