'A fabulous country in which I once lived', January 18, 2015

This review is from: A Cure for Serpents (Paperback)
The Italian author was a physician, and also administrator, in his country's colonies of N Africa. Starting in 1924 and concluding with the arrival of Montgomery in World War 2, Pirajno tells of life among the Berber and Tuareg tribesmen.

In fascinating and amusing anecdotes, he transports the reader to a world of superstitious people (the title comes from a patient, convinced that his disorders were caused by a serpent in his stomach.) He recalls tracking bandits in the desert, encounters with some spirited women, and the antics of his tame lioness, Negesti. And the local nobleman, so grateful at being cured that he loaded Pirajno with gifts, some of which caused considerable problems...

Enjoyable read that reminded me a little, in writing style, of Gerald Durrell. ( )

Although the good doctor was probably a nice man doing what he thought was best, the racism, sexism and disabledism shown in this book is a good argument for the evils of colonialism. ( )

Lo scrittore Alberto Denti di Pirajno ha passato i più begli anni della sua vita in un continuo peregrinare tra Eritrea, Somalia, Tripolitania, Kenya e Abissinia. Da queste sue esperienze ha tratto uno dei libri più interessanti, vari, ricchi di tipi e di eventi che siano stati ispirati dall’Africa. Dalle pagine esce una folla, quella dei campi-famiglia, delle cabile mobili, delle piccole residenze coloniali, in una spettacolare galleria di individui dove, tra gli altri, rimangono indimenticabili i personaggi femminili, da Selimele sgargiante come una principessa per finire con Mula Mulìdi, una negra dagli occhi blu ( )