Synopses & Reviews
From the author of
Abyssinian Chronicles (“one of the most impressive works of fiction to have ever come out of Africa”—
Kirkus Reviews), a powerful new novel set in Uganda in the 1970s—a dark picaresque that brilliantly depicts the life and death of a nation run by men gorged on power and paranoia.
Bat Katanga is a Ugandan just returned to his homeland after two years in Britain. While he completed a postgraduate degree at Cambridge, he watched from afar as “flag independence [gave] way to economic independence” in Uganda, his chances to make a fortune there increasing with each “reform” imposed by Idi Amin. Now, when Bat lands a job as Bureaucrat Two in the Ministry of Power and Communications, he feels himself entering the top echelons of government, his sense of honor and honesty firmly intact: “Everything seemed to have been building to this moment, his triumphant entry into the bastions of power.” But when he is threatened into taking a bribe from a Saudi prince, he unwittingly begins a journey—both psychological and physical—into the darkest and most dangerous precincts of the madness that was Amin’s Uganda.
As Bat’s life begins to unravel, we see the men and women whose lives intersect his: General Bazooka, his superior at the ministry—“a creature of people’s fears and prejudices”—a man slowly losing Amin’s approval, and with it any sense of safety or sanity; Victoria, who bears both Bat’s child and a deadly grudge against him; Bat’s family and friends, coping with the advantages and disadvantages of connection to someone in high places; Bat’s wife, Babit, who pays the ultimate price for his mistakes; Robert Ashes, the mercenary Englishman who insinuates himself into Amin’s trust—and who will be the only one left standing after Amin’s downfall.
Snakepit is an extraordinarily revealing, deeply humanizing exploration of the experience of virulent corruption. It is a fiercely compelling novel.
Review
"Snakepit isn't well constructed, but its flailing energies create a fascinating narrative texture....High-octane melodrama bearing a potent political and moral message. Isegawa delivers the goods." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"[An] ambitious narrative of trouble and turmoil....This is a headlong and blurry novel filled with violence and sex, deceit and revenge a messy, captivating portrait of a desperate time and place." Publishers Weekly
Review
"[T]he political narrative here is as gripping as the intensely personal viewpoints of Bat's family, friends, and enemies. The portrait of Bat is unforgettable..." Hazel Rochman, Booklist
Review
"Isegawa, who is quickly establishing himself as one of Africa's premier writers, has crafted a savage portrait of a society gone mad, where maintaining one's power and the favor of the dictator at all costs are the only ends. Recommended." Library Journal
About the Author
Moses Isegawa was born in Uganda and worked as a history teacher before leaving for the Netherlands in 1990. He is the author of Abyssinian Chronicles. He lives in Amsterdam.