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lavitanuova's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
amanda_nyanhongo's review against another edition
3.0
You know the anticipatory feeling when you’re in a plane and the plane is about to take off? Imagine that feeling but what happens is, the plane never actually takes off. Frustrating.
This is how it mostly felt when reading the book. The storyline has so much potential but it just falls so desperately short. There’s very little done to build up things; the plot takes continuous, dramatic and unexpected turns. This is especially towards the end. The ending felt so rushed, so much is happening and nothing is fleshed out.
The language is good, that was a huge redeeming quality for the book. But overall it wasn’t a very great read for me.
geirertzgaard's review against another edition
3.0
Uvanlig forfriskende og annerledes roman - fra Sør-Afrika, og langt fra både Wilbur Smith og André Brink.
mkhusu's review against another edition
4.0
I have not read a lot of South African books, especially since I am huge fantasy fan. This was a great read though. I thoroughly enjoyed it but won’t go into details as I don’t like spoilers. My least favorite was Tumi most definitely! I have certainly come across women like her and find them annoying. Don Mateza is certainly a memorable character for me
kojobaffoe's review against another edition
4.0
Black Diamond is an easy and quick read but gives a great snapshot of the delicate minefield that living in contemporary South Africa can be taking into consideration the country's history. As a novel, the story is engaging but also informative in the way Mda puts certain things into context, explaining that history - for example, the difference between those who were in the bush fighting as part of Umkhonto versus those who were involved in the administration and political development of the ANC when they all returned to South Africa.
lizzysiddal's review
4.0
Great fun!
Full review at: https://lizzysiddal.wordpress.com/2020/06/01/black-diamond-zakes-mda-seagullbooksfortnight/
Full review at: https://lizzysiddal.wordpress.com/2020/06/01/black-diamond-zakes-mda-seagullbooksfortnight/
hayesstw's review against another edition
5.0
Don Mateza works for a security company in Johannesburg, and his ambitious girlfriend Tumi, who runs a modelling agency, is grooming him to become a "Black Diamond", one of the nouveau riche of the new South Africa. Don is asked to be the bodyguard of an uptight white female magistrate, who has been threatened by a petty criminal she has sentenced to prison, and there is the hope of promotion is he does the job well. This does not satisfy Tumi, however, who thinks it demeaning, and Don has to spend too much time away from her. The magistrate, Kristin, did not ask for protection, and sees having a bodyguard as a sign of weakness.
In this scenario [a:Zakes Mda|55103|Zakes Mda|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1267085560p2/55103.jpg] weaves a plot of shifting loyalties and the conflicting values that characterise the "new" South Africa, though it was already ten years old in the time the story is set, and is another fifteen years older now.
I had only recently finished reading Mda's memoir [b:Sometimes there is a Void|11801992|Sometimes there is a Void – Memoirs of an Outsider|Zakes Mda|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1309183538s/11801992.jpg|16755105] and so was aware that a lot of the book is based on his own real-life experiences. It is social satire, and the story is rather sad, but Mda also sees the funny side of it.
It also seemed to complement another book I had recently read, [b:Darkness Suspended|42242780|Darkness Suspended|Jurie Schoeman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1539297366s/42242780.jpg|65848919], though the tone in that one is much more serious, and lacks Mda's humour. More on that on my blog here Black Diamond: yuppie life in the new South Africa | Khanya
I give it five stars, but perhaps that is because it is set close to home, and if I were living on another continent I might have given it fewer. Though I don't move in the kind of social circles described in the book, it sounds pretty authentic to me.
In this scenario [a:Zakes Mda|55103|Zakes Mda|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1267085560p2/55103.jpg] weaves a plot of shifting loyalties and the conflicting values that characterise the "new" South Africa, though it was already ten years old in the time the story is set, and is another fifteen years older now.
I had only recently finished reading Mda's memoir [b:Sometimes there is a Void|11801992|Sometimes there is a Void – Memoirs of an Outsider|Zakes Mda|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1309183538s/11801992.jpg|16755105] and so was aware that a lot of the book is based on his own real-life experiences. It is social satire, and the story is rather sad, but Mda also sees the funny side of it.
It also seemed to complement another book I had recently read, [b:Darkness Suspended|42242780|Darkness Suspended|Jurie Schoeman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1539297366s/42242780.jpg|65848919], though the tone in that one is much more serious, and lacks Mda's humour. More on that on my blog here Black Diamond: yuppie life in the new South Africa | Khanya
I give it five stars, but perhaps that is because it is set close to home, and if I were living on another continent I might have given it fewer. Though I don't move in the kind of social circles described in the book, it sounds pretty authentic to me.
readingtheend's review
2.0
Superb at evoking the setting of modern South Africa, but fairly desultory on plot and character development.
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