Zuma's Bastard (Paperback)

Reviews

Reviewed by Khadeeja B. - 2 November 2010

I was extremely apprehensive in the transcending of the very defined barrier of digital and print media (I laugh in the face of a Kindle, nothing can replace the turn of a page) but was surprised on the upside the way this book manages to blur boundaries. It isn’t a blog regurgitation. What differentiates the book is the level of detail given as well as contextual notes which make all the difference in guiding a reader’s thoughts. The name of the book seems to encapsulate so much of what the book is about: a displaced generation, laughable political contexts and dialectic. The content spans many topics and is thematically categorised. Essa strikes a chord that resonates deeply. He is more than a rabble-rouser and reveals a vulnerability and insatiable search for the truth that so many of us can identify with. The satire isn’t an end; instead, it is a means to weave an intricate tale of our social milieu - fraught with contradictions yet told with the courage that only a post-Apartheid South African could have. Suffice to say, I am a convert. Essa has successfully merged the digital and print worlds. I might consider buying that kindle after all.