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Groot Trek Tetralogie #1
Geknelde Land
Hoe gebeur dit dat ’n hele gevestigde gemeenskap sy tentpenne uitruk en die wildernis intrek? In Geknelde land gee FA Venter ’n diep-menslike antwoord op dié en ook op baie ander vrae oor die Groot Trek. Dit is die verhaal van die Dreyer-gesin van Grensplaas en vertel van die ontberings en terugslae wat dié boeregesin moes verduur voor hulle uiteindelik ook besluit om te trek.
328 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1960
About the author
F.A. Venter
20 books21 followersFrançois Alwyn Venter was born in Hopetown on 27 November 1916. He attended school at Vioolskraal, Strydenburg and Hopetown, and matriculated in 1934. He studied at Stellenbosch University and commenced a career as journalist in 1938, working in Cape Town, Pretoria, Windhoek and Johannesburg. In 1960 he began farming in the Kenhardt district, and ten years later started farming near Vredendal in the Olifants River Valley. In 1976 he retired to Strand, where he began to write full-time.
F.A. Venter was known for his historical novels, short stories and books for young adults. He received the Hertzog Prize for prose in 1961 for his novels Swart pelgrim and Geknelde land. Geknelde land formed part of his Great Trek tetralogy which appeared in the 1960s and also included Offerland, Gelofteland and Bedoelde land. His last book, Van Botterkraal na Altena, appeared in 1996 in celebration of his 80th birthday. It contained a selection from his four autobiographical works, one of which, Die keer toe ek my naam vergeet het, won him the Andrew Murray Prize in 1996. This book is about his recovery after suffering a stroke in 1990. F.A. Venter died on 8 July 1997 at the age of 80.
F.A. Venter was known for his historical novels, short stories and books for young adults. He received the Hertzog Prize for prose in 1961 for his novels Swart pelgrim and Geknelde land. Geknelde land formed part of his Great Trek tetralogy which appeared in the 1960s and also included Offerland, Gelofteland and Bedoelde land. His last book, Van Botterkraal na Altena, appeared in 1996 in celebration of his 80th birthday. It contained a selection from his four autobiographical works, one of which, Die keer toe ek my naam vergeet het, won him the Andrew Murray Prize in 1996. This book is about his recovery after suffering a stroke in 1990. F.A. Venter died on 8 July 1997 at the age of 80.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 14, 2013
'n Mens lees die boek met ander oë na soveel jare. Het dit baie geniet.
July 7, 2017
Wow! Nothing like getting a different perspective every now and then.
February 12, 2026
As this is an Afrikaans novel, my review will be in Afrikaans. An English translation follows below this review.
"Geknelde Land" is die eerste in Venter se Land-tetralogie. 'n Maklike boek is dit nie, daarvoor deel ons te veel van Rudolf Dreyer en sy familie se leedwese, lyding, en beproewinge aan die Oosgrens gedurende 1830s. Geknyptang tussen die vyandiggesinde Swartes en hul herhaalde strooptogte om die grensboere se vee te steel en plase te vernietig aan die een kant, en 'n Britse en koloniale regering wat die boere, beide Boer en Brit, aan die grens minag, vind al hoe meer van hulle dat trek noordwaarts die enigste uitweg is.
Dreyer se sielewroeging, en die geleidelike verandering in sy houding jeens die grenssituasie word heeltemal geloofwaardig uitgebeeld.
Ek het die Land tetralogie as tiener vir die eerste keer gelees, en die herlees nou het maar net weer beklemtoon hoe goed FA Venter as skrywer was. Geen wonder dat hy die Hertzogprys toegeken is nie.
Moderne lesers moet in ag neem dat dié boek vir die eerste keer in 1960 gepubliseer is, want die gebruik van sekere woorde mag dalk vandag aanstoot gee. Feit is, egter, dat dit is hoe mense in Dreyer se tyd gepraat het.
Daar is geen twyfel dat hierdie, en die drie boeke wat hierop volg, feitlik verpligte leesstof behoort te wees vir enigiemand wat die redes vir, en verloop van, die Groot Trek wil verstaan.
*****
"Geknelde Land" ("Afflicted Land") is the first book in Venter's Land tetralogy. It is not an easy book to read because we are exposed to the suffering, the trials, and the sorrows of Rudolf Dreyer and his family on the eastern border of the Cape Colony in 1830d. Finding themselves, like the other border farmers, caught between the hostile Blacks stealing their livestock and destroying their farms during repeated raids on the one side, and unsympathetic British and colonial governments who despise them, both Boer and British farmers, on the other hand, more and more border farmers feel the need to trek north.
Venter portrays Dreyer's inner conflict and his gradual change of heart regarding the situation on the border very credibly.
I first read this series when I was a teenager, and rereading Geknelde Land now, I am even more convinced by the quality of Venter's writing. No wonder he was awarded the Hertzog Prize, South Africa's top award for Afrikaans literature.
The modern reader must keep in mind that this book was first published in 1960, because some language might offend some. Fact of the matter, though, is that this was how people spoke in Dreyer's time.
There could be no doubt that this novel, and the three following it, should be almost compulsory reading for anyone who wishes to understand the reasons for and course of the Great Trek.
"Geknelde Land" is die eerste in Venter se Land-tetralogie. 'n Maklike boek is dit nie, daarvoor deel ons te veel van Rudolf Dreyer en sy familie se leedwese, lyding, en beproewinge aan die Oosgrens gedurende 1830s. Geknyptang tussen die vyandiggesinde Swartes en hul herhaalde strooptogte om die grensboere se vee te steel en plase te vernietig aan die een kant, en 'n Britse en koloniale regering wat die boere, beide Boer en Brit, aan die grens minag, vind al hoe meer van hulle dat trek noordwaarts die enigste uitweg is.
Dreyer se sielewroeging, en die geleidelike verandering in sy houding jeens die grenssituasie word heeltemal geloofwaardig uitgebeeld.
Ek het die Land tetralogie as tiener vir die eerste keer gelees, en die herlees nou het maar net weer beklemtoon hoe goed FA Venter as skrywer was. Geen wonder dat hy die Hertzogprys toegeken is nie.
Moderne lesers moet in ag neem dat dié boek vir die eerste keer in 1960 gepubliseer is, want die gebruik van sekere woorde mag dalk vandag aanstoot gee. Feit is, egter, dat dit is hoe mense in Dreyer se tyd gepraat het.
Daar is geen twyfel dat hierdie, en die drie boeke wat hierop volg, feitlik verpligte leesstof behoort te wees vir enigiemand wat die redes vir, en verloop van, die Groot Trek wil verstaan.
*****
"Geknelde Land" ("Afflicted Land") is the first book in Venter's Land tetralogy. It is not an easy book to read because we are exposed to the suffering, the trials, and the sorrows of Rudolf Dreyer and his family on the eastern border of the Cape Colony in 1830d. Finding themselves, like the other border farmers, caught between the hostile Blacks stealing their livestock and destroying their farms during repeated raids on the one side, and unsympathetic British and colonial governments who despise them, both Boer and British farmers, on the other hand, more and more border farmers feel the need to trek north.
Venter portrays Dreyer's inner conflict and his gradual change of heart regarding the situation on the border very credibly.
I first read this series when I was a teenager, and rereading Geknelde Land now, I am even more convinced by the quality of Venter's writing. No wonder he was awarded the Hertzog Prize, South Africa's top award for Afrikaans literature.
The modern reader must keep in mind that this book was first published in 1960, because some language might offend some. Fact of the matter, though, is that this was how people spoke in Dreyer's time.
There could be no doubt that this novel, and the three following it, should be almost compulsory reading for anyone who wishes to understand the reasons for and course of the Great Trek.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews