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This earth, my brother
an allegorical tale of Africa.
First published 1971 · 232 pages
An experimental prose poem that fractures reality to explore the rot and renewal of a new nation through dense, mystical allegory.
What it feels like
Reading this experimental novel feels like navigating a vivid, dual-layered dreamscape. On the surface, it moves with the grounded rhythm of a single day in the life of an attorney, but beneath that lies a meandering, symbol-laden mystical journey. The prose functions as a dense poem, rich with biblical and literary allusions that demand slow, contemplative reading. It immerses the reader in an atmosphere that is both mythic and surreal, grappling with the heavy, intertwined forces of rot and renewal. The narrative's allegorical weight creates a deeply reflective mood, exploring the complex foundations of a new nation. It will delight readers who crave challenging, lyrical fiction that blurs the line between mundane reality and profound, visionary allegory.
- Mood
- surreal
- mythic
- reflective
- Tone
- allegorical
- poetic
- mystical
- contemplative
- Pace
- meandering
- Themes
- rot and renewal · national identity · duality of reality · foundations of a nation
- The writing
- Experimental and lyrical, functioning as a dense prose poem rich with biblical and literary allusions.
- The arc
- The journey shifts from the grounded routine of a single day into a profound, mystical contemplation of a nation's complex birth.
- Who it's for
- Readers who savor experimental, symbol-heavy literature and allegorical explorations of post-colonial identity.
Content notes
- imagery of rot and decay
About the book
An experimental novel which the author has described as a "prose poem." In it, Awoonor tells a story on two levels, each representing a distinct reality. The first level is a standard narrative which details a day in the life an attorney named Amamu. On another level, it is a symbol-laden mystical journey filled with biblical and literary allusions. These portions of the text deal with the new nation of Ghana, which is represented by a baby on a dunghill. The dunghill is a source of both rot and renewal, and in this way represents the foundations upon which Ghana was built, according to Awoonor.
Description from Open Library.
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