Alain Mabanckou,Christine Schwartz Hartley
Its title recalls Bret Easton Ellisâ€™s infamous book, but while Ellisâ€™s narrator was a blank slate, ,African Psychoâ€™s, protagonist is a quivering mass of lies, neuroses, and relentless internal chatter. Gregoire Nakobomayo, a petty criminal, has decided to kill his girlfriend Germaine. Heâ€™s planned the crime for some time, but still, the act of murder requires a bit of psychological and logistical preparation. Luckily, he has a mentor to call on, the far more accomplished serial killer Angoualima. The fact that Angoualima is ,dead, doesnâ€™t prevent Gregoire from holding lengthy conversations with him. Little by little, Gregoire interweaves Angoualimaâ€™s life and criminal exploits with his own. Continuing with the plan despite a string of botched attempts, Gregoireâ€™s final shot at offing Germaine leads to an abrupt unraveling. Lauded in France for its fresh and witty style, ,African Psychoâ€™s, inventive use of language surprises and relieves the reader by injecting humor into this disturbing subject.
Fiction,Cultural,Africa,Horror,Mystery,Crime,Literature,African Literature,Literature,Cultural,France,Novels,Literary Fiction,Central Africa,Republic Of The Congo
African Psycho