Description
In a fictitious African nation sliding toward collapse, this novel follows Colonel Martillimi Lopez, a president whose capricious rule turns political life into grotesque spectacle. As corruption, violence, and repression tighten their grip, the country’s citizens are forced to endure humiliation and complicity, watching their world unravel under the dictator’s whims. Blending satire with surreal intensity, the book interrogates how power deforms humanity—and how language itself can become a weapon against despair. Known for his daring linguistic invention and fearless political imagination, Sony Labou Tansi crafts a deranged, unforgettable portrait of a “shameful state” that feels both specific and hauntingly universal. This first English translation, enriched by a foreword by Alain Mabanckou, underscores the novel’s enduring significance and its lasting influence on writers to come.
Available Editions
paperback
Indiana University Press
Published Jan 1, 2016
132 pages
ISBN: 9780253019325
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Details
First Published
1981
Language
eng
Translation
From: fra
Content Warnings
Content and trigger warnings for The Shameful State by Sony Labou Tansi.