Picked this up as the book followed The Famished Road and I had, after The Famished Road, got used to living with Azaro and his mother, father, the blind man, Madam Koto. Thrilling imagery again. At the end the ghastly description of Azaro’s friend’s carpenter father’s body stays with you. Again the sham of political campaigning hits you – as Madam Koto grows larger with corruption and her political affiliations. Eternally pregnant, she’s sometimes beautiful and sometimes horrifying. Dead butterflies, dead carpenters… The book takes you again to its imaginary fantasy land and doesn’t quite leave you alone until you’ve reached the last page. Am looking forward to my next Ben Okri.
