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berlinbibliophile's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I loved the prose and the excitement of this story. Thobela's long journey is told so well, and I loved the way that the short sections and quick point of view changes pulled me along, coupled with gorgeous descriptions of the South African landscape Thobela is racing through.
sandin954's review against another edition
5.0
Another wow thriller from [a:Deon Meyer|283304|Deon Meyer|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1225442760p2/283304.jpg]. Great characters (especially loved learning Tiny's backstory), lots of action, and interesting look at South Africa's security forces and the various factions within.
dozylocal's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
On the surface, this is an action packed story of conspiracies within conspiracies and jumps between the violence of the people on the ground and the manouvering of the people in the government intelligence agencies that control them. Into this mess steps a Xhosa man, presumably just a cleaner at a motorcycle agency, who as a favour agrees to transport a hard drive containing sensitive information to Lusaka for an old friend who is being held hostage. However, things are not as they seem, and the quest turns into a overland race that grips the country.
Under the surface, Deon Meyer touches on elements of South Africa's history, particularly during the years of the struggle, and through various characters explores the impact on the people involved. And this is where I start to get a little uncomfortable because, whereas we definitely need more heroes who are not of the traditional white and male variety, when does writing non-White characters as a white Afrikaans male cross the line to potentially become a type of cultural and/or historic "mansplaining"? However, perhaps I am overthinking things.
I read this in Afrikaans and, seeing as Afrikaans is my second language and I haven't read an Afrikaans book since about 1998, I decided to boost my rating by half a star to account for that fact.
On the surface, this is an action packed story of conspiracies within conspiracies and jumps between the violence of the people on the ground and the manouvering of the people in the government intelligence agencies that control them. Into this mess steps a Xhosa man, presumably just a cleaner at a motorcycle agency, who as a favour agrees to transport a hard drive containing sensitive information to Lusaka for an old friend who is being held hostage. However, things are not as they seem, and the quest turns into a overland race that grips the country.
Under the surface, Deon Meyer touches on elements of South Africa's history, particularly during the years of the struggle, and through various characters explores the impact on the people involved. And this is where I start to get a little uncomfortable because, whereas we definitely need more heroes who are not of the traditional white and male variety, when does writing non-White characters as a white Afrikaans male cross the line to potentially become a type of cultural and/or historic "mansplaining"? However, perhaps I am overthinking things.
I read this in Afrikaans and, seeing as Afrikaans is my second language and I haven't read an Afrikaans book since about 1998, I decided to boost my rating by half a star to account for that fact.
cocotte56's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rendier's review against another edition
4.0
Dit was lekker om weer 'n boek in Afrikaans te lees. Dit het so rukkie gevat om weer gewoond te raak daaraan, maar toe dit lekker om so 'n storie van ons mense en plekke in my taal te lees...
ericwelch's review against another edition
4.0
Tiny Mpayipheli wants nothing more than to live out the rest of his life with his wife and stepson. He is a good man. His plan is to save enough to purchase some land and farm. But he has a past and when he gets a message from an old friend to bring him a hard drive, it seems like an easy task. Unfortunately the drive contains information that may or may not be bait in international game of spies. Soon everyone is after him and he is trying to stay loyal to his new life and his friend. That may not be possible.
This is a terrific book. It's a real page turner but with heart and feeling for the people and country of South Africa. It's also an examination of good and evil.
Some passges:
But disillusionment followed, not suddenly or dramatically—the small realities slowly took over uninvited. The realization that people are an unreliable, dishonest, self-centered, self-absorbed, backstabbing, violent, sly species that lie, cheat, murder, rape, and steal, regardless of their status, nationality, or color. It was a gradual but often traumatic process for someone who wished only to see good and beauty.
“That is my problem with the media, Miss Healy. You want to press people into packages, that is all there is time and space for. Labels. But you can’t label people. We are not all good or bad. There is a bit of both in all of us. No. There is a lot of both in all of us.”
And he had said: “You know, whitey, it sounds like the new excuse to me. All the great troubles of the world have been done in the name of one or other excuse. Christianization, colonialism, herrenvolk, communism, apartheid, democracy, and now evolution. Or is it genetics? Excuses, just another reason to do as we wish. I am tired of it all. Finished with that. I am tired of my own excuses and the excuses of other people. I am taking responsibility for what I do now. Without excuse. I have choices; you have choices. About how we will live. That’s all. That’s all we can choose. Fuck excuses.
This is a terrific book. It's a real page turner but with heart and feeling for the people and country of South Africa. It's also an examination of good and evil.
Some passges:
But disillusionment followed, not suddenly or dramatically—the small realities slowly took over uninvited. The realization that people are an unreliable, dishonest, self-centered, self-absorbed, backstabbing, violent, sly species that lie, cheat, murder, rape, and steal, regardless of their status, nationality, or color. It was a gradual but often traumatic process for someone who wished only to see good and beauty.
“That is my problem with the media, Miss Healy. You want to press people into packages, that is all there is time and space for. Labels. But you can’t label people. We are not all good or bad. There is a bit of both in all of us. No. There is a lot of both in all of us.”
And he had said: “You know, whitey, it sounds like the new excuse to me. All the great troubles of the world have been done in the name of one or other excuse. Christianization, colonialism, herrenvolk, communism, apartheid, democracy, and now evolution. Or is it genetics? Excuses, just another reason to do as we wish. I am tired of it all. Finished with that. I am tired of my own excuses and the excuses of other people. I am taking responsibility for what I do now. Without excuse. I have choices; you have choices. About how we will live. That’s all. That’s all we can choose. Fuck excuses.
cheri_maci's review
5.0
I loved Deon Meyer's books so I knew I would enjoy this one and I was not disappointed. I loved his characters, enjoyed how he built up all the details and cried at the ending. Onto reading Devil's Peak that starts with Thobela two years later.
dozylocal's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
On the surface, this is an action packed story of conspiracies within conspiracies and jumps between the violence of the people on the ground and the manouvering of the people in the government intelligence agencies that control them. Into this mess steps a Xhosa man, presumably just a cleaner at a motorcycle agency, who as a favour agrees to transport a hard drive containing sensitive information to Lusaka for an old friend who is being held hostage. However, things are not as they seem, and the quest turns into a overland race that grips the country.
Under the surface, Deon Meyer touches on elements of South Africa's history, particularly during the years of the struggle, and through various characters explores the impact on the people involved. And this is where I start to get a little uncomfortable because, whereas we definitely need more heroes who are not of the traditional white and male variety, when does writing non-White characters as a white Afrikaans male cross the line to potentially become a type of cultural and/or historic "mansplaining"? However, perhaps I am overthinking things.
I read this in Afrikaans and, seeing as Afrikaans is my second language and I haven't read an Afrikaans book since about 1998, I decided to boost my rating by half a star to account for that fact.
On the surface, this is an action packed story of conspiracies within conspiracies and jumps between the violence of the people on the ground and the manouvering of the people in the government intelligence agencies that control them. Into this mess steps a Xhosa man, presumably just a cleaner at a motorcycle agency, who as a favour agrees to transport a hard drive containing sensitive information to Lusaka for an old friend who is being held hostage. However, things are not as they seem, and the quest turns into a overland race that grips the country.
Under the surface, Deon Meyer touches on elements of South Africa's history, particularly during the years of the struggle, and through various characters explores the impact on the people involved. And this is where I start to get a little uncomfortable because, whereas we definitely need more heroes who are not of the traditional white and male variety, when does writing non-White characters as a white Afrikaans male cross the line to potentially become a type of cultural and/or historic "mansplaining"? However, perhaps I am overthinking things.
I read this in Afrikaans and, seeing as Afrikaans is my second language and I haven't read an Afrikaans book since about 1998, I decided to boost my rating by half a star to account for that fact.
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