Flamingo Feather: A Story of Africa

by Laurens van der Post

Definitely a collectors item.

Genres: Africa, Fiction, Historical Fiction, South Africa, Travel, Literature

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1955

About the author

Sir Laurens Jan van der Post was a 20th Century South African Afrikaner author of many books, farmer, war hero, political adviser to British heads of government, close friend of Prince Charles, godfather of Prince William, educator, journalist, humanitarian, philosopher, explorer, and conservationist.

Reviews

[Robin Winter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The original publication date is 1955, but what the reader may perceive is a sensitivity to the original inhabitants of the land that for Laurens Van Der Post's time of writing, was truly unusual. I am fond of this old-fashioned book for its profound nostalgia echoing mine, about growing up in Africa. Rich in sentiment, this novel takes place in South Africa, using the framework of history to spin a personal and powerful tale veering into historical fantasy. Van Der Post gives the audience the flavor of the immense and varied country, its diverse tribes and tensions, enriching a suspenseful plot of politics and warfare. It's dated, the language archaic, the sensibilities also, especially concerning female characters, but appropriately so for Africa then. This is a past he knows, a social context with weight. This is one of the all too few works of fiction about Africa that evokes the splendid aweful presence and spirit of the country.

[Sergio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lo scrittore che mi ha tanto emozionato con "Una Storia come il Vento" e "Oltre l'Orizzonte", stavolta mi ha proprio deluso con una storiella basata su un intrigo internazionale ad andamento lento e a tratti noiosa. Van der Post è uno scrittore impareggiabile quando si tratta di descrivere gli splendidi paesaggi africani e di raccontare avventure di inseguimenti e e fughe nella boscaglia incontaminata del continente nero, negli spazi desertici dell'Africa equatoriale e la vita nelle aziende agricole dove bianchi e neri lavorano per un interesse e un obiettivo comune ma stavolta la mia lettura è stata lenta e poco interessata, aspettando capitolo dopo capitolo che il racconto spiccasse il volo, che mi coinvolgesse sempre di più, che mi emozionasse, ma ciò non è accaduto. Peccato!

[Genevieve · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's more of a 3.5 star read for me.

[Bert van der Vaart · Rating 4 out of 5]

A page turning thriller set in post WWII South Africa, this book is redolent of a deep love for Africa and its various different nations, even as v/d Post (in this 1955 novel) shows the limited understanding of the bureaucratic British and the close-minded prejudice of the Afrikaners. The novel describes how a native South African from Boer and French stock (Pierre de Beauvilliers), returning after WWII having fought in Burma and captured by the Japanese--returns to his family's house near the Cape, only to become involved in a tense mystery involving a Soviet backed effort to mobilize the numerically numerous (but fictitious) Takwena tribe to take on the divided British/Afrikaner dominated South Africa. Reminiscent of John Buchan, van der Post describes the awesome and beautiful countryside as a backdrop to Pierre's grueling investigation and ultimate foiling of the plot. V/d Post shows how few people are interested in understanding the native African people, in preference either to not disturbing their own prejudices (the Afrikaners) or their own bureaucratic careers (the British), as well as the complexities of rivalry and ambition within the Takwena tribe--exploited by the Russians-- and the efforts to settle scores by German descendants in South Africa who were interned in South Africa during WWII. Plenty of hurt to go around--the question is, what is the right thing to do. Still a very relevant and above all beautiful book, given its themes, despite the passing of the Soviets, Afrikaner dominance, and English empire.

[Pierre Dil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the most beautiful descriptions anywhere of the African bush, animals, and people.

A bit difficult to wrap your mind around the idea of a lone white person, with a few porters, saving the subcontinent from Russian invasion, but clearly this expresses a fear prevalent at the time?

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vintage Van Der Post. Have read it more than once.

[Mariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad to re-read Laurens van der Post. His books are a real treat as he combines adventures with caring about people.

[yexxo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Im Südafrika des Jahres 1948 geht Merkwürdiges vor sich. Vor dem Haus des weißen Siedlers Pierre de Beauvilliers wird ein Fürst vom Stamme der Takwena ermordet. Da de Beauvilliers diesen Menschen sehr nahe steht, macht er sich auf die Suche nach dem Mörder. Dabei stößt er auf mysteriöse Frachtschiffe, die offensichtlich etwas zu verbergen haben und muss bald um sein Leben fürchten.
Van der Post weiß, wovon er schreibt, denn mit seiner Hauptfigur teilt er nicht nur die gleichen Überzeugungen, sondern wie diese ist er ebenso in Afrika aufgewachsen. Seine Liebe zu diesem Kontinent ist auf jeder Seite deutlich spürbar. Auch wenn seine Sprache altertümlich klingen mag - lässt man sich darauf ein, stehen einem anhand der eindringlichen Beschreibungen die Landschaften und Menschen Afrikas deutlich vor Augen. " So sonderbare Blumen habe ich sonst im Leben nie gesehen... Manche sahen aus wie in tiefen Gewässern eingeschlafene Kraken, andere wie die aufgerissenen, samtenen Mäuler von Puffottern, die ihr Gift in gespenstische Schalen tröpfeln. Wieder andere hatten die Gestalt goldener Sandalen - wie Diana sie in der Morgendämmerung mit rosigen Fingern vor ihrem Lager aufheben mochte."
Die Grundstruktur der Geschichte mag sehr schwarz-weiß gezeichnet erscheinen, doch van der Post zeigt auch deutlich, wie leicht die Verführung durch eine schiere Masse von Gleichgesinnten erfolgen kann, sofern es nur jemanden gibt, der die Richtung aufzeigt.
Mehr als 60 Jahre alt ist dieses Buch bereits, doch hat man sich an den Sprachstil erst gewöhnt, liest es sich ebenso spannend wie ein moderner Abenteuerroman. Und viele der Kritikpunkte, die der Autor in diesem Buch angesprochen hat, gelten heute noch genau so wie damals. Ein zeitloser Klassiker!

[Connor FitzGerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another expansive novel from the brilliant van der Post. You know what you’re gonna get, and van der Post delivers it in spades. A difficult book to put down.

[Franziska Self Fisken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating account of travel in Africa mid 20c and detailed and sympathetic description of an African people who presumably have largely lost their identity if they still exist. Also interesting to see how attitudes to wild animals, gender, race and personal safety have changed 80 years later.
However, I found this book not so easy to read!