Adefris: An Ethiopian Novel in Amharic

One of the classical works of literature from the 1970s, this is the story of a young student from Addis Ababa, who lives with a landlady in the country for some time. He is a progressive and modernist individual who rationalizes too much and is trapped between the modernizing impulses prevalent in Ethiopia and the old traditional way of life. Because the time was not ripe enough in the society to reconcile these two conflicting trends, Adefris becomes a tragic figure, his life often complicated by the contrasting rural and urban views and customs of his time.

Written in the rich and at times challenging style of Amharic, this novel also explores a great variety of societal subjects, including religion and the Ethiopian aristocracy of the feudal ruling class in pre-revolution Ethiopia.

Talking about Adefris, Daniachew Worku once said he considered himself a "one-work author," revealing the deep importance he attached to this novel, which has since become one of the most unique and avant-garde literary works in Ethiopian literature.