''Congo Journey'' (1996) is an

autobiographical novel An autobiographical novel, also known as an autobiographical fiction, fictional autobiography, or autobiographical fiction novel, is a type of novel which uses autofiction techniques, or the merging of autobiographical and fictive elements. The ...

by British author Redmond O'Hanlon, following his trip across the Congo, taking a friend to

Lake Tele Lake Tele ( French Lac Télé) is a freshwater lake in Epena District, Republic of the Congo. Description Located at in the north-eastern area of the Republic of the Congo, Lake Tele was formed in Pliocene alluvial sediments by an unknown geolo ...

in search of Mokèlé-mbèmbé, a legendary Congo dinosaur. The novel was republished in 1997 for United States readers as ''No Mercy: A Journey to the Heart of the Congo.''

Plot

Written in diary form, and set mostly in the People's Republic of the Congo, the book begins as a search for Mokèlé-mbèmbé, a legendary dinosaur of the area. Author Redmond O'Hanlon leads a team during this trek. In addition, the book also provides an expose of the Bantu and Pygmy peoples, including their lives, spiritual customs and beliefs. The book also discussed problems these people face, such as the

Yaws Yaws is a tropical infection of the skin, bones, and joints caused by the spirochete bacterium ''Treponema pallidum pertenue''. The disease begins with a round, hard swelling of the skin, in diameter. The center may break open and form an ulc ...

disease.

Reception

Travel writer Michael Shapiro considers the book as one of the "top 30 travel books of all time,"Michael Shapiro
No Mercy: A Journey to the Heart of the Congo
review. Accessed 2011-02-12 and declares the book, chronicling the author's search for the legendary dinosaur, to be in the literary tradition of

Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, ; 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Poles in the United Kingdom#19th century, Polish-British novelist and story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the Eng ...

. O’Hanlon's adventure, he says, is by turns dangerous and funny, as he "takes the long way to the lake and nearly gets killed by a village headman", trying to save a baby gorilla, while he "battles his demons and the haunting spirits of Central Africa." According to Shapiro, O’Hanlon emerges from the jungle a changed man. The

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

called it "half mad and unremittingly brilliant."

References

1996 British novels African travel books British travel books English non-fiction books British autobiographical novels Hamish Hamilton books Mokele-mbembe Works set in the Republic of the Congo {{1990s-autobio-novel-stub