Kevin Carter

I'm completely emerged in such a great book right now. The Bang Bang Club, while sounding like a R18 offering from Adult World, in fact chronicles the work of 4 of the most prolific photojournalists South Africa has ever produced, as they they captured the violence and unrest in township SA through the nineties. Greg Marinovich, Joao Silva, Ken Oosterbroek, and Kevin Carter where the men responsible for showing the world the atrocities that were happening. You could argue that their success was at least partially due to the enviroment that they worked in, and that township warfare lent itself to award winning photo's. What you can't deny though, is that these men put their lives on the line (quite literally: Ken Oosterbroek was shot and killed by a stray Peacekeeper's bullet; Kevin Carter comitted suicide a few weeks later) to record the often bloody transition as South Africa moved from a oppressive white-led Apartheid government, to a fledgling democracy.

So while I may have lived through that period of my country's history, my recollection is that of an 11 year old, rather sheltered, white boy growing up in Cape Town. This book is opening my eye's to so many things that I just wasn't aware of at the time. Things I didn't even have an inkling were happening. In the past I've always steered away from these kind of books, thinking of them as too 'heavy', and too political for my liking. I don't know if it's the book that I find interesting, or if it's some form of maturation on my side, but I would recommend this read to anyone.

Actually, the last few weeks (while I 've been on holiday) have seen an enormous increase in my reading frequency. It's waned a bit over the years since I finished high school, but following on some great books it's right back up there.

In three weeks I managed to get through (in order):

James Follet - Trojan: A pretty generic novel, but a good read. It was lying around the flat... so I read it.

Mil Millington - Things My Girlfriend and I have Argued About: I saw this at Exclusive Books while looking for something else and I just had to buy it. I'd read the rather cultish website on and off previously so I really couldn't ignore it. It's one of the most hilarious and yet strangely human books I've had the pleasure to read in a long time. Nothing written before has ever made me snort and laugh out loud quite as much and I absolutely recommend it to anyone with a sense of humour.

Yann Martel - Life of Pi: Definitely as good as everyone says it is. And after bonding with the main characters (a young boy and a Bengal tiger stuck in a raft together) throughout the book, the twist in the end is brilliant... although you're left guessing and (if you're anything like me) more tempted to hang on to the illogical conclusion you thought you were going to get, than accept the rational explanation you're offered.

Toby Young - How to Lose Friends and Alienate People: I needed something to read. It tickled my fancy. I bought it. Nothing too special, but an interesting insight into glamour journalism in the States. Quite funny. It also spawned a new genre in writing... 'loser-lit'.

Dean Koontz - Odd Thomas: This one came recommended by Chris after he listened to the audio book. And now I also recommend it. It's just a novel... no deeper meanings, no philosophical musing... but it's brilliantly evocative and hugely entertaining. Go read it.

Not too bad for 3 weeks I reckon.

PS. Apologies for the typo's, there must be millions, but I'm smashing this post out before going to work... and I'm working to a tight deadline. I may go back and correct them tonight.

PS. Ok. I think I've managed to find and correct most of the mistakes in the original publish. But please, don't feel the need to point out any existant ones.