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Title: Before I Forget Author: Andre Brink Genre: Novel (Reflective) Publisher: Vintage Pages: 311 Year of First Publication: 2004 (this edition, 2008) Country: South Africa "You died at seventeen minutes to ten" is the first sentence in this reflective novel by Andre Brink , a two-time Booker Shortlist author of An Instant in the Wind (in 1976) and Rumours of Rain (in 1978). The story, written in the first person but shifting between the present and the past, is a tribute by Chris Minnaar, a writer at the twilight of his life and career, addressing a loved one, who had just passed away. This love one is young Rachel who, though married, together with her husband, has kept Chris Minnaar, the first person writer and narrator, as a friend and a member of their family. Chris reminisces all the fun he had had with her and how he appreciated it. However, Chris intelligently tells his life story through this 'address' by digressin...

Title: Praying Mantis Author: Andre Brink Genre: Novel (Fiction and Non-Fiction) Publishers: Vintage Pages: 275 Year of First Publication: 2005 (this edition, 2006) Country: South Africa Praying Mantis is a novel about faith and identity and the need to be in tuned with one's origins. It tells the story of Cupido Cockroach and his strife to convert his heathen-folks to Christianity and to God. However, this novel is not about religion. In the beginning Cupido was a womanizer and a good hunter. He was also a good follower and friend of Heitsi-Eibib, his god. But he got converted to Christianity, got baptised and later became an acolyte and a preacher of the Christian god. So strong was his faith in the new god that he physically beats up everybody who refuses to convert Christianity and remains hard-hearted. At the peak of his faith, he literally chewed and swallowed. a whole bible. However, the more his faith in the Christian god grew, the poorer he becam...