MDMD(3): Notes and Questions

[the Robot Vegetable]

On Fri, 4 Jul 1997, Meg Larson wrote:


>    103.25 'the difficult years of 'eighty and 'eighty-one'???

	In these years, Paul Kruger arose as 'an impressive new
leader'.  'Slowly, but very surely, a defiant new sense of national
unity forged all the disparate and turbulent factions in the
Transvaal together, and ... the ebullient little republic dared
to challenge the full power of Great Britain in war.'  The war
was declared on 'Dingaan's Day', 1880.
	'The First War of Independence did not last long. Within
a month or two the British garrisons stationed in the larger 
Transvaal towns had been subdued; and the troops massing in Natal
for a march on the rebellious territory were humiliated at Laing's
Nek and Ingogo; on 27 Feb 1881 the combined British forces led
by Gen. Sir George Culley suffered the final crushing defeat on
the hill of Majuba.
	These quotes are from _An Act of Terror_ Andre Brink.
The novel is about a bombing attempt in Cape Town in 1988 (or
1987, the date not given explicitly.  The fellow's dad dies of
a stroke a few months later, and his death is given as 1988.
There isn't much actual action in the book, chapter two is the
bombing and is indeed 'powered by the action and energy of a
good thriller,' but the rest of the novel part of the book 
listens to many people in many parts of society reflect on 
Apartheid present and past.  Powerful, fascinating, revealing.
	The last part of the book is a family history written
by the protagonist.  His first forebear mentioned fled Europe,
found a wife that came through Goree, and then showed up in
Cape Town sometime in the mid 1600s.  His family showed up at
every major event and partook in the all the great tides of
folk.  
	This book is very good.

	veg