Customer Reviews

Tandia

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This story is the ultimate opportunity to learn of South Africa, and for those of us who have lived there, to recall the things that made us fall in love with that country. It also serves as a great treat for all of us who wanted to see what happened to PeeKay after THE POWER OF ONE. TANDIA allows the readers to see what South Africa has been like in the past for blacks and colored people. A real eye-opener and worth every minute spent perusing the 900+ pages. Mr. Courtenay weaves a wonderful tale of courage, triumph and hope. Courtenay has lost his readership for some reason since the publication of THE POWER OF ONE. One can hardly find a copy of his other books anywhere, not even many of them are for sale here. He also wrote THE POTATO FACTORY, TOMMO & HAWK, and their final chapter, the third in that trilogy, SOLOMON'S SONG, which is due to be released in the rest of the world very soon. Other almost unknown works by Courtenay are: THE NIGHT COUNTRY, THE FAMILY FRYING PAN, A RECIPE FOR DREAMING and JESSICA. I encourage all of you who read this review to discover ALL of Courtenay's novels, not just THE POWER OF ONE. I do not know why he isn't more popular over here in the USA. Feel free to email to chat about Courtenay or collecting his books, of which I have many, many and some to spare!

This is an incredible book. I had to read 'The Power of One' for english class in the spring, and I loved it. When we had finished it, I was so anxious to find out what happened to Peekay, and to see if he actually won the Welterweight World Title, that I searched the local bookstores for Tandia. I found it, I'm lucky considering it's out of print here in the US. I just finished this book and I was so moved and devoured into the plot and the characters that I was sad when I finished it. But this is an amazing book. I think if you read 'The Power of One', it will help you understand parts of the book, but it isn't totally necessary. But this is one of the most well written books in the world, it describes the horrible apartheid in South Africa with amazing depth and even innocence in some parts. This has certainly enlightened me to this awful and embarrassing part of history. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading, and anyone who really appreciates wonderful, gut-wrenching writing.

I can see from the other reviews that one either likes Tandia or does not. I suppose that there is no accounting for taste. I for one found it a beautifully written sequel to The Power of One with a most compelling central character. It has been more than a year since I read the novel but plan to read both The Power of One and Tandia a second time. I have lived in Cape Town where I taught at the University of the Western Cape (almost entirely native African and coloured students) and I can say that to my thinking, Tandia rang very true of the spirit of South Africa.

I can not decide if "Tandia" is a better book than "The Power of One". Though they both feature Peekay, the stories are so different but at the same time woven together so beautifully. Through Bryce Courtenay's writing, the reader is brought into South Africa once again, a world of racial segregation and hate, but at the same time, a nation of love and companionship. This masterpiece of literature is not a story of white versus black but of justice versus injustice, love versus hate, and the fight for the good of mankind. The images of good and evil are clearly visible from the first page to the last.

I suppose that, at least from my point of view, that "The Power of One" and "Tandia" can not be viewed as separate books but as one large story, with a small intermission in between. The time frame linking the two novels is negligible with a few hundred pages of "Tandia" devoted solely to the title character herself. Then Courtenay brings the two characters together masterfully.

"The Power of One" and "Tandia" will undoubtedly remain my favorite novels for quite a long time, as I can see no other book grabbing my emotions and taking them on a wild adventure like these did.

Just to clear up the mystery surrounding the name change of Peekay's friend Hymie, for some reason when The Power of One was published in the US, they renamed Hymie as Morrie. Not sure why. For the readers who don't know why the character was called Hymie in Tandia, it is because you obviously were reading a copy that wasn't published in the states - or perhaps the publishers in the US forgot to re-change the name. Does this make sense? I recently saw a Canadian friend reading The Power of One (I am Australian) and couldn't believe that Hymie's name as Morrie! It is all too strange.

But that is all an aside, I loved Tandia almost as much as The Power of One which to this day is one of the best books I have ever read (and I read it for the first time about 15 years ago).

I read The Power of One by this author and it touched me deeply. After completing that book I wondered into my book store to have a look at the other books Bryce Courtenay has written. I stumbled across it and immediately I saw "sequel to Power of One".

Upon reading the second chapter my heart skipped a beat when Peekay's name was mentioned; to my delight. Throughout this book I come close to tears, not because it's sad, but because of the emotions this book brings out in me. Peekay's boxing is terrific and the songs the African's sing I can picture vividly in my head (being from SA). It's just amazing and I have never read a book that has made me in such a bad mood as well as feel so much. I won't tell you the part that made me grumpy, read it for yourself. Grumpy in the sense that something happened I did not expect nor want for one of the characters. It got better later on though!

What a tremendous book following Power of One. Read Power first before reading this one though.

Are most of Bryce's books out of print!

I found this to be an absolutely riveting spectacle of a time and place that have a paramount significance in human history.

I did find myself early in the book rather frustrated by Peekay's absence. I was rabid to get back into his story, and didn't want to spend time learning the story of this book's namesake.

However, my patience was rewarded as I found the stories of Tandia and Peekay to converge into a mammoth story of love, conquest, and the indominable power of the human spirit.

As I read the story of Peekay's first title bout with Jake "Spoonbill" Jackson, I felt my heart racing and my legs shaking. I don't think that I have ever been so immersed into any piece of literature as I was during that sequence of events in the story.

The classic 'good vs. bad' showdown is largely shaped by the evil actions of the much hated Jannie Geldenhuis. His racial malice really serves to construct the backdrop on which "Tandia" scores, and it serves to inject a ton of emotion into the story.

I suppose the only way that I can express my great love for this book was by telling you how much the ending really rocked me. Without giving away the ending, I was deeply overcome by emotion, to the point of shedding tears.

Definitely one of those books that have altered my outlook on, and the course of my life. My heartfelt thanks to the author, Bryce Courtenay, for this masterpiece of fiction. Bravo!

When I finished The Power of One, I couldn't think of anything but happened next. I had to know what Peekay would do now. I was excited to see Tandia was 900 pages, I sunk my teeth in...and found it was as good as The Power of One and there was even more of it to read!! The first thing is that there are new characters added to Peekay's life. The title character is as easy to become attached to as Peekay was in The Power of One. Likewise, Courtenay developed another wonderful group of friends around which the main characters can build and grow. Some new friends, and some new enemies...and a few that are somewhere in between. This book was so good, I still want more!

After reading Bryce Courtneay's "The Power of One" I was thrilled when I figured out there was a sequel and ordered it immedialty. "Tandia" is a good book, but at times seems to drag a bit. It is still a worthy follow-up and I definetly recommend it to those who read and liked or loved "The Power of One." The ending of the book is very emotional, well written, and thought out. The ending alone will make you forget the little parts of the book that dragged along. Warning:it is a sad ending. I hope that Bryce Courtenay decides to write another book, following up on the end of this one. I highly recommend this book again, and though it can't even be compared to "The Power of One", it'll quench your thirst for more Peekay.

If you have discovered The Power of One, how can you resist finding out if PeeKay becomes the Welter Weight Champion of the World? That you get to meet some old, dear friends and make many new ones... come now... find this book! If your public library doesn't have a copy, go directly to their help desk and see if they have an inter-library loan program. The copy I just finished came from Cedar Rapids, IA ... Tandia will bring you closer to the true horrors of that repressive system, Apartheid - from the personal and political points of view of the Boer, the English, the coloured and the "people", what was ugly becomes hideous and what were games become matters of life and death. Hope for a new Cortenay novel, "Lumukanda".