The Poor Christ of Bomba (1956)

The Poor Christ of Bomba is the second novel and the first published under the pseudonym Mongo Beti (the first, Cruel City, had been signed Eza Boto). This biting satire tells the story of Father Drumont, a Catholic missionary who lands in Cameroon to “civilize” the Natives, and his naive cook who narrates their descent into colonial hell.

Beneath the sharp humor lies a violent verdict: the colonial discourse conceals violence inflicted on the bodies and souls of the colonized. The novel immediately caused a scandal upon its publication and was banned in Cameroon.

Sources

1. « Mongo Beti », Encyclopédie Universalis, https://www.universalis.fr/encyclopedie/mongo-beti/
2. African Studies Centre Leiden, « Mongo Beti dossier », https://www.ascleiden.nl/content/webdossiers/mongo-beti
3. Open Library, https://openlibrary.org/works/OL740308W