Impressions d' Afrique

"The origin of the novel is a short text by Raymond Roussel entitled Parmi les Noirs. Impressions d'Afrique was first published, at author's expense, as a serial in the weekly Le Gaulois du dimanche from number 82 of 10-11 July 1909 to number 101 of 20-21 November 1909. This publication is accelerated from the end of October. The novel is then published in one volume, still at author's expense, with Lemerre editions. This edition differs from the serialized version by numerous corrections concerning punctuation, deletions of repetitions and enrichments of the text.

Abstract: "The liner Lyncée is wrecked near the African coast. The shipwrecked, including the narrator, are captured by the army of Emperor Talou VII. While waiting for their release, they are preparing a series of numbers for a show entitled "The Gala of the Incomparable". The day after this one, they are released.

In the text, the story of the gala precedes the presentation of the characters, the shipwreck, the capture and the explanations of the numbers that at first appear extraordinary. Moreover, Raymond Roussel said that the novel should be read from page 147, the second part before the first".