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Scarlet Song

Mariama Bâ,

Dorothy S Blair (Translator)

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Jul 05, 2020 Nina ( picturetalk321 ) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-litfic, author-ofcolour, world-senegal, transl-french, author-woman, in-german, z-read-gelesen-2020, a-reviewed, theme-het, genre-fiction

Bâ died in Dakar, Senegal, in 1981. She had 9 children. The book was published post-humously in 1982 as Le Chant écarlate. English title: Scarlet Song. I read it in German, translated by Irmgard Rathke (1982 -- quick work!). The author spoke Wolof; the publication in French speaks of colonial history.

The novel starts slow and sweet, an erotic and love awakening of two young students in Dakar in the 1960s. But the course of love and so forth, and here the differences are not Montagu and Capulet b Bâ died in Dakar, Senegal, in 1981. She had 9 children. The book was published post-humously in 1982 as Le Chant écarlate. English title: Scarlet Song. I read it in German, translated by Irmgard Rathke (1982 -- quick work!). The author spoke Wolof; the publication in French speaks of colonial history.

The novel starts slow and sweet, an erotic and love awakening of two young students in Dakar in the 1960s. But the course of love and so forth, and here the differences are not Montagu and Capulet but black Wolof and white French. Both families vehemently oppose the union but the lovers prevail, on the way engaging in the 1968 student revolts in Paris and Dakar which latter are perfunctorily described.

But things do not go well. I am on my phone and don't know how to activate the spoiler function;suffice it to say that cultural differences intervene, a mixed-race child is born, and towards the end, after meandering at a steady pace, sudden deus ex machina violence erupts.

What I liked was the relatable visceral description of jealousy (romantic, maternal) which the author rightly mentions as transcending black or white; the insight into a way of life in Dakar suburbs, including many Wolof words (helpfully translated and explained in footnotes in my edition; somewhat othering but helpful) to denote clothing, foods, ceremonies and roles; the unobtrusive introduction of witchcraft; and the highlight: the extensive lavish description of a wedding and a Muslim / Wolof baptism.

What I struggled with: the ending; the use of the words 'Neger' and 'Negerin' (I am assuming that the French has 'nègre' and I don't know enough about 1970s discourses of 'nègritude' to make an informed comment; it is interesting how historically recent the use of these denominations by an African author are); the frequent use of dialogue to deliver nuanced but polemic and lecture-like points and the resulting emotional lack -- in being objective and describing all sides, the novel ended up not gripping me with nor making me love or hate any of the characters.

I bought this second-hand in the wonderful Antiquariat Hatry in Heidelberg for €1.50.

Format: Paperback in Fischer's series Woman in Society. Both series title (women's movement-ploitation), cover design by Susanne Berner, left-justified small headings, tiny typeface (uncredited) and minimal leading are very German-1980s-publishing style. Cover has a weave-like texture; spine is floppy.

Chosen to read in my personal quest for non-Anglophone literatures of the world. #womenintranslation #diversifytheclassics ...more

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Oct 06, 2008 Jennifer rated it liked it

Shelves: francophone-literature

If you haven't read "Such a long letter" by Ba, I would recommend that over this. This is good, but the other is much stronger. ...more

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Jul 03, 2009 Andrea marked it as to-read

Jun 01, 2017 Juliana Philippa marked it as to-read

Jan 21, 2021 Rachel Shields Ebersole marked it as to-read

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