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Johan J. Beyers' Top 5 Memorable Books

One of Namibia's popular writers, Johan J. Beyers, author of the eco-fantasy dystopian novel, The Kupferberg Mining Company (2013), shared with us a list of his five most memorable books. 'This wasn't easy to do,' Mr. Beyers wrote in a mail to us, 'because different books impact one's life differently at various stages. In other words, a so-called good book then will perhaps not have the same impact and value now. And, besides, the list you have requested is unfair.' We have to agree with the  last, of course. Asking a reader-writer for a list of only five books to recommend is tremendously unfair given the immense number of books a person may read in her/his lifetime. That said, we are very grateful Mr. Beyers sent us his list.

1. To Build a Fire and Other Stories by Jack London
'I really enjoyed this collection of short stories by American novelist, journalist and social activist, Jack London.' To Build a Fire and Other Stories is the most comprehensive and wide-ranging collection of London's stories available. It is also one of the most famous collections of stories of survival in the wilderness. This superb collection brings together twenty-five of Jack London's finest, including a dozen of his great Klondike stories, vivid tales of the Far North where rugged individuals such as the Malemute Kid face the violence of man and nature during the gold rush days. Also included are short masterpieces from his later writing. Order this book from bookbuddynamibia@gmail.com

2. Mahala by Chris Barnard
'Barnard's short stories were first published in Huisgenoot under his pseudonym, Chriskras, and I enjoyed them immensely. But, his novel Mahala, winner of the Hertzog Prize for Prose in 1973 and the W. A. Hofmeyr Prize in 1974, was a memorable read.' Mahala by Chris Barnard is regarded a classic in contemporary Afrikaans literature and tells the story of a hermit, Delport, living alone and in fear, deep in Africa, afraid his past will catch up with him. Classified as a psychological thriller, the character of Delport fears the arrival of Ritter, a man with a gun, but when someone finally arrives at his door, it's not Ritter but a woman, Malia Domingo, who, strangely, reminds him of his nemesis. Or, is his paranoia threatening his sanity? Order this book from bookbuddynamibia@gmail.com

3. Papillion by Henri Charriere
'While in hospital for a few weeks, I read Papillion by French author, Henri Charriere, and couldn't stop reading the book. It was gripping, plausible and intriguing to the very end.' French author, Henri Charriere, was convicted as a murderer by French courts. In jail, he wrote the famous novel, Papillion, mostly fiction and partly a memoir of his incarceration in and his daring escape from a penal colony in French Guiana. The novel was classified as autobiographical by some even though many of the 'facts' contained in it have been disputed by modern researchers. Until his death in Spain in 1973, Charriere maintained his innocence, denied he had committed murder, but, ironically, admitted to having committed other petty crimes. Papillion was a global bestseller in 1970. Order this book from bookbuddynamibia@gmail.com 

4. Die Seilskip Drie Lelies deur Olle Mattson
'This book, by Swedish author, Olle Mattson, was first published in Stockholm in 1955, translated into Afrikaans thereafter and published locally in 1961. This was the very first book I owned and it is still, today, an amazing story.' Olle Mattson, born in 1922, was a Swedish author, song and scriptwriter. He was concerned with the destruction of the natural environment, a continuous theme in his works, and published the book, Briggen Tre Liljor (Eng. trans. 'A Ship Called Three Lilies', Afr. trans. 'Die Seilskip Drie Lelies') in 1955, an award-winning youth and young adult adventure novel. In southern Africa, this book is available in ebook format only.

5. The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
'Deciding which book should be number five was the most difficult. I will always be a fan of Roald Dahl's short stories, Beau Geste by P. C. Wren, some nail-biters by Stephen King and many more. In the end, I settled for a classic in its own right, The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler.' Chandler considered The Long Goodbye his finest work and this was borne out by the book receiving the Edgar Award for Best Novel in 1955. It was later adapted for film. The novel combines crime and investigation with social criticism and was written while Chandler was an alcoholic and his wife dying. An influential book, it was repeatedly referred to in other novels and was on occasion, described as 'creepy'. Order this book from bookbuddynamibia@gmail.com         

More fascinating and excellent book recommendations from Namibian writers and readers are coming your way, next week. Watch this space. Follow our blog!


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