The Radiance of the King

The Radiance of the King | Laye Camara, James Kirkup

Final NYRB Bonus Question!
We've read so many great novels during this book club - do you have a favorite? Or a top 3-5?

Billypar @arubabookwoman @BarbaraBB @batsy @catebutler @daena @DrexEdit @emilyhaldi @GatheringBooks @LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @Liz_M @Megabooks @merelybookish @mklong @quietjenn @readordierachel @Sapphire @sarahbarnes @sprainedbrain @Vansa @vivastory @youneverarrived 2y

Billypar (Image by artist Ismael Hipolito Djata) 2y

vivastory My top 5: Cassandra at the Wedding, Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne, The Go-Between, The Vet's Daughter, Katalin Street. (Hon. mention to During the Reign of Queen of Persia for the impromptu read through of Margaret Laurence w/ the #manawakans ) 2y

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LeahBergen My top 5 (which I whittled down from 12!): The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne, Cassandra at the Wedding, A Month in the Country, School for Love, and Good Behaviour. @vivastory 2y

LeahBergen My next top 5: The Go-Between, Black Wings Has My Angel, The Vet‘s Daughter, Lolly Willowes, and The Expendable Man. 🤣🤣 2y

LeahBergen @vivastory Yes! I‘m so thankful the Queen of Persia set us off on that Margaret Laurence buddy read. ❤️❤️ 2y

Liz_M Some of my favorite discussions were for The True Deceiver, Queen of Persia, Iza's Ballad and The Other 2y

vivastory @LeahBergen I'd def. put Good Behaviour, Expendable Man, Black Wings Has My Angel & Month in the Country in my next top 5 👏 👏 2y

vivastory @Liz_M The Other was one that I had read once before & I def enjoyed it more the second time around bc of the discussion 2y

merelybookish Well this is a tough question! I gave 5 ⭐ s to A Month in the Country, The Hearing Trumpet, Turtle Diary, A Game of Hide & Seek, Cassandra at the Wedding. But I have several others that I gave 4 ⭐ s to that could also qualify as faves. I really appreciate how this book club introduced me to writers I want to read more of (Taylor, Compton-Burnett, Comyns, Hardwick, Keane, etc.) 2y

merelybookish Thank you Scott for this experience! And my apologies for pooping out on the last book. @vivastory @Billypar 2y

merelybookish Nicely done @LeahBergen 😆 2y

vivastory @merelybookish Like I said, if you ever see this one in the wild def grab it. I think you'd find it interesting. I def plan on reading further works by authors that this group introduced me to. 2y

Liz_M @vivastory Thank you so much for organizing the best bookclub on Litsy! I will miss it even though I often missed the discussions. I read this months selection a few years ago and am traveling today. So sad to not be able to participate fully, @Billypar 2y

BarbaraBB I already made a collage of my top 5 that I‘ll post now to inspire all who haven‘t read the gems we read with this bookclub! Will tag you all. Thanks Vinny for the thoughtful questions re our final book! 🤍 2y

BarbaraBB @LeahBergen 🤣❤️ 2y

GatheringBooks Great Q! In 2019, there were books I couldn‘t read along with you all because of our #WomenReadWomen2019 reading theme. But my faves are still by female authors: Iza‘s Ballad, Katalin Street, The True Deceiver, Free Day, and In The Freud Archives. 2y

GatheringBooks Thank you, everyone, for making this so memorable and so much fun! Loved our discussions! Thank you to @vivastory most of all for bringing all these readers from across the globe together every month. 2y

quietjenn I only participated in Round 2, so all my picks are from the last year and a half - During the Reign of the Queen of Persia, Lolly Willowes, The Go-Between, The Vet's Daughter, & Good Behaviour. My list could easily be longer! I so appreciated the discussion of all the books, even ones I didn't love (or totally understand). I'm planning to still try to read at least one NYRB book a month, & will probably start with some of the Round 1 favorites! 2y

Billypar @vivastory @GatheringBooks @BarbaraBB @Liz_M @merelybookish @LeahBergen This was a tough call, but here goes: 1. The True Deceiver 2. The Dud Avocado 3. Katalin Street 4. Lolly Willowes 5. Hons and Rebels. 2y

Billypar Cassandra at the Wedding was before I joined, but it sounds like I really need to prioritize that one! 2y

vivastory @GatheringBooks Great choices! Nearly all of my choices were by female authors. Thank you for your thoughtful contributions each month! 2y

vivastory @quietjenn Terrific choices! In case I haven't mentioned this I have a bookshelf on my GR account of all of the selections we read since the beginning:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/53745996-scott?ref=nav_mybooks&shelf=nyrbb... 2y

vivastory @Billypar Thanks for co-hosting this month! Those are wonderful selections. I rec Hons 7 Rebels to someone a couple of months ago & they loved it! I really need to read more work by Jessica Mitford. 2y

quietjenn @vivastory thanks for sharing the bookshelf! 2y

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Billypar

The Radiance of the King | Laye Camara, James Kirkup

Q6: At the end of the novel, Clarence is depressed at being deceived about his role in Aziana and is reluctant to face the king (let alone put on clothes). Was his final meeting with the king what you were expecting? How did you interpret this encounter?

Billypar (Image by artist Jean-Michel Basquiat) 2y

GatheringBooks Given all that Clarence has gone through, as he is gradually stripped of complete self-awareness, and at the same time utterly disgraced, it is not surprising that he now sees the King in all his radiance and glory - almost deity-like in his beneficence. What struck me though is how the White man needed to be brought literally to his knees, stripped naked, in total disgrace before he recognizes and acknowledges this. 2y

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quietjenn I feel like it's a bit more shame than depression? He feels unworthy because - for at least the moment - he recognizes that he is no Great White Saviour, but literally just a cock. And there's shame and embarrassment in being good for nothing except breeding. As to the actual meeting, I didn't know quite what to make of it, especially given those blurbs and things that led me to expect something extraordinary. Which, maybe? 2y

vivastory @GatheringBooks I was also struck by the mystical aspect of the ending 2y

Billypar @quietjenn @GatheringBooks @vivastory I was prepared for the king to be a disappointment. The book had a satirical tone for most of it, so to have the king display the kind of warmth that he did was unexpected for me, almost as if he was aligned with Clarence's own fantasy. So I found myself doubting if it actually occurred as recounted or if it was wishful thinking on Clarence's part. 2y

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Billypar

The Radiance of the King | Laye Camara, James Kirkup

Q5: Clarence makes many references to odors that make him sleepy, first “the crowd‘s herd-like odor” and later in the forest “the terrible odor of flowers and decay.” When he further considers the forest‘s odor, he thinks, “it is not just an odor of decaying vegetation; it is subtlety itself, a seductive perfume, or rather the seductive mingling of a thousand perfumes […] all of them far too heady, disturbing, caressing, […] far too delectable.”

Billypar What does this odor, which only Clarence seems to notice, represent?

@arubabookwoman @BarbaraBB @batsy @catebutler @daena @DrexEdit @emilyhaldi @GatheringBooks @LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @Liz_M @Megabooks @merelybookish @mklong @quietjenn @readordierachel @Sapphire @sarahbarnes @sprainedbrain @Vansa @vivastory @youneverarrived 2y

Billypar (Image by artist Ismael Hipolito Djata) 2y

vivastory I'm honestly a bit at a loss on the odors, lol. It almost seems like he is using them as an excuse for what he perceives as “less civilized“ behavior. 2y

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vivastory Also, Clarence throughout the novel is constantly complaining to everyone about his situation but he acts entirely helpless, including anytime he smells these odors. It almost seems like a crutch. 2y

BarbaraBB I admit I am at loss on the odors too. I interpreted them as prejudices but I am not sure if I‘m right about that. 2y

Billypar @vivastory @BarbaraBB Ha - I was hoping someone could clue me in on the odor question, but it's pretty strange, right? But it makes sense that it has something to do with his prejudices - like he assumes it's overcoming him and it stops him from being conscious of seeing things as they really are. 2y

GatheringBooks I agree with you all that this is once again evidence of his prejudice; plus whenever anyone mentions “culture shock” - this typically includes sights, sounds, and SMELLS most of all. His disdain and total disregard commingle with the disgust accompanying smells that he dismisses as repulsive; yet eventually one that he inexplicably gravitates towards; the earthiness dizzying scent of it all that he attributes to be the cause of his primal acts. 2y

quietjenn I also think it ties into his prejudices. And I think that he uses it as an excuse for his oblivion and his perpetual sleepy state - he was proverbially drugged and drunk on the sensory experiences, as much as by the wine he's constantly drinking. 2y

vivastory @quietjenn That is an excellent point about the wine! I think that you are right, that it is a way for him to remain in an altered state. It's almost like drug tourism, but instead of using cannabis etc he is using wine & the odors. 2y

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Billypar

The Radiance of the King | Laye Camara, James Kirkup

Q4: There is lots of dialogue concerning the difference between ‘favors‘ versus ‘rights‘. At one point, when Clarence asks why the beggar couldn‘t ask the judge to pardon him, he responds, “Can‘t you get it into your thick head that one cannot beg the favor of receiving something that is one‘s ‘right‘?” What is the novel‘s philosophy on justice when it comes to ‘favors‘ versus ‘rights.‘?

Billypar (Image by artist Ismael Hipolito Djata) 2y

GatheringBooks Clarence‘s “rights” enable him to take whatever he wishes simply because he wants something. He cannot be the object of “favors” - he needs to be the one who dispenses those favors; it is always a matter of power and asserting one‘s sense of ascendancy over another (in this case racial), no matter that perception being totally unfounded and unjustified 2y

vivastory @GatheringBooks I have nothing to add because you said it perfectly! 2y

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Billypar

The Radiance of the King | Laye Camara, James Kirkup

Q3: Clarence is constantly confusing one thing for another—faces look the same, a corridor in Aziana looks like one from the legal offices in Adramé, he believes the path the beggar leads them through the forest is going in circles. Why is Clarence perpetually confused?

Billypar (Image by artist Nu Barreto) 2y

vivastory I think that on a surface level it is an unfamiliarity with these areas that caused confusion, but I also think that Laye cleverly utilized plot points from Kafka's The Castle to explore Clarence's prejudices. 2y

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BarbaraBB I think he‘s looking for some standards to hold on to, more or less desperately because all around him is so unknown to him. I know @vivastory compared it to Kafka and read this more often but I tend to agree with @Sapphire who compared Clarence to Ignatius Reilly, a king of caricature

A Confederacy of Dunces

(edited) 2y

Billypar @vivastory The Castle frustrated me so much, lol. I liked this one better but I did recognize the overlap in the style of dialogue. I felt like it was more complex - Clarence isn't an objective perspective from which we're supposed to identify. 2y

GatheringBooks I think it is a not-too-subtle nod to the fact that most white people purportedly cannot tell people of color apart - add the fact that Clarence could simply not be bothered. Plus I honestly think he is stupid and overconfident - often a lethal combination. He knows he will be recognized everywhere he goes, the onus is on others to remember things for him to retain his perpetual state of obliviousness and total indifference to the people he‘s with 2y

quietjenn For me, it all ties back with the preconceived ideas he comes to Africa with and Laye is playing with the racist “they all look alike“ sentiment, extended to apply not just to names and faces, but the landscape, the buildings, and pretty much everything he encounters. 2y

vivastory @BarbaraBB I think that there were plot points in common with Kafka, but as far as Clarence's character, I def. agree with you & @sapphire he is a bit of a caricature! 2y

vivastory @GatheringBooks Your comment about “Clarence could simply not be bothered“ really gets at the issue. There is an implied sense of safety & aloofness that he carries with him because of his race & his own sense of superiority that greatly impacts how he treats others. (edited) 2y

vivastory @Billypar I, too was frustrated by The Castle, but it was one of those works that I think I recall because I really struggled with it, lol. It's one of my least fave Kafka works TBH, but the sense of constantly being delayed from reaching a goal is memorable regardless. And I agree, Clarence is not a sympathetic character! 2y

vivastory @quietjenn One thing that I discussed with Vinny was the fact that there are certain characters that he never even bothers asking their names! We never find out the name of the beggar. This fits your comment about his racist sentiment I think. 2y

BarbaraBB @GatheringBooks you‘ve nailed it with this comment. 2y

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Billypar

The Radiance of the King | Laye Camara, James Kirkup

Q2: Right from the novel‘s opening, Clarence has a belief in white supremacy that guides his actions and observations. How would you describe his journey throughout the novel when it comes to racism? What factors lead to his change?

Billypar (Image by artist Nu Barreto) 2y

BarbaraBB Because he‘s the only white person his feeling of supremacy goes completely nowhere, no one is treating him the way he expects to be treated. On the contrary, he suddenly experienced how it feels to be the minority where people look down upon, who people judge etc. He becomes the stereotype! 2y

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Billypar @BarbaraBB It's pretty hilarious how he just assumes he'll be welcomed into the king's service, but his actual usefulness in the village is totally different, even though it still serves that ultimate racist purpose when it comes to the value placed on skin color. 2y

GatheringBooks It is hilarious (and tragic) how deeply entrenched his feeling of superiority is - the way he treated everyone else with disdain remained constant throughout. While there seems to be a transformation at the very end with his being in the presence of the king, i feel that he will eventually find a way to reframe that later on to his own advantage/benefit, away from the radiance of the king. Maybe I just find him to be without redemption. 🤷🏽‍♀️ 2y

quietjenn The entitlement is pretty mind-boggling, although completely believable. And his oblivion throughout, because he can't shift to seeing things outside of that mindset. Does he truly shed himself of it, even when he recognizes the true nature of his role in the village and experiences the final radiance? I'm not sure! 2y

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Billypar

The Radiance of the King | Laye Camara, James Kirkup

Q1: In the Introduction, Toni Morrison notes that for previous novels by Western authors, “Africa was simultaneously innocent and corrupting, savage and pure, irrational and wise. It was raw matter […] to examine desire and improve character. But what Africa never was, was its own subject.” How does Laye use previous stereotypes about Africa to craft a novel about Africa itself?

LeahBergen I (sadly) didn‘t get around to reading this last pick for our book club this month. 😭 I blame travelling and a bout of Covid! Anyhow, I‘m going to follow this discussion because it‘s our last and I might just get to this book one day. 2y

Billypar (Image by artist Nu Barreto) 2y

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vivastory I am woefully under read when it comes to novels written by Africans. I will be interested to see what people say who have been participating in #ReadingAfrica22 I did mention in my review that I was reminded of the fantastical work of Nigerian writer Amos Tutuola while reading this. I don't know if Laye had familiarity with Tutuola's work while writing Radiance or not. (edited) 2y

Billypar @LeahBergen No worries - if you do end up picking it up later, interested to get your take. It's a trip! 2y

Billypar @vivastory I only read The Palm Wine Drinkard but parts definitely reminded me of that - especially the more fantastic scenes like the fish women. 2y

GatheringBooks I loved how the author used some of the stereotypes about Africa to turn the story over on its own head - a literary subversion done masterfully: a few elements that come to mind are the mass of bodies, nudity, the smells, and the human sacrifice - all perceived from the dominant white gaze; except that the gaze is deliberately portrayed as flawed, susceptible, vacuous - despite it being gratuitously entitled. 2y

BarbaraBB I‘ve read a lot of African books this year and have been pleasantly surprised by the ones written by African writers still living there (unlike many authors now living in the US and Europe). Of course African countries have their own identities, not defined by “us” and our western way of thinking. It‘s so refreshing. This book emphasizes traditional western views and prejudices. @vivastory 2y

Billypar @GatheringBooks Yeah - I think that's the most interesting part- the main character isn't just a stand-in for the reader and someone whose perspective we're passively assuming. We know from the start that his perspective is suspect, so we see those tropes in a different light. 2y

Billypar @BarbaraBB Right - those authors aren't just authorities on their countries but they also know how foreigners respond due to the colonial history, so you get to see that side represented in the novels. 2y

quietjenn I feel pretty underread in this area as well, although I've more familiarity with some of the Africa by White (Colonial) writers books, including a few that are mentioned in the introduction. @GatheringBooks puts it wonderfully in saying that Laye “used some of the stereotypes about Africa to turn the story over on its own head“ and slyly subverts them. 2y

Leftcoastzen What @GatheringBooks said ! It was like seeing a peek at real Africa , then back to Clarence‘s point of view. A very suspect & entitled one. 2y

batsy I'm so sorry that I wasn't able to squeeze this in in time for the discussion! If I'm able to get to it this month, I'll come back to revisit the discussion... The questions are super interesting. 2y

Vansa I didn't know this was being read this month, i think I wasn't tagged in the post! This sounds amazing, as @batsy has said above, will revisit the discussion once I read it! 2y

Billypar @batsy @Vansa If you do pick it up, I'd love to hear your thoughts on such a complex and multilayered read. As @quietjenn mentions, the introduction is very helpful in putting the novel into the context of literary history, so I'd recommend that too (but probably after you finish it because there are spoilers). 2y

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Leftcoastzen

The Radiance of the King | Laye Camara, James Kirkup

pick

#NYRBBookClub 😳”Snakes.Why did it have to be Snakes ?“ There is so much to unpack in this book ! Looking forward to the discussion. I enjoyed it.Almost like a weird fever dream.

vivastory, Billypar

Billypar Lol - I love your quote. I don't think empathizing with other cultures was any more of a forte for Dr. Jones than it was for Clarence! 😅 2y

Leftcoastzen @Billypar indeed!🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍 2y

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quietjenn

The Radiance of the King | Laye Camara, James Kirkup

A.C., leftover pizza, and reading to make sure I'm ready for the last #nyrbbookclub discussion. Also, a lot of cat hair 😸

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Sapphire

The Radiance of the King | Laye Camara, James Kirkup

I get some of my best reading done in travel status. Hoping this one grabs me. @vivastory described it as Kafka in Africa. I respect his taste a lot. However, At only 38 pages in, it‘s feeling more Toole and confederacy of dunces to me. I really disliked COD. Still this feels like an important read and it ticks boxes in several challenges/ groups so I am pressing on.

vivastory Thanks for the kind words! I can see the COD comparison. The second half of the book it becomes disorienting & stranger than in the first half. I'll be curious to see what you think. Safe travels! 2y

BarbaraBB I agree with you although I liked the book better than CoD 2y

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Leftcoastzen

The Radiance of the King | Laye Camara, James Kirkup

Starting the last book in the long run of the #NYRBBookClub definitely bittersweet.I‘ve barely started but the white mans sense of entitlement while being in dire straits is strangely familiar! 😂Tom Tom the book model. #catsoflitsy

vivastory, Billypar

vivastory I look forward to your thoughts on this one. Laye's take on the self-important white man is a memorable one! 2y

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BarbaraBB

The Radiance of the King | Laye Camara, James Kirkup

pick

#NYRBBookClub

Clarence has been shipwrecked in Africa, lost all his money gambling, and is about to get kicked out of the dirty inn where he stays. So he needs to meet the king, who will surely give him, a white man, an important job. Instead of the king he meets a beggar and a pair of teenage rascals. They help him stay out of trouble and accompany him to the south where the king will probably show up again. ⬇️⬇️

vivastory, Billypar

BarbaraBB What seems a story of Clarence's often Kafkaesque adventures, is in the end more a book about the nature of perception and openness to experience: Clarence is simply incapable of experiencing or understanding West Africa. 2y

BarbaraBB Because Camara Laye is from #Guinea I guess that the book is set there. #ReadingAfrica2022 🇬🇳 @Librarybelle #192025 #1954 (edited) 2y

Librarybelle Good find! 2y

vivastory Terrific review 👏👏 I'm looking forward to the discussion! 2y

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GatheringBooks

The Radiance of the King | Laye Camara, James Kirkup

#JulyJam Day 15: #ILoveHorsesDay reminded me of a scene from our #NYRBBookClub pick this July hosted by @vivastory
“They were strange horses, all caparisoned and panoplied and wearing layers of petticoats and some of them had even been dolled-up in silken trousers.”

Eggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs Mmmm😋 2y

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GatheringBooks

The Radiance of the King | Laye Camara, James Kirkup

#JulyJam Day 11: #SwimmingPoolDay is perfect as we have now reached my sister-in-law‘s place here in the Bay Area (Antioch, California) and our #NYRBBookClub July pick is lounging by my sis-in-law‘s pool (with a jacuzzi!!) to relax for a bit. Entire month of bliss. 💕💕💕🌺🌺🌺

Eggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful 💙 2y

LibrarianRyan I want to dip in that pool so bad. It's so pretty. 2y

Eggs Happy Vacation 🥰📖🏊‍♀️ 2y

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GatheringBooks

The Radiance of the King | Laye Camara, James Kirkup

#BookMoods Day 24: Our final #NYRBBookClub selection - happening in July - seems to be about #Royalty.

Eggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 👑 📚🙌🏻 3y

Eggs 🤴 🧡👸🏻 3y

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ErnestB

The Radiance of the King | Laye Camara, James Kirkup

pick

This was my 3rd reading. It is better each time. Quest, redemption, clever clever wordplay, an utterly flawed main character, essentially a story of hope. The book is universal in its thoughts and aspirations. The Radiance inspires and forgives. Everyone should read this!!!

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Texreader

The Radiance of the King | Laye Camara, James Kirkup

Reading about the tagged book in Toni Morrison‘s The Source of Self-Regard... it sounds fascinating, a role reversal really. The white man becomes a slave in Africa.

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