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1st out of 25 books
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16 voters
Kringe in 'n bos
Saul Barnard is 'n houtkapper met 'n rustelose siel - hy wil vreemdes uit die Bos hou en die vernietiging van die Bos probeer keer. Dan is daar 'n legendariese olifantbul - Oupoot - wat losbreek van sy trop ... Oupoot en Saul het 'n vreemde band tussen hulle . In die groen skemerwêreld van die Outeniekwa loop hulle kringpaaie. Saul Barnard, deur sy mense verwerp en deur ge...more
Paperback, 310 pages
Published
1989
by Tafelberg Publishers
(first published 1984)
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Another gripping story by Dalene Matthee. However, reading Fiela Se Kind first might have given one more insight as to the times in which these people lived. But it's wonderfully balanced between Saul Barnard trying to find Oupoot and then switching back to his childhood and young adulthood story, from running away from home and meeting the beautiful Kate MacDonald to later becoming his own man and not standing for all the crap (excuse the word) MacDonald made him feel. We follow him on his, som...more
A wonderful piece of work, Dalene wove her whole story through the use of circles....you go from one to another and then the whole completion of the beginning forms another circle at the end of the book. She has done thorough research and although the book is translated from Afrikaans it reads as if English was the original language. The story is about the Knysna forest in the Cape, South Africa. It tells the story of the forest people and the elephants and how they interact with each other. It...more
A great foreign language book, which a friend in South Africa sent me, to practice reading Afrikaans and, at the same time, learn something of the history and culture of the Afrikaners, or Boers. It is a powerful story set in 19th century South Africa. I found it very interesting and educational in learning the language and gaining an insight into this great culture and a country which I hope to visit someday. If you don't know Afrikaans, that's no reason not to read and enjoy this book, as it's...more
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Saul Barnard comes from a long line of woodcutters in the Knysna forest of South Africa. Only Saul is different...he begins to question some of the lore and is accused of having his head in the clouds. He realizes what all the cutting is doing to the future of the forest, and he gets wise to the unscrupulous dealings of the wood-buyers in the village. But trying to make his family and relatives aware of what's happening labels him as a traitor. He wants to fight to save the forest and the eleph...more
May 17, 2010
Zoe Zuniga
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone
Recommended to Zoe by:
self
This is yet another gorgeously crafted book by Dalene Matthe. Her characters are so believable because she is able to show every detail of how it feels to grow up in the forest. It took me a minute to orient myself to the era and the place which were foreign to me. But with her incredible descriptions and dialog I became a 19th century dutch wood cutter living in the forest in South Africa. I feel as if I know the forest inch by inch.
Her book describes the class struggle and the ecological disas...more
Her book describes the class struggle and the ecological disas...more
Mar 10, 2009
Don
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
african-journeys,
historical-fiction
This affricaans language author from South Africa is excellent! Her works have obviously been translated into English, making her accessible not only to non-affricaans speakers in SA, but to the world anglophone community. Her stories are well told - I highly recommend this particular story, about the coming of age of a young man who wants to connect with the world beyond the enclosed forest and its families of the Knysna region along the south coast of SA. Wonderful!!
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I went to South Africa to visit a very dear friend of mine several years ago. Saw many "faces" of the beautiful country - it was amazing. One instance in particular with a beautiful elephant will forever be in my mind. This book showed me another "face" of South Africa about the Knysna forest and the special bond with Old Foot. The story of Saul grips your heart & makes you want to get on a plane immediately after reading it to see this forest.
Hierdie boek was my eerste kennismaking met Dalene Mathee wat my al haar boeke laat koop het.
Sy het net 'n aanslag wat nie geëwenaar kan word nie, alhoewel sy as mentor opgetree het vir Annelie Botes. Dalene se "Kringe in 'n Bos" is 'n boek wat 'n mens gryp en nie los nie. Misterieus, werklik, histories korrek, geloofbaar in alle opse. Sy ken haar onderwerp. Haar vroeë dood was 'n groot slag vir die Afrikaanse leserswereld.
Sy het net 'n aanslag wat nie geëwenaar kan word nie, alhoewel sy as mentor opgetree het vir Annelie Botes. Dalene se "Kringe in 'n Bos" is 'n boek wat 'n mens gryp en nie los nie. Misterieus, werklik, histories korrek, geloofbaar in alle opse. Sy ken haar onderwerp. Haar vroeë dood was 'n groot slag vir die Afrikaanse leserswereld.
Oct 07, 2012
Graham Botha
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
all ages and both sexes
Probably one of the best books I have read, Dalene Matthee produced a book that, at times, has the beauty of Dickens yet the simple but elegant style of Steinbeck. A moving story written by a talented South African author. There are so many levels at which the reader can enjoy this little gem. I would like to read the Afrikaans version as the few lines of Afrikaans she writes are exquisite. I will definitely look for more of her books.
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Besides the intricate human relationships one reads about in this book (which I would rate one up from Fiela's Child), one also gets to know African elephants and - most important of all - trees. If anything, one comes to realize what an absolute tragedy it is that trees are being stripped from this earth at a tremendous rate, and once they're down, there is nothing you can do to get them as tall and as beautiful again.
For those not living in South Africa, us South Africans are facing a major tr...more
For those not living in South Africa, us South Africans are facing a major tr...more
2 likes · like · see review
This was one of my prescribed books for my Matriculation exams. I read it through the first time I was handed it, then again with the class, and then about another 4 times before the end of the year. Since then I dont think a year has gone by without me reading it somewhere again.
Read it in the original Afrikaans, of course. Haven't read the English translation yet so can't speak for that. But the original book is haunting, stayed with me, even years later. The descriptions of the Knysna forest and the people living there, were done with love and caring eyes.
I read this book once back in 1986 while I was walking through the forests where this takes place. I then read it again in 2008. The magic of the book is in the setting - colonial days in a forest on the southern tip of Africa where the elephants hide.
In English this means Circles In The Forest. A good book based on a woodcutters family life in knysna in the days of apartheid. A well worth read with a lot of south african history.
The description of a vanishing world of the forest, along with the plants, animals and people who inhabited it, is my favorite part of this book. The contrast between the classes and language groups is also fascinating.
My pen-pal from South Africa sent me the Afrikaans and English versions of this book, and I sent her a variety of books on Native Americans. Reading the two versions in parallel, along with a copy of Teach Yourself Afrikaans and Colloquial Afrikaans, I was able to get the hang of...more
My pen-pal from South Africa sent me the Afrikaans and English versions of this book, and I sent her a variety of books on Native Americans. Reading the two versions in parallel, along with a copy of Teach Yourself Afrikaans and Colloquial Afrikaans, I was able to get the hang of...more
Dis een van daardie boeke wat jou verbeelding aan die gang kry en jy in 'n ander tyd saam met die karakters loop.
Dit was fantasties.
Dit was fantasties.
Read this book in school, found it very boring, but read it again and actually enjoyed it more! Lol, now I blame the teacher for that one!
The way Matthee weaves the past and present into a story that covers so much of the history of the Knysna forest is amazing.
The best book Dalene Matthee wrote.
Die eerste van Dalene Matthee se boeke wat ek gelees het - of liewer 'n paar maal gelees het. Uitstekend.
a very troubling reading during exam period, but still a decent one
The only book during which I actually cried whilst reading it...
A deeply touching story
What a nice book! Although it took me a while to get into, by the end I could not put it down. It makes my short list of books to read about South Africa.
Enjoyable read
May 06, 2008
Fatima Beg
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
people interested in social and natural history of South Africa and particularly Knysna
Recommended to Fatima by:
La Luna book club members
Shelves:
novels
Like the other two books by Dalene Matthee I've read it worthwhile when you are new in South Africa as I am. They provide wonderful descriptions of the famous Knysna forest and how people used to live there during the last two centuries.
What a beautiful story! I found the writing a little difficult to read at first, no doubt a translation issue. The characters were so relatable & the setting described so beautifully. A treasure.
A beautiful story in afrikaans set in the Knysna forest. The story is about the people who live there, who make a living there, its heartfelt and will make you cry
A vivid, descriptive book. Well written and thought provoking. Tough to get started but I was glad I kept going. A book that sticks with you.
Dalene Matthee has an incredible way of describing life in the Forest in South Africa in the 19th century (read also Fiela's Child)! I got sucked in with all the detail, I felt like I was living there. Although it was set over 100 years ago, many of the stories are relevant today. Not to mention the whole theme of struggle with one's self, others, nature, change, reality, myth, ... etc. Like others who have reviewed this book, I found it a little slow to start but later I did not want the story...more
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Dalene Matthee (nee Scott) matriculated in 1957 and went on to study music at a conservatorium in Oudtshoorn as well as at the Holy Cross Covent in Graaff-Reinet.
Before gaining fame and wide acclaim for her first "forest novel", she also wrote stories for magazines as well as two popular novels - ’n Huis vir Nadia (A House for Nadia) (1982) and Petronella van Aarde, burgemeester (Petronella van Aa...more
More about Dalene Matthee...
Before gaining fame and wide acclaim for her first "forest novel", she also wrote stories for magazines as well as two popular novels - ’n Huis vir Nadia (A House for Nadia) (1982) and Petronella van Aarde, burgemeester (Petronella van Aa...more
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