INSPIRING NOVELS - HOUSEBOY BY FERDINAND OYONO

HouseBoy is a novel by the late Ferdinand Oyono, who was a diplomat and a writer. The book was initially published in 1956 in the French language as Une vie de Boy. Due to the popularity of the novel, it was translated into English in 1966 by John Reed, an anthologist and translator of African Literature.  The book was written in the form of a diary. 

The story is set in Spanish speaking Guinea, where Toundi, the owner of the diary, is sick and dies in effect. After his death, his supposed diary is obtained by a stranger, who learns about the life of Toundi through these two exercise books. From these books, we learn about Toundi's journey through life, his fascination with the white man and the white man's things, and his journey to Christianity. The novel is set in the colonial era, so it explores the inequalities between the blacks and the whites at the time, and the psychological impact the Whites had on the blacks in Africa. 

This book is critically acclaimed, and one of the most successful books written by a Cameroonian, and even African author. 

Ferdinand Oyono passed away in the year 2010