Down Second Avenue

Rating:
Summary: Down Second Avenue
Review: Before the dawning of the next Millenium, every discerning reader should have read this classic, by pre-eminent author Es'kia Mphahlele. In his true-life drama, Mphahlele chronicles the life of a young Black man growing up in South Africa. From the onset, he takes his readers through the layers of his multi-dimensional life. In the spirit of Jean Toomer, the grace and sophistication of Nelson Mandela and the furor of Toni Morisson, Mphahlele offers no apologies about all that has unfolded in his midst. He celebrates women, challenges racism without showing bitterness. Like no other Black author, he is not ashamed to showcase his tenderness. All in all, he propels us forward and with Alice Walker's caution, and Sindiwe Magona's humour he clarifies the philosophy connectednism.He takes his readers from his rural roots of Pietersburg, to the lights and bustle of Johannesburg, and finally settles them on the rumbles and tranquils of West Africa. What is prominent throughout Second Avenue is his refusal to take no for an answer. Down Second Avenue is a magnifying glass that portrays a lifetime that is more refreshing than Vivaldi's concerto. He comes across-subtly so-as more of an uncolonized African who is not afraid to paint an elegant watercolour of his stumbles, fumbles, falls and moving ons. In my opinion, he is one of the the 5 best novelists of the 20th century.