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| Original Title: | Mister Johnson |
| Characters: | Mr. Johnson, Bamu, Rudbeck |
| Setting: | Nigeria |
Joyce Cary
Mass Market Paperback | Pages: 217 pages Rating: 3.54 | 389 Users | 35 Reviews
Commentary During Books Mister Johnson
Johnson, a young native in the British civil service, is a clerk to Rudbeck, Assistant District Officer in Nigeria, and imagines himself to be a very important cog of the King's government. He is amusingly tolerant of his fellow Africans, thinking them uncivilized; he is obsessed with the idea of bringing "civilization" to this small jungle station. Johnson loves the white man's ways and cheerily adopts them; he has an enthusiasm that makes his boss Rudbeck overlook his rather vague office talents. This enthusiasm centers especially upon the construction of a road (symbol of civilization) and when Rudbeck has difficulty in getting funds from HQ, Johnson does some manipulation with the books. His peculiar sense of bookkeeping, together with his disdain for regulations, lands him in trouble. He gets the road built but is discharged. In despair and anger at being fired by his "good friend" Rudbeck, he gets drunk, and accidentally kills a white store owner. He is condemned to death. Rudbeck tries to save him, but "justice" cannot be reversed. Johnson is caught between two cultures, belonging no more to the new Africa than to the old. He begs Rudbeck, whom he looks upon as a father, to shoot him rather than let him be hanged by a stranger. Rudbeck, seeing him for the first time as an individual, grants this last request and ends the boy's life.
Specify Based On Books Mister Johnson
| Title | : | Mister Johnson |
| Author | : | Joyce Cary |
| Book Format | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 217 pages |
| Published | : | 1961 by Berkley Medallion Books (first published 1939) |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Cultural. Africa. Western Africa. Nigeria. Novels. Classics. Literature |
Rating Based On Books Mister Johnson
Ratings: 3.54 From 389 Users | 35 ReviewsCritique Based On Books Mister Johnson
Mr. Johnson, a Nigerian menial in a time when Britain was still a colonial power, is a rascal, a conniver, an idler who dedicates himself to ingratiating himself with others. He ingratiates himself with those who read his story.At the outset, it can appear Joyce Cary is sketching a caricature of Uncle Tom. Mr. Johnson is shrewd, however. As we come to know him we gain insight into how African people came to gain a grip on their own lands and how Britain began to lose its grip. There is no otherIt's a quick, fairly enjoyable read, but Mister Johnson's character at times feels too much like a caricature... But then again, it is a book about an African written by an Englishman. I suppose you'll have that.
The Empire has a lot to answer for!
* 1000 novels everyone must read: the definitive listSelected by the Guardian's Review team and a panel of expert judges, this list includes only novels no memoirs, no short stories, no long poems from any decade and in any language. Originally published in thematic supplements love, crime, comedy, family and self, state of the nation, science fiction and fantasy, war and travel they appear here for the first time in a single list.
This is a difficult book to describe - at times I enjoyed it, but I frequently became depressed by it. Originally published in 1939, the language is dated, and would be considered offensive now, but it pefectly highlights how Africans and their white bosses spoke to one another, and how each was viewed by the other. Johnson, an irrepressible character, who it's is hard not to like instantly, is set on a collision course with disaster. Johnson is quite childlike, in his eternal optimism and his
Mr. Johnson, a Nigerian menial in a time when Britain was still a colonial power, is a rascal, a conniver, an idler who dedicates himself to ingratiating himself with others. He ingratiates himself with those who read his story.At the outset, it can appear Joyce Cary is sketching a caricature of Uncle Tom. Mr. Johnson is shrewd, however. As we come to know him we gain insight into how African people came to gain a grip on their own lands and how Britain began to lose its grip. There is no other
I have read this but I ought to reread it since ALL that I remember is I liked it quite a bit. Why I do not remember.
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