Little Boys Come from the Stars [Paperback]

Emmanuel Dongala (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 12, 2002

Sardonic, subtle, and sweetly scathing, Little Boys Come from the Stars is satire at its best. Set in an unnamed country in equatorial Africa, it tells the story of Michel, a precocious teen dubbed Matapari (“trouble”) because of his extraordinary birth. Though his father is a reclusive scholar, his mother a pious though confused Catholic, and his uncle a shameless opportunist determined to gain power in the shifting politics of their post-colonial nation, Matapari remains an unsullied child who wears Reeboks, drinks Coke, reads Japanese comics, and watches Rambo. But when his family becomes the nucleus of the revolution for democracy, Matapari proves to be the ideal narrator for this story of violent upheaval and bloody corruption–a voice whose ironic innocence makes bearable and even humorous the awful realities of the world it describes.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As far as the 14-year-old hero of this delightful, satirical African novel is concerned, his small Congolese town is the center of the universe. Precocious and mischievous Matapari--a nickname that means "problem child"--comes of age in a time of tumultuous change, witnessing the uneven results of governmental programs (rigged agricultural fairs, ceremonies and speeches) as well as experiencing the joys of childhood and adolescence (Coca-Cola, his first crush). Young Matapari's father, the village teacher, is a distracted man more interested in reading scholarly journals than in day-to-day issues; his mother's brother, Uncle Boula Boula, is a Party flack who rises through the ranks in the postcolonial years. Matapari's often hilarious first-person narrative affords an honest look at the maneuverings and corruption of adults--revealed particularly through their conversations with children. About halfway through, the book veers onto an extended political track, when the government erupts into turmoil: Boula Boula is arrested and subjected to a lengthy sham trial, and Matapari's father leads an uprising for democracy. A wiser Matapari begins to understand the contradictions of the adult world when new, "democratic" candidates campaign in his town. Though Dongala sometimes wedges historical information and family asides into improbable spots, Matapari is an independent, intelligent and enterprising guide who effectively links a country's coming-of-age with his own. His keen and comic voice is refreshing and will appeal to readers interested in a youthful and contemporary African point of view. (Mar.)Forecast: Dongala, a distinguished novelist from the Congo Republic, was evacuated from his war-torn native country and settled in the U.S. with the help of an international group of writers, including Philip Roth. His dramatic history and the dynamism of this novel should garner lively review attention.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Along with The Fire of Origins, recently published by Lawrence Hill, this novel marks the English-language debut of Congolese writer Dongala. Set against the tumultuous political activity of the Congo Republic over the past 20 years, the story describes the coming of age of a boy named Michel, whose nickname, Matapari, literally means "trouble." Over the course of the loosely structured narrative, we watch Matapari and his country undergo the growing pains of independence while we are also made privy to Dongala's satirical take on the ambition, corruption, violence, and downright idiocy of politics and politicians. This is familiar territory, however. In the tradition of Grass and RushdieDparticularly Midnight's Children, to which this bears a conspicuous resemblanceDDongala aims to swallow and then encapsulate the recent history of his beleaguered nation in the life of a young boy. Yet aside from a few brief moments of lyricism and humor, the writing is dull and the plot not that compelling. In addition, the overly pronounced political criticism may seem patronizing to some readers. Recommended only for African literature collections. [Formerly dean of Brazzaville University in the Congo Republic, Dongala fled his country in 1997 and currently lives and teaches in Massachusetts.DEd.]DHeath Madom, "Library Journal.
-DHeath Madom, "Library Journal"
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Anchor (March 12, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385721226
• ISBN-13: 978-0385721226
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 1.2 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #877,747 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Satire of African Politics, November 1, 2004

By 

A. Ross (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Little Boys Come from the Stars (Paperback)

Written from the comical first-person perspective of a 14-year-old boy in an unnamed Francophone African country (presumably Congo), this is one of the freshest and funniest novels to come out of Africa in recent years. Narrator Matapari is born several days after his twin brothers in mysterious and comical circumstances in 1980, exactly twenty years after his county's independence from France. Raised by his schoolteacher father and devoutly religious mother, he proves to be a precocious and intelligent child, keenly interested in the world around him. Although the family lives in a small village away from the capital, Matapari manages to bear witness to many of his country's crucial events. Through his eyes, the reader is told of his coming of age, but more importantly, the satirical political development of postcolonial Congo.

Matapari's entree to these events is his mother's brother, the shamelessly amoral Uncle Boula Boula, who manages to smooth-talk, fake, and bribe his way into a high echelon position in the pseudo-Marxist government (complete with a cult of personality Comrade President). Boula Boula's position leads to the village being selected as the site for the country's 30th independence celebration. Dongala unsparingly mocks the massive effort and expense laid out to build a huge stadium, an airport, luxury hotel and restaurant, solely for the three day party (predictably, a year later, all of these are crumbling and abandoned). Among the wonderful satirical episodes is one in which the children are assembled in the stadium so that the Great Leader demonstrates his power compared to that of God, and another in which a plan is announced to launch a gold-plated bust of the leader into orbit.

Another excellent episode occurs later, after his uncle has risen to the highest echelon of power. An agricultural fair is set up in order to promote the supplementing of the national diet with canned food (past due products imported from China by the Lebanese). Matapari and his father set up a stand using insects as food, but the top prize is given to Uncle's mistress (the former clerk of the village store). Later, the uncle is accused of treason and his hilarious and yet scary show trial is broadcast on television. This eventually so ires Matapari's father that he inadvertently sparks a popular uprising leading to democracy. Of course, this just provide further material for Dongala's satire of African politics, as the wacky antics continue into the new democratic era. Mixed in with the skewering of African politics are plenty of well-rendered vignettes of growing up, such as his love for Coca-Cola, his crush on the Lebanese merchant's daughter (who is sent away), power struggles with his two brothers, wisdom dispensed by his grandfather, and his intellectual development. An excellent book for those seeking African fiction that entertains as it provides a window into unfamiliar territory.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Politics through an innocent telescope, June 24, 2009

By 

Nguyen Manh Dat "Tom" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Little Boys Come from the Stars (Paperback)

This book is really captivating! I bought this book as one of the summer reading books for my college. Although I am not really a fiction type of person, this book has totally changed my perspectives about political topics and fiction in general. It is funny, personal and interwoven with interesting levels of emotion. Emmanuel Dongala has approached politics through the innocent eyes of Matapari (the main character), who is an unsullied child wearing Reeboks, drinking Coke and reading Japanese comics.

For those out there who by any chance think that politics are dry and boring, this book will give you a break from that- it will make you laugh and contemplate at the same time!