A review by peixinhodeprata
The Masque of Africa: Glimpses of African Belief by V.S. Naipaul

2.0

Interesting, but I have mixed feelings about it. It was meant to be a small portrait of the african beliefs, and how they coexist. The "new" religions, brought by the europeans and muslim traders vs the old engrained beliefs of each country/race/tribe. However, it was very difficult for the author to be impartial, and to actually make an objective evaluation. It was always as if he was contrasting the backward ways of the underdeloped with the promise of what they could be.
Africa is in no way perfect, and I am sure it faces many challenges (even though I have never been there, I watch the news and have read several other books about the continent), but I am unsure that it deserves such a harsh description.
Another thing that annoyed me somewhat was the fact that Naipaul was carried all the way by people that really took good care of him, and he always was severely unprepared to every situation (oh, I knew that when visiting the witchdoctor we should bring some offering, but I thought this was just a preliminary hearing so I did not have any money/schnapps/offer, I'm glad my chapperon took care of it - that happened in almost every country. One could assume that after the first time, one would learn...)
Not a bad book, but too judgemental for me at this point.