What do you think?
Rate this book
A Story Like the Wind
Van der Post’s incomparable knowledge of Africa illuminates this epic novel, set near the Kalahari Desert, about a boy on the verge of manhood, his experiences with the wonder and mystery of a still-primitive land, and his secret friendship with the Bushman whose life he saves. The narrative of A Story like the Wind continues in A Far-Off Place.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
90 people are currently reading
4051 people want to read
About the author
Laurens van der Post
78 books154 followersSir Laurens Jan van der Post was a 20th Century South African Afrikaner author of many books, farmer, war hero, political adviser to British heads of government, close friend of Prince Charles, godfather of Prince William, educator, journalist, humanitarian, philosopher, explorer, and conservationist.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews
August 21, 2012
Probably the most amazing book i have ever read. The Bushmen lived a life profoundly spiritual and closer to the earth and its creatures than any other. I feel like i have lived in southern Africa now.
July 20, 2019
A fictional story, written in 1972 by Laurens van der Post, who has courted controversy and been accused of embellishing his non-fiction works. No controversy here, as this appears to be pretty well bedded in fiction.
Van der Post uses a relatively simple story line to then introduce large volumes of non-fictional information on Southern Africa and Bushmen (Kalahari Bushmen - San or Saan as they are now known). He also uses a very short action in current time, to then break off and provide the entire backstory, meaning that the action is limited. This is somewhat annoying during the read - for example in a single chapter of say 35 pages, we might have the simple action of a character being awoken by his dog and getting out of bed being the only action in the story, with the balance being the history of how he came to have the dog! For me this would have been fine if it was used once to set up the back story, but it is used fr several chapters in a row.
Other than that minor negative, I quite enjoyed this story. In my view it is probably a young adult focused or suitable book. The protagonist of the book is a boy of 13, and it includes themes of growing up, coming of age, as well as hunting, isolated rural life etc, and while there an unrealistic adult level of maturity and understanding shown, it works at an inspirational level for youth.
I am not one to plot outline much in fiction, so will refrain from doing so, but the story covers life in Southern Africa (I take it to be Zimbawe), a British "settler" family who live with the Matabele tribe on a large farm within the bush. As I mentioned above, it is a coming of age story for a 13 year old boy, it involves his father being unwell, and his spending time without his parents, where he must take responsibilities beyond his years. It is themed with racial tolerance and understanding, with respect and understanding of the natural environment & animals. The end of the book involves the commencement of an uprising or revolution, although it remains unclear and will be expanded on in the sequel - refer below. That said, there is buried in the 470 odd pages, an exciting and interesting story - it is perhaps padded out with more context than some readers may wish.
The story does end somewhat abruptly, and this is because there is a sequel, which continues the story. On this basis one could say that this is a 470 page introduction...
Enjoyable at 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
Van der Post uses a relatively simple story line to then introduce large volumes of non-fictional information on Southern Africa and Bushmen (Kalahari Bushmen - San or Saan as they are now known). He also uses a very short action in current time, to then break off and provide the entire backstory, meaning that the action is limited. This is somewhat annoying during the read - for example in a single chapter of say 35 pages, we might have the simple action of a character being awoken by his dog and getting out of bed being the only action in the story, with the balance being the history of how he came to have the dog! For me this would have been fine if it was used once to set up the back story, but it is used fr several chapters in a row.
Other than that minor negative, I quite enjoyed this story. In my view it is probably a young adult focused or suitable book. The protagonist of the book is a boy of 13, and it includes themes of growing up, coming of age, as well as hunting, isolated rural life etc, and while there an unrealistic adult level of maturity and understanding shown, it works at an inspirational level for youth.
I am not one to plot outline much in fiction, so will refrain from doing so, but the story covers life in Southern Africa (I take it to be Zimbawe), a British "settler" family who live with the Matabele tribe on a large farm within the bush. As I mentioned above, it is a coming of age story for a 13 year old boy, it involves his father being unwell, and his spending time without his parents, where he must take responsibilities beyond his years. It is themed with racial tolerance and understanding, with respect and understanding of the natural environment & animals. The end of the book involves the commencement of an uprising or revolution, although it remains unclear and will be expanded on in the sequel - refer below. That said, there is buried in the 470 odd pages, an exciting and interesting story - it is perhaps padded out with more context than some readers may wish.
The story does end somewhat abruptly, and this is because there is a sequel, which continues the story. On this basis one could say that this is a 470 page introduction...
Enjoyable at 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
November 8, 2013
This is magnificent story-telling, in a disappearing tradition, of a kind one seldom encounters, at least not in contemporary fiction, anyway. Through personal knowledge from many years lived in Africa, (“write what you know”) the author imparts a sweeping, spell-binding tale of a continent, a time, a place, and a way of life about which most of us in our culture simply and truly know very little. This is frequently described as a coming-of-age story, but in so many ways it’s much more than that alone. A great deal is made of various African native tribes and their cultures, traditions, the oral keeping and passing down of knowledge for generations and centuries, their innate wisdom, and their incredible degree of relating with harmony and understanding to the land and their surrounding environment --- in ways the arrogant Europeans cannot begin to comprehend. I’m usually a fast reader, but I found it impossible to read this book at a quick pace. And for some it may be filled with too much detail in some sections. The ending is a harrowing situation that isn’t resolved, leaving the reader hanging and ready for the immediate reading of the author’s “A Far Off Place” in which the story continues.
July 25, 2009
I can't decide whether to rate this 3 or 4 stars. It is infuriating because there's so many things about this book that I do not like: the idealized characters, the lack of a coherent plot, the forced shoveling of theme down the reader's throat, the numerous trivial tangents. Yet at the same time, these faults 'worked' in the book's favor, lent it a naive charm of a land seen through the eyes of a young boy suddenly required to mature much too fast. Part philosophical treatise, part written document of the rich oral tradition of Africa, we have a deeply engrossing story that details not just the loss of innocence for a young boy but that of a continent (perhaps the world) on the brink of upheaval.
June 22, 2018
This is a book to read and re-read, and each time you read it, you will enjoy it even more. I read it first some thirty years ago and fell in love with it; now I've read it again, this time more slowly, savouring every word, and I believe I know now why I cherish this book.
There is, to begin with, the prose, which is rich and colorful and pulls you into the novel like a drug: "his tall sunset shadow, dark as ink, travelling in the scarlet dust at his side", "This foam, glowing gardenia-white in the brown air, rose high over the silver rims like a Muslim dome", "he looked up deep into a sky bursting at its black seams with the weight of the stars".
There is the fascinating setting of Africa, the colors, sounds and smells described in loving detail; the farm with the main house, the gardens and huts, the animals, the juxtaposition of beauty and danger always present.
There are the wonderfully drawn-out characters, all of them seriously likeable for various traits, but mainly because they are sincere, caring and have good hearts.
Weaved into all of this is the story of an earnest boy growing into a man, surprising himself as he does so, and the subtle but clear signs that disaster is brewing.
What van der Post has achieved here is nothing short of magical.
There is, to begin with, the prose, which is rich and colorful and pulls you into the novel like a drug: "his tall sunset shadow, dark as ink, travelling in the scarlet dust at his side", "This foam, glowing gardenia-white in the brown air, rose high over the silver rims like a Muslim dome", "he looked up deep into a sky bursting at its black seams with the weight of the stars".
There is the fascinating setting of Africa, the colors, sounds and smells described in loving detail; the farm with the main house, the gardens and huts, the animals, the juxtaposition of beauty and danger always present.
There are the wonderfully drawn-out characters, all of them seriously likeable for various traits, but mainly because they are sincere, caring and have good hearts.
Weaved into all of this is the story of an earnest boy growing into a man, surprising himself as he does so, and the subtle but clear signs that disaster is brewing.
What van der Post has achieved here is nothing short of magical.
March 16, 2009
This is now in my top 5 books of all time. How did this book get overlooked back in 1974? Poetic insights into nature and culture of South Africa in early 20th century. Good character development. Hated for the book to end. Guess what?! There's a sequel and I'm starting it now: A Far Off Place
December 2, 2019
Van der Post has written a masterpiece that captures the magic and beauty of Africa, including its highly complex social structure and the tension among the native tribes and the European settlers. His vivid descriptions of the landscape, both flora and fauna, make readers feel they are there and serve as a living testament of his deep, abiding love for the place. His characters are wonderfully developed, ranging from the Joubert family to the Matabele tribe to the Bushmen, and even the animals, especially Hintzsa. The education of the protagonist (Francois) in this coming of age story shows how time spent in the wilds complement his more traditional home schooling. The human bonds across class and race are quite remarkable, especially given the period in which the author was raised. Sadly, the plot is often too slow and the endless churning of Francois's thoughts and feelings, making reading it a chore, instead of a delight. 2.5 stars rounded up.
October 30, 2024
Holy shit the text was small! Reading a physical copy of A Story Like The Wind reminded me how big a difference the quality of a book and its text make on the reading experience. That however is my only real qualm with this book.
I will admit that I was a bit skeptical of my dad's recommendation of A Story Like The Wind at first. It was published in 1972 by Laurens Van Der Post, a white South African, during a time when apartheid was still alive and well. I was therefore surprised as I read and continuously found little example of the white savior trope that colonizers love so much. While it is true that the main character (a tween named François) and his family's homestead of Hunter's Drift represent somewhat of a beacon within the bush, there are very few notions of superiority to be found in the story. In fact I would argue Van Der Post puts forth a narrative characterized by cohesion amid diversity; a refreshing and unexpected motif for the period.
A Story Like The Wind is clearly written by an experienced outdoorsman, as he beckons the reader into the bush with savvy, animate descriptions of the native wildlife. The story is not without conflict, as François finds himself in all sorts of farces that his teachings and quick-thinking permit him to overcome. François cannot overcome, however, the sickness that ails his father, eventually leading to his death. I was shocked Ouwa passed so easily and so far away from the action, but this is a testament to Van Der Post's storytelling. I knew with certainty A Story Like The Wind was not going to be some corny story when François, after all attempts of Western medicine have failed to bolster his health, puts his utmost faith into the mystic uLangalibalela to cure his father, per 'Bamuthi and Ousie-Johanna's imploring. uLangalibalela ultimately comes up short in his efforts, but not before predicting Ouwa's death (192). When news comes to Hunter's Drift that Ouwa is dead, it comes as no shock and thus confirms uLangalibalela's power and wisdom. No author caught up in his belief of Western ideological superiority would ever go so far as to even suggest such foresight from a "primitive" mystic, but Van Der Post affirms it.
A coming of age story through and through, A Story Like The Wind is also full of compelling characters, my favorite being Mopani Théron. Mopani is a friend of François' father from their time as soldiers, and he lives within a day's travel from Hunter's Drift. His calm wisdom is a stable presence for François, as he enriches the text with every word he utters, but he is more than just a wiseman. On the novel's second page the narrator likens him to Don Quixote, an apt comparison in my humble opinion. I'd like to list some of my favorite of his quotes below:
"I've never thought of my friends or anybody at all in terms of age, I'm only interested in what people are, and not in how long they have been what they happen to be. Age is a matter between man and nature, it's enough that the sun and the moon and the seasons keep an account of the span on earth of us all." (137)
"No matter how great one's experience, always do everything as if for the first time." (149-50)
"Little Cousin, always remember in Africa that what we Europeans call superstition, is just the wrong explanation for the right truth. It is, in fact, an attempt to draw attention to mysterious facts and laws of nature which Europeans ignore because they cannot explain them with their brains." (228)
"Mopani went on that he had read somewhere that one of the church fathers had once said that the soul of man was naturally religious. He would add to that that the birds and animals, indeed, all the flora and fauna of Africa, were naturally devout because no other living things obeyed so implicitly the laws of their own creation...There would be many people who would try to prove to François that this kind of thinking was nonsense. Their condemnation would be all the more convincing because the world was full of know-alls who knew only what they knew and no longer what they did not know. To them, that there could be any connection between the mind and spirit of civilised man and the mind of the natural world, would be ridiculous. But this, Mopani said, was the sickness in so-called civilised people. In the final analysis one had to stand by one's own experience of life and refuse to allow any one-sided specialist to discredit it." (276-7)
"It was one of [Mopani's] favourite maxims that it was ignoble of human beings to trouble others with their own private apprehensions before they were verified, and even then, only if necessary for the well-being of all." (337)
"I have always thought us hunters a bit like Paul in the Bible. You remember that he came to Christianity by persecuting Christians. It seems to me a lot of us come to it through killing the animals we one day learn to protect and, in protecting them, save ourselves." (350)
I have decided to make this post my digital notebook. Here are some other quotes I found particularly poignant:
"Remember, a man could not value the cattle he owns so much if it were not for the cattle he could never possess." - 'Bamuthi (21)
Bushman greeting: "Good day, I saw you looming up from afar and I am dying of hunger." (34)
Response: "I was dying, but now that you have come I live again." (35)
"no true self-expression was ever possible without discipline." - Ouwa (59)
"Because old, my Little Feather, because old is our greatest Bushman word of respect." - Koba (60)
"But does anyone, let alone a child, want perfection? Do we all not secretly long for more love than reason, more pardon than justice, more impulse than calculation, more heart than head and altogether for an asymmetrical slant in our favour in our lives?" - Narrator (61-2)
"as Umulunkulu himself said, 'patience was an egg which hatched great birds': even the sun which was bleeding into darkness outside was such an egg. For this reason the best that one Matabele could wish another was that life would allow him to 'Hamba Gashle'; that is, to go slowly." - Narrator (78)
"Until a man had learned to abolish habits of secrecy he did not have a heart free from fear. Then a man-child also had to learn how to sing, and above all to dance; for dancing and singing were the best ways he had for showing gratitude for the good things of life. Song and, above all, dancing were the surest ways of helping a man to endure the great trials of his existence" - Narrator (78-9)
"World without and world within, after all, whether one knows it or not are expressions of one another" - Narrator (124)
"No imagination has yet been great enough to invent improvements to the truth." - Narrator (129)
"Young as he was, death was no stranger to him. He could hardly remember...a single day in his life in which he had not witnessed the death of some living thing...It was utterly impossible, therefore, young as he was, for him to think of death as the outrage which it is increasingly becoming in the view of metropolitan man, who keeps himself and his young as far as he can from witnessing death of any kind and so allows all the natural aids life has built into man for facing death to crumble by neglect and default." - Narrator (129-30)
"The partridge hatches the egg in secret alone." - Sindabele saying (132)
"Ja-nee literally means 'yes-no,' and Mopani always used it when he was confronted with an aspect of reality which to him went far beyond mere question and answer, positive and negative, or opposites of any kind. It was for him an expression in the here and now of the mysterious, inexpressible and abiding paradox that is at the heart of all inanimate and living matter, but most especially at the heart of man on his brief, zig-zag trajectory through space and time." - Narrator (143)
"Because like all things evil, the rhinoceros is always in a hurry and is always it always charges in straight lines, crashing over everything, even the innocent. You must know that evil is hot in action and travels always in a straight line. Only the good and wise, such as our lord the elephant, go slowly in and out, round and about, making their way through the bush as the wise among men go through life, like a river seeking that Great Water which 'Bamuthi has never seen." - 'Bamuthi (164)
"'The lion who roars is never the lion that kills' (the Sindabele dismissal of men who boast)" - 'Bamuthi (170)
"the eye will cross the river before the body [a Sindabele way of warning François not to count his chickens before they are hatched]" - 'Bamuthi (176)
"This was perhaps one of the greatest burdens of being young; one was always expected to take, and so rarely thought to be in a position of ever wanting and needing, to give as well." - Narrator (195)
"One is disposed to join Mopani in feeling that there are moments in life when it is not helpful to be what the civilised person regards as sensible, and that the suspension, in moments of tragedy, of what is called common sense and controlled reasoning in favour of an indulgence in simple, natural grief and fellow-feeling, is far more sensible and reasonable than being sensible and reasonable in the accepted sense would have been." - Narrator (203)
"When deeds speak, words are nought." - Sindabele proverb (216)
"François, in his life with the Matabele, had learned that there was nothing so powerful in argument as patience and courtesy." - Narrator (226)
"nothing appears to offend logic as much as paradox" - Narrator (231)
"Night and day joined to produce a kind of beauty that was an expression of both, and all living creatures were marshalled to take part in the scene, as in a theatre of fate...It is, perhaps, the most imposing natural moment of resolution of which life on earth is capable because, within its still centre, the earth forgives the sun for the heat of the day. All death, which the fight for survival has inflicted, is understood, and a brief state of innocence for all is poignantly established, before another battle for survival under cover of darkness comes into being." - Narrator (273-4)
"The world outside he knew tended to be too busy to live, confusing being with having" - Narrator (275)
"Nothing feeds fear so much as the pretence that it has no valid cause to exist." - Narrator (275)
"The sadness is never in the landscape, but only in oneself." - Ouwa (277)
"The art of living, François, is nothing if it does not consist of being sensible on completely non-sensible grounds. It is, if I dare suggest so flagrant a defiance of collective precepts for wisdom, nothing if not a leap into the dark; a finding of alternatives to what common sense holds to be inevitable. Those who look before they leap, never leap." - Ouwa (297)
"it seemed to be a law of the bush that no bird, animal, insect or reptile was killed for any other reason than for food or in self-defence." - François (305)
"I'm often afraid. Every day there's something to make me afraid. But Mopani has taught me to fear nothing more than fear itself. He says all bad things come out of failure to stand up to fear." - François (306)
"As he said it, there was a glimmer at the back of his mind of one of the basic realisations of the imagination brave enough to look into the mysterious role of time in the life of man: the fact that the very time which passes so slowly and reluctantly because of separation or unhappiness, seems, on looking back, to have vanished in a flash almost as if it had never been. Yet time which is charged with meaning and joy goes so swiftly that one longs to stop it. Once over, it has this paradoxical compensation that, in recollection, it seems to have lasted longer." - Narrator (354)
I should also add that A Story Like The Wind contains a non-human character of paramount importance: François' ridgeback Hintza. Hintza is François' only true constant throughout the novel, and he proves his worth continuously, leading François in moments of doubt and even certainty, excelling in his role as man's best-friend.
I will admit that I was a bit skeptical of my dad's recommendation of A Story Like The Wind at first. It was published in 1972 by Laurens Van Der Post, a white South African, during a time when apartheid was still alive and well. I was therefore surprised as I read and continuously found little example of the white savior trope that colonizers love so much. While it is true that the main character (a tween named François) and his family's homestead of Hunter's Drift represent somewhat of a beacon within the bush, there are very few notions of superiority to be found in the story. In fact I would argue Van Der Post puts forth a narrative characterized by cohesion amid diversity; a refreshing and unexpected motif for the period.
A Story Like The Wind is clearly written by an experienced outdoorsman, as he beckons the reader into the bush with savvy, animate descriptions of the native wildlife. The story is not without conflict, as François finds himself in all sorts of farces that his teachings and quick-thinking permit him to overcome. François cannot overcome, however, the sickness that ails his father, eventually leading to his death. I was shocked Ouwa passed so easily and so far away from the action, but this is a testament to Van Der Post's storytelling. I knew with certainty A Story Like The Wind was not going to be some corny story when François, after all attempts of Western medicine have failed to bolster his health, puts his utmost faith into the mystic uLangalibalela to cure his father, per 'Bamuthi and Ousie-Johanna's imploring. uLangalibalela ultimately comes up short in his efforts, but not before predicting Ouwa's death (192). When news comes to Hunter's Drift that Ouwa is dead, it comes as no shock and thus confirms uLangalibalela's power and wisdom. No author caught up in his belief of Western ideological superiority would ever go so far as to even suggest such foresight from a "primitive" mystic, but Van Der Post affirms it.
A coming of age story through and through, A Story Like The Wind is also full of compelling characters, my favorite being Mopani Théron. Mopani is a friend of François' father from their time as soldiers, and he lives within a day's travel from Hunter's Drift. His calm wisdom is a stable presence for François, as he enriches the text with every word he utters, but he is more than just a wiseman. On the novel's second page the narrator likens him to Don Quixote, an apt comparison in my humble opinion. I'd like to list some of my favorite of his quotes below:
"I've never thought of my friends or anybody at all in terms of age, I'm only interested in what people are, and not in how long they have been what they happen to be. Age is a matter between man and nature, it's enough that the sun and the moon and the seasons keep an account of the span on earth of us all." (137)
"No matter how great one's experience, always do everything as if for the first time." (149-50)
"Little Cousin, always remember in Africa that what we Europeans call superstition, is just the wrong explanation for the right truth. It is, in fact, an attempt to draw attention to mysterious facts and laws of nature which Europeans ignore because they cannot explain them with their brains." (228)
"Mopani went on that he had read somewhere that one of the church fathers had once said that the soul of man was naturally religious. He would add to that that the birds and animals, indeed, all the flora and fauna of Africa, were naturally devout because no other living things obeyed so implicitly the laws of their own creation...There would be many people who would try to prove to François that this kind of thinking was nonsense. Their condemnation would be all the more convincing because the world was full of know-alls who knew only what they knew and no longer what they did not know. To them, that there could be any connection between the mind and spirit of civilised man and the mind of the natural world, would be ridiculous. But this, Mopani said, was the sickness in so-called civilised people. In the final analysis one had to stand by one's own experience of life and refuse to allow any one-sided specialist to discredit it." (276-7)
"It was one of [Mopani's] favourite maxims that it was ignoble of human beings to trouble others with their own private apprehensions before they were verified, and even then, only if necessary for the well-being of all." (337)
"I have always thought us hunters a bit like Paul in the Bible. You remember that he came to Christianity by persecuting Christians. It seems to me a lot of us come to it through killing the animals we one day learn to protect and, in protecting them, save ourselves." (350)
I have decided to make this post my digital notebook. Here are some other quotes I found particularly poignant:
"Remember, a man could not value the cattle he owns so much if it were not for the cattle he could never possess." - 'Bamuthi (21)
Bushman greeting: "Good day, I saw you looming up from afar and I am dying of hunger." (34)
Response: "I was dying, but now that you have come I live again." (35)
"no true self-expression was ever possible without discipline." - Ouwa (59)
"Because old, my Little Feather, because old is our greatest Bushman word of respect." - Koba (60)
"But does anyone, let alone a child, want perfection? Do we all not secretly long for more love than reason, more pardon than justice, more impulse than calculation, more heart than head and altogether for an asymmetrical slant in our favour in our lives?" - Narrator (61-2)
"as Umulunkulu himself said, 'patience was an egg which hatched great birds': even the sun which was bleeding into darkness outside was such an egg. For this reason the best that one Matabele could wish another was that life would allow him to 'Hamba Gashle'; that is, to go slowly." - Narrator (78)
"Until a man had learned to abolish habits of secrecy he did not have a heart free from fear. Then a man-child also had to learn how to sing, and above all to dance; for dancing and singing were the best ways he had for showing gratitude for the good things of life. Song and, above all, dancing were the surest ways of helping a man to endure the great trials of his existence" - Narrator (78-9)
"World without and world within, after all, whether one knows it or not are expressions of one another" - Narrator (124)
"No imagination has yet been great enough to invent improvements to the truth." - Narrator (129)
"Young as he was, death was no stranger to him. He could hardly remember...a single day in his life in which he had not witnessed the death of some living thing...It was utterly impossible, therefore, young as he was, for him to think of death as the outrage which it is increasingly becoming in the view of metropolitan man, who keeps himself and his young as far as he can from witnessing death of any kind and so allows all the natural aids life has built into man for facing death to crumble by neglect and default." - Narrator (129-30)
"The partridge hatches the egg in secret alone." - Sindabele saying (132)
"Ja-nee literally means 'yes-no,' and Mopani always used it when he was confronted with an aspect of reality which to him went far beyond mere question and answer, positive and negative, or opposites of any kind. It was for him an expression in the here and now of the mysterious, inexpressible and abiding paradox that is at the heart of all inanimate and living matter, but most especially at the heart of man on his brief, zig-zag trajectory through space and time." - Narrator (143)
"Because like all things evil, the rhinoceros is always in a hurry and is always it always charges in straight lines, crashing over everything, even the innocent. You must know that evil is hot in action and travels always in a straight line. Only the good and wise, such as our lord the elephant, go slowly in and out, round and about, making their way through the bush as the wise among men go through life, like a river seeking that Great Water which 'Bamuthi has never seen." - 'Bamuthi (164)
"'The lion who roars is never the lion that kills' (the Sindabele dismissal of men who boast)" - 'Bamuthi (170)
"the eye will cross the river before the body [a Sindabele way of warning François not to count his chickens before they are hatched]" - 'Bamuthi (176)
"This was perhaps one of the greatest burdens of being young; one was always expected to take, and so rarely thought to be in a position of ever wanting and needing, to give as well." - Narrator (195)
"One is disposed to join Mopani in feeling that there are moments in life when it is not helpful to be what the civilised person regards as sensible, and that the suspension, in moments of tragedy, of what is called common sense and controlled reasoning in favour of an indulgence in simple, natural grief and fellow-feeling, is far more sensible and reasonable than being sensible and reasonable in the accepted sense would have been." - Narrator (203)
"When deeds speak, words are nought." - Sindabele proverb (216)
"François, in his life with the Matabele, had learned that there was nothing so powerful in argument as patience and courtesy." - Narrator (226)
"nothing appears to offend logic as much as paradox" - Narrator (231)
"Night and day joined to produce a kind of beauty that was an expression of both, and all living creatures were marshalled to take part in the scene, as in a theatre of fate...It is, perhaps, the most imposing natural moment of resolution of which life on earth is capable because, within its still centre, the earth forgives the sun for the heat of the day. All death, which the fight for survival has inflicted, is understood, and a brief state of innocence for all is poignantly established, before another battle for survival under cover of darkness comes into being." - Narrator (273-4)
"The world outside he knew tended to be too busy to live, confusing being with having" - Narrator (275)
"Nothing feeds fear so much as the pretence that it has no valid cause to exist." - Narrator (275)
"The sadness is never in the landscape, but only in oneself." - Ouwa (277)
"The art of living, François, is nothing if it does not consist of being sensible on completely non-sensible grounds. It is, if I dare suggest so flagrant a defiance of collective precepts for wisdom, nothing if not a leap into the dark; a finding of alternatives to what common sense holds to be inevitable. Those who look before they leap, never leap." - Ouwa (297)
"it seemed to be a law of the bush that no bird, animal, insect or reptile was killed for any other reason than for food or in self-defence." - François (305)
"I'm often afraid. Every day there's something to make me afraid. But Mopani has taught me to fear nothing more than fear itself. He says all bad things come out of failure to stand up to fear." - François (306)
"As he said it, there was a glimmer at the back of his mind of one of the basic realisations of the imagination brave enough to look into the mysterious role of time in the life of man: the fact that the very time which passes so slowly and reluctantly because of separation or unhappiness, seems, on looking back, to have vanished in a flash almost as if it had never been. Yet time which is charged with meaning and joy goes so swiftly that one longs to stop it. Once over, it has this paradoxical compensation that, in recollection, it seems to have lasted longer." - Narrator (354)
I should also add that A Story Like The Wind contains a non-human character of paramount importance: François' ridgeback Hintza. Hintza is François' only true constant throughout the novel, and he proves his worth continuously, leading François in moments of doubt and even certainty, excelling in his role as man's best-friend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2012
Francois Joubert is a boy who has been born and raised in the remote interior of South Africa. His father established a farm in partnership with the local tribes of that area, and Francois has been raised to understand the cultures of the native Matabele as well as the traditional Bushmen. Early in the novel he rescues a lone Bushman who is traveling through the area and they form a close bond. Later he will also befriend the daughter of a European family who move into the area. These two relationships will become immensely significant in his life as over the course of the book he evolves from a highly intelligent youth to a mature young adult.
As other reviewers have commented, it takes quite a while to get into this book. Van der Post tends to over-explain everything. There's a lot of back story and telling us what's going on in peoples' heads. Around the 80-100 page mark it really finds its own rhythm and I was totally hooked from then on right through to the gripping ending. You should be aware that the book's ending, while not entirely a cliffhanger, does lead straight into the sequel, A Far-Off Place.
I first read this book as a teenager and it's always stayed with me. Re-reading it after so many years, I see it somewhat differently (though I still love it). The first time I read it as a coming of age novel - which it is. But this time round, I was also struck by how it is a love letter to a concept of South Africa that Laurens van der Post grew up in, but which was rapidly coming to an end. In his introduction, van der Post talks about "the magic which life in primitive Africa seems to (him) to have possessed before we arrived from Europe to spoil it". It's about the way that the indigenous people of Africa lived in harmony with the natural world around them, believing and respecting that all life is interconnected and the very different values held within European culture. I don't tend to hang onto a lot of the books that I read, but this one is a keeper.
As other reviewers have commented, it takes quite a while to get into this book. Van der Post tends to over-explain everything. There's a lot of back story and telling us what's going on in peoples' heads. Around the 80-100 page mark it really finds its own rhythm and I was totally hooked from then on right through to the gripping ending. You should be aware that the book's ending, while not entirely a cliffhanger, does lead straight into the sequel, A Far-Off Place.
I first read this book as a teenager and it's always stayed with me. Re-reading it after so many years, I see it somewhat differently (though I still love it). The first time I read it as a coming of age novel - which it is. But this time round, I was also struck by how it is a love letter to a concept of South Africa that Laurens van der Post grew up in, but which was rapidly coming to an end. In his introduction, van der Post talks about "the magic which life in primitive Africa seems to (him) to have possessed before we arrived from Europe to spoil it". It's about the way that the indigenous people of Africa lived in harmony with the natural world around them, believing and respecting that all life is interconnected and the very different values held within European culture. I don't tend to hang onto a lot of the books that I read, but this one is a keeper.
March 8, 2017
I am of two minds when critiquing this book. First of all, I quite enjoyed reading about Africa and I could picture everything easily. The writing really is beautiful and the author gives us an abundance of background information about the characters, the culture, and landscape. However, there is SO MUCH DETAIL and not much in the way of a plot. I understand that the story picks up in the sequel and A Story Like the Wind acts as an introduction to the characters and conflict. The only reason I gave it three stars (instead of more) is because even as I was enjoying the book, I couldn't help but think, "Let's just get on with it." When the main character makes any kind of decision, he describes different lessons he has learned throughout his life to illustrate why he reacts or responds the way he does. All of this adds depth to the character but can get tedious.
Fair warning: This book ends abruptly (a bit of a cliffhanger) so have the sequel (A Far Off Place) handy.
Fair warning: This book ends abruptly (a bit of a cliffhanger) so have the sequel (A Far Off Place) handy.
December 28, 2010
This is a pretty thick book, and you can't read it fast or it loses it's magic. The friend who recomended it to me told me repeatedly that you don't read it for the story, you read it for the images. I agree that the images are beautiful, but I thought it had a story too. It was a wander-and-explore-along-the-way story, but I felt I'd learned something valuable by the end. Be warned though, the story drops off a cliff at the end. You'll want to have the sequel "A Far-Off Place" close by.
Read
August 4, 2018Words fail me. Unforgettable. Touched me deeply. Slow-moving because of masses of detail lovingly described, e.g. the meaning and origin of the name of the boy's dog which involves a short lesson in Bushman and other languages. I tried reading this story to my kids but they did not appreciate the slow pace and I eventually gave up.
January 31, 2008
I've been trying forever to get through this. It sucks me in and then it bores me... a lot of description but slow in some parts.
September 23, 2015
Memorable Quotes
‘The story,’ the Bushman prisoner said, ‘is like the wind. It comes from a far-off place and we feel it.’
"...the magic which life in primitive Africa seems to me to have possessed before we arrived from Europe to spoil it."
“Remember, a man could not value the cattle he owns so much if it were not for the cattle he could never possess.”
"Do we all not secretly long for more love than reason, more pardon than justice, more impulse than calculation, more heart than head and altogether for an asymmetrical slant in our favour in our lives?"
“Remember, Little Feather, that you must not forget to eat for two; the one that you are now and the one that you are to be.”
“...patience was an egg which hatched great birds...”
"Then a man-child also had to learn how to sing, and above all to dance; for dancing and singing were the best ways he had of showing gratitude for the good things of life. Song and, above all, dancing were the surest ways of helping a man to endure the great trials of his existence; they were needed at birth, marriage and before war to strengthen his heart. Also, after war, they were needed to exorcise the spirit of death in him, and at the moment when the final loss of his shadow was upon him and those he loved, to drive away the power of death and revive the desire to live."
"Finally, the man-child had to become a man who, though he should never weep for himself, could weep easily for others.
"Life, he said, consisted of a process of turning pages and, when they had to be turned, they were best turned quickly and firmly."
"...in the end only courage made a person free."
"World without and world within, after all, whether one knows it or not, are expressions of one another; interdependent and ceaselessly in communication, serving something greater than the sum of themselves."
"He believed that when a person could form a question, it was a sign from life that the person was ready for a truthful answer."
"No imagination has yet been great enough to invent improvements to the truth. Truth, however terrible, carried within itself its own strange comfort for the misery it is so often compelled to inflict on behalf of life. Sooner or later it is not pretence but the truth which gives back with both hands what it has taken away with one. Indeed, unaided and alone it will pick up the fragments of the reality it has shattered and piece them together again in the shape of more immediate meaning than the one in which they had been previously contained."
"It was utterly impossible, therefore, young as he was, for him to think of death as the outrage which it is increasingly becoming in the view of metropolitan man, who keeps himself and his young as far as he can from witnessing death of any kind and so allows all the natural aids life has built into man for facing death to crumble by neglect and default."
“Death,” the Matabele said, “knows no kings, it is its own king.”
"...both animal and man were charged by life to do everything in their power to defeat death, if only to make certain that when it ultimately came it was the right kind of death."
"I’ve never thought of myself or my friends or anybody at all in terms of age, I’m only interested in what people are, and not in how long they have been what they happen to be. Age is a matter between man and nature, it’s enough that the sun and the moon and the seasons keep an account of the span on earth of us all.”
"For them both the bush had been the blackboard of life."
"Human beings, he stressed, always knew more than they allowed themselves to know. One of the things they never knew clearly enough was the power they possessed of overcoming problems even if they were thrice the size of Uprooter of Great Trees."
"In the end neither success nor failure mattered as much as the manner of meeting the challenge."
"His feelings, uncensored and raw, had to serve as Ouwa’s end-of-term report in this examination room of time..."
"His long experience of life had taught him that one had never done with injury, until the moment came when one could put it into words and speak openly about it. That was the only sign, in his experience, that a human being had shed the hurt as a snake sheds its dead skin and that his personality was ready for the future."
“If little girls had the power as they have the will, they would rule the world.”
"...perhaps the one unpardonable error of men is to withdraw from communion with one another, no matter how good the reason for withdrawal."
"If dogs and horses, young and old, could be so lovingly and utterly at one as that little group, the occasion was explosive with the question of whether life would not cease from inflicting disaster upon disaster, could men only use their great gift of words not for dividing, but for confirming and enriching an act of communion for which they were born."
"It is, perhaps, the most imposing natural moment of resolution of which life on earth is capable because, within its still centre, the earth forgives the sun for the heat of the day. All death, which the fight for survival has inflicted, is understood, and a brief state of innocence for all is poignantly established, before another battle for survival under cover of darkness comes into being."
"Nothing feeds fear so much as the pretence that it has no valid cause to exist."
"...the world was full of know-alls who knew only what they knew and no longer what they did not know."
"The act of sleep is nothing if not an act of trust and are-commitment of one’s daytime self to the unfathomable depth of the urges that have raised life from clay."
"Those who look before they leap, never leap.”
"...fear nothing more than fear. He says all bad things come out of failure to stand up to fear.”
"...there's as much courage as we need, if only we know how to ask for it."
"...the smaller and stiller the voice is within oneself, the more one should listen to them."
"Why has the good God in Heaven given people grief if not to weep over it?"
"From east to west, north to south, from the rim of an horizon round and perfect as a ripple on a tranquil, limpid pond travelling into the smooth night, to the greatest deep of the sky above them, Heaven was packed with stars bright as only the stars of Africa can be."
"All these stars had thrown away the arrows and spears with which the Bushman imagination arms them, and gone over to watering the night with their tears."
October 3, 2012
The story initially centers on Francois Joubert, a boy coming of age, & his life near the Kalahari desert; his wonder at the world & culture around him & the unique relationship he & his family have with the local population. This world is fragile, though, which is seen through many omens and foreshadowing. Meanwhile, Francois continues to mature through a friendship with a young lady newly introduced to the African wilds & his secret friendship with the Bushman whose life he saves. Eventually, the unseen political tensions break - & the story becomes "a long, perilous journey undertaken by four survivors of a massacre: a teenage boy of European descent, a young white girl, and two Bushmen."
What was unique to me about the book/s was the incredible amount of backstory & set-up that occurs. Van Der Post explains everything - in long detail. The actual action-part of the story doesn't begin until toward the end of the first book. The first book sets the foundation for the incredible adventure of the 2nd. But without the rich backdrop painted by the first book, you'd never be able to believe in the continuing story. The detail was confusing initially because I kept waiting for the "story" to happen - but before I knew it I got caught up in the richness of the tale & when the action finally begins to occur, you're at the edge of your seat, so caught up in the tension. And because you know what has made Francois the young man he is, you believe he can succeed - something you'd scoff at otherwise.
What was unique to me about the book/s was the incredible amount of backstory & set-up that occurs. Van Der Post explains everything - in long detail. The actual action-part of the story doesn't begin until toward the end of the first book. The first book sets the foundation for the incredible adventure of the 2nd. But without the rich backdrop painted by the first book, you'd never be able to believe in the continuing story. The detail was confusing initially because I kept waiting for the "story" to happen - but before I knew it I got caught up in the richness of the tale & when the action finally begins to occur, you're at the edge of your seat, so caught up in the tension. And because you know what has made Francois the young man he is, you believe he can succeed - something you'd scoff at otherwise.
June 15, 2020
A Story Like the Wind was my first ever book I read of Lauren’s Van der Post and it is one of my all time favourites.
Van Der Post so compassionately and empathetically connects the readers to the heart and soul of Francois, the main character who is an adventurous young child trying to understand the world, the people around him and their behaviours and himself - the way he should behave and adapt to the world.
I was firstly introduced to the incredible writings of Van Der Post through the work of biologist Jeremy Griffith who uses the incredible honesty and denial free thinking of Van Der Post to explain the Human Condition and the mysteries behind human behaviour.
I am so grateful to have come across Van Der Post and my appreciation for his great writings is all thanks to Jeremy Griffith. I don’t think I would ever have appreciated the honesty of Van Der Post’s words without the Truthful explanations of Griffith’s work in his definitive book FREEDOM: The end of the Human Condition.
So lovely to have a whole world of amazing books to always reach out to read :)
Van Der Post so compassionately and empathetically connects the readers to the heart and soul of Francois, the main character who is an adventurous young child trying to understand the world, the people around him and their behaviours and himself - the way he should behave and adapt to the world.
I was firstly introduced to the incredible writings of Van Der Post through the work of biologist Jeremy Griffith who uses the incredible honesty and denial free thinking of Van Der Post to explain the Human Condition and the mysteries behind human behaviour.
I am so grateful to have come across Van Der Post and my appreciation for his great writings is all thanks to Jeremy Griffith. I don’t think I would ever have appreciated the honesty of Van Der Post’s words without the Truthful explanations of Griffith’s work in his definitive book FREEDOM: The end of the Human Condition.
So lovely to have a whole world of amazing books to always reach out to read :)
March 14, 2021
Francois Joubert ha 13 anni all'inizio di questo romanzo ambientato in Africa dove vive con i genitori in un'azienda agricola che prospera grazie all'impegno che tutti, bianchi e neri, dedicano alla terra e all'allevamento degli animali. Francois che già giovanissimo conosce le insidie del territorio grazie alle lezioni del padre, del cacciatore Mopani e di Mabuthi il capo dei matalele che vivono e lavorano nell'azienda, conosce casualmente il boscimano Xhabbo con il quale stringe una grande amicizia e successivamente Luciana, la figlia di un aristocratico inglese, con la quale allaccia un dolcissimo rapporto sentimentale. Il romanzo non è solo avventura nella misteriosa e pericolosa terra d'Africa ma anche e soprattutto il racconto del trapasso, nella vita di Francois, dalla prima adolescenza verso la maturità, attraverso "riti di passaggio" dolorosi e difficili che il ragazzo saprà affrontare con umiltà e determinazione. Un libro bellissimo, forse poco noto da noi, che illumina e rapisce.
February 26, 2008
Laurens van der Post was one of the people chosen as godfather to Britain's Prince William. Don't hold that against him though - he is also the author of this wonderful book and its sequel, "A Far Off Place", two of my favorite books when I was a teenager.
Set in the Kalahari, the book tells the story of a young boy, Francois, whose life changes for ever when he saves the life of a Bushman, Xhabbo. Van der Post explores the conflict between African and European cultures with sensitivity. I am normally impervious to nature writing, but van der Post's evocation of the Kalahari is impressive. The story is exciting, expertly told, and builds to an ominous climax. (Which will make you want to read the sequel, "A Far Off Place").
Although the books may find the most resonance with young adults, I would recommend them to anyone.
Set in the Kalahari, the book tells the story of a young boy, Francois, whose life changes for ever when he saves the life of a Bushman, Xhabbo. Van der Post explores the conflict between African and European cultures with sensitivity. I am normally impervious to nature writing, but van der Post's evocation of the Kalahari is impressive. The story is exciting, expertly told, and builds to an ominous climax. (Which will make you want to read the sequel, "A Far Off Place").
Although the books may find the most resonance with young adults, I would recommend them to anyone.
October 30, 2018
Despite the rather formal writing style and a few slow patches, I found this coming of age story to be very compelling. It provides a unique view of south Africa, including its flora, fauna, languages, superstitions, magical beliefs, politics, etc. The descriptions of the jungle greeting the rising sun, for example, are rich in sensory detail. The humans’ relationships with their dogs and horses are delightful. The main character, a boy of 14, takes us on his journey of self discovery, including moments of astonishing beauty as well scenes of tragic loss.
November 3, 2010
I am reading this again, having received it as a b'day gift -- so far, I am finding it to be better than the first time I read it.
A beautifully written story about a facet of life in Africa, featuring young Francois. You can read the description and you can read praises elsewhere. But until you read the book, you can't imagine the beauty encompassed in this book! I recommend it, without reservations!!!
A beautifully written story about a facet of life in Africa, featuring young Francois. You can read the description and you can read praises elsewhere. But until you read the book, you can't imagine the beauty encompassed in this book! I recommend it, without reservations!!!
July 7, 2011
This is hands down the best book I've read in years. The descriptions are lush, the story is compelling, and the language is simply beautiful. Van Der Post is an underrated author, and I'm glad to have 'rediscovered' him after last reading his books 25+ years ago. Every time I picked this up, I was instantly transported back into the African bush, with all the plants, animals, sounds, and smells, the stars at night, the incredible sunsets, and of course, the unspeakable horror.
January 9, 2012
A very well-written work that painted a picture of the beauty of Africa and its people in a way I've never visualized before. The education of the young man in this coming of age story shows how time spent outside and alone complements and enhances a classical education and vice versa.
This book was hard to put down. It was evocative of another time and place. It reflected an intimate acquaintance with the bush. It made me envy the author's skill in creating a magical, memorable story.
This book was hard to put down. It was evocative of another time and place. It reflected an intimate acquaintance with the bush. It made me envy the author's skill in creating a magical, memorable story.
August 9, 2014
What did I think? What didn't I think? Or what didn't I feel while reading this book? I think every emotional crevice in my being was invaded and thrust open by the power of this novel, and the multitude of messages and images it contains. Couldn't recommend it more. If you didn't love Africa before, you will after this.
September 26, 2014
This is my favourite novel. It's not only a great adventure - but its message of hope and optimism despite its narrative on the troubled human spirit, is what makes it a truly great book. Its message on the need for sensitivity and strength of character is one that is inspiring and has never been more relevant in the world.
May 4, 2013
My all time favorite book!
Mr van der Post's ability to bring me the sounds, smells and touch of the south African dusk is quite remarkable. This is a slow book, a book for people who like me could spend 15 minutes exploring one foot of a coral reef...the wonder is all in the minute detail.
Mr van der Post's ability to bring me the sounds, smells and touch of the south African dusk is quite remarkable. This is a slow book, a book for people who like me could spend 15 minutes exploring one foot of a coral reef...the wonder is all in the minute detail.
January 25, 2019
Beautifully written but my post colonial nose smelled a rat. The relationships appear overly romanticized and I found them patronizing. See this article that exposes the author:
https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/03/bo...
https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/03/bo...
August 21, 2019
Having grown up in Africa, Laurens van der Post has an excellent understanding of southern Africa and its people. In this book, the first of two that together provide the story of Francois Joubert, a young white man growing up on his father's estate, and his African friends (the other is a "A Far Off Place." Disney made a movie based on the combined story.) His descriptions of the African bush and savannah are beautiful. I found myself frequently googling the names of animals and tools to gain a better understanding of how the animal or instrument looked.
November 29, 2017
I gave it five stars, but it took me four months to read. The first half seemed slow. Fascinating story of Africa from a white boy's experience living closely with a native African tribe. Francois learned from the Africans how to see nature around him, along with many old tales and superstitions. The birds described reminded me of our trip to Kenya and Tanzania and the gorgeous birds there. Francois and his parents lived isolated from other white men, but shared living and mutual respect with the natives. The birds were acting differently and foretold changes that were coming.
October 2, 2016
First and foremost this is an elegy for continent, a people, and a way of life. This is also a story of the awful, lingering effects of colonialism of a continent by those who saw only a land to be conquered, ruled and settled. The author seems almost prescient of the horrible atrocities, the droughts, and the diseases that have occurred in Africa since this book was written in 1972.
Francois, the main character, is born in Africa (near Victoria Falls, which is now in Zimbabwe and Zambia), of parents descended from the French. His parents have created a ranch called Hunter’s Drift in which both his parents and the local tribesmen (the mantebele) have a stake.
Francois is raised not only by his parents but by Batmuthi, the head tribesman and his father’s partner in the running of the ranch. He teaches Francois to understand the interconnected relationship between men, the animals, and the land itself. For Francois it is a happy childhood completely in sync with the natural rhythms of the land he lives in and loves. But there are forces at work at the time (early 1960’s) and the terrible conflicts that come to embody life in Africa intrudes into Francois’ life and he must learn to navigate a whole new landscape.
This book was written in 1972 but I had never heard of it until just recently in an article which bemoaned the fact that this book had not gotten more widespread attention. Granted, this is a beautifully written and thought provoking book but it is not a fast read. The author’s prose is so evocative that the animals, people and Africa itself seemed to almost jump off the page. That being said, at one point, though, the author devotes five pages to the parenting habits of baboons. As interesting as it was to learn about the different animals, some of the descriptive passages were a bit over long.
Francois, the main character, is born in Africa (near Victoria Falls, which is now in Zimbabwe and Zambia), of parents descended from the French. His parents have created a ranch called Hunter’s Drift in which both his parents and the local tribesmen (the mantebele) have a stake.
Francois is raised not only by his parents but by Batmuthi, the head tribesman and his father’s partner in the running of the ranch. He teaches Francois to understand the interconnected relationship between men, the animals, and the land itself. For Francois it is a happy childhood completely in sync with the natural rhythms of the land he lives in and loves. But there are forces at work at the time (early 1960’s) and the terrible conflicts that come to embody life in Africa intrudes into Francois’ life and he must learn to navigate a whole new landscape.
This book was written in 1972 but I had never heard of it until just recently in an article which bemoaned the fact that this book had not gotten more widespread attention. Granted, this is a beautifully written and thought provoking book but it is not a fast read. The author’s prose is so evocative that the animals, people and Africa itself seemed to almost jump off the page. That being said, at one point, though, the author devotes five pages to the parenting habits of baboons. As interesting as it was to learn about the different animals, some of the descriptive passages were a bit over long.
August 18, 2015
I'm very much of two minds about this book. On the positive side, it's filled with magic, with beautiful depictions of the African landscape and its complex natural environment and insight into the rich, complex culture of southern Africa the way it was before Europeans destroyed it. The characters are wonderfully developed -- the few remaining Bushmen, the aristocratic Matabele, the Joubert family of Huguenot ancestry who have learned to understand and appreciate the qualities of their native partners. Van der Post's deep love for that land and its peoples shines through constantly.
And that's where it sometimes becomes a problem; he is so intent on conveying all of that richness that he gets preachy and goes into far more detail about every aspect of it, including the thoughts and emotions of Francois, his main character. As a result, the story fails to move forward and I lost patience with it at times.
In the end, while this is a book of fiction the story is only there as a framework upon which Van der Post has constructed a quite scholarly piece of anthropology mixed with natural history, with a bit of political philosophy thrown in. So those who take it up as a coming-of-age story about a boy, his dog and his adventures will likely be frustrated by the endless excursions into topics that do little to advance the story. Further, the fact that its time setting is pre-WWI renders it nostalgic and rather dated, which is a pity.
I choose to accept it for what it is and appreciate the marvellous vistas and insights it provides into a much maligned and poorly understood part of our world, while at the same time acknowledging its flaws.
And that's where it sometimes becomes a problem; he is so intent on conveying all of that richness that he gets preachy and goes into far more detail about every aspect of it, including the thoughts and emotions of Francois, his main character. As a result, the story fails to move forward and I lost patience with it at times.
In the end, while this is a book of fiction the story is only there as a framework upon which Van der Post has constructed a quite scholarly piece of anthropology mixed with natural history, with a bit of political philosophy thrown in. So those who take it up as a coming-of-age story about a boy, his dog and his adventures will likely be frustrated by the endless excursions into topics that do little to advance the story. Further, the fact that its time setting is pre-WWI renders it nostalgic and rather dated, which is a pity.
I choose to accept it for what it is and appreciate the marvellous vistas and insights it provides into a much maligned and poorly understood part of our world, while at the same time acknowledging its flaws.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews