African Literature

A Far Off Place

Sunday, October 4th, 2009 | African Literature | No Comments

This is the sequel to Laurens Van Der Post’s “A Story Like the Wind”, which I loved. I enjoyed this, but I didn’t love it; it was very sad, with a lot of violence, despite being a wonderful portrait of Africa. Basically, the survivors of a terrible massacre have to cross the Kalahari desert to escape their attackers and find safety. It is a coming of age story for Nonnie and Francois, but its purpose is also to celebrate the uniqueness of the Kalahari Bushmen. It was exciting, but to me, too sad to really love.

A Story Like the Wind

Sunday, June 28th, 2009 | African Literature | No Comments

This beautiful novel by Laurens Van Der Post is my find of the year, I think. Set in Africa post WW2, it’s a coming of age story about a young European boy whose family has lived in Africa for generations. They live on a property in the bush among local people, and the boy Francois is raised as much by the locals as by his parents. It is an unique and engaging picture of a boy growing up. It’s also a wistful tale, written by a man in his old age about a place and time that no longer exists. I’m still unsure about the ending, even though everything leads up to it; mostly because I don’t want it to happen, even though it must. This is written in utterly beautiful prose; it is enticing, magical, and entirely believable. A classic that I am so glad I have discovered.

The Slave Girl

Monday, May 8th, 2006 | African Literature | No Comments

This novel by Buchi Emecheta is a straightforward story of a girl’s life in Nigeria in the early 20th century. It’s simply told, in a manner reminiscent of a children’s story. It’s not a subtle tale - the idea is that being a woman is being a slave, no matter what the legal status - but it’s interesting in the details of life there, from the village to the town to the slowly emerging middle class. The foreign influences through trade, war, and religion are also well-covered. It’s an interesting tale, not from a literary point of view particularly, but in the details it covers.

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