Monday Evening, Thursday Afternoon by Jenny Robson #review

Title: Monday Evening, Thursday Afternoon
Author: Jenny Robson
Publisher: Tafelberg, 2013

Louise and Faheema are a bit of an odd couple, but they’ve been best friends since they first started school together in the fictional Western Cape town of Gap Falls. The girls often spend many hours at their favourite waterfall, which in a way grows to become a powerful metaphor for their friendship.

Though their cultural differences are vast, the two girls are nearly inseparable, mainly because they each seek to understand the other. This friendship endures for many years, despite their parents’ initial misgivings.

Yet as they grow up together, their bond comes under increasing fire from those who seek to separate them, especially in the light of incidences of terrorism perpetrated by religious extremists – Louise goes to great pains to point out that the extremists are not representative of the entire religion. Her frustration is palpable because her words often fall on deaf ears.

Monday Evening, Thursday Afternoon is written from Louise’s point of view, clearly in the aftermath of whatever separated her from her friend. She uses a format that addresses Faheema directly, a kind of hybrid journal/letter, which gives us an intensely personal and emotional account of the friendship between the two girls, and what obstacles they faced together. You’d have to have a heart of stone to not be moved by Louise’s impassioned words as she tries to unpick the series of events that eventually parted them.

Author Jenny Robson’s message is clear: as adults we so easily allow ourselves to be swayed by differences and our own and others’ prejudices, as we descend into hypocrisy. The younger generation are (mostly) potential bridge builders between cultures, and are in a position to present solutions instead of creating further problems. Most importantly, Robson underscores the importance of love and tolerance, which is often so lacking in the thoughts and deeds of many.

Robson’s writing is lyrical and heartfelt, and I was completely immersed in Louise’s world, and felt her triumphs and sorrows as she shaped her story. In the light of current affairs, this novel is also an important reminder for us to focus rather on our common ground than be ruled by hate- and fear-mongering. Robson has given us a wonderful, brave book that has been released at a time when it’s needed most, and I’ll happily recommend this story for ages ten and older.

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis #review

Title: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia #1)
Author: CS Lewis
Publisher: HarperCollins, 1950

I was about eight or nine when I first read all CS Lewis's Narnia books. If I consider the paradigm in which I lived at the time, much of the author's thematic treatments did not bother me in the least. While it has always been at the back of my mind to pick up Lewis's writing again in the future, the experience of dipping into The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was interesting...And troubling.

Much like his contemporary, JRR Tolkien, Lewis, to a degree, has been placed on a seemingly unassailable pedestal. The Narnia books are often mentioned and, as per many classics, have also spawned cinematic adaptations.

Okay, I'll admit I absolutely adored the Narnia books when I was younger. Our library at school and in Hout Bay didn't stock much fantasy for my age group, and to discover Narnia was like finding a box of chocolates when I least expected it. Talking animals, magic, supernatural creatures...and, of course, to younger self, Aslan represented an enigmatic, charismatic and utterly benevolent father figure.

When I was younger, it didn’t matter so much that there was plenty of Christian moralising in the tale—nothing contradicted what indoctrination I already received thanks to the religious instruction at school and at church.

And yes, if you've never stepped beyond that paradigm, then Lewis's Narnia books will most likely retain their childlike wonder, and perhaps not tarnish the way they have for me in adulthood.

Here I'd like to add that I feel the fault lies with the reader, and perhaps the fact that as the years have progressed, I've developed a taste for the GrimDark.

If I have to compare this book objectively to titles in the same age group that are currently available, I'd have to comment on the disconnect I felt while reading. This tale is told very much by an older person addressing younglings, and to a degree there is a fair amount of patronising apparent. Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are placeholders rather than fully formed characters, with Edmund drawing the shortest straw when it comes to action and consequence. To be honest, they are a bit twee to me.

Then, of course, the thinly veiled Christian cosmology, executed to portray a particular mindset.

Okay, so those were the aspects that annoyed the ever-loving bantha pudu out of me. I do, however, consider that CS Lewis is very much a product of his time.

What I won't forget easily from my childhood, and of which I caught a whiff of with my reread was Lewis's wide-eyed sense of wonder. I gained the impression that Lewis really lived *in* Narnia while he wrote. His world is incredibly detailed, and though to a degree it suffers from the curse of a well-defined light vs. dark dichotomy, it is nonetheless a fantastic way to introduce the fantasy genre to children—probably best read out loud or enjoyed as an audiobook. In these situations I suspect that the story will gain so much depth.

No kids, thank you

Recently I was interviewed by Esther Lewis of the Cape Argus about my decision not to breed. For those of you who've asked, I've reproduced the piece here. If you're in the same boat as me, I'd love for you to leave a comment on my blog. 

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GIVING birth to a child is something most women will do in their lifetime. But one Cape Town woman says it’s just not for her. Nerine Dorman, 34, married Thomas Dorman when she was 22. At the time, she thought she would wait until she was 28 to have children.

When the time came, she thought perhaps she’d be ready at 30. Thirty rolled around and still, she wasn’t ready. At this point, neither she nor her husband wanted children.

One of three children, Dorman was a “total surprise” when her mother discovered she was pregnant with her at 42. Her brother and sister have children, so there’s no pressure on Dorman to produce grandchildren.
“My mother kept telling me not to have children. She encouraged me to explore my music, writing and to travel,” she says.

Dorman works in the advertising industry, and writes and edits books. She also assists her husband who is a filmmaker and photographer. On weekends, the couple often leave at the crack of dawn for film shoots or other projects in remote locations, and return in the early hours of the next day.

She describes their lives as very chaotic, and adding a child into the mix would not work. Many parents argue that people who choose not to have children are “missing out”. “We sometimes discuss it. I do sometimes worry that I’m missing out. But people with children are also missing out,” says Dorman.
Watching her friends who have children, she sees what they go through. And it’s not for her. Many of her friends do not have time to do what they love any more, they don’t have time for themselves. After a hard day’s work, she loves being able to go home and enjoy down-time, writing or editing books.

While the sight of newborn, cuddly babies may be enough to rouse maternal instincts, it leaves Dorman feeling “weird”. Many friends her age are raising children, but the fact that she has no interest in doing so herself, has not had any effect on her friendships.

Her friends’ children adore her. She also has a three-year-old godson. “If anything happens to his mom, I’m fully prepared to take him in.”

One of the motivators for her not having children is the fact that she’s not in the financial position to provide that which she was given by her parents. She is adamant her choice is the right one. “It’s a difficult one, but I stand by my opinion that I’m not missing out.” – ESTHER LEWIS