Me, the moon, and Elvis Presley

by Christopher Hope

Tells the story of Buckingham, a small town in the middle of the South African Veldt. Beginning in 1949 with Afrikaner hopes dashed by the outcome of the war, the novel reveals the character and concerns of the people of South Africa and how the 20th century almost passes them by.

263 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

He studied at universities of Witwatersrand and Natal. He is an author of poems and novels, also published autobiography, biography of Robert Mugabe, dictator of Zimbabwe, and travel book Moscow! Moscow!, which he got prestige PEN Award. Debut novel A Separate Development (1981), satire on apartheid system, forbidden in South Africa, got the David Higham Prize for Fiction.

Reviews

[Shannon Schonegevel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A peculiar read. Set in South Africa, Karoo, a colourful cast of characters weave their way through the changes of the times.

Would I rush to read another Christopher Hope? Probably not.

The writing was complex, filled with literally devices. Loads of idioms that went above my head.

It was a hard slog, with brief intervals of lovely/amusing moments.

[Caterina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wry, fast paced, characters-ridden. The talking bird is my favorite of the many minor characters. The recurrent theme of ideologies of old and new orders, though, a little overstated.