The Interpreters
Wole Soyinka · b. 1934 · Nigeria
Why it matters
Young Nigerian intellectuals drift through Lagos after independence, their idealism curdling into disillusionment. Soyinka's only novel, dense and satirical, from Africa's first Nobel laureate in literature.
At a glance
satiremodernistcolonial & postcolonial
Difficulty 8/10slow pace251 pagesNonlinear structure, dense allusion, and an ensemble cast make this notoriously demanding.
Where to go next
Wole Soyinka · 1960A Dance of the ForestsLvl 8Slow burn
Wole Soyinka · 1963The Lion and the JewelLvl 3Fast paced
Wole Soyinka · 1973Season of AnomyLvl 8Slow burn
Wole Soyinka · 1975Death and the King's HorsemanLvl 6Medium pace
Ayi Kwei Armah · 1968The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet BornLvl 6Slow burn
Chinua Achebe · 1958Things Fall ApartLvl 4Medium pace