My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (novel)
Encyclopedia
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts is a novel by Africa
n writer Amos Tutuola
from Nigeria published in 1954.
This novel recounts the fate of mortals who stray into the world of ghosts. The 'bush' is in the heart of the tropical forest, an impenetrable thicket left even after the rest of the forest is cleared for cultivation. Here, as every hunter and traveler knows, mortals venture at great peril, and it is here that a small boy is left alone.
The album My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
by David Byrne
and Brian Eno
was named after the book.
The book is written in english, but the grammar is highly modified and seems to represent the description of the external world from a distinctly uneducated and unlearned viewpoint, that of a lost 5 year old boy running into the bush from his village being destroyed. Mr. Tutuola's english at the time of writing was excellent so this is a clearly designed and purposefully used literary device.
The story is not one unbroken narrative, as other stories also appear out of sequence.
Many of the stories have the qualities of children's tales but with nightmarish or gruesome elements, similiar to Grimm's Fairy Tales
.
His earlier work, The Palm-Wine Drinkard
is arguably related as both books are heavily metaphorical and autobiographical.
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n writer Amos Tutuola
Amos Tutuola
Amos Tutuola was a Nigerian writer famous for his books based in part on Yoruba folk-tales.- Early history :Tutuola was born in Abeokuta, Nigeria, in 1920, where his parents Charles and Esther were Yoruba Christian cocoa farmers. When about 7 years old, he became a servant for F.O...
from Nigeria published in 1954.
This novel recounts the fate of mortals who stray into the world of ghosts. The 'bush' is in the heart of the tropical forest, an impenetrable thicket left even after the rest of the forest is cleared for cultivation. Here, as every hunter and traveler knows, mortals venture at great peril, and it is here that a small boy is left alone.
The album My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (album)
The album was recorded entirely with analogue technology, before the advent of digital sequencing and MIDI. The sampled voices were synchronized with the instrumental tracks via trial and error, a practice that was often frustrating, but which also produced several happy accidents.Also according to...
by David Byrne
David Byrne
David Byrne may refer to:*David Byrne , musician and former Talking Heads frontman**David Byrne , his eponymous album*David Byrne , Irish footballer*David Byrne , English footballer...
and Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
was named after the book.
The book is written in english, but the grammar is highly modified and seems to represent the description of the external world from a distinctly uneducated and unlearned viewpoint, that of a lost 5 year old boy running into the bush from his village being destroyed. Mr. Tutuola's english at the time of writing was excellent so this is a clearly designed and purposefully used literary device.
The story is not one unbroken narrative, as other stories also appear out of sequence.
Many of the stories have the qualities of children's tales but with nightmarish or gruesome elements, similiar to Grimm's Fairy Tales
Grimm's Fairy Tales
Children's and Household Tales is a collection of German origin fairy tales first published in 1812 by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, the Brothers Grimm. The collection is commonly known today as Grimms' Fairy Tales .-Composition:...
.
His earlier work, The Palm-Wine Drinkard
The Palm-Wine Drinkard
The Palm-Wine Drinkard is often considered the seminal work of modern African literature. It gained Nigerian writer Amos Tutuola acclaim in the West and criticism at home...
is arguably related as both books are heavily metaphorical and autobiographical.