Mafeking RoadIn a series of tales, South Africa’s greatest short story writer reveals a little-described—and rarely romanticized—world of Afrikaner life in the late 19th century Like our own Mark Twain, Herman Charles Bosman wields a laughing intolerance of foolishness and prejudice, a dazzling use of wit and clear-sighted judgment. Spun by the plainclothes local visionary and storyteller Oom Shalk Lourens, these moving and satirical glimpses of lethargic herdsmen, ambitious concertina players, legendary leopards and mambas, and love-struck dreamers lay bare immense emotions, contradictions, and mysteries within the smallest movements and unadorned talk of the Groot Marico District of the Transvaal province. Leading oral tradition by the hand into a territory all his own, Bosman maps a world at once lucid and layered, distant yet powerfully familiar. |
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Abjaterskop Adriaan Naudé afterwards allthe andI andthat andthe asked atthe Barnevelt biltong Boer borehole brother Hendrik Bushveld cattle coffee commando couldn’t Deventer didn’t Drieka drought Dwarsberge Englishman Erasmus eyes father Fichardt Francina funny Gawie Gawie Erasmus Gerhardus Grobbelaar Gideon gramophone grass Grieta Groot Marico hehad hesaid hewas Ihad inthe itwas Jan Ockerse Johnny de Clerk kaffirs knew Koos Steyn krantz Kriel Krisjan Geel Kruger landdrost laughed Lemmer Lenie leopard looked Mafeking mamba mampoer Marico Marthinus Wessels Pretorius mealies moon Mosiko mule-cart Nagmaal night Nongaas ofthe onthe Oom Schalk Lourens ox-wagon Paul Kruger peach brandy Piet Uys Piet Venter Potchefstroom Pretorius queer Ramoutsa remember Rensburg Rossouw round schoolmaster Schweizer-Reneke seemed sitting Stephanus Erasmus stoep story Swardt talking tell thathe thatI things thorn-trees thought togo told tothe Transvaal trekked veld veldkornet veldskoens Volksraad voorkamer wagon walked wasa Webber witch-doctor wonder young Zeerust