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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The fallout of apartheid,
By
This review is from: Native Commissioner (Paperback)
Apartheid devastated all who lived with it, black, white, coloured. This is the tragic story of a South African Native Commisioner ofr British descent who passionately loved and respected the culture, history and traditions of the Xhosa, Zulu and other groups with whom he worked, only to be undermined and devastated by the apartheid policies that redefined his profession. The story is told by his youngest son, now an adult, who reconstructs the story from a box of papers and other memorabilia found years later.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully written and haunting,
By Melusine Thieme "author of Joburg Expat" (Johannesburg, South Africa) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Native Commissioner (Paperback)
This book shows the struggle of someone who is trying to do good while working for an evil regime.George Jameson, brilliant in many ways, has been working as a South African "Bantu Affairs Commissioner" most of his life, moving his family from one remote area of the country to another to see to the local affairs. He is a great admirer of the Xhosa, Sotho, and Zulu cultures, among others, is always curious to learn more, and speaks their languages fluently, which is why he embraces each new posting with great enthusiasm. But by the 1960s the absurdity and ruthlessness of the apartheid regime bear down more and more heavily on his conscience, as he is now required to control the movements of thousands of black workers to essentially ensure that they do not settle in white areas. He is more and more tormented carrying out his duties, and yet he feels obligated to stay on and do the best he can to alleviate the effects of what he sees as social engineering on a wickedly ambitious scale. The story, told through the eyes of George's son, is beautifully written. Much in the vein of Cry, The Beloved Country it highlights the inherent conflict when tribal cultures clash with a Western-style society, and it is a good reminder that the past is much more ambiguous than a simple matter of good and evil.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Mild disappointment,
This review is from: The Native Commissioner (Paperback)
Book was described as looking 'good as new'... with no mention of the thick black line drawn across the bottom
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