Set in a Congolese village, Memoirs of a Porcupine is exactly as the title suggests. A porcupine sits down to pen his memoirs. The porcupine is the animal double of Kibandi, a harmful double at that, and he assists Kibandi in an ever-growing number of malicious deeds. This carries on for years, until one day even the porcupine balks at what his master asks him to do, which is when he turns to his confession.

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This is actually the second book I've read for my reading the world challenge which is told from the POV of an animal (the other was The Book of Chameleons for Angola). It's always an interesting shift and allows the reader to see humans from a more direct, straightforward perspective. All their foibles and quirks are laid bare with no frills.

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This was my first book by Mabanckou and I really enjoyed his style, very nicely translated by Helen Stevenson! But it will probably split audiences, as the only punctuation the porcupine uses is commas. Everything is told in one flowing sentence, although there are chapters and paragraph breaks. Once you get into it, it makes for smooth reading and I was drawn into this dark little tale steeped in Congolese folklore.

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Despite all the murder though, Memoirs of a Porcupine is slyly funny at times. The porcupine often pokes fun at humans and their incomprehensible ways, as well as western literature. There's even a slightly meta part where Mabanckou pokes fun at himself. I wouldn't say it's a life-changing book, but it's definitely unique with some insightful social commentary told through the eyes of an original narrator.

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I'll definitely try out some of Mabanckou's other work in the future!