Oyekan Owomoyela, writing in 1999, stated that, while "Amos Tutuola is the first African author to get international fame," he is also "undoubtedly one of the most controversial of African writers; indeed, many would assert that he is indisputably, and by far, the most controversial." Bernth Lindfors has pointed out that Tutuola "appears to be the kind of man least likely to win an international reputation as an author." Lindfors goes on to explain that "considering his cultural background, minimal education, and lack of literary sophistication, it is surprising that he began writing at all and even more astonishing that he chose to write in English rather than in Yoruba, his native tongue."

Tutuola, whose life work includes nine novels and two short-story collections, became known for his epic novels loosely based on traditional Yoruba folktales he learned as a child. The most controversial quality of his...