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Cold Stone Jug
Herman Charles Bosman's unique account of the term he served as a young man in Pretoria Central Prison, convicted of murder, and initially condemned to hang on death row, he had his sentence commuted to be a regular convict through the 1920s and into the 30s.
By turns gruesome and humorous, and bravely wrenched out of his tortured memory, when it was first published in 1949 - fifty years ago - Cold Stone Jug was greeted as too grim and dubious for polite literary circles, although it proved a reliable seller. Its rise to classic status has been unstoppable, and it is now widely considered the founding text of all South African prison writings. As readable as ever, it is now hailed as Bosman's masterpiece of irony as well, vivid and unforgettable.
By turns gruesome and humorous, and bravely wrenched out of his tortured memory, when it was first published in 1949 - fifty years ago - Cold Stone Jug was greeted as too grim and dubious for polite literary circles, although it proved a reliable seller. Its rise to classic status has been unstoppable, and it is now widely considered the founding text of all South African prison writings. As readable as ever, it is now hailed as Bosman's masterpiece of irony as well, vivid and unforgettable.
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1949
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About the author
Herman Charles Bosman
52 books23 followersHerman Charles Bosman (1905 - October 14, 1951) was a South African writer and journalist who became famous for capturing the rhythms of backveld Afrikaans speech even though he wrote in English. He is widely regarded as the greatest short story writer to come out of South Africa. Many of his stories have a sting in the tail.
He was born at Kuilsrivier, near Cape Town. While still young, his family moved to Johannesburg where he went to school at Jeppe Boys High School in Kensington. He was a contributor to the school magazine. When he was 16, he started writing amusing short stories for the national Sunday newspaper (the Sunday Times). He attended the University of the Witwatersrand submitting various pieces to student’s literary competitions.
Upon graduating, he accepted a teaching position in the Groot Marico district. The area and the people inspired him and provided the background for his best stories; the ones about Oom Schalk Lourens and the Voorkamer sketches. (In Afrikaans, Oom is Uncle and a Voorkamer is literally the Front Room).
During the school holidays in 1926, he returned to visit his family in Johannesburg. During an argument, he fired a rifle at his stepbrother and killed him.
He was sentenced to death and moved to Death row at the Pretoria Central Prison. He was reprieved and sentenced to ten years with hard labour. In 1930, he was released on parole after serving half his sentence. His experiences formed the basis for one of his best known books, Cold Stone Jug.
He then started his own printing press company and was part of a literary set in Johannesburg, associating with poets, journalists and writers. Needing a break, he then toured overseas for nine years, spending most of his time in London. The short stories that he wrote during this period formed the basis for another of his best-known books, Mafeking Road.
At the start of the Second World War, he returned to South Africa and worked as a journalist. He found the time to translate the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam into Afrikaans.
He lamented the fact that Johannesburg never respected its heritage; writing in The Standard Theatre "They will pull down the Standard Theatre like they have pulled down all the old buildings, theatres, gin-palaces, dosshouses, temples, shops, arcades, cafes and joints that were intimately associated with the mining-camp days of Johannesburg. Because I know Johannesburg. And I am satisfied that there is no other city in the world that is so anxious to shake off the memories of its early origins."
He married Ella Manson, and the couple were renowned for their bohemian lifestyle and parties. His parties ended well after midnight with much witty conversation. After a housewarming party he was taken ill with severe chest pains and was taken to Edenvale Hospital. On admission he was asked, "Place of birth?" He replied, "Born Kuilsrivier - Died Edenvale Hospital." He was discharged and collapsed at home a few hours later. He died as he was being rushed to hospital. He is buried in Westpark Cemetery in Westdene.
Only three of his books were published during his lifetime; Mafeking Road published by Dassie, and Jacaranda in the Night and Cold Stone Jug published by APB.
His biography was written by Valerie Rosenberg and was called Sunflower to the sun ISBN 079811228X Human & Rousseau.
Because many of his stories were originally published in long-forgotten magazines and journals, there are a number of anthologies by different collators each containing a different selection. His original books have also been published many times by different publishers.
He was born at Kuilsrivier, near Cape Town. While still young, his family moved to Johannesburg where he went to school at Jeppe Boys High School in Kensington. He was a contributor to the school magazine. When he was 16, he started writing amusing short stories for the national Sunday newspaper (the Sunday Times). He attended the University of the Witwatersrand submitting various pieces to student’s literary competitions.
Upon graduating, he accepted a teaching position in the Groot Marico district. The area and the people inspired him and provided the background for his best stories; the ones about Oom Schalk Lourens and the Voorkamer sketches. (In Afrikaans, Oom is Uncle and a Voorkamer is literally the Front Room).
During the school holidays in 1926, he returned to visit his family in Johannesburg. During an argument, he fired a rifle at his stepbrother and killed him.
He was sentenced to death and moved to Death row at the Pretoria Central Prison. He was reprieved and sentenced to ten years with hard labour. In 1930, he was released on parole after serving half his sentence. His experiences formed the basis for one of his best known books, Cold Stone Jug.
He then started his own printing press company and was part of a literary set in Johannesburg, associating with poets, journalists and writers. Needing a break, he then toured overseas for nine years, spending most of his time in London. The short stories that he wrote during this period formed the basis for another of his best-known books, Mafeking Road.
At the start of the Second World War, he returned to South Africa and worked as a journalist. He found the time to translate the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam into Afrikaans.
He lamented the fact that Johannesburg never respected its heritage; writing in The Standard Theatre "They will pull down the Standard Theatre like they have pulled down all the old buildings, theatres, gin-palaces, dosshouses, temples, shops, arcades, cafes and joints that were intimately associated with the mining-camp days of Johannesburg. Because I know Johannesburg. And I am satisfied that there is no other city in the world that is so anxious to shake off the memories of its early origins."
He married Ella Manson, and the couple were renowned for their bohemian lifestyle and parties. His parties ended well after midnight with much witty conversation. After a housewarming party he was taken ill with severe chest pains and was taken to Edenvale Hospital. On admission he was asked, "Place of birth?" He replied, "Born Kuilsrivier - Died Edenvale Hospital." He was discharged and collapsed at home a few hours later. He died as he was being rushed to hospital. He is buried in Westpark Cemetery in Westdene.
Only three of his books were published during his lifetime; Mafeking Road published by Dassie, and Jacaranda in the Night and Cold Stone Jug published by APB.
His biography was written by Valerie Rosenberg and was called Sunflower to the sun ISBN 079811228X Human & Rousseau.
Because many of his stories were originally published in long-forgotten magazines and journals, there are a number of anthologies by different collators each containing a different selection. His original books have also been published many times by different publishers.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 4, 2013
From an early age Bosman started writing short stories for local newspapers. As a freshly graduated young man Bosman was appointed to a teaching post in the Groot Marico district of South Africa. A most fruitful year, for the place and the people enthralled him - they provided him with the background for his best-known works, the Oom Schalk Lourens and Voorkamer sketches.
On his return to Johannesburg for the June holidays, his visit ended in catastrophy in the house of his mother and stepfather when he fired a hunting rifle at his stepbrother and killed him. Bosman was sentenced to death, but later a reprieve was granted and at the age of 21 he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with hard labour. He relates his prison experience in "Cold Stone Jug"
Herein he paints a vivid picture of his life in jail during the 1920's and the hardships & realities inter-weaved with a bits of humour, irony and a glimpse into insanity. This novel is certainly worth reading!
On his return to Johannesburg for the June holidays, his visit ended in catastrophy in the house of his mother and stepfather when he fired a hunting rifle at his stepbrother and killed him. Bosman was sentenced to death, but later a reprieve was granted and at the age of 21 he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with hard labour. He relates his prison experience in "Cold Stone Jug"
Herein he paints a vivid picture of his life in jail during the 1920's and the hardships & realities inter-weaved with a bits of humour, irony and a glimpse into insanity. This novel is certainly worth reading!
October 18, 2013
I just loved Bosman's delivery in describing the events of prison life. His personality and humour come across in his writing, treating the quite heavy subject of prison in a way that is not at all as depressing as you might think. There are some beautifully poignant moments in the book and at one point he builds the tension and claustrophobia to a point which had me squirming. The stories borrowed/retold from other prisoners were a highlight. He has a way with conveying the personality of the speaker which is quite captivating. All up, this was a really enjoyable read and I'll be reading it again in the future I'm sure.
December 9, 2013
utterly delightful "dark" read...I enjoyed his grim sense of humor about death and everyday experiences in prison...he made a strong exploration of real human suffering without falling into some kind of predictable resolution...I want to gather a shelf for students beginning with this selection, Day in the Life of Ivan..., and Faulkner's "Old Man" just for starters...I'm sure there are other worthy studies of convicts...perhaps I should actually READ Shawshank Redemption...
July 28, 2011
The best prison memoir I've ever read - Bosman was imprisoned for murder and sentenced to death. I can't remember now why that was commuted... I'd really like to read this again.
June 29, 2017
Cold Stone Jug stands out in so many ways - its irony, its humor in the shadow of the gallows, its understated emotion, its feel for people and their language, its accessible style. It's a classic of prison writing. When I think of other writers who've tackled this genre like Henri Charriere, Breyten Breytenbach, Solzhenitsyn, Donald Woods etc., they're all memorable, but Cold Stone Jug can stand with the best of them.
February 25, 2019
Literal gallows humor
January 14, 2021
The story of the authors time in prison. You can picture the events he writes about.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews