Book Review: Cry, The Beloved Country

Alan Paton’s Cry, The Beloved Country is one of those novels that I’ve known about for ever, but never managed to read. Given my recent spate of reading South African historical novels, I thought it would be appropriate to tackle it.

Superficially it tells the story of a poor rural black parson who goes to Johannesburg in search of his son. At a more fundamental level, however, I found it reminiscent of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart – the decline of a tribal society in the face of Western culture, and the void left behind because no one creates new social structures to replace it.

The prose is excellent, and even with my rather poor Xhosa I could pick up that the style of dialogue and, where following the Zulu parson, the text strongly echo the manner in which Nguni languages like Xhosa and Zulu function.  There is also lovely use of metaphor: the writing is rich with imagery.

It is easy to see why this relatively short novel has become a modern classic.

Digbundel: Staan in die algemeen nader aan vensters

Ek het oor die afgelope paar weke Loftus Marais se digbundel Staan in die algemeen nader aan vensters gelees.

Sy gedigte is van ‘n uitsonderlike gehalte, en daar is ‘n melodie en beeldskoonheid aan sy woorde wat dit baie aangenaam maak om te lees. Sy beelde is helder en dringend sonder om ongewone of onverstaanbare taal nodig te hê. Hy skryf ook vanuit ‘n perspektief na aan myne, en oor onderwerpe wat ek (tot ‘n meer of ‘n mindere mate) ken en verstaan.

Afrikaanse gedigte is vir my altyd ‘n plesier om te lees, en dit is nog meer so om die van ‘n jong, kontemporêre digter te lees.

Book review: The Language Instinct

Given my ongoing fascination with language and linguistics, when I saw Steven Pinker’s The Language Instinct in our campus bookshop I couldn’t resist the temptation to buy it. It was truly an excellent purchase.

Pinker provides a eloquent, factual, well-researched and above all interesting overview of the current state of linguistics. He covers the full spectrum of topics, from universal grammar (a la Chomsky), phonetics and mental dictionaries to how we (particularly as children) learn language to how different languages developed to how the human brain handles language, and how this could have evolved.

This book was absolutely fascinating, and I have no doubt that anyone interesting in how and why language works would enjoy it immensely.

Book review: The Diving-Bell & the Butterfly

I bought The Diving-Bell & the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby in a charity store when I was in London, the title catching my eye because I was aware that a movie had been made of it (although I was unaware what it was about).

This brief book is the true autobiographical memoir of Jean-Dominique Bauby, the previous editor-in-chief of French Elle that suffered a major stroke that left him fully conscious, but unable to move at all – a sufferer of what is known as locked-in syndrome. With time he recovered some minimal movement – this book was painstakingly dictated, letter-by-letter, by having the alphabet read to him, and him blinking when the desired letter was reached.

This book is not a story in the usual sense, but rather an incredibly lucid glimpse into what must certainly be one of the worst conditions a human being can suffer from. In spite of this difficulty, Bauby’s writing is elegant, beautiful and shows an amazing sense of internal calm and contentment.

“My cocoon becomes less oppressive, and my mind takes flight like a butterfly. There is so much to do. You can wander off in space or in time, set out for Tierra del Fuego or for King Midas’ court.

“You can visit the woman you love, slide down beside her and stroke her still-sleeping face. You can build castles in Spain, steal the Golden Fleece, discover Atlantis, realise your childhood dreams and adult ambitions.”

Book review: The Undercover Economist

In what was a rather new experience for me, I listened to an audio book version of The Undercover Economist by Tim Harford over the last few weeks.

As someone with no formal background in economics, but a lot of informal knowledge of it (an unavoidable side-effect of have an economics professor as a father), I really found it interesting to listen to this. Harford begins everything from first principles, and yet gives convincing and complex arguments. He also does this from a rather well-balanced perspective.

While I don’t agree with all the conclusions reached, I have certainly gained some insights into how the world works that I will carry with me for some time to come.

Book review: Blood on the Path

Blood on the Path by Harvey Tyson is a historical novel chronicling the events in South Africa between 1880 and 1930, notably the Anglo-Boer War and the formation of the Union of South Africa.

It is an extremely well-researched and accurate account that nevertheless manages to spin all this history into a story that is interesting, understandable and a pleasure to read. Furthermore it presents a well-balanced view of the country, and takes all the different groups (mostly racially demarcated) into account.

I knew almost nothing of this period in my country’s history before, and it was an amazing experience to learn more about it in such an enjoyable manner. It is reassuring that there were heroes a century ago that fought for the same issues that we still struggle with today, and also insightful to learn something of the causes of all the trouble that’s happened since.

Best of all I finally know after whom Merriman avenue (where I live) is named, and am pleased to report that JX Merriman was by all accounts a truly great man.

Book Review: Utopia

A remarkable woman I had the good fortune to work with a few weeks ago recommended Thomas More’s classical text Utopia as a book she’d found formative. I found it in our university library and read it.

Written in 1516, this is the text to which we owe the now commonplace word utopia. It is a fairly dry discussion of More’s view of an ideal state, a topic that has interested thinkers for centuries, and continues to do so. His state is one without any private property, and where everyone works, where there is enough of everything needed to live, and where there are no luxuries.

That More was heavily influenced by Plato’s The Republic is rather striking, and both the functioning of his society and the style of his text is similar. I experience similar scepticism when reading Utopia as when I read The Republic - the society discussed seems very pleasant, but I am both too cynical of people to accept it’s functioning at face value, and too much of a individualist to feel comfortable with the very strict social structures the state requires. Furthermore, with Atlas Shrugged’s aggressive defense of capitalism still fresh in my mind, I am somewhat biased against the socialist glorification of the “common worker”.

Despite these reservations, this text is insightful, and worth reading if only for the tremendous influence it has had in the centuries since it was written. For a more modern elaboration on much the same theme, I can strongly recommend Aldous Huxley’s A Brave New World.

Boekresensie: ‘n Droë wit seisoen

Ek het André P Brink se roman ‘n Droë Wit Seisoen op aanbeveling van ‘n vriendin gelees, en het dit besonder insiggewend ervaar.

Die roman vind plaas tydens Apartheid in die 70’s, en vertel die verhaal van ‘n wit man wat betrokke raak by die saak van ‘n swart man wat in hegtenis geneem word deur die Veiligheidspolisie. Deur hierdie storie te volg kry die leser insig in die hele Apartheidstelsel, werklik ‘n skrikwekkende ervaring. Vir my, as iemand wat dit nooit self ervaar het nie, was dit iets besonders om te verstaan nie net wat gebeur het nie, maar ook hoe dit tot stand gekom het.

Laastens is Brink se prosa in sigself ‘n absolute plesier om te lees – dit is vloeiend, subtiel en pragtig.

Enige jong Afrikaanssprekende Suid-Afrikaner moet hierdie boek lees.

Incwadi yolwazi (first sketch)

I was asked (well, sort of asked, sort of volunteered) to do a drawing for this year’s Stellenbosch Student, as the editor is a friend of mine. Here’s my first pencil sketch draft. I’ve done it as a fineliner drawing for the Student, but want to do it as a proper painting for myself. Hopefully I’ll be able to post it here soon.

Book Review: The Book Thief

Having just finished reading Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief I struggle to put the experience into words. It is easily one of the most emotionally enthralling books I’ve read, and one of very very few that could bring tears to my eyes.

The story is narrated by Death, and tells the tale of a young girl living through Nazi Germany. It’s strength lies in the exquisite writing style and absolutely real characters. The novel also maintains a poignant balance between the occasional beauty of the world, and the overwhelming pain and suffering of the time.

This is definitely worth reading.