The Poor Christ of Bomba

The Poor Christ of Bomba

Author	Mongo Beti
Original title	Le Pauvre Christ de Bomba
Translator	Gerald Moore
Subject	Catholic missions
Genre	Literary fiction
Publisher	Waveland Press
Publication date	1956
Publication place	Cameroon
Published in English	1971
Media type	Print (hardcover)
Pages	222
ISBN	978-1-57766-418-5 (1971 edition)
OCLC	1002813662
Followed by	Mission to Kala

The Poor Christ of Bomba is a satirical novel by Mongo Beti. It was published in 1956 as Le Pauvre Christ de Bomba.^[1]

Plot

Set in the 1930s, the story is narrated by Dennis who is Father Drumont's house-boy. The story revolves around Father Drumont who established a parish in Bomba, a small village in southern Cameroon. It tells about how he strives to convert the natives to Christianity and encourage monogamy.^[2]

Characters

• Father Drumont, a Catholic missionary.
• Father Jean-Martin LeGuen, Father Drumont's assistant.
• Raphael, a catechist and Father Drumont assistant in charge of the parish.
• Denis, the narrator and Drumont's house-boy.
• Zacharia, the parish cook.
• Vidal, a French colonial administrator of the region.
• Catherine, Dennis' lover.
• Clementine, Zacharia's wide.
• Daniel, One of Denis' companions apart from Zacharia.

References

1. "The Poor Christ of Bomba work by Mongo Beti". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
2. Moore, Gerald (1962). "Mongo Beti: the voice of the rebel". Seven African Writers. Three Crowns. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 78. OCLC 2735042.