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D. J. Opperman: 'n Biografie
In hierdie omvattende, ryk geskakeerde werk skep prof J. C. Kannemeyer 'n onvergeetlike beeld van die groot Afrikaanse digter "Dirk der duisende".
Hy beskryf Opperman se boeiende lewensloop van plaasseun in Natal tot sy onbetwisbare posisie as doyen van die Afrikaanse letterkunde. Sy invloed op veral die Afrikaanse poësie, die rol wat hy agter die skerms gespeel het, sy vormende invloed op jong talente - dit word alles helder in hierdie boek uitgebeeld.
Hy beskryf Opperman se boeiende lewensloop van plaasseun in Natal tot sy onbetwisbare posisie as doyen van die Afrikaanse letterkunde. Sy invloed op veral die Afrikaanse poësie, die rol wat hy agter die skerms gespeel het, sy vormende invloed op jong talente - dit word alles helder in hierdie boek uitgebeeld.
520 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1986
11 people want to read
About the author
J.C. Kannemeyer
32 books3 followersHere is an authority on Afrikaans Literature who has published books on the history of Afrikaans literature and biographies of writers.
John Christoffel (J.C.) Kannemeyer grew up in and attended school in Robertson. He studied at Stellenbosch University where he obtained a DLit under the supervision of D.J. Opperman in 1964. His thesis was entitled Die stem in die literêre kunswerk.
In 1962 he joined the University of Cape Town as lecturer in Afrikaans and Dutch. Later he lectured at RAU (the Randse Afrikaanse Universiteit) and Stellenbosch University.
During 1976 - 1983 Kannemeyer took care of the editor's secretariat of the literary magazine Standpunte. He was professor in Afrikaans and Dutch at the University of the Witwatersrand from 1982-1987. He then worked as senior researcher at the H.S.R.C. in Pretoria.
In September 1992 Prof Kannemeyer returned to Stellenbosch as an independent researcher and author. He is a visiting lecturer and researcher at the universities of Nijmegen, Amsterdam and Leuven and is a member of the Dutch Literary Society (Maatschappij der Nederlandse letterkunde). Since 2004 he is Extraordinary Professor of Afrikaans and Dutch at Stellenbosch University.
Presently he is working on a revised and updated version of "Die Afrikaanse literatuur".
In 1993, John Kannemeyer, with Wium van Zyl, began to organise literary tours.
John Christoffel (J.C.) Kannemeyer grew up in and attended school in Robertson. He studied at Stellenbosch University where he obtained a DLit under the supervision of D.J. Opperman in 1964. His thesis was entitled Die stem in die literêre kunswerk.
In 1962 he joined the University of Cape Town as lecturer in Afrikaans and Dutch. Later he lectured at RAU (the Randse Afrikaanse Universiteit) and Stellenbosch University.
During 1976 - 1983 Kannemeyer took care of the editor's secretariat of the literary magazine Standpunte. He was professor in Afrikaans and Dutch at the University of the Witwatersrand from 1982-1987. He then worked as senior researcher at the H.S.R.C. in Pretoria.
In September 1992 Prof Kannemeyer returned to Stellenbosch as an independent researcher and author. He is a visiting lecturer and researcher at the universities of Nijmegen, Amsterdam and Leuven and is a member of the Dutch Literary Society (Maatschappij der Nederlandse letterkunde). Since 2004 he is Extraordinary Professor of Afrikaans and Dutch at Stellenbosch University.
Presently he is working on a revised and updated version of "Die Afrikaanse literatuur".
In 1993, John Kannemeyer, with Wium van Zyl, began to organise literary tours.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 28, 2009
Well, for a 71-year-old who was extremely active in his life, Kannemyer tried to cover everything Opperman did (and didn't do)!
At first I found the book extremely interesting - even marking out pages where you get to see how Oppeman went about writing his poetry - later I tired of the style. It seemed as if Kannemeyer went to the University of Stellenbosch, where most of Opperman's manuscripts are held, and couldn't decide what to put into the book, and what to leave out (he even allows a paragraph of critique per literary journal that reviewed his poetry books - and there were several - as they were published!). The reader is led from Opperman's childhood in Natal, to his professional life, starting out as a teacher, moving on to a newspaper and from there to the academic life at different universities in the Cape and his time overseas, all the while spewing forth poetry in the dark hours. In and of itself it's a mammoth task to keep track of all these things, but in addition, the reader hears about almost every argument he had, what food he liked, what he liked wearing, his telephone manner, speech mannerisms, the arguments he had about buying a house and renovating it, etc. etc. ad infinitum.
His love for alcohol plays an increasing role as the 1970s draw near as Opperman's liver gave in in 1976. He was in hospital for almost a year, dipping into and out of comas, stupors and strokes. If it wasn't for his wife, Marié, who stood by him and later insisted that he be taken to another hospital, he would surely have died. I too would take my husband out of the hospital where they're constantly warning me that he won't make it through the night. Widely-read newspapers even had obituaries at the ready for when the news of his death should break! But he still wrote a major work, Komas uit 'n bamboesstok following his recovery (which involved learning to walk, talk and write all over again). It's a pity that Kannemeyer doesn't give more information about Marié's health - this after the detailed descriptions of his colleagues' lives and goals!
That Opperman was a great man, cannot be denied, and possibly Kannemeyer's close friendship with him jaded his approach to the biography. Somehow I feel that this textbook-style biography missed the mark. I doubt whether any lay person would actually read it from cover to cover unless they're a manic admirer!
At first I found the book extremely interesting - even marking out pages where you get to see how Oppeman went about writing his poetry - later I tired of the style. It seemed as if Kannemeyer went to the University of Stellenbosch, where most of Opperman's manuscripts are held, and couldn't decide what to put into the book, and what to leave out (he even allows a paragraph of critique per literary journal that reviewed his poetry books - and there were several - as they were published!). The reader is led from Opperman's childhood in Natal, to his professional life, starting out as a teacher, moving on to a newspaper and from there to the academic life at different universities in the Cape and his time overseas, all the while spewing forth poetry in the dark hours. In and of itself it's a mammoth task to keep track of all these things, but in addition, the reader hears about almost every argument he had, what food he liked, what he liked wearing, his telephone manner, speech mannerisms, the arguments he had about buying a house and renovating it, etc. etc. ad infinitum.
His love for alcohol plays an increasing role as the 1970s draw near as Opperman's liver gave in in 1976. He was in hospital for almost a year, dipping into and out of comas, stupors and strokes. If it wasn't for his wife, Marié, who stood by him and later insisted that he be taken to another hospital, he would surely have died. I too would take my husband out of the hospital where they're constantly warning me that he won't make it through the night. Widely-read newspapers even had obituaries at the ready for when the news of his death should break! But he still wrote a major work, Komas uit 'n bamboesstok following his recovery (which involved learning to walk, talk and write all over again). It's a pity that Kannemeyer doesn't give more information about Marié's health - this after the detailed descriptions of his colleagues' lives and goals!
That Opperman was a great man, cannot be denied, and possibly Kannemeyer's close friendship with him jaded his approach to the biography. Somehow I feel that this textbook-style biography missed the mark. I doubt whether any lay person would actually read it from cover to cover unless they're a manic admirer!
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