Buddy Read: Susters van Eva by Dalene Matthee

[Carolien]

Wayne and I will do a buddy read of Susters van Eva from 15 January. Any one is welcome to join, the more the merrier!

[Carolien]

I'm about 20% in and the characters have now sorted themselves for me. Intriguing group of women in this fairly isolated environment.

[Wayne]

Great, I am a bit more than halfway. I am sure you are familiar with CM van den Heever's "Waar Ruwe Rotse". Now this book evoked memories of this poem from the setting to the filicide. And thinking about it the title of the poem is an apt description for the characters here.

[Carolien]

I agree. I had to look up the poem. Did Somer at school and that kind of cured me of any wish to read more Van den Heever. I think the poem is based on a true event which happened near Harrismith.

That said, I had Kringe in 'n Bos as matric prescribed book and it also put me of any Dalene Matthee for years. I read 'n Huis vir Nadia a few years ago and this landscape is very similar to what she used in that book.

[Wayne]

I read a number of posts around where the original event in the poem took place, and it turns out that quite a few mountainous localities have a similar story to tell.

I have finished the book and I am not sure I like the denouement. I rated it four stars but think it might be downscaled later. I will wait for you to finish before I raise some of the points I have noted.

[Carolien]

I should be done by end of the week if work allows me to read some this week.

[Carolien]

I finished this last night and it is very complex. I can also see why this was controversial at the time of publication.

[Wayne]

Great. I am having mixed feelings about it. She must have caused quite a flutter in some circles (Karoo Kappie Kommando, proponents of Christelike Hoër Onderwys, etc.) with the 'platvloerse' language of the main characters, and the topics she touched on in this book. I like the Afrikaans term better than vulgar or unsavory, because it does not automatically denote condemnation (at least or me). The language therefore did not bother me at all, Andre P Brink had been doing it for a long time, and he was a lot more explicit.

[Wayne]

I must confess a bias, and that is that I often laugh sooner at an Afrikaans joke, and the book is not just well written, but I had quite a few giggles throughout the book. Best was the bottle of Chateau Lafite which "Hendrik sê dan dit is die slegste wat hy nog in sy lewe gedrink het. Pure rooipis."

[Carolien]

Wayne wrote: "Great. I am having mixed feelings about it. She must have caused quite a flutter in some circles (Karoo Kappie Kommando, proponents of Christelike Hoër Onderwys, etc.) with the 'platvloerse' langua..."

Had me laughing hysterically at the Kappie kommando! I agree it must have upset those associations where Louise went to speak. And yes, platvoers is a better word here.

[Carolien]

I'm still pondering why Jessie would not acknowledge the father of the child. I'm not sure whether she is protecting the parents or whether she thought she would not be believed which I suppose could have easily happened.

[Wayne]

Carolien wrote: "I'm still pondering why Jessie would not acknowledge the father of the child. I'm not sure whether she is protecting the parents or whether she thought she would not be believed which I suppose cou..."

Yes, one of the problems I have with how the book ends with Jessie's arrest. I am going to reread that last bit, to see whether I missed something, because I think that final statement about her having been arrested is tame to say the least, for a character that suffered abuse from her husband, ostracization and exploitation from her female in-laws, rape from one male family member. I am not sure how to classify the relationship with Karel the Peeping Tom, and Rolph, the Philosopher. I think Jessie should have revealed/shot the rapist, bequeathed the farm to Souf. I am not sure yet about an arrest or a suicide. With regard to your question, the book does not provide any hints to why she does not reveal his identity. Maybe it's the author hinting at the silence often opted for by rape victims.

[Carolien]

I like the idea of her bequeathing the farm to Souf! One other thing that I don't think gets properly explained is that Jessie is waiting for a specific day to act, yet I don't think we're ever told why that is important to her?

[Wayne]

Carolien wrote: "I like the idea of her bequeathing the farm to Souf! One other thing that I don't think gets properly explained is that Jessie is waiting for a specific day to act, yet I don't think we're ever tol..."

I rescanned the last bit of the book, and here is my tentative suggestion. The rape, and conception, happened in March. Three months after the birth, she drowned the baby. Assuming a full term pregnancy, this happened in March. She was arrested on the 23 of March, the day she was presumably going to commit suicide.

[Carolien]

That time line makes sense to me. Glad we read this one. I should go back and reread some of her other books.