h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Patrice Lumumba - A3467243
Author: John-the-gardener, h2g2 Friends of Tibet (A2170982) - U33262

This has been languishing for some time. I hope you find it interesting.

JTG

Evidently not.

Very well written (and also very chastening)

Now that this Entry is no longer constrained by the biographical requirement of the 'Done too Soon' project, it could possibly be re-titled to reflect the fact that it's really an account of more general events in the region and the period. It certainly informs more widely than just the life and death of Lumumba.

The dispassionate way that it suggests the origins of modern-day atrocities in these events is particularly effective - and depressing.

Definitely worthy of an EG place.

Pin
(I have to confess, too, that I've read Conrad and seen Coppola, but never till now realised that they're the same story. Kind of obvious, now you point it out)

Thanks, Pin. I'll give changing the title some thought. The only reason I might be inclined not to is that Lumumba seems, from what I've read of him, to be someone there should be an Entry about.

I can't claim to have made the connection Between Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now myself. It's just something that I remembered seeing or hearing somewhere along the line. Funny the stuff that sticks.

Sorry John - I didn't realise this had moved - I thought it was the old entry back.

Indeed a story that deserves its own entry.

Patrice Lumumba is interesting - to me, at least - because his story says so much about the world at that time. In fact, it's a story that's still playing out.

I first heard of Patrice Lumumba when I read the Poisonwood Bible. I am not sure whether that is historically accurate, but I vaguely remember him escaping with his family before he was recaptured (?).

Great article!


minimy

Thanks, minimy. I'm glad you liked it.

I like it too. As others have suggested, it's a sobering and well-written tale with clear contemporary resonances.

Perhaps the title should say who Lumumba was - 'Patrice Lumumba - Congo's First Prime Minister', say? It is a Guide convention to include some sort of 'job description' in the titles of Edited Entries about individuals, no matter how famous they are or were. I speak as the author of the entry 'Elvis Presley - the Singer'.

Thanks for the kind review. Good suggestion, Ormondroyd; I'll act on it right away. If The King needed a job description, there's a very good chance that Patrice Lumumba might benefit from having one attached to his name too. I'll use the one you suggested if you don't mind.

JTG

How's 'Patrice Lumumba - African Statesman'? '... Democratic Republic of Congo' is a bit of a mouthful.

'African Statesman' should do the job, otherwise we'll end up with something like '... Democratic Republic of Congo - No, not that one, the bigger one next to it that was called Zaire for a while'.

You're right. Who knows where it might end?

A good choice of job description!

Thanks, Ormondroyd. I gave Ramakrishna one too.

I'd never heard of PL until I read this Entry - but he's just made a cameo appearance in the current novel I'm reading by Wilbur Smith (Golden Fox). Most of his novcels are set against the physical and political backdrop of Africa, and could justifiably be described as 'faction'.

To be honest, I'd not heard of him either until I picked his name out of the 'Done Too Soon (alas, not done soon enough) Project' list. He does seem an interesting character, and quite a significant one when Africa is given the attention it deserves. Perhaps he will pop up a third time somewhere else.

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've therefore moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

Well done John!