Room 207

by Kgebetli Moele

Kgebetli Moele's raw, beautiful prose exposes a world in which humor and despair exist in equal measures, a world where the need to succeed, to strike it rich, brings out the best and the worst of human nature. Room 207 takes the reader to a Jo'burg that is the very heart of South Africa, to a room in which six young men struggle to make their dreams come true in the 'dream city'. Set in a block of dilapidated apartments in Hillbrow, an inner-city neighborhood in Johannesburg, this novel tells the story of six young men who will do anything - including hustling and conning anyone they can - to survive. Painting an engrossing portrait of the friends, it shows the hopelessness and despair of a group stuck in their position in life, having to compromise themselves to make a living and reach for their dreams.

Genres: South Africa, Africa

238 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Orsodimondo · Rating 4 out of 5]

NON C’È BISOGNO DI CAPIRE TUTTO



Hillbrow è un quartiere di Johannesburg con una storia particolare. Ma per quanto la sua storia possa essere affascinante, il risultato è che nel Sudafrica post-apartheid è diventato una parte della città che fa a gara con Soweto per il più alto tasso di criminalità e violenza. È soprannominata la “città dei sogni”, espressione che ricorre più volte in queste pagine, probabilmente perché giunti qui non resta che affidarsi al sogno: di fronte a una realtà degradata e annichilente come quella di questa parte della città, non resta che consegnarsi ai sogni. Sogni che rimangono confinati nel mondo dei sogni, dove si sono rifugiati per sempre.



In un costante dialogo col lettore – scelta stilistica che di solito trovo sfiancante, mentre qui invece è un punto di forza, un elemento inebriante – Kgebetli Moele racconta un gruppo di sei giovani amici che condividono una stanza in uno stabile che ha conosciuto tempi migliori. La stanza indicata nel titolo, la 207.
Chiaro che lo spazio a disposizione è minimo per ciascuno: e non serve meravigliarsi se si legge che due condividono il letto grande e un altro dorme per terra. Hanno un bagno “privato” ed è già un mini lusso.
I sei condividono ristrettezza di mezzi, propensione alla sbronza alcolica (birra), attrazione per l’altro sesso, studi universitari in corso o abbandonati. E soprattutto sembrano tutti provvisti di un’incredibile capacità – o forse sarebbe meglio definirla forza – di vivere la vita attimo per attimo, nel senso più letterale. Con un’intensità che spacca. E anche una capacità di accettazione, di mettere in rilievo il meglio, che stupisce. E colpisce. Ma c’è un altro elemento che unisce gli amici



Un altro elemento che unisce gli amici, che li accomuna, direi che possa essere indicato: l’arte in genere, ma soprattutto la musica e il cinema:
Lavorò per un altro mese e poi si licenziò con effetto immediato dicendo loro che non c’era margine di trattativa. Trattarono comunque, ma aveva deciso.
C’era musica nella sua testa e lui voleva che venisse fuori.
I sei condividono pulsioni, passioni, sogni, progetti. Donne, nel senso più letterale del termine, anche se sempre una/uno alla volta, niente partouze o ammucchiate. Le donne sono presenza costante, intensa e vibrante. C’è molto amore in queste pagine, molto sesso, qualche aborto, chiacchiere sui preservativi (che il governo della nazione arcobaleno metteva a disposizione gratuitamente), AIDS (morte inclusa).
C’è breve ma forte e aspra e inattesa critica a Mandela, per noi occidentali una leggenda.



Il racconto abbraccia almeno una decina d’anni, forse più. E porta i sei protagonisti dalle soglie dei vent’anni a scavallare i trenta. Li prende giovani e single, li lascia maturi e in alcuni casi mariti e padri.
Un punto di vista insolito, per nulla convenzionale, una storia – se tale si può definire – e una scelta stilistica fuori dall’ordinario. Bello. Prezioso.
Zulu-boy amava la ragazza swazi in modi che non capivo, ma le nostre vite sono così: non c’è bisogno di capire tutto.

[Lauren Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this some time ago, but I have no desire to reread it. It tells the story of six black South African men living in a dingy little flat in Hillbrow, a particularly dodgy suburb in Johannesburg. They all have their aspirations but their poverty, the city, and they themselves are killing their dreams. Moele’s writing and storytelling ability is great - gritty and evocative, immersing you in an intense existence characterised by crime and poverty.

Unfortunately the novel has quite a few flaws, the cumulative effect of which is that you feel little empathy or even pity for the characters. Four of them have similar sounding names starting with ‘M’ and, especially for a reader unfamiliar with African names, this causes them to merge into a confusing, amorphous entity. The only character whose name I remember is ‘Zulu-Boy’. The five roommates are all slaves to ‘Isando’ (the home of SA breweries) and consequently squander most of what little money they have on beer, coming across as drunks whose habit will leave them trapped in Hillbrow and help destroy their aspirations.

What I dislike most about the book though, is its blatant, unquestioned misogyny. Womanising is glorified, and in one (unfortunately) memorable scene in a club, one of the characters tempts a woman away from her boyfriend and has sex with her in the club. Afterwards, he waves the used condom in front of one of his roommates, saying it has her true smell on it. On another occasion, the characters are laughing at an anecdote about a man who chastises his girlfriend by lightly *stabbing* her in the backside. They seem to think is story is hilarious, but I was just appalled. If I’m missing some cultural joke here I doubt I’d find it funny even if it was explained. The few women in the novel are poorly sketched and exist largely as sex objects for the main characters.

The ending was rushed, if I remember correctly – the narrative leaps ahead several years, to see how the characters’ lives have turned out. There’s nothing triumphant about it, but again I didn’t feel sorry for the characters except for a general pity for the hard lives of black South Africans, which turns men into brutal beings we struggle to pity. The novel does an excellent job of portraying this, but more thought should have gone into structuring its characters, particularly the women.

Read more reviews on my blog Violin in a Void

[Philen Naidu · Rating 4 out of 5]

a gritty and raw insight into life in Johannesburg city. The writer takes the reader down the rabbit hole and gives us a glimpse into the diversity and grim reality of what each individual faces, as they try to sustain themselves in 'dream city'.
Read with preconceived ideas, this book could offend. Read with an open mind, this book will educate.

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was eager to read this book by contemporary South African writer, Kgbetli Moele. The depiction of the characters' flaws, frustrations and sense of alienation in their skins was well done.

However, this didn't mitigate their boundless sense of self-absorption and self-pity. Also, they blame the women with whom they have sex for having abortions, appearing to believe that they (the characters) are entitled to have children when they do little or nothing in the way of child-support, or any other kind of support. The overt sexism may be true for the culture but it's presented in such a way that makes it difficult to read. Another reviewer has made a similar comment and I agree.

Additionally, the novel has structural and writing flaws that should have been addressed by an editor. This made the book episodic at best and disjointed at worst.

[Cordula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enter Room 207 and let the narrator introduce you to the young men sharing this dilapidated abode as they struggle to make ends meet in Johannesburg, a city that cares not whether you live or die in the streets. Each of the characters in this book is fighting for survival, unable to stay in school because they cannot make tuition payments, struggling to find work, hustling, wasting what money they earn on alcohol, sleeping around and dreaming of a better future, of leaving Hillbrow, an urban slum. These young men are violent, they lie and cheat, they are misogynistic but they each have their own heartbreak and tale of woe, another "sad black story", as the narrator says. The writing is fast-paced, compelling and utterly contemporary. A story told from the inside that outsiders will never be able to truly comprehend.

[Adomaa Adusei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Room 207 - follows the lives of 6 men who share a single flat in hillbrow. They all move to the dream city in pursuit of their dreams but they quickly learn, dreams die as quick as they are made.
Told from the POV of a character whose name we come across once. Kgbetli, writes with amazing fluidity
writing is vivid and he tackles heavy themes lightly disguised in humor.
Please do not go into this book with a bias, you’ll be offended but there’s a lot to learn about post apartheid South.
Trigger Warning: Rape, misogyny, profanity and Abortion.

[Lauren Maresca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is a blunt look into the life of the protagonist, who is only named once, and the life of his roommates. Moele frequently discussed Johannesburg as dream city but seems to show in his protagonist's experience, that Joburg is where dreams go to die. I was struck by the casual tone of the narrator and the way that he speaks directly to the reader, showing the reader around his room and the city.

[Zookey . · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book!...the rent or no rent pay scene and what the boys did on arrival in Jozi, is the type of scene that heroes are made off. Down town nasty living turns dreamers into heroes. Did I say I loved this book? I really did. It made me laugh.

[Nicole Rimensberger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Certainly a very gritty read. I know I shouldn't have let it get in the way of the narrative, but I really struggled to get over the sexism in this book. Seriously, it really stumped me and prevented me from liking any of these characters.

[GX Goodwill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I laughed a lot maybe reading this book because i could relate to some struggle..

**slang there and there** .

Sad ending but what a journey in the gold city Johannesburg.

This book can be offensive and dont expect to like the characters, just flow with it.

[Makhosi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved...loved....loved this book. From the first page until the last I devoured it like a hungry bunny! This was a vivid and raw look at life in Hillbrow that allowed us to see, feel, and almost yearn for the successful coming true of each and every one of the characters goals. It had an underlying humour that made an otherwise depressing situation tolerable. The ending too was great albeit I wished a different outcome for the narrator but somehow I feel that he did alright in the end. These characters are relatable coz am sure we all know of someone who has gone out to the big city to look for fortune. I love this writer and I hope that I will read more of his works [ please say he has more books out there]

[Monene Moila · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Room 207” is a beautiful and authentic story that provides a profound look into the lives of Black men in South Africa.

The narrative is deeply rooted in the complexities of identity, masculinity, and societal expectations within the South African context. I loved how the book captures both the personal and collective struggles of the characters, presenting their humanity with honesty and vulnerability.

The storytelling is rich and engaging, offering a perspective that resonates deeply with the realities of Black men in South Africa while showcasing their strength, resilience, and dreams.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the gritty tale of a group of men sharing a flat in inner city Joburg. It's told with straight forward realism, and unlike Moele's other books did not have quite the gripping flourishes that completely hook you in. Nevertheless, it's a glimpse of life - and well told as slices of life go.

[Pitso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horrifying but yet captivating

I could not help but keep wondering if I knew these guys. It's real, it's raw, it's hard to absorb, gritty and strangely beautiful. Kgebetli dug deep, and it's scary!

[Kristel]

A la découverte d'une bande de jeunes adultes noirs dans un des quartiers les plus pauvres de Johannesburg.

[Coin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book I finished in a day because the characters reminded me of people I have met and know in Johannesburg.

[Tanja (Litteraturhesten)]

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