Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs

A New York Times Best Book of 2023 and Longlisted for the National Book Award A gripping literary mystery in the vein of Bolaño’s Savage Detectives , this coming-of-age novel unravels the fascinating life of a maligned Black author, based on Yambo Ouologuem. The first Sub-Saharan African winner of France’s top literary prize, the Goncourt. In 2018, Diégane Latyr Faye, a young Senegalese writer in Paris, discovers a legendary book from the 1930s, The Labyrinth of Inhumanity . No one knows what became of its author, once hailed as the “Black Rimbaud,” after the book caused a scandal. Enthralled by this mystery, Diégane decides to search for T.C. Elimane, going down a path that will force him to confront the great tragedies of history, from colonialism to the Holocaust. Alongside his investigation, Diégane becomes part of a group of young African writers in Paris. Together they talk, drink, make love, philosophize about the role of exile in artistic creation. Diégane grows particularly close to two women: the seductive Siga, who holds so many secrets, and the photojournalist Aïda, impossible to pin down. The Most Secret Memory of Men is an astonishing novel about the choice between living and writing, and the desire to transcend the divide between Africa and the West. Above all, it is an ode to literature and its timelessness. "An impressive coming-of-age novel and a gripping investigation into the life of a mysterious author. A prolific novel and a true ode to literature in the vein of Roberto Bolaño's Savage Detectives, written by one of the most prominent figures in contemporary literature. In 2018, Diégane Latyr Faye, a young Senegalese writer, discovers a legendary book in Paris, published in 1938 and entitled Le labyrinthe de l'inhumain (The Maze of Inhumanity). No one knows what happened to the author, once referred to as the "Black Rimbaud," after his book created a scandal. Diégane is fascinated and decides to look for the mysterious T.C. Elimane. On his path, he confronts the great tragedies of history such as colonialism and the holocaust. From Senegal to Argentina to France, will he get to the truth at the center of the maze? Alongside his investigation, Diégane, becomes part of a group of young African writers in Paris. They check each other out, talk, drink, make love...a lot, and philosophize about the role of exile in artistic creation. He becomes particularly close to two women: the seductive Siga, who holds many secrets and the fleeting photojournalist Aïda... The Most Distant Memory of Men continuously reinvents itself. It is an astonishing novel about choosing between living and writing, about the desire to go beyond the confrontation between Africa and the West. Above all, it is an ode to literature and its timeless qualities"-- Provided by publisher