Abstract
N. Martin-Granel — Novels and Oral Traditions, A Review. For literary critics constantly preoccupied with the quest for sources, the only "authentic" African writer is the one who writes what the ancestors dic-tate. Barely a caricature, this myth has, in Eileen Julien's iconoclastic book African Novels and the Question of Orality, been deconstructed down to its evolution-ary or primitivist assumptions. A close reading of a few famous novels on the basis of their "oral intertext" shows that the African novelist is no more naive than other novelists. He is, indeed, the author of his text; he adapts, transposes, manipulates oral genres, as well as any informed critic can do. Although genres may be invented through writing, why would they not also be through reading?
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
