The Palm-Wine Drinkard
and His Dead Palm-Wine Tapster in the Dead’s Town
Book • 1994
Published in 1952, *The Palm-Wine Drinkard* is a quest tale based on Yoruba folktales.
The story follows an unnamed man, the son of a wealthy man, who is addicted to palm wine.
When his tapster dies, he embarks on a journey to Dead's Town to bring the tapster back.
Along the way, he faces numerous trials, rescues a lady from a masquerading skull, marries her, and encounters a variety of magical and supernatural beings.
The novel is notable for its unique use of English, influenced by Yoruba oral storytelling traditions, and its blend of African mythology with modern literary forms.
It has been praised for its originality and its role in shaping postcolonial literature.
The story follows an unnamed man, the son of a wealthy man, who is addicted to palm wine.
When his tapster dies, he embarks on a journey to Dead's Town to bring the tapster back.
Along the way, he faces numerous trials, rescues a lady from a masquerading skull, marries her, and encounters a variety of magical and supernatural beings.
The novel is notable for its unique use of English, influenced by Yoruba oral storytelling traditions, and its blend of African mythology with modern literary forms.
It has been praised for its originality and its role in shaping postcolonial literature.
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Mentioned by Speaker 0 as a novel reviewed by Dylan Thomas, helping to bring West African literature to prominence.
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