The Book of the Dead

by Kgebetli Moele

Khutso grows up poor in Masakeng. He studies hard, despite many distractions, and goes to the University of the North where he meets Pretty. Although she is scarred by her past relationships with men, the two fall in love and get married. Soon after, their son, Thapelo, is born. But there is no happily ever after here.

Even with her successful career, surrounded by beautiful things in her big house, Pretty is lonely. Their son seems to favour his father and Thapelo and Khutso seem to have their own secret club that she is not a part of. So Pretty has an affair. She contracts HIV and, filled with grief and despair, she commits suicide, leaving her husband infected with the disease...

Genres: Fiction, Africa, South Africa, Gender, Disability, African Literature, Read For School

166 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2010

Reviews

[Sipho Lukhele]

Well, were do I even start? This book is less than 200 pages and is divided into two sections; book of the living, as well as the title, book of the dead. I found the plot twist amazing and Mr. Moele's story telling gift just phenomenal. Definitely vast improvement, as far as quality is concerned, from his debut book.

Khutso is the main protagonist and like many people his generation, he did not have a smooth upbringing. He escaped porvety through education and did very well for himself, that is up until he learned something terrible after the death of his wife. That is as far as the first book, the book of the living, goes.

Then we are introduced to a demonised Khutso, whose conscience has been outsourced to the "living" virus. I am emphasing the word living as the virus is potrayed as a metaphor, in a form of a human. This is a concept that was used in a TV drama a few years ago called Intersexions. Wether or not Mr. Moele was acknowledged as the person behind the idea is something I am not sure of but I really doubt. I know I am digressing, but I think he was plagiarised.

After all is said and done; I highly recommend this book, which I have known about for a very long time, took time not only to get a copy but delayed reading after getting one. It was worth all the wait and I am looking forward to reading Kgebetli's other book, Untitled.

[Anita]

a book you just want to keep reading, shocking but different! I was a little disappointed with the ending but I am looking forward to reading the author's previous book 'Room 207'

[Natalie Rae Denton]

Wow! Reality that hits you hard in the face! A must read!

[Nkcubeko]

The Book of the Dead feels simpler than Room 27, but the story is told in a lyrically-enchanting and experimental format. Moele is a storyteller of highest order, and in tackling South Africa's HIV epidemic he fails to come short as a writer worthy. It is interesting that regardless of what he writes on, culture and cultural disjuncture flow through his pen and onto his page, creating a big mess that throws the reader into an internal dystopia. Truly a writer of the most precious kind.

[Lara Crafford]

2.5

[Kinosfronimos]

Heavy as f*ck

[Andrea D. McCarthage]

Note: This novel contains repeated graphic depictions of sexual assault

[erin detlefsen]

ENGL: 2560

[Mimi]

whoever said Russians write the most depressing literature hasn't read South African literature

[Nkolele Mkhondo]

The book of the dead by Kgebetli Moele

Covers the life of Khutso, a black boy raised in poverty, and he lived his whole life trying to be better and do better so when given a chance to marry the prettiest girl in University he did so without batting his eyelids. His was a somewhat perfect life, a good job, a good marriage, and a supportive mother and as if that is not enough, he was blessed with a son. His good life takes a turn when his wife commits suicide when she finds out that she is HIV positive. Out of anger, he decides to sleep with any woman who dares to look at him just to spread the virus and write their names on the Book of the Dead.

The Book of the Dead is a very painful book to get into because it is a real reflection on life in our societies. The relationship dynamics of how men are portrayed in this book, how women find themselves with this virus in their body simply because they trusted a smooth talker, how being disloyal can affect many people not just you, your partner and your sidepiece but also your sidepiece’s sidepiece and probably even your partner’s sidepiece and then it becomes an endless circle.

I gave this book a five out of five because it was out of this world, I cried, howled and screamed while reading this book. It’s very short, eye-opening and perfectly written. It’s the kind of book that I can talk about all day and one of my best reads this year.

[Bren]

This book is dazzling, and disturbing. Halfway through, after the main character finds out he is HIV positive, the disease begins to speak, and takes over both the narrative and the psyche of the infected man; together they add as many people to the disease's "legions" as they can. The voice of AIDS is that of a sinister, mocking serial killer. It says to one of its victims:

"Thabiso. I am in your blood and your heart pumps the death that I am to every corner. I have taken a bite of you and I will slowly take another one. You are my Cape apple, and I am going to eat you down to the core before I chuck you away. My advice: blame it on your husband. Chances are he was cheating on you anyway. What are you thinking? I know, you are thinking about a miracle. You think that I will go away if you believe in the Almighty and go to church every Sunday, if you pray every second. But you are wrong. It is all useless. It is all futile."

The novel is leanly, beautifully written, and I read it in one go. I think it's meant to scare its readers into using condoms with absolutely no exceptions; fair enough. But its cynical implications about human relationships, that sex is fatal and that no-one can be trusted, leave me uneasy. I think we might be meant to despise the misogyny of aids-personified, whose attitude to women is quite different from the narrative voice of the first half of the book (the woman who infects the main character and her checkered sexual history are treated with sympathy in that section), but the disease's voice is more compelling, and its claim that all women are foolish, vain, and slutty enough to be manipulated into bed turns out to be true. So at the end of the day, I'm not sure how I feel about this book.

[Tony Vrnjas]

Simple and engaging writing about a horrific subject. The reality of AIDS is coupled with revenge leading to a horrofic sequence of events.

[Jason]

Reviewed the book for Flavorpill

[Luis Rolando Durán Vargas]

Una novela impactante, de gran ritmo. Una realidad, que si bien es mundial, en África tiene magnitud catastrófica. En esa dimensión nos la muestra el autor

[Lerato Radebe]

Excellent read. An eye opener!

[Baggio Luvhengo]

Shocking but exposed the horrible trauma that one suffers when they don't want to accept their aids status...

[Rebecca]

An absolutely chilling tale of the spread of HIV, as told through the eyes of the serial-killer virus.

[Juergen]

Very well written - gripping, presented in a way that holds your attention. The harsh reality of living with a certain demon.

[Tanja (Litteraturhesten)]

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