Bøger af Roy Heath

Reprint. Originally published: London: Allison & Busby, 1978.

Having begun life as Guyanan village idiot, Kwaku Cholmondeley quickly learned that he was perfect for the part: "A quick look round at his fellow men convinced him that there was much protection in idiocy, and that intelligence was like the plimpla palm, bearer of good fruit but afflicted with thorns". But Kwaku still retains his childhood dreams of a glorious destiny and decides to set off on a search for the ideal wife, the perfect job and the easy life. Roy Heath's brilliantly conceived and hugely enjoyable story follows his trials and tribulations as Kwaku, part conman and part holy fool, fanatically hustles and schemes his way to happiness, rising up and then being brought low by his joyously unbuttoned lip.

Kwaku is back; a small-time chiseller and ineffective healer in a village in Guyana but now down in the dumps: his wife has gone blind, his twin sons brutalize him, he is toppled from his perch as a healer and becomes once again the laughing stock of all and sundry. But fate intervenes, and Kwaku's fortunes are resurrected as he makes his way to Georgetown to become a dealer in 'antique' chamber pots. With a recommendation and some borrowed cash from an old woman whose son has become a government minister, he embarks on an odyssey in search of riches, only to find himself a lowly servant of the corrupt minister who steals his ideas and sends him on demeaning errands designed to further the minister's financial scams, sexual peccadillos and political intrigues. Kwaku now faces the dilemma of going under - the fate of so many who migrate from the country to the town - or adapting his character to suit his urban existence. What distinguishes this novel is the closely observed psychological metamorphosis of Kwaku. Just barely escaping from a murderous gang, he finally succeeds in establishing himself as a respected, wealthy citizen - whilst remaining, of course, his own inimitable, infuriating, brilliantly engaging self. In this bright and comic novel, Roy Heath deals vividly with the social and political conflicts and conundrums facing the nouveaux riches in the third world and the staggeringly poor, emerging into independence and unheard-of prospects. The colourful language of the characters is perfectly captured, and their shenanigans and valour are depicted with wit and compassion.

'A masterpiece ... complex and fascinating and memorable' Colm T ib n 'A beautiful writer and an unforgettable book' Salman Rushdie'Guyanese authors are a radiant constellation, and Roy Heath stands rightfully among them. His unique style stands out from others of his time, and ours' Lemn Sissay'For me life hasn't got dreams, success and all that damn nonsense. Life is full of shadows: some of them soft and others conceal a hammer.'Galton Flood is a lonely man, restless and ill at ease with his family. He leaves his home in Guyana's capital, Georgetown, for a remote township, and the first of a string of precarious jobs. Meeting Gemma, his landlord's daughter, appears to offer a first chance of meaningful connection - maybe even happiness. But there is a darkness inside Galton, and soon jealousy and paranoia lead him to fatally, violently unravel.With this haunting portrait of a mind undone, celebrated Guyanese writer Roy Heath evocatively recreates the country of his youth: its rivers, townships and tenement yards, and the tensions shimmering below the surface of a community.'Enthralling ... a nuanced portrait of the disintegrating individual psyche' Fred D'Aguiar