Sincerae Smith's Reviews > The Radiance of the King

This book is very different from novels that I usually read since generally I don't read quixotic fiction. The words I would use to describe The Radiance of the King are weird, absurd, humorous, erotic, psychotic, a few times poetic, epic, even sometimes a little philosophical. When I started reading Radiance I wasn't sure if I would be able to make it through the book, yet less than 30 pages in I wanted to read more and to complete it.

My favorite lines:

"It is always too late," said Diallo. "We have barely finished being born. before it's already too late for something or other. But the king knows that, and that is why there is always time."

If all those who present themselves to the king had to be worthy of him, the king would live alone in the desert.

This question just came to me. Is the king a Christ figure and is Clarence one of the thieves on the cross? I believe Camara Laye had a lot in mind when he wrote this peculiar novel.