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Small Things
I, in my own determined and peculiar ways, to certain approximate and exact degrees, don't think much about life. I am, however, never sure if this conclusion is without some blemish, some residue, however faint; an ounce of madness. To certain inconclusive degrees, it is clear that some of my disappointments awaited me, gathering rust, years before I was born. I have reason to suspect you will find this tale unusual, but not without beauty. Threads of a spider's web perhaps, to be unwound, cautiously, a thread at a time. *** This is the story of a dreamer, 'an average man, ' singled out by fate for an uncertain life. Jailed for 18 years under apartheid for unspecified sins, he emerges into a world that has no place for him. His fluctuating fortunes land him on the unpredictable, bitter-winter streets of Johannesburg, where 'harmlessness' is an 'unfortunate trait, ' but tempestuous skylines offer space to breathe. A trumpet and an indigent dog are his accomplices in survival. But, it is his obsessive love for the erratic, hard-hearted Desiree that remains the one constant in his life and impels his search for the elusive meaning of existence. Through his protagonist - the trumpet-playing philosopher poet - author Nthikeng Mohlele weaves unique magic with words, posing powerful questions in his inimitably individualistic and evocative style. *** Behind this story of love, music and the eternal quest, lies an artistic sensibility as generous as it is complex. The prose is rich in texture, the final effect melancholy and comic in equal proportions. -- J.M. Coetzee, recipient of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature and two-time winner of the Booker Pri
- GenresFictionContemporary
Kindle Edition
First published February 28, 2013
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About the author
Nthikeng Mohlele
13books32followersNthikeng Mohlele was partly raised in Limpopo and Tembisa Township, and attended the University of the Witwatersrand, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Dramatic Art, Publishing Studies and African Literature. He is the author of four critically acclaimed novels: The Scent of Bliss (2008), Small Things (2013), Rusty Bell (2014) and Pleasure (2016). Pleasure won the 2016 University of Johannesburg Main Prize for South African Writing in English as well as the 2017 K. Sello Duiker Memorial Prize at the South African Literary Awards. It has also been longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award. Michael K is Mohlele’s fifth novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
August 31, 2015
How do I even begin to describe this jewel of a novel? Small Things is an almost poetic meditation that documents the musings and reflections of a man who was born in Sophiatown before it was dismantled and now finds himself in his sixties and unable to contend with the demise of principle.The setting is Johannesburg then and now.
It is perhaps more a novella than a novel with the intensity of 500 pages condensed and concentrated into 108 pages. The contemplations of this nameless man are profoundly simple yet achingly fashioned with beautiful language. As I closed it on the last page all I wanted to do was read it again.
It is almost serendipitous that I selected this as my next book to read after The Textures of Silence because it is also partly set in pre-democracy days. It is a very different novel but also speaks to the theme of the fall from grace of our current government, compared to the values of the struggle days. It is a window into the shadowy corners of the mind of a man whose very being has shifted into inertia; partly due to the dehumanisation he experienced after 18 years of incarceration during the apartheid years.
The preface sets the tone for the novel as the reader is introduced to the unusual thought processes of the protagonist who constantly questions his own suppositions; he does not think “much of life� but is “never sure if this conclusion is without some blemish, some residue, however faint, of an ounce of madness�. Then we are plunged into his love for Desiree, the postmaster’s daughter, who never fully requites his eternal love for her but is drawn to him. Time skips along and sometimes the timelines are a little confusing. He grows up in a catholic orphanage, writes outspoken newspaper articles and is then incarcerated for eighteen years in the early seventies where Major Joubert tortures him relentlessly. He describes Major Joubert as “a skinny man of average build, clean-shaven with a pleasant smile; more suited for packing watermelons and tomatoes in supermarkets than hunting down rebels�. This description simultaneously evokes a notion of his sense of superiority over his captor while underscoring the chillingly ordinary face of evil.
Upon his release, he is homeless, lives on the streets with pigeons as company, (I love the bird icons that separate sections � see pic) and is often drawn to the Nelson Mandela Bridge. Here a Dark Figure attacks him. The remarkable thing is that although left for dead, he refuses to assist the police. From his point of view, he has no interest in “chasing ghosts�. He does not conform to society’s expectations, time and time again. This Dark Figure roams through the novel and seems to be a symbol of unexplained violence as much as he is a real person who kills.
He discovers Desiree again and she is as heartless as ever. He finds a job working as a guide in Soweto where he offers advice on memorable experiences but he cannot understand how overseas tourists “endure a fourteen-hour flight, come all the way to South Africa and request to view corpses�. Another theme in this book emerges when a former fellow prisoner who now heads the Ministry of Tourism offers him a “plush job�. He does not want it. He does not want to be important. He also does not want to be beholden. After so many years of incarceration, he does not want a different form of incarceration. He believes there is “a certain freedom, a peculiar reckless abandon that comes with not being important�. This theme brings Thando Mqolozana’s novel, Importance, to mind. Although it is a very different novel, it also addresses issues of principle.
Our man meets Mercedes who teaches him to play the trumpet. His relationship with Mercedes gives rise to many pronouncements on love and all its manifestations and meanings. The descriptions of lovemaking are wonderful; evocative without being explicit. Mercedes witnesses his tears in response to music and tells him that he is a “priceless gift to the universe� because his tears show the hidden talent of one who is “beyond musical scales, the one who plays hard to contain raging fires within�.
This man’s thoughts tug at my heart and create sorrow within me because of his life experience and his current disillusionment; the effect is far greater than if it had been manifest in the usual way; this man does everything the hard way; he believes he “can wrestle the universe into submission� in “lone pursuit of non-existent perfect worlds�. He sees himself as others see him and in so doing is harsh and cruel to himself; embittered yet not ready to give up his moral centre. He sees himself as a “dreamer, an average man overtaken by fate�. His most endearing quality is that he is true to himself no matter what.
This character has insinuated himself into my heart and into my mind. His decisions seem inexplicable but they make sense in the light of how he views himself and his life. Yet I do not even know his name. Nthikeng Mohlele has a special talent in his use of language and his ability to encapsulate enormous themes and distil them down to Small Things.
It is perhaps more a novella than a novel with the intensity of 500 pages condensed and concentrated into 108 pages. The contemplations of this nameless man are profoundly simple yet achingly fashioned with beautiful language. As I closed it on the last page all I wanted to do was read it again.
It is almost serendipitous that I selected this as my next book to read after The Textures of Silence because it is also partly set in pre-democracy days. It is a very different novel but also speaks to the theme of the fall from grace of our current government, compared to the values of the struggle days. It is a window into the shadowy corners of the mind of a man whose very being has shifted into inertia; partly due to the dehumanisation he experienced after 18 years of incarceration during the apartheid years.
The preface sets the tone for the novel as the reader is introduced to the unusual thought processes of the protagonist who constantly questions his own suppositions; he does not think “much of life� but is “never sure if this conclusion is without some blemish, some residue, however faint, of an ounce of madness�. Then we are plunged into his love for Desiree, the postmaster’s daughter, who never fully requites his eternal love for her but is drawn to him. Time skips along and sometimes the timelines are a little confusing. He grows up in a catholic orphanage, writes outspoken newspaper articles and is then incarcerated for eighteen years in the early seventies where Major Joubert tortures him relentlessly. He describes Major Joubert as “a skinny man of average build, clean-shaven with a pleasant smile; more suited for packing watermelons and tomatoes in supermarkets than hunting down rebels�. This description simultaneously evokes a notion of his sense of superiority over his captor while underscoring the chillingly ordinary face of evil.
Upon his release, he is homeless, lives on the streets with pigeons as company, (I love the bird icons that separate sections � see pic) and is often drawn to the Nelson Mandela Bridge. Here a Dark Figure attacks him. The remarkable thing is that although left for dead, he refuses to assist the police. From his point of view, he has no interest in “chasing ghosts�. He does not conform to society’s expectations, time and time again. This Dark Figure roams through the novel and seems to be a symbol of unexplained violence as much as he is a real person who kills.
He discovers Desiree again and she is as heartless as ever. He finds a job working as a guide in Soweto where he offers advice on memorable experiences but he cannot understand how overseas tourists “endure a fourteen-hour flight, come all the way to South Africa and request to view corpses�. Another theme in this book emerges when a former fellow prisoner who now heads the Ministry of Tourism offers him a “plush job�. He does not want it. He does not want to be important. He also does not want to be beholden. After so many years of incarceration, he does not want a different form of incarceration. He believes there is “a certain freedom, a peculiar reckless abandon that comes with not being important�. This theme brings Thando Mqolozana’s novel, Importance, to mind. Although it is a very different novel, it also addresses issues of principle.
Our man meets Mercedes who teaches him to play the trumpet. His relationship with Mercedes gives rise to many pronouncements on love and all its manifestations and meanings. The descriptions of lovemaking are wonderful; evocative without being explicit. Mercedes witnesses his tears in response to music and tells him that he is a “priceless gift to the universe� because his tears show the hidden talent of one who is “beyond musical scales, the one who plays hard to contain raging fires within�.
This man’s thoughts tug at my heart and create sorrow within me because of his life experience and his current disillusionment; the effect is far greater than if it had been manifest in the usual way; this man does everything the hard way; he believes he “can wrestle the universe into submission� in “lone pursuit of non-existent perfect worlds�. He sees himself as others see him and in so doing is harsh and cruel to himself; embittered yet not ready to give up his moral centre. He sees himself as a “dreamer, an average man overtaken by fate�. His most endearing quality is that he is true to himself no matter what.
This character has insinuated himself into my heart and into my mind. His decisions seem inexplicable but they make sense in the light of how he views himself and his life. Yet I do not even know his name. Nthikeng Mohlele has a special talent in his use of language and his ability to encapsulate enormous themes and distil them down to Small Things.
March 21, 2018
Firstly, Nthikeng is a genius writer who is clued up with all things political and musical. Secondly, he makes writing, easy. He just makes love with words until they come out of the page. If I were to convince you to read this book, I would do so by sharing the below from it. Anything else would just spoil it, just like the shock I had after reading the two sentences of the book. There goes...
I have my reasons, estimations and convictions for wanting to end this nightmare, but I sense I am yet to discover something profound. Something small. That holds all the big things together.
It is a must read!
I have my reasons, estimations and convictions for wanting to end this nightmare, but I sense I am yet to discover something profound. Something small. That holds all the big things together.
It is a must read!
January 7, 2018
Beautiful writing. Annoying protagonist. I really did not connect with the story (maybe that was the point) that's why we are not given his name. I felt like I was reading "a series on unfortunate events" 😞
May 29, 2020
This book is prescribed reading for the first-years I tutor, which is how I came across it. A blessing for me and for them. A meditation on a life -- perhaps on what happens to lesser-known revolutionaries when the revolution is over. A beautifully devastating read.
May 31, 2020
A profoundly sad story, told beautifully. This is a prescribed text for first year students I am tutoring and I hope they see the value of this story.
Four (and a half) stars because the book also reminded me how much I bloody hate Johannesburg.
Four (and a half) stars because the book also reminded me how much I bloody hate Johannesburg.
September 16, 2021
“𝗔𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲-𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀�
An ordinary journalist gets arrested and jailed for 18 years for unspecified crimes. This man who has been in love with Desiree since his adolescence years lives out his life in world that has no place for him. We follow him as he is in a quest for his existence through love, music, friendship, poetry and survival.
Second time was truly a charm. This was different in the most surprising way. It needs some getting use to but once you in the groove of it, you cannot put it down.
This man annoyed me in many ways, I just never understood his actual deal. It was hard to connect to him and maybe that was the point.
I admired his resilience, especially when it came to his love for Desiree. Even with many years passing by, his love for her never went away. And when he meets music teacher Mercedes, he learns that love and patience go hand in hand and there’s more ways to be in love.
It’s depressing and it may feel like you are just reading a series of uneventful events but the writing is poetic and beautiful. I wish I read this in school so I unpack it in a deeper way. There’s a lot more to this read.
I guess what this protagonist was trying to say is that it’s the small things that we take for granted that really matter. And notice how I never said the protagonist’s name…ahh never mind 😉
An ordinary journalist gets arrested and jailed for 18 years for unspecified crimes. This man who has been in love with Desiree since his adolescence years lives out his life in world that has no place for him. We follow him as he is in a quest for his existence through love, music, friendship, poetry and survival.
Second time was truly a charm. This was different in the most surprising way. It needs some getting use to but once you in the groove of it, you cannot put it down.
This man annoyed me in many ways, I just never understood his actual deal. It was hard to connect to him and maybe that was the point.
I admired his resilience, especially when it came to his love for Desiree. Even with many years passing by, his love for her never went away. And when he meets music teacher Mercedes, he learns that love and patience go hand in hand and there’s more ways to be in love.
It’s depressing and it may feel like you are just reading a series of uneventful events but the writing is poetic and beautiful. I wish I read this in school so I unpack it in a deeper way. There’s a lot more to this read.
I guess what this protagonist was trying to say is that it’s the small things that we take for granted that really matter. And notice how I never said the protagonist’s name…ahh never mind 😉
July 4, 2021
I had to read this for uni. It was depressing and profound and I wish I had never read it.
January 29, 2025
on second thoughts the narrator decided he wont tell us his name. I absolutely loved this book. The writing was lyrical, poetic, and beautiful, and the story captivated me so much that my entire February TBR is filled with works by this author.
This is your sign, read it.
This is your sign, read it.
November 13, 2018
Wow! I do not know how I feel about this book.
August 21, 2024
Quick read. Fascinating. Had to read it for marking purposes and glad I was able to pick it up. Provides interesting insights into a man's life who has experiences Apartheid, homelessness, desire, love, music, moving like a dark figure through history. Undoubtedly we have all seen this nameless narrator framed in our own lives, on sidewalks, in tourism offices, on black and white photographs of times long past.
April 1, 2020
There is absolutely nothing small about this magnificent offering Nthikeng Mohlele as penned. This well composed quick read set against a melancholy cityscape is splendidly covered in poetry, music and comedy. At its core however lays a philosophical sensibility that wrestles with the old age question of what is love, man’s purpose and the meaning of life
The main character, a former journalist turned musician sees himself as unimportant, a shadow of his former self left floating in Sophiatown blues. At heart he is a nomad battling with old age, loneness and rejection that has made him have a cynical outlook. However he still has high levels of self-awareness, creativity, resilience and morally rooted in wanting to still see better and just world around him
His resilience is also seen in his pursuit of his childhood crush Desiree, although constantly rebuked his undying love persisted over the years. To the toxicity of this love, he states “My love for her is still as distinct, detailed and colorful as coral reeds in sea beds. It cannot be said to be ordinary- the way my heart glows and burns with each of her brutal remarks, the way my disappointments leave me frosty yet thawing from the core. Mine is not the kind of love to inspire shallow romantic dramas, for it has, at its heart, aflame that refuses to die�
When he however meets Cuban-born Mercedes Sanchez, a music teacher, he (re)learns to love again and to be more patience. (She also bought him a brand new Dizzie Gillespie trumpet for his birthday)
On the complexities of love Mercedes� father Gabriel Sanchez contends “Love is feeling in motion. It changes character, is full of dangerously deep swamps. It attracts all of life’s other feelings into a brutal cocktail of bliss beyond measure, suffering without limits�.Who says love has to follow known and accepted formulas for it to be love�
This lyrical novel is also a lamentation to the struggle and struggling musicians on how they end up on park benches and sidelines of the creative industry in South Africa, how they are dehumanized by society but celebrated when they have passed on
As if the young Hugh Masekela abandoned his trumpet for a pen to produce jazzy rainbows in between pages, this book is music to the soul. It is that limited-track blues album you put on repeat on a lazy Sunday afternoon, drowning in its exquisitely composed narratives
At the end a simple realization is deduced, that it’s the small things we take for granted that really count: a hug from a loved one after a long day; delicious food in the tummy and the warmth of blankets on a soft bed. Tranquility. Contentment.
Rolland Simpi Motaung March 2020 @
The main character, a former journalist turned musician sees himself as unimportant, a shadow of his former self left floating in Sophiatown blues. At heart he is a nomad battling with old age, loneness and rejection that has made him have a cynical outlook. However he still has high levels of self-awareness, creativity, resilience and morally rooted in wanting to still see better and just world around him
His resilience is also seen in his pursuit of his childhood crush Desiree, although constantly rebuked his undying love persisted over the years. To the toxicity of this love, he states “My love for her is still as distinct, detailed and colorful as coral reeds in sea beds. It cannot be said to be ordinary- the way my heart glows and burns with each of her brutal remarks, the way my disappointments leave me frosty yet thawing from the core. Mine is not the kind of love to inspire shallow romantic dramas, for it has, at its heart, aflame that refuses to die�
When he however meets Cuban-born Mercedes Sanchez, a music teacher, he (re)learns to love again and to be more patience. (She also bought him a brand new Dizzie Gillespie trumpet for his birthday)
On the complexities of love Mercedes� father Gabriel Sanchez contends “Love is feeling in motion. It changes character, is full of dangerously deep swamps. It attracts all of life’s other feelings into a brutal cocktail of bliss beyond measure, suffering without limits�.Who says love has to follow known and accepted formulas for it to be love�
This lyrical novel is also a lamentation to the struggle and struggling musicians on how they end up on park benches and sidelines of the creative industry in South Africa, how they are dehumanized by society but celebrated when they have passed on
As if the young Hugh Masekela abandoned his trumpet for a pen to produce jazzy rainbows in between pages, this book is music to the soul. It is that limited-track blues album you put on repeat on a lazy Sunday afternoon, drowning in its exquisitely composed narratives
At the end a simple realization is deduced, that it’s the small things we take for granted that really count: a hug from a loved one after a long day; delicious food in the tummy and the warmth of blankets on a soft bed. Tranquility. Contentment.
Rolland Simpi Motaung March 2020 @
July 15, 2021
CW/TW: racism, apartheid, gun/gun violence, police brutality, violence, ableist slurs, spousal emotional abuse, depression/anxiety, PTSD, cheating/infidelity, imprisonment, mention of torture, mention of death, mention of 9/11, suicide ideation, medical health issues, mention of murder, mugging, gun shot wound, homelessness, mention of xenomisia, hunger/starvation, surgery complications, coma, government corruption, mention of motorbike accident, mention of drug abuse/addiction, mention of serial killer/kiling,
Kind of disappointing and it reads like one of those books that tries too hard to be more than it needs to be, OR more likely, I just didn't connect with it the way I wanted to and ended up being disappointed by that. I don't know. I wasn't much of a fan of it. I liked the ending though, the last line, the mystery. I didn't even realise it until it was mentioned and I liked that. Otherwise, it was meh.
Kind of disappointing and it reads like one of those books that tries too hard to be more than it needs to be, OR more likely, I just didn't connect with it the way I wanted to and ended up being disappointed by that. I don't know. I wasn't much of a fan of it. I liked the ending though, the last line, the mystery. I didn't even realise it until it was mentioned and I liked that. Otherwise, it was meh.
August 27, 2021
I was given this to read for a university assignment and was surprised that I actually liked it. Looking at the description and blurb, I thought it was going to be some boring biography, but I really did enjoy the story from page one. I was able to relate to the characters immediately and was interested in everything the nameless protagonist was up to.
Would recommend to someone who's looking for a relaxing read.
Would recommend to someone who's looking for a relaxing read.
August 21, 2020
I want to set this stupid book on fire.
Read
November 19, 2021A novel spanning decades as a threaded web from the township of Sophiatown/Soweto, to a remodeled Johannesburg to an idealized Cape Town.
Favorite passages:
"Such simple-minded fools. Why endure the wrath of the sea, risk losing your teeth and drowning, for a few bags of spice?"
"Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you."
"That is what prison does to you: slows down your existence, allows you to hold onto contradictory ideals without one dominating the other. (...) Opposed though I am to murder, I also acknowledge I have no divine powers to interpret random acts of violence. "
"FUCK THE REVOLUTION. WE CAN'T EAT HISTORY."
"Obsession, the jealous little cousin of love, thrives on suffering, and has, over the centuries, mastered ways to masquerade as love."
Favorite passages:
"Such simple-minded fools. Why endure the wrath of the sea, risk losing your teeth and drowning, for a few bags of spice?"
"Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you."
"That is what prison does to you: slows down your existence, allows you to hold onto contradictory ideals without one dominating the other. (...) Opposed though I am to murder, I also acknowledge I have no divine powers to interpret random acts of violence. "
"FUCK THE REVOLUTION. WE CAN'T EAT HISTORY."
"Obsession, the jealous little cousin of love, thrives on suffering, and has, over the centuries, mastered ways to masquerade as love."
July 21, 2022
This was utterly incredible. Thought-provoking, heartbreakingly melancholy, insightful, captivating. It perfectly captures the hardships of life and offers brilliant commentary on love, the meaning of life, social issues, life is Johannesburg, South Africa, social class as well as humans themselves. What is the meaning of life? Why are we here and why do we continue to have to endure a repeated kick to the balls? Perhaps we’ll never know.
I had to read this for university, but did not expect to read one of the most thought-provoking pieces of literature I’ve ever read. I loved this so much and it had me in tears. The next time you complain about your situation, remember that there are so many individuals who has it way worse than you do.
I highly recommend to any fellow South Africans.
I had to read this for university, but did not expect to read one of the most thought-provoking pieces of literature I’ve ever read. I loved this so much and it had me in tears. The next time you complain about your situation, remember that there are so many individuals who has it way worse than you do.
I highly recommend to any fellow South Africans.
May 25, 2025
This is a story about loss � about how someone can leave, and yet everything still whispers their name. It is the kind of story where love lingers in the folds of old clothes and the scent of rain, where grief is both a wound and a cradle.
A story where the heart breaks quietly, beautifully—like a flower pressed between the pages of a life that once was. (I've gotta put this under my name 😩😂)
I wouldn't say this book is for everyone since the writing style is very different and it includes a lot of South African history. But either way, it was SO GOOD. The way the author makes words sing is ridiculously amazing.
This book reminded me of why I started reading & loving it. I would read literature & poems a lot when I was younger & this book felt like home �
I simply loved it!
A story where the heart breaks quietly, beautifully—like a flower pressed between the pages of a life that once was. (I've gotta put this under my name 😩😂)
I wouldn't say this book is for everyone since the writing style is very different and it includes a lot of South African history. But either way, it was SO GOOD. The way the author makes words sing is ridiculously amazing.
This book reminded me of why I started reading & loving it. I would read literature & poems a lot when I was younger & this book felt like home �
I simply loved it!
May 6, 2020
So realistic is the protagonist you actually hate him for it because you see yourself in his disorderly and loyal ways. You find yourself so critical and judgemental yet want to see where he ends up, in a way because he starts telling you where your life is going .... real life drama beautifully put together... yes you will laugh a lot, you will be disappointed in this character ... you will feel sorry for him and his loved ones ... you will have fun reading this .... that’s just how life works
August 6, 2024
I had to study this book for my first year English module at university.
I absolutely love the way this book is written. It describes even the most simple things like rain hitting a window so poetically.
The protagonist whom is the unnamed narrator is a very annoying character in my opinion as well as Mercedes and Desiree. All three characters are immoral and make bad decisions, however their bad decisions make for and interesting plot.
There were some complicated parts of the book that I struggled to understand but it was mostly easy.
I absolutely love the way this book is written. It describes even the most simple things like rain hitting a window so poetically.
The protagonist whom is the unnamed narrator is a very annoying character in my opinion as well as Mercedes and Desiree. All three characters are immoral and make bad decisions, however their bad decisions make for and interesting plot.
There were some complicated parts of the book that I struggled to understand but it was mostly easy.
June 8, 2021
I had to read 'Small things' for an English lit class and ate it up, crumbs and all! Loved the poetic rhythm of this short novel that put me right there in the throes of post-apartheid Johannnesburg with a protagonist on an endless discovery and rediscovery of love and the elusive meaning of life. Just beautiful!
September 17, 2024
One of my student is reading the book.
I've rated this novel because I have read so many novels and this is the first one written in first person narrative, I was always curious about that such narrative.
Mohlele did a great job, especially in displaying Johannesburg as it is. And lastly, the themes in the novel are fascinating.
I've rated this novel because I have read so many novels and this is the first one written in first person narrative, I was always curious about that such narrative.
Mohlele did a great job, especially in displaying Johannesburg as it is. And lastly, the themes in the novel are fascinating.
July 31, 2020
I have a love hate relationship with this book.
Why? Because the narrator reminds me of myself and it's traumatic and therapeutic to know that there are people out there who endure the same kind of hell in their minds.
Why? Because the narrator reminds me of myself and it's traumatic and therapeutic to know that there are people out there who endure the same kind of hell in their minds.
December 5, 2024
More of a novella, about 150-odd pages. Helps to know a bit of South African history and the conditions in Johannesburg. Nevertheless such beautiful prose. The kind of mellifluous writing I truly admire.
December 24, 2019
Nthikeng has done it again for me. Beautiful prose. Simple but yet he captured my heart with his lovely writing. Loved it.
December 29, 2019
A book of ‘small things� amounting to a life lived on the edge looking in at what humanity is all about.
Read
May 20, 2020Great books
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
June 15, 2020I really want to read this book
Read
July 24, 2020hi
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2020
Nthikeng is a beast of a writer. His writing is just so good and poetic and good and...
August 1, 2020
Compelling
I was drawn in from the first chapter to the last.
I have heard stories of such lives but to dive deep into the details gained me a deeper perspective.
I was drawn in from the first chapter to the last.
I have heard stories of such lives but to dive deep into the details gained me a deeper perspective.
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