Comrade Papa by GauZ’, translated by Frank Wynne

In his English-language debut, Standing Heavy, Ivoirian-French author GauZ’ wittily explored the modern lives of Ivoirian men in France. In Comrade Papa, recently translated into English by Frank Wynne, he depicts Côte d’Ivoire’s early colonial history through the figure of Dabilly, a white man who leaves France to seek adventure in Africa. Dabilly arrives in the 1880s to a land apparently fraught with peril — another Frenchman tells him at length about all the diseases and critters he must try to avoid — and becomes an important figure in establishing a profitable colony. A quick study of the Anyi language, he liaises with kings to convince them to sign treaties with France. We also follow a young boy born in Amsterdam to Ivoirian Communist parents, sent back to Côte d’Ivoire in the 1970s to learn about his family history while his parents’ marriage is seemingly in turmoil due to his mother’s defection to an Albanianist socialist group.

Don’t let Dabilly’s eloquence fool you: this is a critique of both the colonial history itself and the way it is often obscured through pretty language and whitewashed historical narratives.

The bulk of the book follows Dabilly, from his family home to Alsace and finally in his journeys through Western Africa in the early period of colonization. He is an interesting character; though we are aware that he is the agent of a rapacious, brutal imperial state, carrying out acts that will lead to subjugation and suffering, he is, at least superficially, sympathetic. He’s a little naïve, open to new experiences, and viewed as an oddity by the other Frenchmen for the relationships he forms with the locals. Dabilly’s first-person narration puts a shiny veneer on the actual events, which involve the Frenchmen tricking and threatening and sweet-talking their way into consolidating multiple kingdoms, all for the purposes of making the motherland rich. The style GauZ’ adopts for this narration is immediately recognizable to readers of historical fiction, but don’t let Dabilly’s eloquence fool you: this is a critique of both the colonial history itself and the way it is often obscured through pretty language and whitewashed historical narratives.

On the other hand, the little boy is a straightforwardly charming character, and his chapters are genuinely hilarious. His parents have raised him with a robust Marxist vocabulary, but his understanding of complex political issues is imperfect. He repeats phrases his parents have taught him, but often incorrectly: “accidental” instead of “Occidental”, or, generating an interesting mental image, “the yolk of capitalism”. His misapplication of Marxist theory demonstrates that he is, in fact, a child: he believes that his Ivoirian school is a bastion of Communism, although the principal actually wishes to deradicalize him; encountering television for the first time, he considers it an exemplary proletarian medium. The Marxist rants that come forth from his precocious mouth add levity and humour to the novel. (He considers an airport employee a “class traitor” and expounds on this at length, imagining his father’s pride.) Yet it is also touching to witness him connecting with people in Côte d’Ivoire, forming friendships — and rivalries — that he doesn’t filter through terms like “class warfare” and “lumpenproletariat”. Dabilly’s activities — the consolidation of land and wealth for the French elites — come into contrast with the Marxist views espoused by the boy and his father, creating a historical continuum from the days of early colonization to the boy’s experiences in Côte d’Ivoire.

GauZ’s use of language is particularly impressive here; the writing is evocative and innovative, and Dabilly and the boy are distinguished through the prose style. Frank Wynne’s translation skills must again be praised, as he manages to render the wordplay beautifully in English — no small feat, I must imagine. My second time reviewing GauZ’ for TMR is another success; I sincerely hope to read more of his work in translation in the future.

GauZ’ is an Ivoirian author, journalist and screenwriter. After studying biochemistry, he moved to Paris as an undocumented student, working as a security guard before returning to the Côte d’Ivoire. His debut novel, Standing Heavy, was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize and won the Prix des libraires Gibert Joseph, and was followed by Comrade Papa, which won the 2019 Prix Éthiophile, and Black Manoo. GauZ’ is the editor-in-chief of the satirical economic newspaper News & co, and has written screenplays and documentary films.

Frank Wynne is an award-winning Irish writer and translator from French and Spanish. Over a career spanning more than 20 years, Wynne has translated a wide variety of authors, including Michel Houellebecq, Patrick Modiano, and Emiliano Monge. He has twice been awarded both the Scott Moncrieff Prize for translation from the French and the Premio Valle Inclán for translation from Spanish. Most recently, his translation of Animalia by Jean-Baptiste del Amo won the 2020 Republic of Consciousness Prize.

Publisher: Biblioasis (October 8, 2024)
Paperback 8″ x 5″ | 256 pages
ISBN: 9781771966450

Clementine Oberst

Clementine Oberst is a Ph.D. candidate specializing in television studies. Born and raised in Toronto, she has lived in Montreal and Glasgow and now calls Hamilton home. When she isn't writing her dissertation, Clementine can be found knitting, trying to cultivate a green thumb, and playing with her cats. She loves nothing more than losing herself in a good book. You can connect with her on Instagram @clementinereads.