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Black Mischief (Hardcover)

"'We, Seth, Emperor of Azania, Chief of the Chiefs of Sakuyu, Lord of Wanda and Tyrant of the Seas, Bachelor of the Arts of Oxford..." (more)
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 014188567X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0141885674
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 4,216,152 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Synopsis

'We are Progress and the New Age. Nothing can stand in our way.' When Oxford-educated Emperor Seth succeeds to the throne of the African state of Azania, he has a tough job on his hands. His subjects are ill-informed and unruly, and corruption, double-dealing and bloodshed are rife. However, with the aid if Minister of Modernization Basil Seal, Seth plans to introduce his people to the civilized ways of the west - but will it be as simple as that?
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First Sentence
'We, Seth, Emperor of Azania, Chief of the Chiefs of Sakuyu, Lord of Wanda and Tyrant of the Seas, Bachelor of the Arts of Oxford University, being in this the twenty-fourth year of our life, summoned by the wisdom of Almighty God and the unanimous voice of our people to the throne of our ancestors, do hereby proclaim . . .' Seth paused in his dictation and gazed out across the harbour where in the fresh breeze of early morning the last dhow was setting sail for the open sea. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

6 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.8 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Waugh, 9 July 2001
By Stuart M. Wilder (Doylestown, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Black Mischief (Penguin Modern Classics) (Paperback)
I thought about this book and Waugh's other comic African novel, "Scoop," after reading Michela Wrong's "Looking for Mr. Kurtz." While most of the news arising from sub-Saharan Africa today is tragic, behind these stories are tales that would be comic if not for their horrible endings. In "Black Mischief," Waugh tells the tale of a mythical African king whose English university education instills in him the desire to hammer the values and ethics of his nation into Western molds. He seeks the aid of a university classmate, Basil Seal, but Seal, upon his arrival, finds himself in the middle of a civil war. While the characters and dialogue seem drawn from a cartoon, and upon a superficial reading, racist, they ultimately ring true, and even at times compassionate, especially when measured against events in central Africa in the past ten years. Do not read this book though for a lesson in political science. It's a grand romp, and a sure page turner.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Spoof on 'civilised colonialism' and 'native barbarity', 22 April 2002
This review is from: Black Mischief (Penguin Modern Classics) (Paperback)
Waugh transfers his deadly wit and insight from the vacuuous parties of the youthful London society to the African Jungle with disastrous and hugely amusing results. Waugh manages to parody the eccentricities of the English, the French and tribal Africans in a magnificient muddle that makes the wild jungle look tame. Be prepared for Waugh's trademark combination of pathos and hilarity; this book makes you rock with laughter before you fully realise the horrific situations that a typically unmerciful Waugh is making you laugh at. A fantastic insight into our very worst fears of colonial consequences.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Carry on Azania, 14 July 2009
By K. J. Woods (johnstone) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Black Mischief (Penguin Modern Classics) (Paperback)
On the back of this is a quote from the times literary supplement describing it as outrageously funny, but despite this it is in parts actually humorous, it also includes at various points, a revolution, some camels, people living in a car, a con artist, chain letters, cannibalism and Gilbert and Sullivan. Imagine Carry On meets diet Palahniuk and you might be close to this "classic" novel. Ideal for those who think Waugh is all upper class boredom and fannying about in stately homes. If you have some time to kill pick this up you won't be disappointed, well unless you think James Patterson is the greatest writer ever in which case why exactly are you reading this review.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars SIMILAR SCENARIO TO SCOOP
I found Black Mischief an enjoyable read.It is nice to read politically incorrect statements about Africa and Africans without causing offence or being offensive. Read more
Published 6 days ago by bibliophile

5.0 out of 5 stars The funniest opening chapter in fiction
Waugh is wickedly, mercilessly amoral; the horror in his books is the blank hollow indifference to his characters' fates at the core. Read more
Published on 7 Dec 2007 by Niall MacKay

1.0 out of 5 stars Great author. Dreadful novel.
I thought this was a terrible book. All political considerations aside (as far as one ever can do that), this is a badly written, unfunny and over-long novel from a novelist whom... Read more
Published on 27 May 2003 by Lovborg

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