Tsotsi [based on book]

Books

Shadow of Kilimanjaro by

Baraba is sent to accompany a German family of missionaries to Africa. He poses as their student, but in reality he has been sent by Lady Ada Lovelace in order to investigate the possibility of the dis-souled near the famed mountain of Kilimanjaro. Accompanying Mr and Mrs Rebmann, and their cousin Clare, he is there when a strange Englishman shows up, in his range rover. Bernard Bourne has been living in Africa for some time, and so can provide them with some much needed supplies. He brings Clare to his home in order to pick up some of these supplies, along with the servant Baraba. But Bourne is not as altruistic as he may seem.

21 March 2011
Books

A primate’s memoir by

I first came across a mention of Robert M. Saplosky on Metafilter and I was a little interested, so I did what any librarian might do, and ordered one of his books. To be honest my expectations weren’t all that high. My personal reading challenge for 2010 might be to read more non-fiction, but at the same time I know that non-fiction often requires more concentration and time than fiction, and then there was the fact that Sapolsky is a neurobiologist, and to be totally honest I really didn’t think it’d be all that interested. But I challenged myself, and was I ever glad that I did because from the opening page this really is a delight to read. …

15 April 2010
Books

The other hand by

published in the US as Little Bee ISBN: 0340963409 Most days I wish I was a British pound coin instead of an African girl. I picked this book up totally on...

2 November 2009
Books

Purple Hibiscus by

Things started to fall apart at home when my brother, Jaja, did not go to communion and Papa flung his heavy missal across the room and broke the figurines on the étagére.

Kambili, the teenage narrator of the book, is a 15 year old girl. In many ways she lives a priveliged life in Nigeria. Her father owns factories; he is a “big man” in the community. A fact that is brought home to her when she visits her less well off aunt and cousins. But wealth doesn’t equal happiness. Kamibili and her brother Jaja live under the strict rules of their father and his fiercely religious beliefs.

14 August 2008
Books

Half of a Yellow Sun by

ISBN: 9780007200283 This is the story of a collection of different characters; Ugwu from a small village who becomes a Houseboy to Odenigbo, a university professor. His lover Olanna. Her twin...

11 July 2008
Books

Empire of Ivory by

Book 4 in the Temeraire series. ISBN: 9780007256747 See also: Other reviews ; Novik’s LJ “Send up another, damn you, send them all up, at once if you have to,” Laurence...

2 June 2008
Moving Pictures / Reviews

Hotel Rwanda dir. by

This is a film with impact.

The opening voice-over is a speech on the radio, an anti-tutsi speech, broadcast on Hutu Power radio, over a black screen so as to really let us hear the words. It describes the flaws, reveals the prejudices in Rwanda, tells the viewer of the cockroach infestation the Hutu people will have to wipe out. This is then contrasted by the opening scenes; In Kigali airport we see Paul (Cheadle) collecting fresh lobsters to serve in the hotel where he works as house manager. It shows a bustling, growing, on the up city. But on the way back to the hotel we are introduced to the undercurrent of tension that is played out so well throughout this film.

9 December 2007
Books

Dreamers of the Day by

ISBN: 9781400064717 See also: Excerpt ; Interview with author I’ve read two other books by Russell; The Sparrow, which I loved, and Children of God which was very good, but just...

6 December 2007
Books

The Egyptologist by

Read with Historical Favorites Journal: Arrival in Cairo via rail from Alexandria. Set to work immediately. Have scheduled five days in Cairo for logistics and background wailting prior to heading south...

8 May 2006
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