Reviews

Simbi and the Satyr of the Dark Jungle by Amos Tutuola

droar's review against another edition

3.0

I can't say I loved this book wildly but I did laugh at several sections & certainly enjoyed discussing it! I have no prior grounding in Tutuola's works & knew very little going in (so much so that I stopped after the first chapter to see if I'd gotten a strange translation) buuut after reading a bit about his other works & style I jumped back in. It wasn't exactly enjoyable to read (I was in a bit of a rush to finish & never really caught the rhythm) but I think a good audio book version would have been delightful! We had fun conjecturing wildly on possible textual readings at bookclub

Spoiler

are they all dead once they start heading down the path of death? is this a Euridice/Orpheus kind of deal? is the snake/gnome Oshunmare linking the mundane world (through Simbi) with the the mythical world?

& the book/discussion sparked my interesting in reading up on Yoruba folk tales & mythology, so that's always nice! Recommended for fans of folktales & allegorically feeling narration, especially if you can find a good audio book option.

bookwomble's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0