After Tears

I love books, but they are expensive. So I only usually buy books when I am travelling long distance, bussing or flying. My hanging-around-in-the-airport treat to myself is a new book.

I've been going through an African and South African book phase for the past few of years. I bought How Can Man Die Better: The Life of Robert Sobukwe by Benjamin Pogrund in the Joburg airport CNA - that was a good read, I learned a lot (although I confess I never finished it! It just dragged a bit towards the end). The next time I was in JHB airport I decided to try some local fiction. But everything I found just looked so depressing. What did I end up getting? I don't remember... possibly nothing.

Since then I've remained on my quest for South African fiction. But what I really wanted is something light and fun. I'm up for biographies and tragedies and satire and what not. But I'm also curious about the stories we are writing...

So the last time I flew I scoured Exclusive Books in JHB International for some fun, current, South African fiction. They have a great South African and African books selection, by the way, if you are ever hanging about there.

What I eventually came away with was After Tears by Niq Mhlongo. The story about Bafana, a law student at UCT who failed his final year. He then returns home to his family in Soweto who have already nicknamed him "advo" (advocate) and are expecting him to make something great of himself. I thought it sounded like the makings of a great story. And the reviews on the back all praised the book and author, with accolades like "the writer of the kwaito generation"! So I thought I would take a dive into the "fast, hip and happening" (ref. dust jacket) and bought the book.

Well, I'd give it maybe a 2 out of 5. Or perhaps a 2/5 overall, with a 4/5 for characters.

I'd actually like to know what other people thought of the book, but I really wasn't very taken with it.

I think the book was going for the whole "this is the reality of township life" angle. Which could be a great thing, reading is a great way to get some insight into how people live. So seeing as that isn't my world, "this is the reality of township life" could have been great. And he did do a good job at painting that picture. With great characters especially. His characters were fantastic. Often with great dialogue.

But I thought there were two problems with the book:

The first problem is mine really: I am pretty prudish. So I found it quite shocking. I came away from the book resolving never to speak to any strange men ever again. I've noticed this in other current South African literature actually. It is actually the reason I won't read Fred Khumalo's books (and I really would rather like to). I suppose it is people trying to be gritty and real what not. But I'm sceptical about this. Good books aren't about impressing people with how crass you can be... they are about great stories and great characters and great insight and great humour. Or perhaps I just live in a bubble.

However, the second problem was actually the main one. If a book is good enough you can almost overlook it's crassness. But After Tears has almost no plot. I'm serious. Nothing ever seems to happen. Maybe there is some existential deepness going on there, but for me the reader, I just go bored. You can tell if I find a book really riveting: I read too fast because I want to see what happens next. But in this book, nothing happened. Well, a few things happened. But they all seemed a bit disjointed. Like a primary school essay: I did this. And then I did this other thing. And then she... and then he... and then and then and then.

He kept on introducing interesting characters, or interesting thing would happen that seemed like a plot starting. and then... nothing. His Zimbabwean friend wants to marry him to stay in the country... then nothing happened. Some old guy claims their family stole what was his house way back in the 70's... interesting? Very. But then nothing happened with it. Weird relationship with his mom's best friend... kinda gross? Yup. But interesting? For about two pages. Then nothing happened. Getting false degree papers then opening a business - that's interesting, right? Nothing happened. Uncle in jail for defending the family honour... interesting character! The beginning of a plot? Nope! No plot to be found!

Which was such a pity. Especially because some of his characters were so great - I wanted to see more of them. I wanted the ball to start rolling. For the story to start.

I read an interview with his were he said "I want my writing to provide my readers with everything they need to imagine the world around them... I want my characters in my novels to find many friends in many places around the planet, and give them the survival skills while facing challenges in this multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-creed and multi-lingual society of ours" (here).
That he certainly does!

His spotlight insights into different characters actually remined me a bit of the book Tsotsi (not the movie, the book, there is a lot more to the book!)

What photograph is to movie, this book is to books. And it is a really good photograph. Just not much good as a movie.

But I would be interested to hear what other people have to say. (Fred Khumalo seems to have loved it.)