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Other Lives
In just one morning, he forgot who he was...
Three provocative and interconnected stories from one of the world's greatest living writers:
A white painter in Africa comes to his studio in the afternoon. On his doorstep, he sees a woman with curly hair and a dark complexion. He has never seen her before, but she embraces him. As he steps past her, two strange children rush to his feet yelling "Daddy!" This family welcomes him home, but he knows none of them.
On the other side of Cape Town, a white man pulls himself out of bed and toward his mirror, where he is confronted by his suddenly black face.
A concert pianist falls passionately in love with the celebrated singer he works beside, but cannot bring himself to touch her, until one night they sit down to eat dinner, and look up to see themselves surrounded by armed men.
Three provocative and interconnected stories from one of the world's greatest living writers:
A white painter in Africa comes to his studio in the afternoon. On his doorstep, he sees a woman with curly hair and a dark complexion. He has never seen her before, but she embraces him. As he steps past her, two strange children rush to his feet yelling "Daddy!" This family welcomes him home, but he knows none of them.
On the other side of Cape Town, a white man pulls himself out of bed and toward his mirror, where he is confronted by his suddenly black face.
A concert pianist falls passionately in love with the celebrated singer he works beside, but cannot bring himself to touch her, until one night they sit down to eat dinner, and look up to see themselves surrounded by armed men.
- GenresFiction
316 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
2 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
André Brink
116 books259 followersAndré Philippus Brink was a South African novelist. He wrote in Afrikaans and English and was until his retirement a Professor of English Literature at the University of Cape Town.
In the 1960s, he and Breyten Breytenbach were key figures in the Afrikaans literary movement known as Die Sestigers ("The Sixty-ers"). These writers sought to use Afrikaans as a language to speak against the apartheid government, and also to bring into Afrikaans literature the influence of contemporary English and French trends. His novel Kennis van die aand (1973) was the first Afrikaans book to be banned by the South African government.
Brink's early novels were often concerned with the apartheid policy. His final works engaged new issues raised by life in postapartheid South Africa.
In the 1960s, he and Breyten Breytenbach were key figures in the Afrikaans literary movement known as Die Sestigers ("The Sixty-ers"). These writers sought to use Afrikaans as a language to speak against the apartheid government, and also to bring into Afrikaans literature the influence of contemporary English and French trends. His novel Kennis van die aand (1973) was the first Afrikaans book to be banned by the South African government.
Brink's early novels were often concerned with the apartheid policy. His final works engaged new issues raised by life in postapartheid South Africa.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 2, 2009
How I wanted to like this book. I really was hoping for an insightful, interesting, and dare I say, difficult tale. None of that is true. Every one of the three men the story revolves around has the same voice, none of the characters are likable, and there is no insight to the New South Africa. Also, just when you think you're getting to some insightful social situation, you're left empty and you're really going to be lost if you're reading this as an outsider. I was hoping to get a feel for who these people were and how their lives were unique, but through most of the reading you're expected to understand the culture already.
I'd like to add that the sex is vulgar and random, and the relationships shallow. Was the author trying to write out some fantasy? Ugh!
I'd like to add that the sex is vulgar and random, and the relationships shallow. Was the author trying to write out some fantasy? Ugh!
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July 27, 2012Fascinating!
July 11, 2018
Ander Lewens deur André P Brink sit al 'n lang ruk op my boekrak, en ek is bly dat ek nou finaal klaargekry het met hierdie roman. Ons volg die deurmekaargevlegte lewens van drie mans – David, 'n skilder; Steve, 'n argitek; en Derek, 'n pianis. Van die begin af speel Brink met lesers se sintuie, met kleur, die materiaal, asook musiek en kos.
'n Ander tema wat deur die drie stories geweef word is die van vreemdheid, wanneer aspekte van hulle wêreld onbekend word. Elke man definieer vir homself in sy interaksie met sy omgewing, in sy verhoudings met familie en minnaars.
Die drie verhale oorvleuel vir mekaar, en lesers kan sien hoe elke karakter se wêreldbeskouing 'n ander kleur en geur tot die storie oorgee. Partykeer voel ek asof die karakters 'n bietjie te sentimenteel en self-geabsorbeer is, en dinge het dikwels vir my ongemaklik laat voel. Wat 'n goeie ding is, ek dink!
Mense sal seker 'n bietjie ontstoke wees as ek sê hierdie is eintlik maar 'n fantasie-roman (miskien spekulatiewe fiksie) – want daar is elemente van fantasie en tot op 'n mate gruwel. Met alles in ag geneem, het ek Ander Lewens nogal geniet – en dit is deel van my persoonlike uitdaging om meer Afrikaans te lees. En om meer in my moedertaal te skrywe (verskoon tog maar dat my woordeskat so lomp is).
'n Ander tema wat deur die drie stories geweef word is die van vreemdheid, wanneer aspekte van hulle wêreld onbekend word. Elke man definieer vir homself in sy interaksie met sy omgewing, in sy verhoudings met familie en minnaars.
Die drie verhale oorvleuel vir mekaar, en lesers kan sien hoe elke karakter se wêreldbeskouing 'n ander kleur en geur tot die storie oorgee. Partykeer voel ek asof die karakters 'n bietjie te sentimenteel en self-geabsorbeer is, en dinge het dikwels vir my ongemaklik laat voel. Wat 'n goeie ding is, ek dink!
Mense sal seker 'n bietjie ontstoke wees as ek sê hierdie is eintlik maar 'n fantasie-roman (miskien spekulatiewe fiksie) – want daar is elemente van fantasie en tot op 'n mate gruwel. Met alles in ag geneem, het ek Ander Lewens nogal geniet – en dit is deel van my persoonlike uitdaging om meer Afrikaans te lees. En om meer in my moedertaal te skrywe (verskoon tog maar dat my woordeskat so lomp is).
September 27, 2018
I've read the first story, and don't have the urge to move on. Simply, it isn't interesting.
Plot and style remind me of Murakami.
Plot and style remind me of Murakami.
October 14, 2010
I think Andre Brink has written some brilliant books, but this was not one of them. I found the writing quite trite in places (almost embarrassingly so) and the content fails dismally to reflect the cultural complexity of the new South Africa. In one of the three stories, a white man looks in the mirror one day to discover he is now black and has to come to terms with his altered appearance. This focus on physical differences reduces the angst of the white man trying to find his place in contemporary South Africa to the stark polarities that marked the apartheid era.
Likewise the situation in which a white man wakes up married to a "coloured" woman with whom he has two children seemed to have very little point. Brink didn't allow the narrative to take the situation anywhere so the reader was left thinking "so what?"
The sex scenes also seemed an over-indulgence and I couldn't help feeling that they were inserted for the author's own salacious delight rather than as an integral part of the plot.
I hope Andre Brink produces another brilliant book fairly soon and doesn't end his writing career on this bad note.
Likewise the situation in which a white man wakes up married to a "coloured" woman with whom he has two children seemed to have very little point. Brink didn't allow the narrative to take the situation anywhere so the reader was left thinking "so what?"
The sex scenes also seemed an over-indulgence and I couldn't help feeling that they were inserted for the author's own salacious delight rather than as an integral part of the plot.
I hope Andre Brink produces another brilliant book fairly soon and doesn't end his writing career on this bad note.
May 16, 2017
Dis vir my asof die boeke wat Andre P Brink na 1994 en die opheffing van sensuur doelbewus pervers is; ek wonder soms of hy gewoond geraak het daaraan om lesers te skok en hy dit toe deur middel van obseniteit, onnodige seks- en naaktonele en oorbodige vloekery probeer doen het.
Ander Lewens is nie heeltemal so pervers soos sy ander boeke nie, maar dit is maar middelmatig. Iemand met hierdie skrywer se talent moet sy onderwerp met meer diepte kan benader.
Ander Lewens is nie heeltemal so pervers soos sy ander boeke nie, maar dit is maar middelmatig. Iemand met hierdie skrywer se talent moet sy onderwerp met meer diepte kan benader.
August 4, 2010
Horrendously self-indulgent book!
December 5, 2015
Perfectie. Na elk verhaal moest ik met een verdwaasde glimlach mijn geest 5 minuten rust gunnen. Wat een verhalen en wat een plotwendingen! Brink weet me telkens met verstomming te slaan.
December 24, 2019
ik vond het een lastige. Heerlijk geschreven, maar ik geloof het niet helemaal? Misschien is de beste samenvatting 'is dit wat witte mensen denken dat zwarte mensen (mannen!) echt zijn?'. De hoofdpersoon was altijd al een zak hooi, maar op de een of andere manier wordt het alleen maar erger wanneer hij zwart wakker wordt op een dag. Die dag geeft hij (meer) toe aan zijn impulsen, lijkt het wel, op een manier die hij als witte man niet deed. Ik weet niet helemaal zeker of de auteur denkt dat het zo werkt, of dat hij hiermee een soort - sorry - spiegel aan ons voorhoudt.
February 19, 2019
Bepaald niet Brinks beste boek, mij te veel obligate seks en stilistisch rammelt het hier en daar. Maar toch ook een interessant experiment: wat gebeurt er met een witte man als hij op een dag in de spiegel kijkt en zwart blijkt te zijn? Zien mensen het wel, negeren ze het, reageren ze uitsluitend met gedrag? In de context van het nieuwe Zuid-Afrika levert dit boeiende inzichten op.
February 3, 2021
Wow what a book! Very reminiscent of Haruki Murakami's magic realism, but with a South African flavour. The book confronts you with questions such as: how much of your identity is linked to your background and the choices you made? What would you do if you suddenly have no proof that even your most vivid memories ever happened?
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews