A Long Way from Douala

A Long Way from Douala is a novel written by Cameroonian writer Max Lobe and translated by Ros Schwartz. It was published by Other Press in 2021. Originally published as Loin de Douala in 2018, it tells the story of Jean Moussima Bobé who journeyed with his best friend to find his elder brother.

A Long Way from Douala
AuthorMax Lobe
TranslatorRos Schwartz
CountryCameroon
LanguageEnglish
SubjectComing of age
GenreLiterary fiction
PublisherOther Press
Publication date
26 October 2021
Media type
  • Paperback
  • e-Book
Pages208 (paperback)
ISBN978-1-63542-174-3 paperback

Background

The book was originally published in French in 2018[1] and translated by Ros Schwartz in 2021. It is Lobe's first novel to be translated into English.[2][3] In an interview with European Literature Network, Schwartz noted that her translation for Lobe's story in Words Without Border and Fatou Diome's The Belly of the Atlantic could be reasons for contracting her to translate the book.[4]

Plot

The story follows Jean Moussima Bobé, a student University of Douala, who sets off with his best friend, Simon, to find his older brother, Roger who went to Europe to achieve his football dream. Unknown to Simon, Jean had a crush on him. On their way, they met Gazelle, a human trafficker and an insultive female police inspector.

Themes

Themes in the novel include terrorism, child abuse, authoritarianism, migration and homophobia.[5][6]

Style

Lobe deployed the use Camfranglais in conveying words in order to bring in the familiarity of travelling locally.[5]

Reception

Kirkus Reviews called it "[a]n entertaining, decidedly offbeat coming-of-age story."[7] It was listed in Brittle Paper's Notable Books of 2021 [8]

References
  1. "Max Lobe's book A Long Way From Doula receiving praise". Black Star News. 28 August 2021.
  2. Sackton, Laura (25 April 2022). "20 must-read queer novels set outside the U.S., UK and Canada". Book Riot. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  3. Tarng, Tammy (27 September 2021). "Globetrotting". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  4. Schwartz, Ros (14 July 2020). "French Book Week: Better tu fais ça! Interview with Ros Schwartz". European Literature Network (Interview). Interviewed by Steven Wyss. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  5. Wyss, Susi (16 November 2021). "A Long Way from Douala: A Novel". Washington Independent Review of Books. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  6. The Africa Report (26 August 2021). "Africa in September: Art competitions, Kenya's export market, tourism..." The Africa Report. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  7. "The Long Way From Douala". Kirkus Reviews. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  8. "50 Notable African Books of 2021". Brittle Paper. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
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