Product Description

Chris Minaar is a distinguished South African writer, an old writer, but a writer who has lost whatever gift he had for writing. It is on New Year's Eve, courtesy of his stalled car, that he meets Rachel, a young sculptress who becomes the great love of his life, a love greater for being unfulfilled. He finds himself captivated by Rachel and drawn into a close friendship with her husband. As their friendship develops, Chris must reconcile himself to an unaccustomed type of intimacy but one that inevitably threatens this precarious triangular relationship. Woven through this is the story of his life and of a lifetime's loving. For he has known many women. As it becomes clear that this book is the final writing act of Chris's creative life, so we understand that these recollections are an attempt to bring order to an otherwise chaotic existence. "Before I Forget" is the history of a life set against the history of a nation, and the history of a transforming love.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #44007 in Books
• Published on: 2005-09-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

From the Publisher
A remarkable new novel from a world-class writer about love in all its forms.

About the Author
Andre Brink is the author of fifteen novels in English, including A Dry White Season, Imaginings of Sand, The Rights of Desire and, most recently, The Other Side of Silence. He has won South Africa's most important literay prize, the CNA Award, three times and has twice been shortlisted for the Booker Prize. His novels have been translated into thirty languages. Andre Brink is Professor of English at the University of Cape Town.

Customer Reviews

A craftsman at his best
Since reading 'Imaginings of Sand' some years ago (highly recommended by the way), Andre Brink is one of the few writers I have actively sought in bookshops. Mr Brink has used the novel as a way of getting information to the outside world that other media have been unable to, as did many authors from the former Soviet block and certain countries in South America. As a consequence Brink has been banned in South Africa on more than one occasion.
In the post-apartheid world he has continued to use the political background of South Africa in his novels, and 'Before I forget' is no exception. It is the story of a man - his career and loves as shaped by the political developments in his country following the 1948 elections and then the release of Nelson Mandela. Obsessed with love but scared of commitment, the central character leads us on a journey during which he struggles between doing what is right for his country and doing what is right for him. Relationships are affected as much by outside circumstances as they are by the people in them, and this book has several illustrations of that.
His reflections on, and observations of love and relationships are, in my mind, unsentimental and honest. Commentary on the unfolding war in Iraq, expressed through the main character, serve to remind us that Andre Brink is an outspoken political and social commentator.
For me this is one of the best, if not the best, of Andre Brink's novels. I re-read the final three pages of this novel at least 15 times - I recommend you read them at least once.

A Beautiful Read
This is my first taste of André Brink, if that's the way to put it. I was so taken by the writing here; it was so beautiful and elegant. The story is wonderfully structured, with intrigue and pace, which helps break up the reflection and meditation on love and past relationships. Everything is so accessible and the important setting of South Africa's history is cleverly woven in so as not to be distracting. My only criticism: there are a tad too many examples of the protaganists previous loves. It was a bit tedious maintaining interest in so many different women, and it was especially frustrating to be introduced to a new character near the end when the fate of Rachel, one of the main characters, became so pressing. Nonetheless, you close this book feeling fulfilled, even though it's sad. The narrative and the social commentary (unimposed) stay with you. I am eager to read more from this writer.

Read "A Dry White Season" instead
This book may well put you off from reading “A Dry White Season”, but don’t let it. The protagonist (the author himself??) thinks he has deep insights into love and loss, but he really made my skin crawl and his thoughts were a bit warped to say the least. For example – to paraphrase, you love someone – you betray them. Well, perhaps the author is trying to convince himself that he loves someone he betrayed because he can’t cope with the thought that he betrayed someone and didn’t really love them. There are plenty more examples like this and much worse. I think that this is an immense vanity project (ugly older guy – lots of much better looking women etc)

The narrative is astoundingly slow and stodgy – and I think that sometimes when “learned” authors acquire this type of label it is partly because of the intense stodge. One will often find an Emperor’s new clothes type reaction from people who pride themselves on their literary merits and who don’t want to appear as a philistine. These same people would often look down their noses at a better written and better to read novel by a so-called lesser author. If I was a school teacher my comments could be summarised thus: “can do better”.

He isn’t all he’s cracked up to be this author, but do read “A Dry White Season” – get through it, you owe it to the subject.

Well, when I’d finished with this book I did two things – thought “there’s a few hours of my life I won’t get back” & gave the recycling bin some breakfast. At least the tree that gave it’s life for this book didn’t have it’s life completely wasted.