Book of the Day: Bitter Fruit by Achmat Dangor

Quote of the day: 
Let us read and let us dance - two amusements that will never do any harm to the world. -Voltaire

I remember reading a lot of Enid Blyton books, the 'Enchanted Wood', and 'Famous Five' just to name a few. She was an English Children's writer and a famous one at that. It got me thinking about childhood and how our minds and thoughts change overtime as we grow older. Children's books loses the appeal once you've gone past a certain age, except when you have to read to children. I may just go back to reading one of her titles to see if it brings back memories of reading late into the night, signed library cards, and the good old feeling of being part of an adventure.

While pondering that, the book of the day is 'Bitter Fruit' by South African author and poet Achmat Dangor which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize after it came out. The book revolves around three main characters -Silas Ali, his wife Lydia and their son Mickey. All three become faced with a traumatic event that had occurred twenty years prior coming back to haunt their normal way of life. The last time Silas encountered this character called the 'Lieutenant', he was locked in the back of a police van watching helplessly as Lydia was assaulted. It takes just a chance encounter for secrets and memories that had been festering for years to come out in the open. The narration is mostly about the lives of these characters, the people around them and how their relationship evolves. Set in nineties South Africa, a country seemingly at peace with itself after rising from the dark past of apartheid, it delves into the political environment before and during that time, it explores love and abuse, betrayal and its deep psychological effects.

While Silas and Lydia appear to lead a normal life, everything is not always as it seems, and with their emotionally detached son, sadness, wounds, heartache and regrets run deep in the family, hanging surreptitiously throughout the entire story.

If you are looking at reading something different from the usual, Dangor's Bitter Fruit is surely one to look at. He excels at descriptive narration. It is a decent read, and a note that it explores different forms of sexuality as well and therefore this should come as no surprise if you do decide to read this book.

What book are you reading?


Peace. Love. Light* 



Current Listen: Charles Mingus - Goodbye Pork Pie Hat