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A review by raytheron
Onsigbaar by Deon Meyer
5.0
~ English version of the review follows the Afrikaans ~
Wat 'n boek! Dis my eerste Deon Meyer, maar gaan beslis nie my laaste wees nie.
Meyer is 'n bobaas storieverteller, sy karakters is beide geloofbaar en volrond en sy navorsing is uitstekend. Ons voel met en vir karakters soos Emma, Lemmer en Jacobus, want hulle is bo alles menslik, met al hul swakhede en sterktes.
Die manier waarop hy kontensieuse gebeure uit beide die (boek se) hede en Suid-Afrika se verlede ineen werk, is uitstaande. En langs die pad laat Meyer so terloops sy siening van sake uit, maar dit is nooit indringend of ongeplaas nie. Wat hy by monde van Lemmer van die "Ryk Afrikaner" dink, byvoorbeeld, is onafskeidbaar van die wel en wee van sy karakters.
Die spanningslyn in "Onsigbaar" gun die leser min kans om asem te skep. Meyer vleg die elemente van sy storie baie behendig tot 'n vloeiende geheel. Die draaiboekskrywer in hom help beslis as dit by sy skryfwerk kom. Ek is geweldig beïndruk deur "Onsigbaar" en kan dit nie sterk genoeg aanbeveel nie.
Nou moet ek net meer van sy boeke in die hande kry, iets wat nogal moeilik is hier in Australië.
***
What a novel! This is my first Deon Meyer, but will definitely not be the last.
Meyer is a master storyteller, his characters are both credible and fully rounded, and his research is excellent. We feel with and for characters like Emma, Lemmer and Jacobus, because they are, above all, human, with all their strengths and weaknesses.
The way in which he works contentious events from both the (book’s) present and South Africa’s past into his story is outstanding. Along the way Meyer almost casually drops hints as to his view of things, but these are never intrusive or unnecessary. What he (by way of Lemmer) thinks of the “Rich Afrikaner”, for instance, is an essential part of the lives of his characters.
The tension in the storyline of “Onsigbaar” (available as “Blood Safari” in English) is relentless and does not give the reader any opportunity to pause for breath. Meyer masterfully weaves the elements of his story into fluent whole. His work as scriptwriter definitely helps when it comes to his narration. I am deeply impressed by “Onsigbaar” and cannot recommend it strongly enough.
Now I need to get hold of more of his books in Afrikaans, not always easy when one lives in Australia.
Wat 'n boek! Dis my eerste Deon Meyer, maar gaan beslis nie my laaste wees nie.
Meyer is 'n bobaas storieverteller, sy karakters is beide geloofbaar en volrond en sy navorsing is uitstekend. Ons voel met en vir karakters soos Emma, Lemmer en Jacobus, want hulle is bo alles menslik, met al hul swakhede en sterktes.
Die manier waarop hy kontensieuse gebeure uit beide die (boek se) hede en Suid-Afrika se verlede ineen werk, is uitstaande. En langs die pad laat Meyer so terloops sy siening van sake uit, maar dit is nooit indringend of ongeplaas nie. Wat hy by monde van Lemmer van die "Ryk Afrikaner" dink, byvoorbeeld, is onafskeidbaar van die wel en wee van sy karakters.
Die spanningslyn in "Onsigbaar" gun die leser min kans om asem te skep. Meyer vleg die elemente van sy storie baie behendig tot 'n vloeiende geheel. Die draaiboekskrywer in hom help beslis as dit by sy skryfwerk kom. Ek is geweldig beïndruk deur "Onsigbaar" en kan dit nie sterk genoeg aanbeveel nie.
Nou moet ek net meer van sy boeke in die hande kry, iets wat nogal moeilik is hier in Australië.
***
What a novel! This is my first Deon Meyer, but will definitely not be the last.
Meyer is a master storyteller, his characters are both credible and fully rounded, and his research is excellent. We feel with and for characters like Emma, Lemmer and Jacobus, because they are, above all, human, with all their strengths and weaknesses.
The way in which he works contentious events from both the (book’s) present and South Africa’s past into his story is outstanding. Along the way Meyer almost casually drops hints as to his view of things, but these are never intrusive or unnecessary. What he (by way of Lemmer) thinks of the “Rich Afrikaner”, for instance, is an essential part of the lives of his characters.
The tension in the storyline of “Onsigbaar” (available as “Blood Safari” in English) is relentless and does not give the reader any opportunity to pause for breath. Meyer masterfully weaves the elements of his story into fluent whole. His work as scriptwriter definitely helps when it comes to his narration. I am deeply impressed by “Onsigbaar” and cannot recommend it strongly enough.
Now I need to get hold of more of his books in Afrikaans, not always easy when one lives in Australia.