THE TWISTED THING. By Mickey Spillane

I have read a few Mickey Spillane works, and what hits one most, quite frightening, is the violence in the books. It is often more than gratuitous, brutal. Tremendous ruthless battles and fights, blood spilling out from guts and nerves and from pretty much everywhere. It is no different here, the brutality of the fights involving Mike Hammer. If he is not a sadist, then one wonders what a sadist is!

Yet this novel, the story is quite good and i daresay convincing. The psychology behind the trend of events, the flow, the "twisted" youngster himself is quite spot on. Do we at the end feel pity for the boy genius?

 I like the undulations of the way he (the boy genius) has fallen for the lady in question here, though she is much older and would regard him as a child. But psychologically and emotionally he is no kid. He is very intelligent cerebral and calculating. Which all adds to the pathos of this hard-hitting story, I suppose.

-         - Henry Ozogula

FLAXMAN QOOPANE (1955 - 2017)

By O Bolaji

Flaxman Moalusi Jacob Qoopane, who has just died, always had a palpable ambience of joie de vivre around him - and his extraordinary love for books, authors, literature, and libraries nourished this patina of exaltation.

Qoopane for decades had an astonishing career as a colourful, enterprising journalist, columnist, poet and author of several works. His shorter works were published in dozens of newspapers, magazines, journals and general books.

It is no surprise that news of his passing continues to shock the world, with the literary fraternity rocked and devastated. Ishmael Mzwandile Soqaga, the well known literary critic reacted spontaneously: "So Flaxman has departed this world?  I am crying now with poignant sorrow...he certainly played his part. Africa must celebrate this important literary figure,"

Charmaine Kolwane Mrwebi, the avant-garde poet, literary activist and publisher, was more philosophical. "Our Literary Father is Resting, Father  of Letters...We are Praying for his Family" she said.

Nthabiseng Jah Rose Jafta, fecund poet and Creative Writing Mentor/Facilitator, said: "It is really sad. Ntate Qoopane was there for us since we were very young. We remain eternally grateful,"

Raphael Mokoena, another literary critic, averred: "Qoopane contributed prodigiously to African writing in particular. He unearthed, introduced, wrote about countless writers and poets over the years. He was a celebrated poet. He published many books of different genres: biographies, essays, criticism, general profiles, and epistolary"

Indeed, many of Qoopane's published books have been internationally digitised by lofty universities/literary centres. Flaxman also orchestrated the Qoopane Literary Gallery whose magnificent contents should now be taken over and preserved  by the powers that be, as part of his sterling legacy.

Two years ago, Qoopane turned 60, and as part of the events marking the occasion, Charmaine Kolwane put together a book of essays, poems, articles, critiques etc all celebrating the remarkable Flaxman Qoopane (FATHER OF LETTERS).  Literary pundits are now calling for the book to be stocked in every conceivable library. "Our people - new generations - must read about this man whose life celebrated books and literacy" a tearful Soqaga stressed.

Books published by Flaxman Qoopane

A Poet Abroad
Memoirs of a Cultural Activist
Adventures in Journalism
Reneiloe-Mpho's story
Macufe 2001
Women of Talent
Gilbert Modise: the man and the myth
View from my Window
Omoseye Bolaji: Perspectives on his literary work
The Conference
THE CREST
City of Roses and Literary Icons
Scintillating stars from the vibrant soil

THE VILLAGE IN THE JUNGLE. By Leonard Woolf

Memorable books continue to be celebrated through the decades and even over the centuries...Shakespeare's work is a case in point here. In Africa although Chinua Achebe published his classic, Things fall apart almost 60 years ago, the novel still remains the most popular and saluted ever in the continent. Leonard Woolf - alas, one has to add here for the sake of many that this great writer in his own right was Virginia Woolf's husband - wrote the work, The village in the jungle, over 100 years ago, and till date many literary experts worldwide still consider the novel to be very important, a work focusing on an erstwhile colonised third world country so to speak.

It is often posited that Mr Woolf in the work, very unusually for the time dealt with the pertinent denizens of the struggling area with sympathy and somewhat criticised the powers that be who were ruling the country. It is also conceded that the book has a lot of literary merit. And so it does.

This work is set in the former British colony of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). It focuses on a particular village, its activities; and essentially on one family which has Silindu as the Father. His daughters, Hinnihami and Punchi Menika are key characters too, as is Babun, the husband of Punchi. There is the notorious ‘headman’ of the village, Babehami, and Fernando, the debt collector who wants Punchi as a mistress. The headman (with Fernando in tow) manages to get Silindu and Babun arrested and tried by the colonial authorities. Babun is incarcerated, whilst an incandescent Silindu shoots Babehami and Fernando. The law has to deal with Silindu, who has become a
double-murderer.

In this remarkable story, we see how the life of the village(ers) is anchored on ‘chenas’. As the author explains, ‘The life of the village and of every man in it depended upon the cultivation of chenas. A chena is merely a piece of jungle, which every ten years is cleared of trees and undergrowth and sown with grain broadcast and with vegetables. The villagers owned no jungle themselves; it belonged to the Crown, and no one might fell a tree or clear a chena in it without a permit from the government…’

The stultifying, even frightening impact of the jungle on the village is distinctly emphasized throughout this novel. ‘The Jungle surrounded it, overhung it continually pressed in upon it. It stood at the door of the houses, always ready to press in upon the compounds and open spaces, to break through the mud huts, and to choke up the tracks and paths…’
- O Bolaji

PEOPLE OF THE TOWNSHIPS. By O Bolaji

‘Perhaps one should make a tentative, or half baked incursion into John Lefuo's mind. Lefuo is the main protagonist of this work. What are his motivations? What type of swamping emotions, frustrations ruled him or took over his life? From his first narrative account here he is in no way a violent man...he seems peaceful, a man of letters, with a quasi-philosophical bent.

Here he takes us briefly around the vista of life in the townships (South African townships), showing that despite his rather gloomy moods and despondency he can not be the mad man he appears to be at the end. But what is madness or lunacy? For example, could such a brilliant man, Didi really be a mad man and mass killer as we see in the book, The madness of Didi?

I feel that it is poverty that is the main theme of this work, not so called madness on Lefuo's part. Even now, many years after this book first came out we see how poverty ravages Africa and our vulnerable women in particular. Many ladies find themselves in the hands of unscrupulous sugar daddies and others who take advantage of them. Many others become prostitutes or something close to this. Why would Alice in this book, a young mother, suddenly become promiscuous as the narrative here claims, if not for poverty?

Nor do I have much sympathy for the young man, Lefuo himself. Why can’t he go out and find a job as we can see that he is in no way disabled. He is intelligent, articulate and loves to read. But this does not mean that he can not get some form of employment and help his hapless baby and its mother. His so called morality does not stop him from fathering a baby - then apparently turning against the mother of the child, and even his own society.

John Lefuo prefers to be passive instead of taking a firm grip on reality of life. In sum I believe that if he had been a more practical and responsible man, a lot of tragedy would have been prevented.’

TWO INTRIGUING BOOKS

Unstoppable by Maria Sharapova

Bitch, please! I'm Khanyi Mbau by Lesley Mofokeng


Perspective by O Bolaji

My mind is often rather gregarious and arguably even weird – the latest in point is Maria Sharapova’s book which immediately somewhat reminded me of Khanyi Mbau’s book. Khanyi Mbau? Well, she is a celebrity in South Africa both for right and “wrong” reasons…  She is a still young socialite who over the years has acquired an infamous reputation as “gold-digger”, sex siren, iconoclast  etc…yet, the fact is also that she is a famous actress and tv presenter and celebrity in her own right too. 

Maria Sharapova is of course world famous for her exploits in tennis, and it also helps that she has rather pulchritudinous looks and build, and is a dream for sponsors and advertisers. In the western world, such books written by young celebrities is par for the course, but in Africa there is often suspicion in this regard. “How can a kid already write a book about themselves…what gives he/she the right to already pontificate about life?” is the usual attitude. 


Yet,  South Africa is streets ahead in this wise re, the book publishing industry in the continent; but still light years behind compared to the western world. As we have seen, books written by established authors often fly off the shelves overseas, and books churned out by celebrities – eg in sport, entertainment, can be bestsellers too. And the publishing industry is advanced to the extent that the media razzmatazz and bookshops and reading clubs/circle et al augment the haste and hurry. 

In Africa, for most people even the literate, the priority is just to survive not to see or read ever escalating expensive books. The middle class which used to gobble up books impressively in the past has been profoundly attenuated in our hapless continent (Africa). Yet the few who love books will always cherish new books and authors somehow. I have digressed a lot – as usual! – but the important thing is that both books I have in mind now, (Sharapova’s book, and Khanyi Mbau’s book) are biographies of sort, never mind ghost writers and egregious editors. Sharapova is a global celebrity, and for those in the know, Khanyi Mbau is a celebrity too (at least in South Africa). 

Both can be dubbed young women, one belonging to the western world, and the other Africa. As one would expect from women (and that is not being sexist!) a lot of emotions is involved in the works. Both authors – Khanyi in particular – are anxious to stress that they might not be as “bad” as painted; Khanyi even suggests she can be considered somewhat naïve in her early dealings with men. Whether many of her denizens in SA might take her comments with a pinch of salt hardly matters.

Sharapova, on her own part to her credit has always shown an aversion to scandal and even her private life is often protected with barbed wire. Hence, unlike Khanyi’s book – where she at least admits to be a bastion of “scandal” one way or the other -  Sharapova comes across as much more restrained and reserved. No wonder, the reading public overseas can only harp on her comments on Serena Williams, which I consider to be quite tame really. (Serena is far superior to Maria as far as the sport itself is concerned, so to call them “arch-rivals” might even be ludicrous. 

The point of view, perspective, of women in general literature can often illuminate and constitute disparate shards of enlightenment. Admittedly, I personally love reading about female celebrities, so I cherish these two books. (By the way Khanyi’s book is written in collaboration with Lesley Mofokeng, an SA media personality in his own right)