Perpetua and the Habit of Unhappiness

Perpetua and the Habit of Unhappiness is a novel by Cameroonian author Mongo Beti, published in 1974. The book is described as a mystery story that explores the murder of a young woman. This crime is attributed to the combined forces of "backward traditions and neocolonial evils".1

Mongo Beti was a prominent Cameroonian novelist and political essayist known for his critiques of colonialism and its lingering effects in post-independence Africa. His works often used satire to expose the destructive influence of foreign powers and traditions on African societies. Perpetua and the Habit of Unhappiness is one of his later novels, continuing his thematic focus on the struggles within African nations grappling with their colonial past and present.1