My Life in the Bush of Ghosts [B2062]

1970 PB (174-page, gift-worthy condition) reprint of the 1954 original African modern classic fairytale. Tells the story of an unnamed narrator's coming-of-age and spiritual development after he and his older brother become lost in the world of ghosts for 24 years, after running from slave traders. Tutuola, who grew up in Nigeria, draws on traditional Yoruba folklore as well as Christian beliefs throughout the narrative. The novel, an example of the bildungsroman genre, integrates fantasy and magical elements as it traces the narrator's encounters with ghosts and spirits. My Life in the Bush of Ghosts reflects themes of spirituality, the importance of folklore and mythology, and the consequences of colonialism.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "A fascinating modern African fairytale written in Yoruba English, terrible things happen to the main character but it is wonderfully fantastical. Worth a read."; "Really loved this. Very glad to have read this and Dante's Inferno in relatively quick succession - many similarities can be drawn between the two. A poignant ending, wildly surreal plot and awesome writing style."; "Tutuola uses the ghost bush as a symbolic landscape that mirrors the instability and violence of colonial era Nigeria, turning the boy's journey into an exploration of fear, resilience, and cultural identity. This novel was truly weird, but I enjoyed reading it and getting lost among the different ghost communities."; "This was truly a diamond in the rough. It written in a surreal, stream of consciousness manner and feels like you are being imported into another world every time you open it. I feel like I have discovered a new literary world and I'm excited to read more of Tutuola's work as well as other surrealist and fantasy writing from non American authors."