Favorite pre-trip fiction for South Africa
 

I love to immerse myself in a place with a compelling or funny book that takes place in the area. I have already read and adored the "Power of One" by Bryce Courtenay. What else have you all enjoyed?

Try "The Syringa Tree," by Pamela Gien. In an upside-down move, this is a novel that was adapted from a (fantastic) play -- it's a story of a white woman growing up in the latter days of apartheid.

If you're headed to Botswana, the "Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency" series by Alexander McCall Smith is a lot of fun.

And another way I like to get myself in the mood for southern Africa is through music -- the Soweto Gospel Choir and Ladysmith Black Mambazo are just two of many good choices.

Don

Having read "The Power of One," which I too loved, you could read the sequel entitled "Tandia." I didn't think it was as good but you do get to know how things turn out with Peekay.

"The Covenant" by Michener is a sweeping historical novel and will give you a pretty good feel for a few hundred years of SA history.

I like any number of books by Wilbur Smith, especially the ones having to do with swashbuckling and the early years of SA history ("Birds of Prey," "Monsoon").

Steve

There have been a couple of similar topics here - links below (not all fiction though)

http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...-countries.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...ican-books.cfm

Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton and Disgrace by JM Coetzee. Don't let Disgrace scare you but the writing is fantastic and the issues complex.

Thank you all so much.

I adore the #1 Ladies Detective Agency and have read them all. I've already had a sample of The Syringa Tree sent to my Kindle. Great idea about the music. I don't know why I didn't think about Tandia? I wish they had Kindle versions of it and of the Covenant. Aaarrgghh!

Still have to check out the Wilbur Smith books.

Thanks for the links. I think my head might explode with all the options:)

I've wanted to read Cry the Beloved Country for years. But, I almost worry that it will be too painful to read. Have to check out Disgrace.

Some good other options are:
Jock of the bushveld –Percy Fitzpatrick (also a movie)
Mafikeng Road –Herman Charles Bosman (he also has a whole lot of other short story collections)
Heart of Redness –Zakes Mda
Zulu Dawn –Cy Endfield (also a movie:Zulu)

and for some more modern SA music, try Nomvula by Freshly Ground.

Michael Stanley's new book "Death of the Mantis" is coming out in September. The third in this series is set, like the two previous, in Botswana, and features detective Kubu of the Botswana police force.

Michael Stanley is the pen name of South Africans Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip. Stan is the reason my husband and I ever went to Africa in the first place. Stan and my husband became friends in grad school, and Stan recommended Jim for a short work assignment in Johannesburg. Thus began our love affair with Southern Africa.

Google "Michael Stanley" for their web site and lots of info about the series.

I just pre-ordered "Death of the Mantis" for my Kindle yesterday... great authors! I really enjoyed their other two "Kubu" books.

Harcourt Brace has published "The Reader's Companion to South Africa", a compilation of writings about SA from the 1800s to present.

Amazon.com just informed me of these three new books:

Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness
Alexandra Fuller

Release Date: August 23, 2011


Casting with a Fragile Thread: A Story of Sisters and Africa
Wendy Kann


One Day I Will Write About This Place: A Memoir
Binyavanga Wainaina

So many books. So little time! Is there a more recent version of the Reader's companion?

My edition of the Reader's Companion to South Africa is copyright 1999. I don't know if there's a more recent version, but I'd hope so.

Given that it's a collection of writings over a century, I don't think you need a newer edition. It's just a collection of travel writings, including one by Mark Twain. I've also got similar books for Italy and the like.

All the books by Tony Park are rollicking safari/adventure/thriller books which I've enjoyed immensely. Only recently has he managed to get a UK publisher so I don't think all the titles are available, whereas if you have access to Aussie online stores you should be able to buy them. He is up to his 10th or 11th I think. Especially relevant to people travelling to Southern Africa.

And he is a really nice, funny and generous bloke as well.

What's frustrating is that so many of these books are not available on Kindle. Would you make the 1200 page commitment to the Covenant? I figure I have several weeks to try and get it read before I get there. I feel like that or the Reader's Companion would be great pre-trip read. And Syringa tree and two others available kindle would be good while on the trip. Tony Park seems to be primarily available in hard back. :(

Just found this in a review of the Literary Guide to South Afrrica-- has anyone read these and have thoughts on how they compare to the Reader's Companion?

Encounters: An Anthology of South African Short Stories (1998), Running toward Us: New Writing from South Africa (2000), the 900-page Omnibus of a Century of South African Stories (2007), and the 600-page Captured in Time: Five Centuries of South African Writing (2010).

Modern South African Stories (1980), The Penguin Book of Southern African Stories (1985), A Land Apart: A Contemporary South African Reader (1986), The Vita Anthology of New South African Short Fiction (1988), The Penguin Book of Contemporary South African Short Stories (1993) and The Heinemann Book of South African Short Stories from 1945 to the Present (1994).

Tony Park did an interview on Safaritalk and explained why his books aren't available on Kindle. It has to do with what books of his are published in any particular country. Being Australian, all of his books are published there and apparently are available on Kindle there, as well. If you're flying out of JNB, check out their bookstore before you leave. You'll find some interesting reading for your trip home. The last time I was there, it was almost all the way down to the left after going through Passport Control.

Thank you Shay.

Hi,

I have a bibliography of African fiction and memoirs that I am happy to share. Email me at treepol at gmail dot com if you would like a copy.

Regards,


Pol