Sarcophagus by Tuelo Gabonewe

Sarcophagus is a metaphor for the village which is the setting for the story, but also a metaphor for the whole country, and possibly the whole world, seen through the eyes of most poor people. It is a world which eats you alive, essentially. It is a picaresque novella that follows the trials and tribulations of a young family that finds itself boxing above its weight in a world that’s nowhere near as gentle as it should be.

Sarcophagus is a metaphor for the village which is the setting for the story, but also a metaphor for the whole country, and possibly the whole world, seen through the eyes of most poor people. It is a world which eats you alive, essentially. It is a picaresque novella that follows the trials and tribulations of a young family that finds itself boxing above its weight in a world that’s nowhere near as gentle as it should be. The story is narrated without the smallest attempt to evoke pathos. Poverty abounds, and there are many deaths.

According to Sarcophagus’ colourful narrator: “hardly a week went by without one or two hitting the deck headlong and flat lining … There is not much else in the way of options.” In spite of the harshness of the countryside where the story plays itself out and the countless deaths, Sarcophagus is a very readable book and has many parts that will leave the reader writhing on the floor with mirth.  It is hopeful as it is aspirational for some of its characters. The language is bright and lively and it adds yet more freshness to the evolution of South African writing.