Devil of a State

Devil of a State
Devil of a State  
Burgessdos.jpg
First edition cover
Author(s) Anthony Burgess
Country United States
Language English
Genre(s) Colonial literature
Publisher Heinemann
Publication date 1961
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)
ISBN NA
Ballantine paperback edition

Devil of a State is a 1961 novel by Anthony Burgess based on his experience living and working in Bandar Seri Begawan in the Southeast Asian sultanate of Brunei, on the island of Borneo, in 1958-59.

It is the fourth of what have been classed as Burgess's "exotic novels", the others being Time for a Tiger, The Enemy in the Blanket and Beds in the East.

For libel reasons the action had to be transposed to an imaginary East African caliphate called "Dunia" and a UN representative substituted for the British Adviser. In his autobiography Little Wilson and Big God, Being the First Part of the Confessions of Anthony Burgess (1987) Burgess writes:

This novel was, is, about Brunei, which was renamed Naraka, Malayo-Arabic for hell. Little invention was needed to contrive a large cast of unbelievable characters and a number of interwoven plots.Though completed in 1958, the work was not published until 1961, for what it was worth it was made a choice of the book society. Heinemann, my publisher, was doubtfull about publishing it: it might be libelous. I had to change the setting from Borneo to an East African one. Heinemann was right to be timorous. In early 1958 'The Enemy in the Blanket' appeared and this at once provoked a libel suit.[1]

Characters and plot

The Italians Nando and Paolo Tasca, father and son, are working on the marble in the grandiose mosque that is under construction (this was in fact the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque, designed by an Italian architect and built while Burgess was in Brunei).

After a furious argument with his violent father over a purloined pocket watch, Paolo seeks refuge in one of the mosque's minarets. When political oppositionists learn of Paolo's act, they exalt him as a hero in the struggle against colonial oppression and he becomes a household name in enlightened circles around the world. But how will they get him to come down?

  1. ^ cited in: Geoffrey C. Gunn, New World Hegemony in the Malay World, The Red Sea Press, Lawrenceville NJ and Asmara/Eritrea, First printing 2000, ISBN 1-56902-134-1, p. 143



Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Devil's Den State Park — Arkansas state park Natural Monument (IUCN III) …   Wikipedia

  • Devil's Lake State Park — may refer to the following: Devils Lake State Parks (North Dakota), consisting of ... Grahams Island State Park and Black Tiger Bay State Recreation Area Devils Lake State Recreation Area in Oregon, formerly known as Devil s Lake State Park Devil …   Wikipedia

  • Devil's Hole State Park — is located in Niagara County, New York north of the City of Niagara Falls. The park overlooks the Niagara River Gorge. The park offers fishing, hiking, nature trail, picnic tables, snow shoe trails, and cross country skiing. See also List of New… …   Wikipedia

  • Devil's Backbone State Forest — is a state forest located in Shenandoah County, Virginia. It lies on the slope of North Mountain in the drainage area of Cedar Creek near the town of Star Tannery west of Strasburg. The forest was established by a grant by John and Bernice… …   Wikipedia

  • Devil's Lake State Park (Wisconsin) — This is about the state park in Wisconsin. For parks with similar names, see Devil s Lake State Park (disambiguation) Coordinates: 43°24′53″N 89°42′47″W / 43.41472°N 89.7 …   Wikipedia

  • Devil's Hopyard State Park — Coordinates: 41°28′57″N 72°20′50″W / 41.4825°N 72.34722°W / 41.4825; 72.34722 Devil s Hopyard State Park is located in …   Wikipedia

  • Devil's River State Trail — The Devil s River State Trail is a 14.24 mile (22.94 km) state designated rail trail in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. Parts of the trail are under construction as of early 2010.[1] The trail nearly parallels Interstate 43 for much of its route.[2] …   Wikipedia

  • Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park — IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape) …   Wikipedia

  • Devil's Lake (Wisconsin) — Devil s Lake Location Sauk County, Wisconsin, USA Coordinates …   Wikipedia

  • Devil's Backbone — can refer to: In plants: Euphorbia tithymaloides, the so called Redbird cactus which is actually a spurge Kalanchoe daigremontiana, a bryophyllum In places: Devil s Backbone (rock formation), a rock formation near Charlestown, Indiana, U.S. Devil …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”