A review by clarityandchaos
Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth by Wole Soyinka

challenging funny mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.75

This novel by Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka is undeniably a great work. Part family saga, part Crime mystery, mostly caustic satire set in a fictional Nigeria, it's a wide-ranging, ambitious novel about the ills that befall (a) people : corruption, murder, intrigue, success, religion, politics. Still, I didn't quitk connect with it. The pacing of the plot is odd, the prose is unique but at times too ornate. 

What probably prevented me from enjoying it more is also what I most liked about it: I do not know enough about contemporary Nigeria to truly appreciate the levels of this (to me) highly-specific satirical novel about contemporary Nigeria.