The
lost world of Kalahari
There
are few occasions when the books one read has the ability to take us into the epicenter
of the happenings, its intricacies and the underlying meaning it tries to convey
.
“The Lost world of Kalahari” written by Laurence van der Post
definitely satisfies the
reader in all these aspects while taking him
to the deep interiors of Kalahari.
The exploration begins in the African desert of Kalahari wherein Laurence
van der Post has started off for the
search of the most
primitive bushmen overcoming
the constant unending urge to know them
,their civilization and the sudden disappearance from the central plains
of Africa.
narration starts with the brief description about the Vanished people-the
bushman-who form the central theme of the book. The story revolves , amongst
the other facetsof the book, around the short statured bushman
with immense energy and hidden potential , forms the core.
The book has the power to self introspect
the civilized world with the primitive backdrop
.It tries to convince the reader that this life of ours which begins as a quest
of the
child for the man & ends as a
journey by the man to rediscover the child is personified by the Bushman .
With
the ravages of the time when these Bushman are endangered like the wild
species ,they gradually disappeared from the plains and for the world it seemed it they
were lost. But a ray of hope keep the dare devil explorers glued to their
expedition.
The book has the abilty to stress that the History
(the way it is) is never allowed to be itself
but given vicarious & negative extensions that nations ,classes,
groups of people never live their immediate present but somersault back to
repeat the discredited pattern of the past .The
bushman and his peculiarities
have the ability to move you emotionally.
During war with the tribes ,when the end is
near the bushman covering his face to
prevent the enemy seeing his agony or saluting the dead animal for providing
the meat to his family or dancing like a
child when the rains are out to transform the dry ,dull and arid landscape into
lush green landscape give a mystic hue to the personality of the Bushman .
“The Lost world of Kalahari” has the immense
potential to strike the right chord with the reader touching the various
philosophical aspects so pertinent today.The basic primitive instincts with
which our species is endowed and the mutations which had taken place in the
course of history raises many important
metaphysical questions which can make one restless long after the book is put
down.
The Human beings are perhaps never
more frightening than when they are convinced beyond doubt that they are right.
Basic Human instincts which lead to the
gradual evolution of a species shape the entire generation. The bartering for
the tobacco,the overjoyed community after the eland hunt,the shooting of the
arrow on rump of the lady and the
inherent integrity of the bushmen against filming a false scene with his
friends wife all conjure up a sparkling clean image of the Bushmen .The human emotions impart a new dimension in
the vast arid deserts of Africa.
On the other aspect worth mentioning
is the helpless team member who cannot go on further with the terrible
conditions, the photographic nightmares and the intense bushmen ritual.
“The Lost world of Kalahari” shall no doubt appeal to the reader who has within himself the uneneding but
submerged desire to break free of the humdrum and monotony of the life .It invites the reader to peek within himself
, to analyse the concept why the Bushmen
have been so happy. Their gist which possibly might be applicable should be in “ We don’t owe
anyone because we do not own anything” stares directly on your face.
With a sincere approach ,amazing clarity and lucid language the author has rightfully brought forth the Bushmen ,lost long ago to
the present civilization.
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