READING IDEAS FOR THE WEEK

Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth by Wole Soyinka, Bloomsbury £9.99

Aprolific poet, playwright and activist, and winner of a Nobel Prize for literature, Wole Soyinka delivers his first novel in nearly five decades. Chronicles is a vast and vicious indictment of Nigeria’s socio-political climate that could only have come from a writer with Soyinka’s experience and tenacity.

The book is set in a vivid yet fictional Nigeria, which resonates deeply with contemporary reality and is littered with knowledge about Yoruba culture. Through his storytelling, Soyinka chronicles the traumatic and widespread effects of colonialism, tribalism, elitism and exploitation on his nation.

Each narrative thread, whether concerned with the domestic, the political or the spiritual domain, highlights the toxicity of corruption and greed. For example, the first character we meet is the self-made spiritual guide “Papa Divine”, whose ecumenical pursuits see him preaching “Chrislam” to his “seekers” from a lit-up turn-table for a hefty fee. Soyinka picks apart the societal façade to expose a network of fraudulent identities and organisations.

Beyond its satirical purpose, Chronicles doubles as a dark and riveting detective thriller. At the centre are four friends who met at University in England and branded themselves the “Gong of Four”. Years later one of the four, a surgeon named Doctor Menka, discovers that body parts are being sold from his hospital for macabre ritualistic purposes.

When Menka reaches out to another member of the “Gong”, accomplished engineer and royal family member Duyole Pitan-Payne, tragedy ensues. Soyinka aims to unsettle and he succeeds. However, relief comes in the form of his devilishly wry humour. There are clownish side characters, timely nods to pop culture and puns galore.

The style is very distinctive, with long descriptive sentences and elaborate, interweaving plotlines. Soyinka utilizes a myriad of complex characters and a non-linear structure that spawls in every direction and spans over 400 pages.

The result is a meandering, often disorganised text, full of intricacies and whimsy. This can make for a challenging read, especially for someone who has no pre-existing knowledge of Nigerian politics and culture.

Chronicles may not be an overly accessible novel, but it is a powerful one. Soyinka laments his homeland, but he also holds up a mirror to the irreparable corruptness of much of today’s society. As Pitan-Payne contemplates: “Something is broken. Beyond Race. Outside colour or history. Something has cracked. Can’t be put back together.”