In the twentieth century, Anouman is the son of ardent Communists in Amsterdam, swept to Cote d’Ivoire after his mother vanished. A century before, Maxime Dabilly leaves the seminary after the death of his parents and departs from France to what would become Cote d’Ivoire, travelling through Africa and picking up the languages of the different people he meets.
Comrade Papa is a sweeping coming-of-age story, spanning two centuries and continents, linking two characters across time and space to critique the long-lasting effects of colonialism. It’s also a very playful novel, poking fun at the purity of movements and the one-note branding we often slap on history. GauZ’ is a really interesting and experimental writer, and it shows here in his second book translated into English by Frank Wynne.
“…a beautifully written and translated book.”
While Anouman is a child and a strict Communist, per his parents – his sections are both funny and frustrating, because he’s such an innocent parrot at times, concerned only with being the best Communist he can be – Dabilly is a bit more open to the world. The tone shift between both stories is also very well-defined; Gauz’ doesn’t use many markers to note when the story shifts, but the differences in Anouman’s voice and Dabilly’s are so strong that he doesn’t need to. It is rare to read a story where both parts feel like they’re written by two different people because they’re so different. Gauz’ is a skilled writer, and Wynne is a skilled translator in bringing this story from the original French to English.
The one thing I struggled with in this novel was the pace. It’s not long, at 167 pages. Yet, there was a fair amount of drag, largely due to the imbalance of the narratives: Anouman’s story essentially ends once he gets to Cote d’Ivoire, and he gets sidelined in favour of Dabilly’s story, which is longer and has further to go before the threads of each story can meet in their ultimately satisfying conclusion. It was incredibly well done at the end, but the pacing to get there wasn’t totally great. That said, this is a beautifully written and translated book, incredibly unique in how it tackles colonialism and capitalism, and truly a fun book to read. The structure of the sections and their titles are excellent, and so are the carefully placed letters which shed more light on the links between the two stories. GauZ’ is a fascinating writer, and Comrade Papa demonstrates that.
About the Author and the Translator
GauZ’ is an Ivoirian author, journalist and screenwriter. After studying biochemistry, he moved to Paris as an undocumented student, working as a security guard before returning to the Côte d'Ivoire. His debut novel, Standing Heavy, won the Prix des libraires Gibert Joseph and was followed by Comrade Papa, which won the 2019 Prix Éthiophile, and Black Manoo. GauZ’ is the editor-in-chief of the satirical economic newspaper News & co and has written screenplays and documentary films.
Frank Wynne is an award-winning Irish writer and translator from French and Spanish. Over a career spanning more than 20 years, Wynne has translated various authors, including Michel Houellebecq, Patrick Modiano, and Emiliano Monge. He has twice been awarded both the Scott Moncrieff Prize for translation from the French and the Premio Valle Inclán for translation from Spanish. Most recently, his translation of Animalia by Jean-Baptiste del Amo won the 2020 Republic of Consciousness Prize.
About the Reviewer
Alison Manley has ricocheted between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia for most of her life. Now in Halifax, Nova Scotia, she is the Cataloguing and Metadata Librarian at Saint Mary's University. Her past life includes a long stint as a hospital librarian on the banks of the mighty Miramichi River—more about Alison here on our Contributor Page.
Book Details
Publisher : Biblioasis (Oct. 8 2024)
Language : English
Paperback : 240 pages
ISBN-10 : 1771966459
ISBN-13 : 978-1771966450