The Case of the Criminal Walk and Other Stories

by Hama Tuma

Stories from Ethiopia where the reality is more astonishing than fiction "The Case of the Criminal Walk and Other Stories" presents a collection of short stories by Ethiopian writer Hama Tuma. As one reviewer put it, the stories of Hama Tuma ' give a voice to the plight of the ordinary people, tackling the themes of the tragedy of the Ethiopian people as a whole, including corruption and poverty, contrasted with the strength of the human spirit'. These are tales of a City on the one hand and that of a nation and a people on the other. As the famous Kenyan writer, Ngugi Wa Thiongo, put it in a review of Hama Tuma's earlier book, "The Case of the Socialist Witchdoctor and other Stories," Hama Tuma continues to "brilliantly capture the contradictions that make up the real Ethiopia of the twentieth century." In Ethiopia, the tragedy continues despite change of government and Hama Tuma delves into the tormented souls of his compatriots to highlight not only the suffering but also the hope and optimism that makes the living, however hard the struggle, tolerable and worthy.

180 pages, Paperback

First published May 12, 2006

Reviews

[Africa BookChallenge]

The latest entry for The Africa Book Challenge, The Case of the Criminal Walk and Other Stories by Hama Tuma for Ethiopia is now available.

Click on the URL on the profile page to learn more about this collection of stories depicting the contemporary way of life in Ethiopia that has been shaped both by ancient customs and modern politics.

[Paul Taylor]

A nihilist and visceral examination of Ethiopian life.

[David Ratner]

Excellent collection of short stories. Tuma's style is sharp as a razor. Nothing human is too shameful or disgraceful for him to write about. And that's what makes tuma so special, IMHO.
What "the case of the socialist..." did to the Mengistu regime, this collection does to the current regime. A great read.