reviews Archives - pARTicipate

Book Reviews: Life And Consequences, Or A Deep Diary Of Voltaire

By ROB HOFMEYR, KATE DENNILL & BRUCE DENNILL A Praying Life by Paul E Miller A Banquet of Consequences by Elizabeth George Diary Of A Body by Daniel Pennac Skin Deep by Gavin Evans Love Voltaire Us Apart by Julia...

Book Reviews: The Blessed Kgalagadi, Or Lies, Spies And Charlotte In Pretoria

By DRIES BRUNT, MARION HOFMEYR, NIGEL WILLIS & BRUCE DENNILL The Blessed Girl by Angela Makholwa Kgalagadi Self-Drive Routes, Roads and Ratings by Ingrid van den Berg & Jaco Powell Lies Men Believe, And The Truth That Sets Them Free...

Book Reviews: A Kudu In Deep Water, Or Okavango Tobacco

By DRIES BRUNT, LISA WITEPSKI, BRUCE DENNILL, ROB HOFMEYR & NIGEL WILLIS In Deep Water by Sam Blake Life Is Like A Kudu Horn by Margaret Jacobsohn The Daily Show With Trevor Noah Presents: The Donald J Trump Presidential Twitter...

Book Reviews: A Risen Ocean, Or Loved, Amplified And Nervous

By KATE DENNILL, ROB HOFMEYR, BRUCE DENNILL & NIGEL WILLIS Risen by Angela Hunt, based on the story by Paul Aiello The Outlaw Ocean by Ian Urbina The Third Book Of General Ignorance by John Lloyd, John Murchison, James Harkin...

Book Reviews: Broken Odyssey, Or A Restless Spy In Corinth

By ROB HOFMEYR, KATE DENNILL, DRIES BRUNT Broke And Broken by Lucas Ledwaba and Leon Sadiki The Undoing Of Saint Silvanus by Beth Moore Odyssey Of An African Opera Singer by Musa Ngqungwana A Spy In Time by Imraan Coovadia...

Music Reviews: A Camp In The Void, Or Fly Away Dua Lipa

By BRUCE DENNILL Kahn: A Noise In The Void Jeremy Camp: The Answer Dua Lipa: Dua Lipa Yael: Fly Away Kahn Morbee has always offered – over the course of a long career in a tough niche – something...

Film Reviews: The Sloane Line, Or Quiet In Dunkirk

By BRUCE DENNILL Miss Sloane / Directed by John Madden / 13L Life On The Line / Directed by David Hackl / 13LV Dunkirk / Directed by Christopher Nolan / 16V First Kill / Directed by Steven C Miller /...

Music Reviews: Brave New Birds, Or Prey Comes Alive

By BRUCE DENNILL Various Artists: Grammy 2020 Nominees Various Artists: Birds Of Prey – The Album Various Artists: Rocktober Bethel Music Kids: Come Alive Amanda Cook: Brave New World Reviewing a compilation of tracks that have already been shortlisted...

Book Reviews: The Big America Lie, Or Family For The Duration

By BRUCE DENNILL & ROB HOFMEYR Villa America by Liza Klaussmann For The Duration – Poems by Jana van Niekerk, Rosemund Handler and Natalie Railoun The Big Lie: Travels With Ben by Dries Brunt Like Family by Ena Jansen...

Film Reviews: Hollar At Maggie, Or The Status Of Dinner

By BRUCE DENNILL The Hollars / Directed by John Krasinksi / PGL Brad’s Status / Directed by Mike White / 16DL Beatriz At Dinner / Directed by Miguel Arteta / 16DLPV Maggie’s Plan / Directed by Rebecca Miller / 13L...

Book Reviews: Imagine Missing Architects, Or Remembering Orphans

By DRIES BRUNT, OWEN FRANKLIN, ROB HOFMEYR & BRUCE DENNILL If I Stay Right Here by Chwayita Ngamlana Make, Think, Imagine: Engineering The Future Of Civilisation by John Browne Where Architects Sleep: The Most Stylish Hotels In The World by...

Music Reviews: Fearless Face, Or Love Song For A Tuckshop

By BRUCE DENNILL Deftones: Gore Allan: Face To Face Desmond & The Tutus: Tuckshop Various Artists: Just Inspired 3 Martin Smith: Love Song For A City Group 1 Crew: Fearless Never achieving sales or fame on the scale of...

Book Reviews: Dilettantes In Death, Or Post-Traumatic Conspiracies

By ROB HOFMEYR, BRUCE DENNILL Warriors, Dilettantes and Businessmen by WRJ Dean The Bible: New Testament published by Jonathan Ball and Media 24 Weeklies Footprints In The African Sand by Michael Cassidy The Kremlin Conspiracy by Joel C Rosenberg Post-Traumatic...

Music Reviews: Brave And Broke Down, Or We Can Do Anything In A Casino

By BRUCE DENNILL Herman Bergman: Mahai – Guitar Compositions Bethel Music: You Make Me Brave Kongos: 1929 – Part One Stuart Reece: Broke Down Beat Down Violent Femmes: We Can Do Anything Arctic Monkeys: Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino ...

Film Reviews: A Bigfoot On Lego, Or Trolling Ballerinas

By BRUCE DENNILL The Lego Batman Movie / Directed by Chris McKay / PGV The Son Of Bigfoot / Directed by Jeremy Degruson, Ben Stassen / PGV A Mermaid’s Tale / Directed by Dustin Rikert /PG The Star / Directed by...

Book Reviews: Fever Daydreams, Or Agent Running On A Dirt Road

By ROB HOFMEYR, BRUCE DENNILL & LISA WITEPSKI Fever by Deon Meyer Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman Agent Running In The Field by John le Carre Bibby’s Kitchen by Dianne Bibby Dirt Road by James Kelman African Daydreams by Colin...

Book Reviews: Red Gangster Cows, Or Riding To The Longest Conclave

By ROB HOFMEYR & BRUCE DENNILL Red Earth by Tony Park Holy Cows by Gareth Van Onselen The Longest March by Fred Khumalo Conclave by Robert Harris The Ride Of A Lifetime by Robert Iger Gangster State by Pieter-Louis Myburgh...

Book Reviews: Lies About Eggs, Or Why High Cranes Are Rather Weird

By ROB HOFMEYR & BRUCE DENNILL Lies We Believe About God by Wm Paul Young The Sentinels: Cranes Of South Africa by Daniel Dolpire & David Allan The High Mountains Of Portugal by Yann Martel An Extraordinary Egg by Leo...

Book Reviews: Secret Cities, Or Getting Lost With Gusto

By BRUCE DENNILL Secret Brooklyn by Michelle Young and Augustin Pasquet Secret Edinburgh: An Unusual Guide by Hanna Robinson Secret Naples by Valerio Ceva Grimaldi, Maria Franchini and Fernando Pisacane There are those travellers who are happy to simply...

Book Reviews: Hiding The Wolf, Or Transit To An Inland Universe

By ROB HOFMEYR, DRIES BRUNT Hiding In The Light by Rifqa Bary Die Heimat Projek by Andrè de Villiè War Of The Wolf by Bernard Cornwell Transit To Heaven by Salma Said Ali Arrows Of The Universe by Patrick McGaffin...

Film Reviews: An Atomic Wick, A Free State Of Sleepless Hitmen

By BRUCE DENNILL The Hitman’s Bodyguard / Directed by Patrick Hughes / 16LV Atomic Blonde / Directed by David Leitch / 16LNSV Sleepless / Directed by Baran Bo Adar / 16LV Free State Of Jones / Directed by Gary Ross...

Music Reviews: Passion For Phones, Or Antique Karma

By BRUCE DENNILL Passion: Worthy Of Your Name Lionel Bastos: Songs From My Phone The Parlotones: Antiques And Artefacts Roxette: Good Karma Meredith Andrews: Deeper (Deluxe Edition) Kari Jobe: Majestic As has been the case with many of the...

Book Reviews: The Thinking Adviser, Or Breaking 1983

By NIGEL WILLIS, ROB HOFMEYR Deep Thinking by Garry Kasparov Breaking News, An Autobiography by Jeremy Thompson 1983: The World at the Brink by Taylor Downing The Senior Adviser by Edmund-George King Garry Kasparov, world chess champion several times over,...

Music Reviews: Starstruck In A Hidden City, Or Run As Though Every Mile Mattered

By BRUCE DENNILL Awolnation: Run The Cult: Hidden City Simply Red: Big Love CH2: Starstruck Nichole Nordeman: Every Mile Mattered Various Artists: Rada Unearthed – Volume One Awolnation have, with their impressive chart and sales record to date, more...

Film Reviews: Fantastic Beasts Have Fallen, Or Where To Find Peculiar Children

By BRUCE DENNILL Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them / Directed by David Yates / PG Fallen / Directed by Scott Hicks / 13V Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children / Directed by Tim Burton / PG Not...

Book Reviews: Astonishing Horse Endurance, Or A Magic Bull In Paris

By DRIES BRUNT, BRUCE DENNILL, ROB HOFMEYR, KATE DENNILL The Daily Assortment of Astonishing Things: The Caine Prize for African Writing How To Fly A Horse by Kevin Ashton Endurance by Scott Kelly We'll Always Have Paris by Emma Beddington...

Book Reviews: Uncommon Intruders, Or Earth’s Last Interiors

By BRUCE DENNILL, ROB HOFMEYR, DRIES BRUNT, KATE DENNILL The Uncommoners – The Crooked Sixpence by Jennifer Bell An American Family by Khizr Khan Intruders by Mohale Mashigo NIV Kid's Visual Study Bible by Zondervan Earth’s Last Empire by John...

Book Reviews: Soil And Minecraft, Or Quiet Heartbreaker In The Alhambra Theatre

By ROB HOFMEYR, BRUCE DENNILL, BETHANY DENNILL & NIGEL WILLIS Dying To Live by Michael Stanley Soil by Jamie Kornegay Minecraft: Guide To Exploration by Stephanie Milton Heartbreaker: Christiaan Barnard And The First Heart Transplant by James-Brent Styan The Alhambra Theatre...

Music Reviews: Merciful Maria, Or Roar About War

By BRUCE DENNILL Maria Callas: Pure Colby: Merciful God American Young: AY Chris Tomlin: Holy Roar Martin Smith: Martin Smith Various Artists: War Room – Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture Even for music fans who...

Book Reviews: Cult Bazaar, Or Of Esther And Malachi

By DRIES BRUNT, ROB HOFMEYR, BRUCE DENNILL, MARION HOFMEYR, KATE DENNILL & LISA WITEPSKI Cult Sister by Lesley Smailes Forward by Marcia Barrett with Lloyd Bradley The Bazaar Of Bad Dreams by Stephen King On Editing by Helen Corner-Bryant and...

Book Reviews: The Girl Who Was Too Big, Or Passion For A Bad Zoo

By BRUCE DENNILL, ROB HOFMEYR, NIGEL WILLIS & VINCENT PIENAAR Insectopedia by Erik Holm The Girl Who Takes an Eye For An Eye by David Lagercrantz Classic Passion: [(a+b)… by Johnathan Andrews Too Big To Walk: The New Science Of...

Book Reviews: The Other Side Of The Places To Go, Or Meditations On The Midnight Line

By ROB HOFMEYR, BRUCE DENNILL, VINCENT PIENAAR & NIGEL WILLIS Fatima Meer by Fatima Meer On Track & Behaviour Briefs by Chris & Mathilde Stuart The Other Side: Behind the News Pt 1 by Harvey Tyson All The Places To...

Music Reviews: Dreams Of Beauty And Rage, Or Little Songs Of Memory And Girls

By BRUCE DENNILL Meek Mill: Dreams Worth More Than Money Red: Of Beauty And Rage Train: Does Led Zeppelin II Michael Buble: My Kind Of Girl Jon Guerra: Little Songs Stone Jets: Memory Dreams Worth More Than Money album...

Book Reviews: Fall Into A Gap, Or Wanderers Under Shelter

By BRUCE DENNILL & ROB HOFMEYR If I Fall, If I Die by Michael Christie The Cookbook by Your Family The Wanderers by Meg Howrey A Gap In The Hedge by Johan Vlok Louw Shelter Rock by MP Miles An extraordinary...

Film Reviews: Genius In Denial, Or The Kingdom Of Elvis’ Dog

By BRUCE DENNILL The End Of The Tour / Directed by James Ponsoldt / 13L Genius / Directed by Michael Grandage / PG Denial / Directed by Mick Jackson / PG A United Kingdom / Directed by Amma Asante /...

Book Reviews: Scorched Spaceship, Or Turning Sapiens Into An Oxygen Thief

By ROB HOFMEYR, DRIES BRUNT, MARION HOFMEYR, NIGEL WILLIS & BRUCE DENNILL How To Make A Spaceship by Julian Guthrie Maestra by LS Hilton Scorched Earth by Fransjohan Pretorius Turning And Turning: Exploring The Complexities Of South Africa’s Democracy by...

Music Reviews: Nelson On The Heath, Or Here I Am Send Lawson

By BRUCE DENNILL Jamie Lawson: Jamie Lawson Brandon Heath: No Turning Back Hawk Nelson: Diamonds Various Artists: God’s Not Dead 2 – Motion Picture Soundtrack Various Artists: The Voice Of The Martyrs – I Am N Darlene Zschech: Here I...

Book Reviews: Betrayal Season In Greece, Or Connections In A Cul-De-Sac

By BRUCE DENNILL, DRIES BRUNT & LISA WITEPSKI Greece – The Cookbook by Vefa Alexiadou Betrayal: The Crisis In The Catholic Church by The Investigative Staff of the Boston Globe Killing Season by Faye Kellerman Against The Tide: Three Plays,...

Book Reviews: Of Rhinos And Rage, Or An Instrumental Safari

By DRIES BRUNT, ROB HOFMEYR & NIGEL WILLIS Instrumental by James Rhodes A Rhino In My Garden by Conita Walker Becoming Iman by Iman Rappetti The First Safari: Searching For François Levaillant by Ian Glenn Rebels And Rage: Reflecting On...

Music Reviews: Divide And Echo, Or An Alternative Liberation

By BRUCE DENNILL Ed Sheeran: Divide Jesus Culture: Let It Echo The Liberation Project: Songs That Made Us Free Various Artists: Le Club – Alternative Anthems Rend Collective: Campfire II – Simplicity Various Artists: Ultimate Hymns For Today Ed...

Music Reviews: Difference Is Beautiful, Or Gold And Serenity

By BRUCE DENNILL Neville D: Beauty Of Difference – Season 2 MercyMe: Lifer Miles Davis & Robert Glasper: Everything’s Beautiful Korn: The Serenity Of Suffering Anderson East: Delilah David Gray: Gold In A Brass Age A live concert...

Book Reviews: Talk While Awake, Or Keep Digging Through Short Stories

By ARJA SALAFRANCA Talk Of The Town by Fred Khumalo Awake Asleep Awake by Jo-Ann Bekker If You Keep Digging by Keletso Mopai Sometimes regarded as the Cinderella of the literary world, short stories are said to be...

Music Reviews: Mirror Anxiety, Or Detour Around The Shadows

By BRUCE DENNILL Petite Noir: The King Of Anxiety EP All Clear: Look In The Mirror Various Artists: Shadows Cyndi Lauper: Detour At first listen, Cape Town’s Petite Noir (real name Yannick Ilunga) sounds like a blend of...

Film reviews: Jiving And Johnny, Or Van Der Merwe’s Dying

By BRUCE DENNILL Van Der Merwe / Directed by Bruce Lawley / PG Jiving And Dying: The Radio Rats Story / Michael Cross / PG Johnny Is Nie Dood Nie / Directed by Christiaan Olwagen / 16DL The...

Music Reviews: Dark Hands, Or My Soul’s Not Dead

By BRUCE DENNILL Laura Story: Open Hands Randy Newman: Dark Matter Sannie Fox: My Soul Got Stranger Various Artists: God’s Not Dead 2 – Motion Picture Soundtrack Atlanta-based worship artist Laura Story kicks off her latest album with...

Book Reviews: Trump And Redeployment, Or God’s Answers to Brown V Leyds

By BRUCE DENNILL & NIGEL WILLIS Trump & Me by Mark Singer God’s Answers To Life’s Difficult Questions by Rick Warren Brown V Leyds: Who has the King’s Voice? A President Scorned, A Chief Justice Dismissed and A Prospector’s...

Music Reviews: The Best Prodigal, Or Never Lose Sight Of An Animal

By BRUCE DENNILL Mike Oldfield: The Best Of – 1992-2003 Crowder: American Prodigal Chris Tomlin: Never Lose Sight Livingston: Animal Mike Oldfield’s career is a storied one. He was the first act signed by Richard Branson when the...

Book Reviews: Magritte On A Metric Bus, Or Twisted Goddess

By BRUCE DENNILL, DRIES BRUNT Magritte: Life Line edited by Xavier Canonne, Julie Waseige and Guido Comis Tales Of The Metric System by Imraan Coovadia Nyambura Waits For The Bus by Cath Alexander and Catherine Groenewald The Goddess of...

Book Reviews: Historians And Horses, Or Ground Glass

By ROB HOFMEYR, DRIES BRUNT & BRUCE DENNILL Hermann Giliomee: Historian by Hermann Giliomee The Glass Universe by Dava Sorbel Bare Ground by Peter Harris A Little Horse Called Pancakes / A Little Horse Called Pancakes And The Big Mountain Fire...

Book Reviews: Tsunamis In Autumn In Minecraft, Or Strangers To Passion

By DRIES BRUNT, BETHANY DENNILL & ROB HOFMEYR Too Many Tsunamis by Vincent Pienaar Autumn by Ali Smith Minecraft: Guide To Creative by Craig Jelley We All Begin As Strangers by Harriet Cummings The Quiet Side Of Passion by...

Book Reviews: A Film Of Joan Of Arc At Varsity, Or Dream Of Daylight

By BRUCE DENNILL & MARION HOFMEYR Minimal Film by Matteo Civaschi Messenger: The Legend Of Joan Of Arc by Tony Lee and Sam Hart Your First Year Of Varsity by Shelagh Foster & Lehlohonolo Mofokeng The Dream House by...

Film Reviews: Before Demolishing The Free State, Or People Touching Tumbledown

By BRUCE DENNILL Before We Go / Directed by Chris Evans / PGL Demolition / Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee / 16LDV Sleeping With Other People / Directed by Leslye Headland 16SLN Free State / Directed by Sallas De Jager...

Book Reviews: Not A Fan Of Wimps, Or Making Africa Japanese

By BRUCE DENNILL, BETHANY DENNILL, NIGEL WILLIS & KATE DENNILL Not A Fan Daily Devotional by Kyle Idleman Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down By Jeff Kinney Making Africa Work: A Handbook For Economic Success by Greg Mills, Olusegun...

Book Reviews: Holomisa’s Dreams, Or Marah In Essex

By ROB HOFMEYR, DRIES BRUNT & BRUCE DENNILL The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry It’s Me Marah by Marah Teboho Louw Bantu Holomisa, The Game Changer by Eric Naki The Dust That Falls From Dreams by Louis de Bernieres...

Film Reviews: The Angry Youth, Or Testament To Carol

By BRUCE DENNILL The Angry Birds Movie / Directed by Fergal Reilly & Clay Kaytis / PG 7 Testament Of Youth / Directed by James Kent / PG ...

Book Reviews: Guide To Guptas, Or Mavericks And Revolutions

By MARION HOFMEYR, Guide To Birds Of The Kruger National Park by Warwick Tarboton & Peter Ryan 7 Revolution by Russell...

Book Reviews: The Way Of The Lion, Or Dictator’s Dictionary

By BRUCE DENNILL, NIGEL WILLIS Green Lion by Henrietta Rose-Innes 6 The Way I...

Music Reviews: Overflow In Love, Or The Magic Showman

By BRUCE DENNILL Dr Victor: I Believe In Love ...

Book Reviews: Eyes In The Park, Or Van Gogh’s Toy-Boy

By BRUCE DENNILL, ROB HOFMEYR & DRIES BRUNT Eyes In The Night by Nomavenda Mathiane 7 The Park by Gail Schimmel ...

Book Reviews: Life In Colour, Or Bordering On Safe

By ROB HOFMEYR & DRIES BRUNT Colour Bar by Susan Williams ...

Music Reviews: Vertical Arcs, Or Wow Africa

By BRUCE DENNILL Vertical Church Band – Church Songs 6 The Arcs: Yours, Dreamily ...

Book Reviews: Darwin’s Breakfast, Or Marketing The Borgias’ Red Kids

By ROB HOFMEYR, DRIES BRUNT, BRUCE DENNILL Darwin’s Hunch by Christa Kuljian 9 Red Earth by...

Film Reviews: Grandma’s Intern Goes Missing

By BRUCE DENNILL The Intern / Directed by Nancy Meyers / PGL 7.5 Grandma / Directed by Paul Weitz / 16L 7 The Jakes Are Missing / Directed by Bianca Isaac / PG 5 A serious, earnest,...

Music Reviews: Tremors On The Moon, Or Thank You For The Night

By BRUCE DENNILL Sohn: Tremors 4 James Blunt: Moon Landing...

Music Reviews: Natives Of Venezuela, Or Talented Ducks

By BRUCE DENNILL Night Natives: Night Natives ...

Film Reviews: Children, Creativity And Communication

By BRUCE DENNILL Justice League: Cosmic Clash (PG) 7.5 Open Season: Scared Silly (A) …

Book Reviews: Forgotten And Abandoned, But It’s Not All Curtains

By BRUCE DENNILL Forgotten Heritage by Matthew Emmett 5.5 Abandoned Asylums by Matt Van der Velde 6.5 After The Final Curtain by Matt Lambros …

Book Reviews: Space For A Leader, Or Mamushka’s One Job

By BRUCE DENNILL Mamushka by Olia Hercules …

Book Reviews: Echo Of Life, Or Fight To Kill

By ROB HOFMEYR & DRIES BRUNT Double Echo by Francois Bloemhof 6 I Ran For My Life by Kabelo Mabalane …

Book Reviews: Let’s Read, Unashamed & Relationships Between Students And Spies

By BRUCE DENNILL, ROB HOFMEYR, DRIES BRUNT The Shark In The Dark by Peter Bently and Ben Cort / Marcello Mouse And The Masked Ball by Julie Monks / Monsters: An Owner’s Guide by Jonathan Emmett & Mark Oliver / A Squash…