The Suns of Independence. Ahmadou Kourouma

by Ahmadou Kourouma

Book Overview

Enables reader to gain insight into African culture and conflicts. Through Fama and Salimata, the husband and wife at the heart of the story, this book conveys the confusion that torments many Africans when a traditional and materialistic culture collide. It captures the struggles, desires, and dreams of a people in a West African country.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0841907471
• ISBN13: 9780841907478
• Release Date: July 1981
• Publisher: Africana
• Length: 136 Pages
• Weight: 0.43 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A Classic Novel Of NEO-Colonial Africa

The primus independence of many of the African countries was betrayed again by those who colonized her. Setting up the governments with African officials who were only cover-ups for their European masters. The time which Kourouma writes about in "THE SUNS OF INDEPENDENCE" is Neo-colonial for this reason, to refer to it as post-colonial implys that it is no longer colonized and it obviously is in the novel. The protagonist in his first novel, like that of his second (Monnew), is somewhat of an anti-hero of royalty. He curses the French and the recent indepence even moreso claiming that he would rather have existed in colonial times (13). By showing us the absurdities of both the colonizers and some of the kings they deprived Kourouma points to the more humane way of running a country. Like in "Monnew" Kourouma captures the African female in all of her glory with the female protagonist Salimata. The strength of her character is incredible and inspiring to examine. By dealing with the idea of female oppression (in terms of genital mutilation and many other forms) Kourouma points out that they are the true heroes of Africa growing in fertility among the oppression of the colonizers as well as the men they loved and cared for. "THE SUNS OF INDEPENDENCE" comes highly recommended as a literary masterpiece. A novel, unfortunately like many of the African greats, that is highly under read by incredibly valuable as a work of art ready for consumption.

A classic novel of post-colonial Africa

This is an excellent novel that poses some tough questions. What future awaits African nations? Are African peoples doomed to corruption and oblivion by their unfortunate encounters with European colonization? Is it possible for ancient tradition to coexist with modern values? The answers, according to Kourouma, appear none too optimistic. His hero, Fama Dumbuya, stubbornly resists corruption of his personal mores by the new ideas that have transformed his society. Although he is usually cantankerous and disagreable, he is also devout, often funny, and always tries to do the right thing. But he can never reconcile his past and his upbringing with the modern world, and in the end he fails to find an equilibrium; he even fails to leave behind any offspring that might bring hope for the future.Kourouma's narrative is especially powerful when he deals with Fama's wife Salimata, whose past is a psychological minefield of female genital mutilation, exploitation and abuse. Salimata is one of the most memorable characters in African literature. Like her husband, she struggles admirably to negotiate a way in the world, but also like him she can't rise above the muck that's holding her down. Things have fallen apart; the center did not hold. As discouraging as it might be, "The Suns of Independence" is still an expertly crafted novel which forces its readers to examine the pitfalls facing modern African societies. You might disagree with the author's pessimism, but you can only credit his storytelling ability.

A classic novel of post-colonial Africa

This book's title, "Les Soleils des Independences," is French for "the suns of the independences," which doesn't make much sense on the surface. The true meaning might be initially hidden from the reader, but it becomes clear as Kourouma's narrative progresses. This is a story about Africa's post-colonial era, its excesses and abuses, as experienced by one African man, Fama Doumbouya, in the fictional land of the Ebony Coast. The "suns" of the title refer to a time or an era: they come in the wake of the "suns of Samory" (an anti-colonial resistance leader of the 1800s) and the "suns of the whites" or colonialism.The plot has no sweeping historical scope, but through a brief period in Fama's life the reader can view the changes that have taken place during his lifetime both in his community and his country as a whole. The most gripping sections deal with Fama's wife Salimata, who has yet to bear him a child and who endures both the scorn of her neighbors and her own self-doubt because of her "barrenness." Passages dealing with her girlhood, with female genital mutilation and with sexual abuse, are simply overpowering."Les Soleils des Independences" deals with politics and history, but it's at its best when it provides a window into individual lives. Kourouma's novel has become a classic in African literature because he gets the details, as well as the big picture, exactly right.