Five top postcolonial novels

Geneva Abdul is a reporter and feature writer for the Guardian. One title from her list of five of the best postcolonial novels:

Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo

First published in 1955, the slim translated novel is often hailed as a timeless literary masterpiece. Jorge Luis Borges called it one of the best works of Hispanic literature, Susan Sontag described it as one of the 20th century’s most influential books and Gabriel García Márquez described the pages as being as enduring as those of Sophocles.

Jumping between past and present, there’s uncertainty on where the line between the living and dead is drawn as the novel’s central character travels to the fictional ghost town of Comala to find his father upon his dying mother’s wish.

Read about the other entries on the list.

Pedro Páramo is among Salman Rushdie's six favorite surrealist books.

--Marshal Zeringue