Stuart Cloete (1897–1976)

I grabbed my copy of The Abductors by Stuart Cloete (1966) from a friend's garage sale six years ago and then let it mellow on the shelf for awhile before digging in. The pulpy cover and salacious description ("Once a girl is a whore, my dear, there's no going back") looked fun, but the book itself is actually quite long (479 pages, with tiny type) and includes an educational appendix on Cloete's research into the continued problem of women being tricked or sold into prostitution. Which, you show more know, hasn't really gotten much better since the 1880s, when this book is set, or the 1960s, when it was written. While the combination of a titillating plot and an educational backbone don't always work well together, the author balances the two well and also throws in some excellent characterization, observant description, and clever twists. This is a fun book to read and is much zippier than its length and appendices and works cited lists would make you think. I could have done with a few less rich dudes comparing women to horses and sometimes Lavinia's awakening to equal rights and sexual pleasure is a little hamfisted, but that's easy to forgive in a novel with so much unexpected depth and character. Worth picking up at a garage sale near you!

[full review here: http://spacebeer.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-abductors-by-stuart-cloete-1966.html ] show less

We were early at the Lopez Island ferry dock, or rather, the ferry was later than expected, and so we turned into the tiny waiting room in the small wooden building that had a window for ticket sales and otherwise served as shelter for the ferry workers in bad weather. Nowhere to sit, but look: a small case of books!

“a library! They have a waiting room library! What a good idea!”

“no. Look, they are for sale. A dollar each in that box there.”

But it was too late. Browsing had already show more commenced, and once commenced cannot be interrupted without distress. Most of the books were junk, plus a cluster of remainders from someone’s college bookshelf. Then there was this paperback, aged but intact, understated cover art, the happy penguin still dancing (nowadays the penguin stands diffidently on two feet): “complete PENGUIN BOOKS unabridged” on the cover.

Not my style, not even a topic of interest, but the ferry was late and then there would be more waiting and an airplane ride. So the dollar was scrounged, folded, and tucked into the uneven slot of the wooden box.

This novel follows the fate of a group of Dutch pioneers in the 1830s as they push north from the Cape away from growing British dominance, a portion of what is known as “the great trek.” Quite popular in its day (1st published in 1937), it takes a clear-eyed view of the Afrikaner ways and their stubborn self-righteousness. Surprising for a present-day reader is the unblushing treatment of sexual desire (not coy but also not rouged up to be erotic), the sympathetic portrayal of a variety of women, and reasonably developed (but true to stereotype) non-white characters. People sometimes label it as “western” genre, but this is a thoroughly modern novel.

Far from Lopez Island now, I can only wonder what other small treasures might still perch on the modest shelves of the ferry office. show less

The Fiercest Heart by Stuart Cloete is a story of the Boers who trekked north from the South African Cape into unknown lands in order to live free of the British yoke that had been tightening around them. In this story they were trekking from the eastern Cape and their journey led them through an area that would eventually become known as Lestho. The history of Lestho is entwined with the Boers. Originally called Basutoland, some of the Boers settled in the Western Highlands of this country. show more As the natives waged war alternately with the British and the Dutch, the Boer colony went through both peaceful times and times of war. Eventually the King of Basutoland made peace with Queen Victoria. The British promptly signed a treaty with the Dutch and allowed them to hold a portion of Basutoland and include it as part of their Orange Free State. Of course once gold was found in Kimberly, the Orange Free State attracted the attention of the British once again.

Set in the 1830’s, the main character in The Fiercest Heart is Francina, a young Boer girl who, with her grandmother Tante Maria and granduncle, Oom Willem Prinsloo, become voortrekkers and leave behind their farm and comfortable lifestyle to trek uncountable miles through unchartered wildlands with about six other families. They are searching for a place where they can settle and live without Britain‘s laws and taxes. Before they reach a safe haven they have to face warlike Zulus, wildlife, flood and fire.

This was a very popular book when it was originally published in the early 1960’s, a movie was made as well. I had originally read this book while in my teens and remembered it quite favourably. Unfortunately, I probably should have left this one buried in the mists of time as today, the sexism and male hubris is difficult to swallow and I had to force myself through to the end of the book. There was less plot and more heaving chests than I remembered and I would have liked both the male and the female characters to have been developed more than the stereotypic identities that the author gave them. show less

Two Deserters from the British Army join the Great trek of the boers into the Orange Free State. They fight the Zulus, and the nice one finds love. Pretty racist, by modern standards.