SA reads discussion

There is no reading schedule for this book, only chapter sections. Post your comments on the first 14 chapters here.

I'll be reading the Afrikaans version of the book.

I'm interested to hear how the Afrikaans version fares re style quality. I am already disappointed with the first few chapters of the english version.

The Afrikaans version is Afrikaans as she is spoken in the Cape. Descriptions are in Afrikaans, but dialogue is a mixture of Afrikaans, Cape Flats dialect and English with the odd word of Zulu thrown in. There are times when I actually don't quite know what language I am reading. I suspect that is the problem with the translated versions, because the language variety tends to get lost. Vaughn Cupido is absolutely authentic in the Afrikaans version. His comment on his outfit: "by 'n factory shop in Soutrivier, vir 'n bargain, pappie; classic detective style, the Hawk in Winter, ek se vir jou".

Take a look at the reviews on some of his other books. The Afrikaans versions get rave reviews, the translated versions less so. Part of the problem with the Kindle versions seems to be that the glossary is stuck at the back of the book.

Cobra is Deon Meyer's 9th novel. His first was Dead Before Dying in 1999 - that's approx. 1 book every two years. Not bad!
Which DM books have you read? I've read:
Heart of the Hunter
13 hours
Trackers
7 days
Cobra

I sampled some of his earlier novels and didn't like the writing. Maybe it was the translation into English. His most recent novels are, in my opinion, better written. Will Cobra follow that trend? We'll see.

I've read every book except Trackers and Karoonag En Ander Verhale.

The early ones start really slowly, and then gain momentum. Thirteen Hours is probably my favourite at this point.

I've always read him in Afrikaans (I've now taken a pencil and copied the English book titles next to the Afrikaans ones in my copy of Cobra to try and figure out which one is which!). Dead Before Dying is very good with a wonderful plot and Tiny, the hero of Heart of the Hunter is memorable.

I've also read all of his books except Karoonag En Ander Verhale.
His latest book Icarus will be released approx middle March.

I saw his movie, Die Laaste Tango. Not a success at the box office, but I enjoyed it. Louw Venter gave a mature performance, and Antionette Louw's voice....

I really enjoyed the movie as well. Casting has apparently been done to turn the first three Bennie Griessel books into movies.

I am disappointed with Cobra thus far:

1) Benny is acting like a wimp! He does not come across as a protagonist that can drive this story forward.
2) I find Tyrone more engaging as a character than Benny.
3) The kindle formatting is full of errors. This is unforgivable for a book from a top author. The digital version costs $19 - that's plenty of profit to pay for an expert formatter. I did my own formatting on my first novel and made only two minor mistakes in 540 pages.
4) The Cobra character has not yet gripped me. I will give it time.
5) The English translation is clumsy and lazy. Not of the same standard as Deon's previous books. How does the Afrikaans version read?

So far, not so good.

The Afrikaans book reads easily as long as you can keep up with the Cape dialect.

It really is a pity about the Kindle formatting. I have bought books for less than $3 from Amazon without any formatting issues, so one would expect it to be perfect at that price. I wonder if Deon realises how this affects his ratings since so many of the poorer ratings seem to relate more to ebook formatting or translation issues than the actual plot?

I've had to put reading aside for the moment due to a bunch of study assignments and a minor work crisis. What I found disturbing is that I have not felt deprived during the time. I couldn't put the previous two books down and this one has allowed itself to be abandoned for more than a week.

Anyway, if I stop writing comments here, I can finish my last assignment for the week and then get back to reading.

Cobra coincides with the break-up of Deon's marriage; I think it shows. You're right, Carolien: I could stop reading now and not feel bad about not knowing what happens. Poor plotting; weak characters; too many South African cliches. Sorry that I voted for this read! I'm going to finish it and leave one more comment at the end.
Disappointed.

You'd better find us some good nominations for next month so that we can have a better read!

I started last night...uhoh. My first Meyer & your comments make me nervous. Will give it a shot.

Any ideas for next month?

Carolien, that description is so perfect, it would not translate well. The language has been part of my hesitance thus far.

John wrote: "I am disappointed with Cobra thus far:

1) Benny is acting like a wimp! He does not come across as a protagonist that can drive this story forward.
2) I find Tyrone more engaging as a character tha..."

It's the same translator as the other books. Maybe he did it in a rush.

Thanks for the feedback, Jude. Perhaps you're right - although the English translation took a long time to follow the original.

Really struggling to get into this, which in my mind does not bode well for a thriller.

I think translation is a very difficult art. It relies not just on language but current socio- cultural explanations. Perhaps doing what Andre Brink did and writing both versions would negate this? Obviously more challenging in other international languages.

Lisa wrote: "Really struggling to get into this, which in my mind does not bode well for a thriller.

I think translation is a very difficult art. It relies not just on language but current socio- cultural expl..."

Valid point, Lisa.
However I find that the English translation is not even written particularly well. I'm an amateur, but I find myself often cringing at the elementary style and structure errors this translator makes. Perhaps he's trying to be too honest to the original while he should be taking a little poetic licence. There is no comparison in the quality of this writing to other international crime fiction authors.

I love crime thrillers, regard them as yummy popcorn to be devoured as fast as possible. A break from classics & fantasy.
This popcorn is burnt...

Lisa wrote: "Really struggling to get into this, which in my mind does not bode well for a thriller.

I think translation is a very difficult art. It relies not just on language but current socio- cultural expl..."

Has this group ever read Marlene van Niekerk's Triomf in English translation? Now that was a challenge for the translator, Leon de Kock.

No we haven't Jude.

Going nowhere slowly...

I never got into this