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Its title recalls Bret Easton Ellis’s infamous book, but while Ellis’s narrator was a blank slate,African Psycho’sprotagonist is a quivering mass of lies, neuroses, and relentless internal chatter. Gregoire Nakobomayo, a petty criminal, has decided to kill his girlfriend Germaine. He’s planned the crime for some time, but still, the act of murder requires a bit of psychological and logistical preparation. Luckily, he has a mentor to call on, the far more accomplished serial killer Angoualima. The fact that Angoualima isdeaddoesn’t prevent Gregoire from holding lengthy conversations with him. Little by little, Gregoire interweaves Angoualima’s life and criminal exploits with his own. Continuing with the plan despite a string of botched attempts, Gregoire’s final shot at offing Germaine leads to an abrupt unraveling. Lauded in France for its fresh and witty style,African Psycho’sinventive use of language surprises and relieves the reader by injecting humor into this disturbing subject.
Episode Six is now out. I am joined by Rachel Louise Atkin as we discuss African Psycho by Alain Mabanckou (translated by Christine Schwartz Hartley) from Serpents Tail #booksintranslation
African Psycho: A Novel | 
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