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Triomf
Van Niekerk, Marlene.
Adult Fiction VAN NIE
From Library Journal:
Translated from its original Afrikaans, this novel is set in the poor white South African suburb of Triomf ("triumph"), whose name stands in ironic contrast to the lives of the main characters, the Bernades. This unlikable and incestuous family unit is made up of Mol, the abused and beaten-down matriarch; Pop, her brother and timid husband figure; Treppie, her other wild and willful brother; and Lambert, her hopeless son of questionable paternity. Any aspirations they have of a better life are crushed by their own self-destruction. Van Niekerk leads us through their lives with revolving point-of-view narratives, letting us know the characters both inside and out. Yet their nearly nonexistent redeeming qualities leave the reader wanting to keep them at arm's length. This, Van Niekerk's only novel, is an award-winning and critically acclaimed work in her native South Africa. However, the stark subject matter, sometimes violent scenarios, and frequent vulgar language may be too much for the average library patron. Recommended, with caution, for larger libraries.-Leann Isaac, Jameson Health Syst., New Castle, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Van Niekerk, Marlene.
Adult Fiction VAN NIE
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From Library Journal:
Translated from its original Afrikaans, this novel is set in the poor white South African suburb of Triomf ("triumph"), whose name stands in ironic contrast to the lives of the main characters, the Bernades. This unlikable and incestuous family unit is made up of Mol, the abused and beaten-down matriarch; Pop, her brother and timid husband figure; Treppie, her other wild and willful brother; and Lambert, her hopeless son of questionable paternity. Any aspirations they have of a better life are crushed by their own self-destruction. Van Niekerk leads us through their lives with revolving point-of-view narratives, letting us know the characters both inside and out. Yet their nearly nonexistent redeeming qualities leave the reader wanting to keep them at arm's length. This, Van Niekerk's only novel, is an award-winning and critically acclaimed work in her native South Africa. However, the stark subject matter, sometimes violent scenarios, and frequent vulgar language may be too much for the average library patron. Recommended, with caution, for larger libraries.-Leann Isaac, Jameson Health Syst., New Castle, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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