Writing in an informal and episodic style, Bernard Dadie recounts a West African man's first journey to France, from the exhilarating moment when he obtains his ticket through a humorous and fascinating tour across the City of Light.

In 1959, when Un Negre a Paris first appeared, the French still held West Africa under colonial rule. Dadie's subtle parodies draw on intimate knowledge obtained over decades spent observing the colonizers abroad and now, suddenly, on their own home terrain. His remarks on Parisian living conditions, wordplay, manners, and and morals are entertaining and poignant, charming yet profound.

In 1959, when Un Ngre Paris first appeared, the French still held West Africa under colonial rule. Dadie's observations and subtle parodies of Parisian manners and morals are entertaining and poignant, charming yet profound.

About the Author
Bernard Dadie (1916-2019) was an Ivorian novelist, playwright, poet, government administrator, and figure in Cote d'Ivoire's independence movement. His many works include An African in Paris and The Black Cloth: A Collection of African Folktales. Karen C. Hatch is a professor of English at California State University Chico. She is the translator of Dadie's novel Climbie, and a collection of his folktales, La Pagne Noir.

Reviews
"These travel reports present a vision of France through the eyes of a naive traveler, whose irony, humor, and quality of observation remind me very much of Montesquieu's Lettres Persanes."--Elisabeth Mudimbe-Boyi, Duke University



Book Information
ISBN 9780252064074
Author Bernard Dadie
Format Paperback
Page Count 184
Imprint University of Illinois Press
Publisher University of Illinois Press
Weight(grams) 313g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 13mm