Overview

After answering a classified ad placed by an import-export company looking for energetic young men willing to take on responsibilities for its African branches--no diploma required--Victor finds himself on The Will of God, a dilapidated boat heading into the heart of darkness as even Conrad couldn't have imagined. With the piquant mixture of hilarity and painful disenchantment characterizing Paule Constant's vision of the "colonial novel," White Spirit follows three innocents--Victor; Lola, a mulatto prostitute; and Alexis, who does not know he's a monkey--as they negotiate the perverse system of desires and hatreds on an African banana plantation.

Selling what no one wants or needs, Victor takes delivery of a barrel of mysterious powder promptly christened "white spirit" for its ability to bleach the black arms of the workers handling the shipment. To become whiter and worthier of love, Lola buys some--and then the rest vanishes. In this nightmarish Africa where colonized and colonizers have each other in a stranglehold, the "white spirit" unleashes an obsession that merges whiteness with a return to paradise--an obsession that can only end in catastrophe. Through it all, with her characteristic caustic language, fierce irony, and enormous tenderness for human frailty, Constant portrays the ridiculous without ridicule--and, miraculously, sparks a light of hope in the midst of the torment and suffering.


ISBN-13

9780803264410

ISBN-10

0803264410

Weight

0.50 Pounds

Dimensions

5.50 x 0.40 x 8.50 In

List Price

$19.95

Edition

1st Edition

Format

Paperback

Language

English

Pages

182 pages

Publisher

Bison Books

Published On

2006-04-01



View All Offers

Sort by:

Condition
Seller
Seller Comments
Price
Used, Very Good
Seller details
HPB-Movies
★★★★★

Dallas, TX, USA

Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and ...
$14.98

 Free delivery by: 05 Apr 2026

Used, Like New
Seller details
GreatBookPrices-
★★★★☆

Columbia, MD, USA

100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition. We offer expedited shipping to all US locat...
$26.93

 Free delivery by: 05 Apr 2026

Used, Good
Seller details
Bonita
★★★★☆

Santa Clarita, CA, USA

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items. May be an ex-library book.
$26.94

 Free delivery by: 05 Apr 2026


Bookstores.com relies on cookies to improve your experience.