Chris Dunton Reviews Sometimes there is a Void by Zakes Mda
Verdict: carrot
On the acknowledgments page of his autobiography, Mda quotes a senior South African editor’s query: “Are you not a little young to write a memoir?” This is an understandable query, even if advanced age does not guarantee a wealth of experience. Nonetheless, one could note that there has been no shortage of dramatic incident in Mda’s life to date – much of it bearing significant political and cultural relevance. Also, if the virtue of distancing is a concern, at the outset of the book Mda establishes an ingenious and affecting narrative device that enables this. On the other hand, given the length of the book one does wish he had followed the principle of judicious selectivity on a “need to know” basis.
Book Details
- Sometimes there is a Void: Memoirs of an Outsider by Zakes Mda
EAN: 9780143527442
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Apr
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