Under African Skies : Modern African Stories

Rating:
Summary: Great Work
Review: I have always been wary of collections of stories written by multiple authors - I am afraid that they will be lacking in content as the editor attempts to create some sort of image of the type of author he/she is collecting. This is emphatically not the case here.
While I was initially struck by the alien nature of the cultures from which these stories come - I am a Brooklynite through and through - this did not stop me from devouring UNDER AFRICAN SKIES: MODERN AFRICAN STORIES. (Here I feel I should note that I read this book as part of a discussion based seminar this past year I spent at Trinity College. My classmates provided me with great insight, but most of the joy I found in reading this work stemmed from the superb quality and provocative nature of these stories.) Although it would be an over statement to say that every single story in this collection is great, some - including Alexander Kanehgoni's EFFORTLESS TEARS - are among the best short stories I have ever encountered. I say "encountered" and not "read" because you do not simply read many of these stories, you experience them both intellectually and emotionally. Buy this book, let it speak to you - do not be discouraged by cultural barriers - you will not be disappointed.
In a final note, I would like to concur with the "A reader from New York City" that this book should not be read in a single sitting. Each story should be read more than once: there are layers of meaning that simply cannot be grasped without careful reading and re-reading. This is not to say that the work cannot be enjoyed without careful study, but that it becomes more enjoyable the more time you devote to it.

Rating:
Summary: A superb introduction to 20th century African literature.
Review: Mr. Larsen's has skillfully selected a range of stories that covers the breadth of the continent, and of its voices. Each story--all are brief, all are powerful in their way--is preceded by an introduction to the writer and context of the work. The book is not long, but cannot be read at a sitting, not unless you're made of iron. These are unblinking stories of colonial and postcolonial Africa. Buy it for Birago Diop's story alone, or Ken Saro-Wiwa's.