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Devil on the Cross
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Devil on the Cross Paperback - 2017

by Ngugi Wa Thiong'o; Introduction by Namwali Serpell; Chinua Achebe (Editor)


Summary

The latest addition to the Penguin African Writers Series: the great Kenyan writer Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s powerful fictional critique of capitalism

One of the cornerstones of Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s fame, Devil on the Cross was written in secret, on toilet paper, while Ngugi was in prison. It tells the tragic story of Wariinga, a young woman who moves from a rural Kenyan town to the capital, Nairobi, only to be exploited by her boss and later by a corrupt businessman. As she struggles to survive, Wariinga begins to realize that her problems are only symptoms of a larger societal malaise and that much of the misfortune stems from the Western, capitalist influences on her country. An impassioned cry for a Kenya free of dictatorship and for African writers to work in their own local dialects, Devil on the Cross has had a profound influence on Africa and on post-colonial African literature.

From the publisher

The great Kenyan writer and Nobel Prize nominee's novel that he wrote in secret, on toilet paper, while in prison--featuring an introduction by Namwali Serpell, the author of the novel The Old Drift

One of the cornerstones of Ng?g? wa Thiong'o's fame, Devil on the Cross is a powerful fictional critique of capitalism. It tells the tragic story of Wariinga, a young woman who moves from a rural Kenyan town to the capital, Nairobi, only to be exploited by her boss and later by a corrupt businessman. As she struggles to survive, Wariinga begins to realize that her problems are only symptoms of a larger societal malaise and that much of the misfortune stems from the Western, capitalist influences on her country. An impassioned cry for a Kenya free of dictatorship and for African writers to work in their own local dialects, Devil on the Cross has had a profound influence on Africa and on post-colonial African literature. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Details

  • Title Devil on the Cross
  • Author Ngugi Wa Thiong'o; Introduction by Namwali Serpell; Chinua Achebe (Editor)
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition International Ed
  • Pages 320
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Penguin Group
  • Date 2017-04-11
  • ISBN 9780143107361 / 0143107364
  • Weight 0.5 lbs (0.23 kg)
  • Dimensions 7.6 x 5 x 0.6 in (19.30 x 12.70 x 1.52 cm)
  • Ages 18 to UP years
  • Grade levels 13 - UP
  • Library of Congress subjects FICTION / Literary, FICTION / Classics
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2016048361
  • Dewey Decimal Code 896.395

Media reviews

“One of our century’s great novels.” Tribune
 
“Ngugi is the most celebrated of African novelists.  What he offers is nothing less than a new direction for African writing.” British Book News  
 
“Striking.” The Guardian

About the author

Ng?g? wa Thiong'o is an award-winning novelist, playwright, and essayist from Kenya whose novels have been translated into more than thirty languages. He is Distinguished Professor of English at the University of California, Irvine. He lives in Irvine, California. Namwali Serpell (introducer) has won the Windham-Campbell Prize, the Caine Prize for African Writing, and the Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers' Award. The author of the novel The Old Drift, she was born in Zambia and now lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she is a professor of English at Harvard.
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Devil on the Cross (Penguin African Writers Series)

by Ngugi wa Thiong'o

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by wa Thiong'o, Ngugi; Achebe, Chinua [Series Editor]; Serpell, Namwali [Introduction];

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Devil on the Cross (Penguin African Writers Series)

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