When a Man CriesThemba Limba is a family man who is caught between his flourishing career as a teacher and municipal councillor in the township of Sekunjalo, and his overriding sexual interests. Despite his attempts to maintain his status in the community, his actions eventually lead to his downfall. What follows is an account - sometimes tragic, occasionally humorous, and always compelling - of Themba's efforts to regain his dignity and pride in the eyes of his family and community. When a Man cries is an uncompromising and engrossing novel about the challenges of manhood in contemporary South African society. It interrogates the dynamics of township life and the human and socio-economic realities of the most impoverished communities in post-apartheid South Africa. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - whitewavedarling - LibraryThingFor me, this was an incredibly slow read. The casual and rather unsympathetic voice of the narrator makes the book go slowly, and seem inconsequential at even the most dramatic moments. And, because ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - maykasahara - LibraryThingIt's a fascinating read from a young author in South Africa. A novel which may not convince as much as recently praised literary attempts, such as The quiet violence of dreams, Duiker and Welcome to ... Read full review
Common terms and phrases
AmaMpandla clan apartheid asked Aunt Gladys Aunt Gladys's bedroom began bitch body brother C'mon called Chris Hani Ciskei close coffin Dolly donkeys door embarrassment eyes face father feel front funeral girl give Grahamstown Gwebani hair hand happened head hear heard Jack Daniels Johannesburg knew KwaZulu-Natal legs listen live look Lungile Mabelana MaDlamini Makana mayor meeting mind Miss Phatheka morning mother mouth netball never night Nosipho Nozizwe Okay old man Jongilanga parents principal realised Robben Island salesman Sekunjalo shebeen Sinethemba High School Sizwe Skade sleep smile sorry speak spoke squatter camp story sure talk teacher tears tell Thandi Thank things thought Thuli told took township Transkei tried trying turned voice walked wife woman wonder words young Zakes Zakhele
Bibliographic information
| Title | When a Man Cries |
| Author | Siphiwo Mahala |
| Publisher | University of KwaZulu-Natal Press, 2007 |
| ISBN | 1869141318, 9781869141318 |
| Length | 162 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |