Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth

"The judge had the temerity to sentence him for some arcane crime called 'mail fraud'. Yet the whole world knew that Divine's crime was simply that he mobilized his fellow slave descendants to demand that they be repatriated to their continent of origin and that the government of white slaveowners pay their passage home and even pay compensation for generations of enslavement. No one could obscure that truth."

Trigger warning: cannibalism, rape, violence.

The story weaves between four main characters in a non-linear timeline, outlining their histories and how they link together. The book covers cultural phenomenons, corruption, traditional Yoruba culture and explores the varying experiences fuelled by different laws in parts of the country. During the novel, he writes for one of his characters "all shit may smell different, but it still smells" and this sentiment runs true throughout the tale, with seemingly no bad deed going unnoticed or without consequence.

Wole Soyinka's scathing political satire of an imaginary Nigeria turned detective novel is absolutely breath-taking. Despite being the first novel he's released since 1973, his writing is rich and filled with description, successfully deploying multiple corresponding storylines. He gives a nice little shock twist at the end to keep the reader guessing until the very last minute, as well as little 'hooks' to engage the reader during the denser parts.It is not an easy read, but the 'chronicles' are worth persevering through to learn more about the Land of the Happiest People on Earth.

The Nobel prize winning author's plot is complex. There are a lot of characters who use multiple nicknames, there is in-depth analysis linked to specifically Nigerian history and profound moments of reflection and consideration not often seen in novels. Perhaps possible due to the size of the book, or from the years spent writing the book. Either way, it's powerful.

I can't do the book justice with a simple review, but I greatly enjoyed it and encourage others who wish to break out of their comfort zone and experience and something different to get their hands on the book.

5 ./5, I absolutely can't wait to dig into more of Soyinka's writing in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.