The rainforest and the elephants, both endangered by destruction from ever-greedy exploiters, are, for me, the stars of this charming and poignant novel.

This book is a rare gem in the world of literature, written with consummate skill and uncommon insight. Set in the late 1800s in South Africa, it reflects both timelessness and universality.I'm not surprised that the book's blurb/synopsis fails to do the story justice, because this is truly a 1 + 1 > 2 writing that is difficult to capture the gist of. Yes, the main character, Saul Barnard, is disturbed by the wanton destruction of the Knysna Forest, it's wildlife, and its fiercely independent...

Hierdie boek was my eerste kennismaking met Dalene Mathee wat my al haar boeke laat koop het.
Sy het net 'n aanslag wat nie geëwenaar kan word nie, alhoewel sy as mentor opgetree het vir Annelie Botes. Dalene se "Kringe in 'n Bos" is 'n boek wat 'n mens gryp en nie los nie. Misterieus, werklik, histories korrek, geloofbaar in alle opsigte. Sy ken haar onderwerp. Haar vroeë dood was 'n groot slag vir die Afrikaanse leserswereld.

27June2020 - Planning a re-read ... found article providing contemporary perspective. (No more travels in my life, but visiting Knysna would be on short list.)https://www.knysnacharters.com/home/s...*** 7/12/17 - (There exists a video based on the book. I don't recommend it. What little I watched wasn't appealing. Video review noted differences in versions.)***Perhaps it s the loss of the woodcutting culture -- something from the book stuck within -- I need a re-immersion in the forest.***Wish I...

A great foreign language book, which a friend in South Africa sent me, to practice reading Afrikaans and, at the same time, learn something of the history and culture of the Afrikaners, or Boers. It is a powerful story set in 19th century South Africa. I found it very interesting and educational in learning the language and gaining an insight into this great culture and a country which I hope to visit someday. If you don't know Afrikaans, that's no reason not to read and enjoy this book, as it's...

Dit maak nie saak hoeveel keer ek dié boek lees nie (selfs al is dit meermale omdat ek dit as voorgeskrewe boek behandel), dit bly uitstekend, interessant en ontroerend. My suster het onlangs die saak knap opgesom: Dalene Matthee was dalk nie die koningin van skrywers nie, maar sy was die koningin van storievertellers. Sela.

Rereading (even because I use it as setwork with my students) does not exhaust this excellently told story.

Dalene Matthee has an incredible way of describing life in the Forest in South Africa in the 19th century (read also Fiela's Child)! I got sucked in with all the detail, I felt like I was living there. Although it was set over 100 years ago, many of the stories are relevant today. Not to mention the whole theme of struggle with one's self, others, nature, change, reality, myth, ... etc. Like others who have reviewed this book, I found it a little slow to start but later I did not want the story ...

Read it in the original Afrikaans, of course. Haven't read the English translation yet so can't speak for that. But the original book is haunting, stayed with me, even years later. The descriptions of the Knysna forest and the people living there, were done with love and caring eyes.

This affricaans language author from South Africa is excellent! Her works have obviously been translated into English, making her accessible not only to non-affricaans speakers in SA, but to the world anglophone community. Her stories are well told - I highly recommend this particular story, about the coming of age of a young man who wants to connect with the world beyond the enclosed forest and its families of the Knysna region along the south coast of SA. Wonderful!!

Besides the intricate human relationships one reads about in this book (which I would rate one up from Fiela's Child), one also gets to know African elephants and - most important of all - trees. If anything, one comes to realize what an absolute tragedy it is that trees are being stripped from this earth at a tremendous rate, and once they're down, there is nothing you can do to get them as tall and as beautiful again.For those not living in South Africa, us South Africans are facing a major tr...