A Story Like the Wind [Paperback]

Laurens van der Post (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 8, 1978

Van der Post’s incomparable knowledge of Africa illuminates this epic novel, set near the Kalahari Desert, about a boy on the verge of manhood, his experiences with the wonder and mystery of a still-primitive land, and his secret friendship with the Bushman whose life he saves. The narrative of A Story like the Wind continues in A Far-Off Place.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The extraordinary life of Laurens van der Post is not easily capsulized. Author of of many books, farmer, soldier, prisoner of war, political adviser to British heads of state, educator, humanitarian, philosopher, explorer, and conservationist are titles that barely indicate the depth and breadth of this rare individual. Born in 1906 in the interior of southern Africa, he lived among the people who created the first blueprint for life on earth, becoming the principal chronicler of the Stone Age Kalahari Bushmen. He was also one of C.G. Jung's closest friends for sixteen years. Van der Post dedicated his life to teaching the meaning and value of indigenous cultures in the modern world, a world he felt is in danger of losing its spiritual identity to technology, prejudice, empty values, and a lack of understanding of the interconnectedness of all life on earth. Awarded a knighthood (the C.B.E.) in 1981, Sir Laurens died after his 90th birthday, in December, 1996.

He has written the following books:
A Far Off Place
The Heart of the Hunter‎
A Story Like the Wind

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (November 8, 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156852616
• ISBN-13: 978-0156852616
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #337,686 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Spiritual, September 6, 2003

By 

James G. Warden (Columbia, SC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Story Like the Wind (Paperback)

I've always been a fan of the Disney movie "A Far Off Place" and recently decided to read the books that inspired the movie. I just finished the first one and it blew me away.

First off, it just shouldn't be this good. There is a lot the author does that normally irritates me to no end.

1) Paper thin plot - I could give a point for point plot summary in about 50 words, maybe 30.
2) Constant deviations from the story line to explain trivia about the characters
3) Totally explicit characterization and theme development - nothing is left for the reader; van der Post tells the reader everything.

And yet the book succeeds not only in spite of these things, but because of them.

A story like the wind (ASLtW) tells the story of 13 year old Francois as he grows up in interior Africa during the turbulent mid-20th century. His parents are educators who have run afoul of the colonial government for wanting a more equal relationship between Africans and Europeans. They set up a utopia-like community with the Africans and them partners in an enterprise rather than master and servants. Still, they retain some subtle Eurocentrism that eventually proves consequential. Francois, born late and the only child, doesn't really have the normal parent-child relationship with them (is there such a thing). He is raised by a bushman woman and Matebele tribesman with heavy influence from a white conservationist. As such, he comes to feel himself more part of the African world than the European.

The most obvious beauty of the book is the author's love for Africa. Details of the flora and fauna are told with such intricacy and personification that it is impossible not to fall in love with the place. The author really shows the complex life-death cycle of the African bush like no other. The only other novel I've read coming close to ASLtW in this aspect is Farley Mowat's "Never Cry Wolf" (also made into a Disney movie).

Surpassing the environmental detail, though, is van der Post's handling of sprituality. The book is a deeply spiritual book, though not in the classical sense. Van der Post weaves three entirely different world views throughout most of the novel. By the end two more are added. Details of the people and their values are treated with magnificent even-handedness and only the most callous of readers couldn't see the majesty in them all. Francois himself is is a wonderfully syncretic blend of Matebele, Bushman, French Huguenot and even Catholic by the end of the book. The only thing common among the beliefs is a deeply mystical approach to life. But even to class the book in the mystic tradition does it a disservice. Francois and his rolemodels are nothing if not pragmatic. There are sometimes when I was really expecting van der Post to venture into the realm of typical colonialist literature, but by the end of the book all this is resolved. For readers who feel any apprehensions in the beginning, remember, this is told from Francois' viewpoint. Characters and events that seem wrongly analysed in the beginning are reappraised in the end.

As I said, Disney made a movie from this book. Actually, only the last couple chapters had any part any the movie. Most of the movie came from the sequel "A Far Off Place." Anyways comparisons are obvious. I'll start off by saying that the Disney movie is still good and stands as one of my favorite family films. That being said, they took a very safe and simple approach. First, it isn't poachers that destroy Francois' and Nonie's families. This is a book about colonialism. Too avoid ruining the book for anyone, I won't say any more than that things aren't as clear cut, black and white when Francois and Nonie have to flee their home. The first couple chapters of A Far Off Place (AFOP) compound this even more.

Secondly, Nonnie isn't the expert on Africa. She is the newcomer. For the life of me, I can't figure why Disney felt they needed to flip-flop the roles. Nonnie isn't a stereotypical weak female in any sense of the word. Perhaps they were trying to be more PC, but they didn't have any problem totally elliminating Xhabbo's (the bushman's) wife Nuin-Tara from the story and she played a pretty big role in the end. I won't say I know what they were thinking, but it definitely appears that their cultural sensitivies extend only to Europeans.

All-in-all this is an outstanding book. While junior high could read it I think people with more life experience and refined concepts of spirituality would benefit a lot more from it. I've written lots of papers on mystic tradions and history of mystic thought in western religion for school. I'm fairly familiar with lots of different ideas, but this still blew my mind and made me think. I worry that younger people may focus on the details and miss the spirit of the message (explore the world, take nothing for granted, respect other ideas) and it's uniqueness. Ironically, one of the major themes of the book is mutual respect between old and young and I may be falling into this trap. At any rate, there isn't anyone I think is too old for the book. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rich descriptions, wonderful story., March 15, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Story Like the Wind (Paperback)

It's a shame that not very many people have heard of this book or its author. Truly, it is one of my favorite books--it's descriptions of Africa are beautiful! I have tried explaining it to people, and they have often made a face and said: "White guy tries to write about Africa." What they don't understand is that Laurens van der Post knows exactly what he is talking about because he grew up in Africa himself. It took me a while to read this book, not because I had a hard time motivating myself to read, but because I savored each passage and the imagery the book envoked.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not for babies, May 1, 1998

By 

Janet Siegel ([e-mail]) (Boston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Story Like the Wind (Paperback)

I read this book 10 years ago, and went looking for it here because I have never seen it in a bookstore. I was very surprised to see it recommended for toddlers/children. It is a coming of age story, but it has a good deal of violence, and is also quite detailed about a spiritual search/quest which would be all but incomprehensible to the most mature pre-teen, let alone child. I remember it as one of the most beautiful books I ever read, both for the descriptions of Africa and her people, and also for his Junngian inspired use of strong emotional images.