Batouala (1922)

Batouala is a novel written by French author Ren����� Maran and published in 1921. It is considered one of the first African novels written in French and is a seminal work in African literature. The novel tells the story of Batouala, a tribal chief in the French Congo, and his struggle to maintain his traditional way of life in the face of European colonization. The book is written in a poetic and lyrical style, and Maran uses vivid descriptions to bring the landscape and characters to life. Through Batouala's story, Maran explores themes of colonialism, cultural identity, and the clash between traditional and modern ways of life. The novel was awarded the prestigious Prix Goncourt in 1921, making Maran the first black author to win the award. Today, Batouala is considered a classic of African literature and an important work in the canon of French literature.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Rene Maran was the first black writer to win the renowned French literary prize, the Prix Goncourt. He was born in Martinique and spent many years of his early childhood in Africa. After receiving his formal education in France, he joined the French colonial service and spent over twenty years in Black Africa. Batouala was born out of this experience, and was first published in French in 1921. This translation is, however, based upon the franker 1938 edition. He wrote seven other books including Le Livre de la Brousse (1934) and an autobiographical novel Un Homme pareil aux autres. He died in 1960.