Morenga: NovelNew Directions Publishing, 2003 - 340 pages A gripping historical novel about colonial power and tribal rebellion, set in German-occupied Southwest Africa. Uwe Timm (Headhunter, The Invention of Curried Sausage) has been described in The New Yorker as "an extraordinary storyteller." In this early novel, he focuses his narrative talents on the historical conflict between German colonists and African tribes under the leadership of the legendary Morenga in the first decade of the 20th century. A daring and brilliant military tactician, Morenga was fluent in several languages and by all reports a man of compassion, intelligence, and integrity, as he led his people towards freedom. Recounted through the eyes of Gottschalk, an engaging fictional military veterinarian, the narrative blends quotations from historical sources with actual accounts of everyday life and military excursions. The parallels between past events and later German history, with its notions of the Untermensch (subhuman beings) and racial inferiority, are subtly brought to mind, while significant philosophical, political, and human issues are at play. Morenga is an intriguing novel of scope and significance, and it has been well served by Breon Mitchell's prize-winning translation. |
Contents
Section 1 | 22 |
Section 2 | 24 |
Section 3 | 28 |
Section 4 | 33 |
Section 5 | 115 |
Section 6 | 119 |
Section 7 | 120 |
Section 8 | 135 |
Section 10 | 248 |
Section 11 | 269 |
Section 12 | 277 |
Section 13 | 299 |
Section 14 | 305 |
Section 15 | 327 |
Section 16 | 332 |
Section 17 | 338 |
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Common terms and phrases
animals arrived attack bambuse Bansemer Bardowick barrel battle Bethany Bondels brandy bullet camel cannon Cape Colony Cape Town Captain cattle clicks Colonel Deimling Colonial Guard David Christian detachment Dominicus Elschner enemy English eyes Father fire German Gibeon Gorth Gottschalk Gottschalk asked Gottschalk's diary hand Haring head Hendrik Witbooi Hereros horse Hottentots Kageneck Karas Mountains Keetmanshoop kilometers Kleinschmidt Klügge Knudsen Koppy Kreft land later living Lüderitz Lukas Major Meisel military mission missionary Morenga morning Morris natives night officers once ordered ostrich oxen patrol Petrus pondoks prisoners pulled rain rebels replied riding rode sand Schwanebach Second Lieutenant shot sitting smell soldiers South West Africa staff standing stared stood strange Stürmann tentots thought tion told traders Treptow Tresckow tribe troopers troops Trotha turned Ukamas Upington UWE TIMM veterinarian village wagon Walvis Bay wanted Warmbad water-hole Wenstrup Windhoek wounded Zeisse