The Famished Road : Venturing into the Dark Continent

We hardly know anything about the dark continent . Africa has always been the land of lions , giraffes , gorillas , chimpanzees & zebras to us . We’ve never really bothered about the people . It’s the jungles that has caught our imagination for centuries . Barring a few good films like Hotel Rwanda & Blood Diamond we’ve never really learned anything about the people out there .

So I picked up Ben Okri’s Nigerian saga “The Famished Road” that day without a second thought as it was about an African nation by an African & also being a Booker winner it had to be something special . I must say that it is one of the milestones of magical realism . It serves as a guide to the Nigerian society & politics through some amazingly crafted fantasies .

It is the story of a “Abiku” or “Spirit Child” called Azaro . Let me clarify a bit here . In “Yaruba” tradition of Africa it is believed that some spirits keep hanging between earthy & ethereal world . They are incarnated as human beings but they never loses touch with the spirit world . They have strange powers but have short lives . Our protagonist is also one of them . He’s a young boy living with parents . He’s a problematic kid & frequently keeps escaping to the bizarre world of witches , midgets & scores of other mythical characters thanks to his spirit companions continuously trying to woo him back to their world . His father is a strong but foolish man who starts dreaming of becoming a boxer . He gives up working to pursue his dream , he also beats some famous ones including spirit of a dead boxer . But he also gets a heavy beating in one fight & then after a few days in comatose condition he starts becoming a politician with the help of beggars .

The mother works hard to earn a living for the family but rarely succeeds . They share a bittersweet relationship with Madame Koto , the local bar owner & the richest & weirdest person in the neighborhood . All these happen in the midst of political clashes between rival parties in a nation that is in turmoil . All the people live in abject poverty & struggle to make a living .

Having said all these , I’m sure the plot looks confusing & obscure . But this is what magical realism is all about . The story is full of strange creatures appearing constantly in hallucinations , the narrative is rich in vocabulary & they together transfers us to world where the lines between real & unreal is blurred . It takes a maestro to take up such a plot & emerge victorious ! Okri has proved that he is a master of words as well as imagination . Despite of the bizarre plot he has been able to give us enough insight into the present scenario of Nigeria in particular & Africa in General . So this is a must read for those who are hungry of words & wants a dose of reality garnished with fantasy .

Discovering Isabel Allende: A journey into mysticism

Magical realism has become the most attractive word for me nowadays . Specially the Latin American authors being the ones leading the trend are threatening to displace all the books on my bookshelf . Isabel Allende is of course one of the usual suspects of this onslaught .

I’ve always known her name having read her eulogies in several places . But I’d never read her before . All that changed last month when I discovered an entire shelf dedicated to her in my favourite bookstore . Almost all of her books were available there , house of spirits , Eva Luna , infinite plane , my invented country , Ines of my Soul , Paula & Zorro . But I was in an escapist mood , wary of work , interviews & life in general . I wanted to get myself immersed in some juvenile adventure story for some relief . So I picked up “City of the Beasts” by the same author which is first of such kind from the author , first one of the Alex , Nadia & Kate trilogy . I started reading it eagerly after coming back to my room & soon I found out that my decision was not incorrect . It had all the ingredients of a perfect teenage adventure story . An energetic teen couple(if I may say so) , a rough & tough granny , mysterious Amazonian rainforests , elusive tribesmen , mythical creatures & sinister marauders . Though such stories have been told a thousand times , it becomes lively at the hands of the accomplished author .

The story revolves around a fifteen year old troubled teenager Alexander Cold . His mother is ill & his life is in utter chaos . Unable to manage the situation , his father sends him to his granny Kate , who is an exceptional woman . She’s traveled almost all of the world in search of stories demanded by her profession . She’s been part of many life threatening adventures & even at the age of sixty four she was ready for another one to the Amazons . She doesn’t believe in pampering children , so she takes Alex also along with her to the perilous trip in search of a killer beast . On the way to their destination they meet other members of the expedition team including the honey coloured daughter of the guide , Nadia . Alex strikes profound friendship with her which only strengthens with the progress of the story . They begin the journey of adventure , realization , discovery & revelation . They meet people from the mist , the mysterious tribe which leave in perfect harmony with the nature . They also encounter the ancient beasts .

The book is a pleasure to read . Though the plot is actually clichéd I’ve always liked such stuff . Not only because of the plot but also for skillful yet effortless storytelling by Allende . The narrative is so vivid that you feel transferred to the Amazons yourself . Description of locations , animals , dreams & hallucinations speaks volumes about the author & her extent of imagination .

The Amazons have always attracted me . Ever since I read Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Lost World” in 3^rd Standard . Both of these boos start the journey from the Amazonian city of Manaus & ventures deep into the similar territory . So comparisons become inevitable . In that sense I would prefer Allende’s book because Doyle’s book was written in Colonial times from a white man’s point of view . On the other hand Allende is more sympathetic & respectful towards the natives . She endorsed their simplistic & minimalist lifestyle . She blends modern philosophy with native Indian mysticism . So there are some underlying messages along with breathtaking adventure .

So, though it is one of the lesser known works by Allende , it has enough indication of her caliber as a storyteller . It’s a feast to all who love those carefree teenage adventures . But those who think they are too grown up , should stay away from this .