The Famished Road and Songs of Enchantment by Ben Okri
"The Famished Road" and its sequel "Songs of Enchantment" are novels that explore the life of Azaro, an abiku, or spirit child, who is destined to die and return to life repeatedly. The narrative follows Azaro's decision to remain in the world of the living, motivated by a desire to alleviate the suffering of his mother. As he navigates various realms of reality, he experiences a complex interplay of dreams and spiritual encounters, filled with part-human and part-animal characters that reflect different levels of consciousness.
The stories are set against a backdrop of political turmoil and social challenges, highlighting issues such as poverty, oppression, and corruption. Key figures in Azaro's life include his strong yet pitiable mother, his frustrated father who aspires to be a politician, and the enigmatic Madame Koto, whose bar becomes a central hub for the unfolding drama. The narrative captures the transitional phase of modernization, as new technologies and political dynamics reshape the environment around Azaro.
Throughout his adventures, Azaro witnesses the struggles of his family and community while grappling with profound existential questions. The novels emphasize a philosophy that recognizes the interconnectedness of all beings, as Azaro learns to focus his consciousness amidst the chaos. Ultimately, these works delve into the themes of survival, resilience, and the search for meaning in a world fraught with hardship.
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The Famished Road and Songs of Enchantment
First published:The Famished Road, 1991; Songs of Enchantment, 1993
Type of work: Novels
Type of plot: Fantasy—mythological
Time of work: Undefined
Locale: Rural Nigeria
The Plot
Azaro is an abiku and therefore destined to die and return to life repeatedly. He breaks his pact with his spirit companions and chooses to stay in the world of the living “to make happy the bruised face” of a mother who has suffered “the long joyless parturition of mothers.” Dreams and numerous journeys through various realms of reality and his séances in the space between the living and spirit worlds describe his exile.
Azaro’s spirit companions relentlessly lure him back to their fold; tirelessly, his parents exhaust their energy and finances with extensive ritual offerings to keep him in the world of the living. Finally, a two-week lingering between “not dying and not living” begins a long, eventful exile characterized by summonses by spirit voices and incessant “wanderings” into the animated forest, where he navigates different levels of consciousness with part-human and part-animal characters.
At a drunken house party celebrating his safe return home from a potential kidnapping, the key influences in Azaro’s life are introduced: the mysterious Madame Koto; an emboldened photographer and social critic; his pitiable but strong mother; his frustrated, would-be politician father; his spirit-child best friend, Ade; and a blind old man. Azaro’s association with Madame Koto and the photographer, the recorder of social and historical moments, soon exposes him to the wiles of politicians and political parties. A campaign gift of dried milk from one politician poisons the townsfolk. They set the campaign van on fire, setting off a reign of political terror and oppression. Dogged by the social ills of poverty, oppression, and corruption, Azaro’s father campaigns as a boxer turned politician, appealing to beggars and the oppressed poor.
Meanwhile, Madame Koto’s mysterious presence and power loom large, transforming the landscape. Her bar serves as the central scene for much of the novels’ action and Azaro’s education. As modernization sets in, evidenced by Madame Koto’s car and the introduction of the gramophone and electricity to her bar, Azaro’s education takes on new dimensions. His adolescence is complicated by his parents’ estrangement, the death of Ade, and the eventual collapse of the political system. As political parties vie for power, chaos reigns in “a world breaking down under the force of hunger.”
Amid this chaos, Azaro grapples with the plenitude of hidden meanings in an animated universe where, as his father tells him, “everything is alive.” His mother teaches him that all things are linked. At the second novel’s end, Azaro’s parents are weathered by oppression. His father becomes blind and spends his days shoveling manure, and his mother withers into a skeleton. Their life-affirming philosophy, however, enables Azaro to focus his consciousness and courage despite debilitating poverty.