Cape of Storms: The First Life of Adamastor, A Story [Paperback]

Andre Brink (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2007

He is the chieftain leader of the Khoikhoi, a nomadic people derogatorily called "Hottentot"' by European colonists. She is a white woman left behind by Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama's crew when they rounded Africa's southern tip in 1498. Their romance is the core of this powerful novella.

According to Portuguese myth, Zeus turned Adamastor into the rocky cape of the South African peninsula. André Brink's parable suggests that white Europeans have punished native Africans in the same way. With this novel, Brink takes us to the heart of the relationships that define South Africa's
modern history.

"Peter Carey, Garcia Marquez, Solzhenitsyn: André Brink must be considered with that class of writer." -Guardian

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Peter Carey, Garcia Marquez, Solzhenitsyn: Andre Brink must be considered with that class of writer." - Guardian

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

From the Back Cover

“The ships were like two great birds swimming toward us. And then they came ashore, their heads so overgrown with beards and mustaches you could hardly see their faces. They brought with them a woman. When I, T’kama, first cam upon her, she was naked, smooth, white, all alone. I called her Khois, woman.”

So begins the luminescent tale told by a young African tribal leader of his tormented love affair with a white woman left behind by Vasco da Gama’s sailors in 1498 when they sailed around the Cape of Good Hope. In this provocative fable, the acclaimed South African writer André Brink brings alive the story behind one of the great myths of the founding of his troubled land. Rich with magic, Cape of Storms is a work of mesmerizing beauty.

“Searing...A stunning introduction to [Brink’s] work”
-Publishers Weekly

“A delightful narrator, full of lust and wit and a profound understanding of what motivates men, both African and European”
-Philadelphia Inquirer

“His story is funny, ribald and sad, all at the same time.”-Arizona Republic

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (September 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402208642
• ISBN-13: 978-1402208645
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,157,890 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cape of Storms, January 1, 2011

By 

C. Moss "lotzsahgoodbooks" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cape of Storms: The First Life of Adamastor, A Story (Paperback)

The first life of Adamastor is a fable mostly set in the late 15th century about the first meeting between the native people of Southern Africa and the explorers from Europe. It is a tale clothed in the myth of Adamastor, which first appeared in European literature in the 16th century. It is a tale about the main character T'Kamais (bigbird "that never came to rest"), and his relationship with s lost Portuguese woman.

What makes this tale different from many other accounts is that the tale is told from the viewpoint of the African Khoikhoin, and not the Portuguese. This makes an interesting contrast to "Verkenning" of Karel Schoeman (see my review). Verkenning describes (in historical detail) the exploration of Southern Africa from a Dutch explorer's point of view (set a couple of centuries after Adamastor).

This book is written with Brink's subtle sense of humour never far from the surface. However, the story has a very sad undertone - the misunderstanding between different peoples with different cultures and their different belief systems and mythologies.

Easy to read and enjoyable, Adamastor is highly recommended.