Subtly flawed but ultimately very satisfying, 16 Aug 2003
This story is sexy, funny and in the end, quite touching. The characters stay with you long after you have finished, even the minor ones (especially Camilla and Arnie), and at the finale you are left with a sensation of lingering sadness that you cannot precisely define. This was my second read; I first read it five years ago and do not remember this sensation, so I suspect that the older you are, the more Trapido's evocative descriptions of aging and the passage of time (innocence to experience, children to adults, naivete to jadedness) resonate.

The book employs a strangely old-fashioned form of third-person point-of-view swapping in which the reader is given access to alternative perspectives in the same section, sometimes even having to deal with a switch in the same paragraph. For some reason, though, these shifts are handled well and it gives a pleasing sensation of omniscience without sacrificing any intimacy.

This book would have received the full five stars were it not for the dialogue. I have no idea what the editors were doing when they allowed Trapido to get away with such amateurish punctuation, most especially comma omission in direct address: e.g. "Mrs Bobrow what services do you neighbours render you...?" And at times characters, especially Ali, spout forth long, intricate and humourous speeches that no human being would ever be able to utter spontaneously. Nevertheless, if you overlook these minor flaws, the book is well worth a read.

Great characterizations; out of the ordinary situations, 24 Oct 2000
As in her other books, Barbara Trapido does not take the usual route, and her characters find themselves in situations with resolutions that are far from the expected. Furthermore, her characters are human, humane, and flawed, and their predicaments unfold unpredictably. There are presently only 2 of Trapido's books available in the US, so I was glad to make the discovery that I could order her other titles through AmazonUK.

Subtly flawed but ultimately very satisfying, 16 Aug 2003
This story is sexy, funny and in the end, quite touching. The characters stay with you long after you have finished, even the minor ones (especially Camilla and Arnie), and at the finale you are left with a sensation of lingering sadness that you cannot precisely define. This was my second read; I first read it five years ago and do not remember this sensation, so I suspect that the older you are, the more Trapido's evocative descriptions of aging and the passage of time (innocence to experience, children to adults, naivete to jadedness) resonate.

The book employs a strangely old-fashioned form of third-person point-of-view swapping in which the reader is given access to alternative perspectives in the same section, sometimes even having to deal with a switch in the same paragraph. For some reason, though, these shifts are handled well and it gives a pleasing sensation of omniscience without sacrificing any intimacy.

This book would have received the full five stars were it not for the dialogue. I have no idea what the editors were doing when they allowed Trapido to get away with such amateurish punctuation, most especially comma omission in direct address: e.g. "Mrs Bobrow what services do you neighbours render you...?" And at times characters, especially Ali, spout forth long, intricate and humourous speeches that no human being would ever be able to utter spontaneously. Nevertheless, if you overlook these minor flaws, the book is well worth a read.

Great characterizations; out of the ordinary situations, 24 Oct 2000
As in her other books, Barbara Trapido does not take the usual route, and her characters find themselves in situations with resolutions that are far from the expected. Furthermore, her characters are human, humane, and flawed, and their predicaments unfold unpredictably. There are presently only 2 of Trapido's books available in the US, so I was glad to make the discovery that I could order her other titles through AmazonUK.

If u wanna know something about South Africa, read this...!, 13 Jul 2006
This was exctly the right book for me! It's about Dinah, a girl growing up in South Africa in the 50s. A perfect mixture of Dinah's personal history and the history of South Africa of the time (with apartheid and everything).

As for the titel Frankie & Stankie: It really is pretty random. It refers to a Italien song that Dinah missunderstood in her childhood. Can it get more random? Or maybe there is a point. Dinah thought that the song was about two clowns named Frankie and Stankie. Life is funny, life is random. That might be something. At least it suits the atmosphere of the book.

I really liked this book! And I dare say I learned something too. If u wanna read about South Africa, choose this book, and not People Like Ourselves by Pamela Jooste.

Doris Lessing with jokes!, 21 May 2006
Like the first couple of books in the 'Martha Quest' 'Children of Violence' series, this book covers the childhood, adolescence and early womanhood of a white girl growing up in the era of apartheid (Trapido's South Africa for Lessing's as it then was 'Rhodesia')

Both books explore the awful waste of humanity and human potential which apartheid brought - and how it crushed and stultified its proponents, even those who championed and upheld its tenets - as well as its devastating effect on the non-white population.

Both books also explore what it means to be a girl child, and to grow into womanhood in that community, and at that time, before feminist ideas had become more mainstream.

Lessing is much darker, mythic and visceral, whereas Trapido's wit, inventiveness and almost Dorothy Parker like acidity turns the same mixture into something much funnier - though equally as heartfelt, serious and truthful. She captures brilliantly the power and pleasure of schoolgirl friendships.

And i admired her ability to instruct in some of the complications of South African politics of the era without falling into the trap of 'delivering lectures' or using clumsy devices to give her readers a historical perspective - you know the sort of devices where one character will instruct or lecture to another character some crucial pieces of infomation, and you know this is only there because you, the reader, may not know the information and the writer needs YOU, not the other character, to know this!

In fact, Trapido did this all so well that I really can't remember exactly how she managed it - which means it worked splendidly and seamlessly!

Best yet, 08 Sep 2005
Over the years, I have read most of Barbara Trapido's books and for me, Frankie and Stankie is the best yet. (Though I didn't like the title.)

Only one niggle: Trapido writes that Dinah will meet Sam's father sooner than expected...but she doesn't seem to do so.

That aside, I thought the book was brilliant and I learnt a lot about South Africa while reading it. I would even compare it with reading some of the Children of Violence sequence of novels by Doris Lessing.

Factual but heavy going, 08 Aug 2005
Usually a fan of easy going books I did find this book quite hard to keep up with. The style is very factual with little emotional description hence I did not get to know the characters as I would normally. The politics were quite difficult to understand and I suspect I probably missed certain aspects. Not a book that is hard to put down but an interesting read all the same.

Keyne Readers enjoyed this very much, 05 Jul 2005
Our reading group were generally enthusiastic about Frankie and Stankie, and most of us had enjoyed reading it. Comments like 'really lovely' 'entertaining' and 'so witty' flew about the room as we settled into a more detailed discussion. There was consensus that the terrifically dry style and the humour in the story, the pace at which it moved, and the subtle interweaving of stories made this a book was liked. The way it managed to entwine the entertaining and witty vignettes of family life with the more serious issues around the political changes taking place was cleverly done, although one of us would have liked to have had more emphasis on the political. Some of us though weren't keen on the way it meandered about without more structure and plot, and sometimes found that there were too many names and characters being introduced making it hard to keep track of what was happening to whom.

We thought that the title, the picture and descriptions on the cover were misleading, suggesting that the book was about Dinah and Lisa, whereas although Lisa figured strongly at the beginning, it was clearly Dinah's story. The way in which some characters fizzled out as the story progressed we found irritating too, as we wanted to know what happened to their lives too. But realised that this was in some ways realistic as seen from Dinah's point of view, and as we grow up the importance of different people in our lives - both family and friends -changes. The ending too was disappointing. We felt it would have ended better at the moment Dinah left South Africa, and that the 'Afterword' didn't sit comfortably with the rest of the book.

Even though few of us knew much detail of the history of events in South Africa, the story easily carried you along informing and explaining on the way. We felt the child's view of changes in South Africa created a wonderful understatement of big events, which was very effective in putting across the context of the story. It was an interesting account of living as a child and teenager in South Africa during the 50's and 60s, and some of us identified with the childhood experiences Barbara Trapido describes, which seemed to resonate with growing up in 50's England

Subtly flawed but ultimately very satisfying, 16 Aug 2003
This story is sexy, funny and in the end, quite touching. The characters stay with you long after you have finished, even the minor ones (especially Camilla and Arnie), and at the finale you are left with a sensation of lingering sadness that you cannot precisely define. This was my second read; I first read it five years ago and do not remember this sensation, so I suspect that the older you are, the more Trapido's evocative descriptions of aging and the passage of time (innocence to experience, children to adults, naivete to jadedness) resonate.

The book employs a strangely old-fashioned form of third-person point-of-view swapping in which the reader is given access to alternative perspectives in the same section, sometimes even having to deal with a switch in the same paragraph. For some reason, though, these shifts are handled well and it gives a pleasing sensation of omniscience without sacrificing any intimacy.

This book would have received the full five stars were it not for the dialogue. I have no idea what the editors were doing when they allowed Trapido to get away with such amateurish punctuation, most especially comma omission in direct address: e.g. "Mrs Bobrow what services do you neighbours render you...?" And at times characters, especially Ali, spout forth long, intricate and humourous speeches that no human being would ever be able to utter spontaneously. Nevertheless, if you overlook these minor flaws, the book is well worth a read.

Great characterizations; out of the ordinary situations, 24 Oct 2000
As in her other books, Barbara Trapido does not take the usual route, and her characters find themselves in situations with resolutions that are far from the expected. Furthermore, her characters are human, humane, and flawed, and their predicaments unfold unpredictably. There are presently only 2 of Trapido's books available in the US, so I was glad to make the discovery that I could order her other titles through AmazonUK.

If u wanna know something about South Africa, read this...!, 13 Jul 2006
This was exctly the right book for me! It's about Dinah, a girl growing up in South Africa in the 50s. A perfect mixture of Dinah's personal history and the history of South Africa of the time (with apartheid and everything).

As for the titel Frankie & Stankie: It really is pretty random. It refers to a Italien song that Dinah missunderstood in her childhood. Can it get more random? Or maybe there is a point. Dinah thought that the song was about two clowns named Frankie and Stankie. Life is funny, life is random. That might be something. At least it suits the atmosphere of the book.

I really liked this book! And I dare say I learned something too. If u wanna read about South Africa, choose this book, and not People Like Ourselves by Pamela Jooste.

Doris Lessing with jokes!, 21 May 2006
Like the first couple of books in the 'Martha Quest' 'Children of Violence' series, this book covers the childhood, adolescence and early womanhood of a white girl growing up in the era of apartheid (Trapido's South Africa for Lessing's as it then was 'Rhodesia')

Both books explore the awful waste of humanity and human potential which apartheid brought - and how it crushed and stultified its proponents, even those who championed and upheld its tenets - as well as its devastating effect on the non-white population.

Both books also explore what it means to be a girl child, and to grow into womanhood in that community, and at that time, before feminist ideas had become more mainstream.

Lessing is much darker, mythic and visceral, whereas Trapido's wit, inventiveness and almost Dorothy Parker like acidity turns the same mixture into something much funnier - though equally as heartfelt, serious and truthful. She captures brilliantly the power and pleasure of schoolgirl friendships.

And i admired her ability to instruct in some of the complications of South African politics of the era without falling into the trap of 'delivering lectures' or using clumsy devices to give her readers a historical perspective - you know the sort of devices where one character will instruct or lecture to another character some crucial pieces of infomation, and you know this is only there because you, the reader, may not know the information and the writer needs YOU, not the other character, to know this!

In fact, Trapido did this all so well that I really can't remember exactly how she managed it - which means it worked splendidly and seamlessly!

Best yet, 08 Sep 2005
Over the years, I have read most of Barbara Trapido's books and for me, Frankie and Stankie is the best yet. (Though I didn't like the title.)

Only one niggle: Trapido writes that Dinah will meet Sam's father sooner than expected...but she doesn't seem to do so.

That aside, I thought the book was brilliant and I learnt a lot about South Africa while reading it. I would even compare it with reading some of the Children of Violence sequence of novels by Doris Lessing.

Factual but heavy going, 08 Aug 2005
Usually a fan of easy going books I did find this book quite hard to keep up with. The style is very factual with little emotional description hence I did not get to know the characters as I would normally. The politics were quite difficult to understand and I suspect I probably missed certain aspects. Not a book that is hard to put down but an interesting read all the same.

Keyne Readers enjoyed this very much, 05 Jul 2005
Our reading group were generally enthusiastic about Frankie and Stankie, and most of us had enjoyed reading it. Comments like 'really lovely' 'entertaining' and 'so witty' flew about the room as we settled into a more detailed discussion. There was consensus that the terrifically dry style and the humour in the story, the pace at which it moved, and the subtle interweaving of stories made this a book was liked. The way it managed to entwine the entertaining and witty vignettes of family life with the more serious issues around the political changes taking place was cleverly done, although one of us would have liked to have had more emphasis on the political. Some of us though weren't keen on the way it meandered about without more structure and plot, and sometimes found that there were too many names and characters being introduced making it hard to keep track of what was happening to whom.

We thought that the title, the picture and descriptions on the cover were misleading, suggesting that the book was about Dinah and Lisa, whereas although Lisa figured strongly at the beginning, it was clearly Dinah's story. The way in which some characters fizzled out as the story progressed we found irritating too, as we wanted to know what happened to their lives too. But realised that this was in some ways realistic as seen from Dinah's point of view, and as we grow up the importance of different people in our lives - both family and friends -changes. The ending too was disappointing. We felt it would have ended better at the moment Dinah left South Africa, and that the 'Afterword' didn't sit comfortably with the rest of the book.

Even though few of us knew much detail of the history of events in South Africa, the story easily carried you along informing and explaining on the way. We felt the child's view of changes in South Africa created a wonderful understatement of big events, which was very effective in putting across the context of the story. It was an interesting account of living as a child and teenager in South Africa during the 50's and 60s, and some of us identified with the childhood experiences Barbara Trapido describes, which seemed to resonate with growing up in 50's England

One of my favourite books, 03 Dec 2007
Gorgeous - funny, engaging and also genuinely moving. I've read this dozens of times, and can't start it without finishing it. There are two places in the book where I am guaranteed to cry, and the paper has started to go a bit soggy.

Life-affirming.

Worth reading if you enjoy Jane Austen and/or Clare Chambers, 09 Nov 2007
A great book, one I return to every few years. Katherine is an endearingly off-centre narrator. The novel is about her shaky coming of age. Her honesty and self-awareness make you pull for her and the bright, engaging characters she meets during this time keep the reader entertained and amused. If you enjoy this I would also recommend Clare Chamber's Learning To Swim,In a Good Light and The Editor's Wife.

As to the suggestion that the novel is a sell out with a happy ending...., 16 Dec 2006
What I enjoy about Barbara Trapido, and this applies to all the subsequent novels, is that they largely tell the tale of the characters at different points in their lives. The travelling hornplayer goes on to describe the life of Katie and Johnathan past the end of Brother of a more famous Jack. In this way it is very satisfying, I found BOTMFJ leaving me wanting to know more and in its sequel the marriage is found to be flawed and plagued by infidelity. Likewise, I found it entertaining that the mouthy Chris of 'Juggling' makes an unlikely pairing with Roland (her mothers former lover) and the marriage is referred to in Hornplayer. I love this about her writing as not only do you get extra information about my favourite characters but get to see it as a sideline in the narration of others lives. I found myself constantly interchanging between the novels to remind myself of the relationship between the characters and how over the course of things, they all become involved with each other, in one way or another. If you buy BOTMFJ, you must buy all the rest as I feel that this demonstrates, that despite a book ending, the characters lives do not finish also.

Sharp, funny, moving, 05 Sep 2006
I love both this book and its sequel, The Travelling Horn Player. Katherine is an endearingly off-centre narrator. This novel is really about her shaky coming of age. Her honesty and self-awareness make you pull for her and the bright, engaging characters she meets during this time (especially the glittering Goldman family) keep the reader entertained and amused. Her experiences are often painful but they, and her responses to them, ring true. The Jonathan, as he is towards the end of this novel, is one of the sexiest men in fiction - although he loses it somewhat by the time he appears in TTHP.

One of my favourites, 10 Aug 2006
I first read this book about 15 years ago- I loved it then and loved it over the years when ever I have reread it. It feels to me to be about second chances and real relationships- knowing the faults of others but being able to love them anyway. I have gone on to read all of Trapido's books and this is still my favourite. They are all a challenge and demand a certain cultural knowledge but I have found all her writing very warm and not at all pretentious.

Subtly flawed but ultimately very satisfying, 16 Aug 2003
This story is sexy, funny and in the end, quite touching. The characters stay with you long after you have finished, even the minor ones (especially Camilla and Arnie), and at the finale you are left with a sensation of lingering sadness that you cannot precisely define. This was my second read; I first read it five years ago and do not remember this sensation, so I suspect that the older you are, the more Trapido's evocative descriptions of aging and the passage of time (innocence to experience, children to adults, naivete to jadedness) resonate.

The book employs a strangely old-fashioned form of third-person point-of-view swapping in which the reader is given access to alternative perspectives in the same section, sometimes even having to deal with a switch in the same paragraph. For some reason, though, these shifts are handled well and it gives a pleasing sensation of omniscience without sacrificing any intimacy.

This book would have received the full five stars were it not for the dialogue. I have no idea what the editors were doing when they allowed Trapido to get away with such amateurish punctuation, most especially comma omission in direct address: e.g. "Mrs Bobrow what services do you neighbours render you...?" And at times characters, especially Ali, spout forth long, intricate and humourous speeches that no human being would ever be able to utter spontaneously. Nevertheless, if you overlook these minor flaws, the book is well worth a read.

Great characterizations; out of the ordinary situations, 24 Oct 2000
As in her other books, Barbara Trapido does not take the usual route, and her characters find themselves in situations with resolutions that are far from the expected. Furthermore, her characters are human, humane, and flawed, and their predicaments unfold unpredictably. There are presently only 2 of Trapido's books available in the US, so I was glad to make the discovery that I could order her other titles through AmazonUK.

If u wanna know something about South Africa, read this...!, 13 Jul 2006
This was exctly the right book for me! It's about Dinah, a girl growing up in South Africa in the 50s. A perfect mixture of Dinah's personal history and the history of South Africa of the time (with apartheid and everything).

As for the titel Frankie & Stankie: It really is pretty random. It refers to a Italien song that Dinah missunderstood in her childhood. Can it get more random? Or maybe there is a point. Dinah thought that the song was about two clowns named Frankie and Stankie. Life is funny, life is random. That might be something. At least it suits the atmosphere of the book.

I really liked this book! And I dare say I learned something too. If u wanna read about South Africa, choose this book, and not People Like Ourselves by Pamela Jooste.

Doris Lessing with jokes!, 21 May 2006
Like the first couple of books in the 'Martha Quest' 'Children of Violence' series, this book covers the childhood, adolescence and early womanhood of a white girl growing up in the era of apartheid (Trapido's South Africa for Lessing's as it then was 'Rhodesia')

Both books explore the awful waste of humanity and human potential which apartheid brought - and how it crushed and stultified its proponents, even those who championed and upheld its tenets - as well as its devastating effect on the non-white population.

Both books also explore what it means to be a girl child, and to grow into womanhood in that community, and at that time, before feminist ideas had become more mainstream.

Lessing is much darker, mythic and visceral, whereas Trapido's wit, inventiveness and almost Dorothy Parker like acidity turns the same mixture into something much funnier - though equally as heartfelt, serious and truthful. She captures brilliantly the power and pleasure of schoolgirl friendships.

And i admired her ability to instruct in some of the complications of South African politics of the era without falling into the trap of 'delivering lectures' or using clumsy devices to give her readers a historical perspective - you know the sort of devices where one character will instruct or lecture to another character some crucial pieces of infomation, and you know this is only there because you, the reader, may not know the information and the writer needs YOU, not the other character, to know this!

In fact, Trapido did this all so well that I really can't remember exactly how she managed it - which means it worked splendidly and seamlessly!

Best yet, 08 Sep 2005
Over the years, I have read most of Barbara Trapido's books and for me, Frankie and Stankie is the best yet. (Though I didn't like the title.)

Only one niggle: Trapido writes that Dinah will meet Sam's father sooner than expected...but she doesn't seem to do so.

That aside, I thought the book was brilliant and I learnt a lot about South Africa while reading it. I would even compare it with reading some of the Children of Violence sequence of novels by Doris Lessing.

Factual but heavy going, 08 Aug 2005
Usually a fan of easy going books I did find this book quite hard to keep up with. The style is very factual with little emotional description hence I did not get to know the characters as I would normally. The politics were quite difficult to understand and I suspect I probably missed certain aspects. Not a book that is hard to put down but an interesting read all the same.

Keyne Readers enjoyed this very much, 05 Jul 2005
Our reading group were generally enthusiastic about Frankie and Stankie, and most of us had enjoyed reading it. Comments like 'really lovely' 'entertaining' and 'so witty' flew about the room as we settled into a more detailed discussion. There was consensus that the terrifically dry style and the humour in the story, the pace at which it moved, and the subtle interweaving of stories made this a book was liked. The way it managed to entwine the entertaining and witty vignettes of family life with the more serious issues around the political changes taking place was cleverly done, although one of us would have liked to have had more emphasis on the political. Some of us though weren't keen on the way it meandered about without more structure and plot, and sometimes found that there were too many names and characters being introduced making it hard to keep track of what was happening to whom.

We thought that the title, the picture and descriptions on the cover were misleading, suggesting that the book was about Dinah and Lisa, whereas although Lisa figured strongly at the beginning, it was clearly Dinah's story. The way in which some characters fizzled out as the story progressed we found irritating too, as we wanted to know what happened to their lives too. But realised that this was in some ways realistic as seen from Dinah's point of view, and as we grow up the importance of different people in our lives - both family and friends -changes. The ending too was disappointing. We felt it would have ended better at the moment Dinah left South Africa, and that the 'Afterword' didn't sit comfortably with the rest of the book.

Even though few of us knew much detail of the history of events in South Africa, the story easily carried you along informing and explaining on the way. We felt the child's view of changes in South Africa created a wonderful understatement of big events, which was very effective in putting across the context of the story. It was an interesting account of living as a child and teenager in South Africa during the 50's and 60s, and some of us identified with the childhood experiences Barbara Trapido describes, which seemed to resonate with growing up in 50's England

One of my favourite books, 03 Dec 2007
Gorgeous - funny, engaging and also genuinely moving. I've read this dozens of times, and can't start it without finishing it. There are two places in the book where I am guaranteed to cry, and the paper has started to go a bit soggy.

Life-affirming.

Worth reading if you enjoy Jane Austen and/or Clare Chambers, 09 Nov 2007
A great book, one I return to every few years. Katherine is an endearingly off-centre narrator. The novel is about her shaky coming of age. Her honesty and self-awareness make you pull for her and the bright, engaging characters she meets during this time keep the reader entertained and amused. If you enjoy this I would also recommend Clare Chamber's Learning To Swim,In a Good Light and The Editor's Wife.

As to the suggestion that the novel is a sell out with a happy ending...., 16 Dec 2006
What I enjoy about Barbara Trapido, and this applies to all the subsequent novels, is that they largely tell the tale of the characters at different points in their lives. The travelling hornplayer goes on to describe the life of Katie and Johnathan past the end of Brother of a more famous Jack. In this way it is very satisfying, I found BOTMFJ leaving me wanting to know more and in its sequel the marriage is found to be flawed and plagued by infidelity. Likewise, I found it entertaining that the mouthy Chris of 'Juggling' makes an unlikely pairing with Roland (her mothers former lover) and the marriage is referred to in Hornplayer. I love this about her writing as not only do you get extra information about my favourite characters but get to see it as a sideline in the narration of others lives. I found myself constantly interchanging between the novels to remind myself of the relationship between the characters and how over the course of things, they all become involved with each other, in one way or another. If you buy BOTMFJ, you must buy all the rest as I feel that this demonstrates, that despite a book ending, the characters lives do not finish also.

Sharp, funny, moving, 05 Sep 2006
I love both this book and its sequel, The Travelling Horn Player. Katherine is an endearingly off-centre narrator. This novel is really about her shaky coming of age. Her honesty and self-awareness make you pull for her and the bright, engaging characters she meets during this time (especially the glittering Goldman family) keep the reader entertained and amused. Her experiences are often painful but they, and her responses to them, ring true. The Jonathan, as he is towards the end of this novel, is one of the sexiest men in fiction - although he loses it somewhat by the time he appears in TTHP.

One of my favourites, 10 Aug 2006
I first read this book about 15 years ago- I loved it then and loved it over the years when ever I have reread it. It feels to me to be about second chances and real relationships- knowing the faults of others but being able to love them anyway. I have gone on to read all of Trapido's books and this is still my favourite. They are all a challenge and demand a certain cultural knowledge but I have found all her writing very warm and not at all pretentious.

If u wanna know something about South Africa, read this...!, 13 Jul 2006
This was exctly the right book for me! It's about Dinah, a girl growing up in South Africa in the 50s. A perfect mixture of Dinah's personal history and the history of South Africa of the time (with apartheid and everything).

As for the titel Frankie & Stankie: It really is pretty random. It refers to a Italien song that Dinah missunderstood in her childhood. Can it get more random? Or maybe there is a point. Dinah thought that the song was about two clowns named Frankie and Stankie. Life is funny, life is random. That might be something. At least it suits the atmosphere of the book.

I really liked this book! And I dare say I learned something too. If u wanna read about South Africa, choose this book, and not People Like Ourselves by Pamela Jooste.

Doris Lessing with jokes!, 21 May 2006
Like the first couple of books in the 'Martha Quest' 'Children of Violence' series, this book covers the childhood, adolescence and early womanhood of a white girl growing up in the era of apartheid (Trapido's South Africa for Lessing's as it then was 'Rhodesia')

Both books explore the awful waste of humanity and human potential which apartheid brought - and how it crushed and stultified its proponents, even those who championed and upheld its tenets - as well as its devastating effect on the non-white population.

Both books also explore what it means to be a girl child, and to grow into womanhood in that community, and at that time, before feminist ideas had become more mainstream.

Lessing is much darker, mythic and visceral, whereas Trapido's wit, inventiveness and almost Dorothy Parker like acidity turns the same mixture into something much funnier - though equally as heartfelt, serious and truthful. She captures brilliantly the power and pleasure of schoolgirl friendships.

And i admired her ability to instruct in some of the complications of South African politics of the era without falling into the trap of 'delivering lectures' or using clumsy devices to give her readers a historical perspective - you know the sort of devices where one character will instruct or lecture to another character some crucial pieces of infomation, and you know this is only there because you, the reader, may not know the information and the writer needs YOU, not the other character, to know this!

In fact, Trapido did this all so well that I really can't remember exactly how she managed it - which means it worked splendidly and seamlessly!

Best yet, 08 Sep 2005
Over the years, I have read most of Barbara Trapido's books and for me, Frankie and Stankie is the best yet. (Though I didn't like the title.)

Only one niggle: Trapido writes that Dinah will meet Sam's father sooner than expected...but she doesn't seem to do so.

That aside, I thought the book was brilliant and I learnt a lot about South Africa while reading it. I would even compare it with reading some of the Children of Violence sequence of novels by Doris Lessing.

Factual but heavy going, 08 Aug 2005
Usually a fan of easy going books I did find this book quite hard to keep up with. The style is very factual with little emotional description hence I did not get to know the characters as I would normally. The politics were quite difficult to understand and I suspect I probably missed certain aspects. Not a book that is hard to put down but an interesting read all the same.

Keyne Readers enjoyed this very much, 05 Jul 2005
Our reading group were generally enthusiastic about Frankie and Stankie, and most of us had enjoyed reading it. Comments like 'really lovely' 'entertaining' and 'so witty' flew about the room as we settled into a more detailed discussion. There was consensus that the terrifically dry style and the humour in the story, the pace at which it moved, and the subtle interweaving of stories made this a book was liked. The way it managed to entwine the entertaining and witty vignettes of family life with the more serious issues around the political changes taking place was cleverly done, although one of us would have liked to have had more emphasis on the political. Some of us though weren't keen on the way it meandered about without more structure and plot, and sometimes found that there were too many names and characters being introduced making it hard to keep track of what was happening to whom.

We thought that the title, the picture and descriptions on the cover were misleading, suggesting that the book was about Dinah and Lisa, whereas although Lisa figured strongly at the beginning, it was clearly Dinah's story. The way in which some characters fizzled out as the story progressed we found irritating too, as we wanted to know what happened to their lives too. But realised that this was in some ways realistic as seen from Dinah's point of view, and as we grow up the importance of different people in our lives - both family and friends -changes. The ending too was disappointing. We felt it would have ended better at the moment Dinah left South Africa, and that the 'Afterword' didn't sit comfortably with the rest of the book.

Even though few of us knew much detail of the history of events in South Africa, the story easily carried you along informing and explaining on the way. We felt the child's view of changes in South Africa created a wonderful understatement of big events, which was very effective in putting across the context of the story. It was an interesting account of living as a child and teenager in South Africa during the 50's and 60s, and some of us identified with the childhood experiences Barbara Trapido describes, which seemed to resonate with growing up in 50's England

Subtly flawed but ultimately very satisfying, 16 Aug 2003
This story is sexy, funny and in the end, quite touching. The characters stay with you long after you have finished, even the minor ones (especially Camilla and Arnie), and at the finale you are left with a sensation of lingering sadness that you cannot precisely define. This was my second read; I first read it five years ago and do not remember this sensation, so I suspect that the older you are, the more Trapido's evocative descriptions of aging and the passage of time (innocence to experience, children to adults, naivete to jadedness) resonate.

The book employs a strangely old-fashioned form of third-person point-of-view swapping in which the reader is given access to alternative perspectives in the same section, sometimes even having to deal with a switch in the same paragraph. For some reason, though, these shifts are handled well and it gives a pleasing sensation of omniscience without sacrificing any intimacy.

This book would have received the full five stars were it not for the dialogue. I have no idea what the editors were doing when they allowed Trapido to get away with such amateurish punctuation, most especially comma omission in direct address: e.g. "Mrs Bobrow what services do you neighbours render you...?" And at times characters, especially Ali, spout forth long, intricate and humourous speeches that no human being would ever be able to utter spontaneously. Nevertheless, if you overlook these minor flaws, the book is well worth a read.

Great characterizations; out of the ordinary situations, 24 Oct 2000
As in her other books, Barbara Trapido does not take the usual route, and her characters find themselves in situations with resolutions that are far from the expected. Furthermore, her characters are human, humane, and flawed, and their predicaments unfold unpredictably. There are presently only 2 of Trapido's books available in the US, so I was glad to make the discovery that I could order her other titles through AmazonUK.

If u wanna know something about South Africa, read this...!, 13 Jul 2006
This was exctly the right book for me! It's about Dinah, a girl growing up in South Africa in the 50s. A perfect mixture of Dinah's personal history and the history of South Africa of the time (with apartheid and everything).

As for the titel Frankie & Stankie: It really is pretty random. It refers to a Italien song that Dinah missunderstood in her childhood. Can it get more random? Or maybe there is a point. Dinah thought that the song was about two clowns named Frankie and Stankie. Life is funny, life is random. That might be something. At least it suits the atmosphere of the book.

I really liked this book! And I dare say I learned something too. If u wanna read about South Africa, choose this book, and not People Like Ourselves by Pamela Jooste.

Doris Lessing with jokes!, 21 May 2006
Like the first couple of books in the 'Martha Quest' 'Children of Violence' series, this book covers the childhood, adolescence and early womanhood of a white girl growing up in the era of apartheid (Trapido's South Africa for Lessing's as it then was 'Rhodesia')

Both books explore the awful waste of humanity and human potential which apartheid brought - and how it crushed and stultified its proponents, even those who championed and upheld its tenets - as well as its devastating effect on the non-white population.

Both books also explore what it means to be a girl child, and to grow into womanhood in that community, and at that time, before feminist ideas had become more mainstream.

Lessing is much darker, mythic and visceral, whereas Trapido's wit, inventiveness and almost Dorothy Parker like acidity turns the same mixture into something much funnier - though equally as heartfelt, serious and truthful. She captures brilliantly the power and pleasure of schoolgirl friendships.

And i admired her ability to instruct in some of the complications of South African politics of the era without falling into the trap of 'delivering lectures' or using clumsy devices to give her readers a historical perspective - you know the sort of devices where one character will instruct or lecture to another character some crucial pieces of infomation, and you know this is only there because you, the reader, may not know the information and the writer needs YOU, not the other character, to know this!

In fact, Trapido did this all so well that I really can't remember exactly how she managed it - which means it worked splendidly and seamlessly!

Best yet, 08 Sep 2005
Over the years, I have read most of Barbara Trapido's books and for me, Frankie and Stankie is the best yet. (Though I didn't like the title.)

Only one niggle: Trapido writes that Dinah will meet Sam's father sooner than expected...but she doesn't seem to do so.

That aside, I thought the book was brilliant and I learnt a lot about South Africa while reading it. I would even compare it with reading some of the Children of Violence sequence of novels by Doris Lessing.

Factual but heavy going, 08 Aug 2005
Usually a fan of easy going books I did find this book quite hard to keep up with. The style is very factual with little emotional description hence I did not get to know the characters as I would normally. The politics were quite difficult to understand and I suspect I probably missed certain aspects. Not a book that is hard to put down but an interesting read all the same.

Keyne Readers enjoyed this very much, 05 Jul 2005
Our reading group were generally enthusiastic about Frankie and Stankie, and most of us had enjoyed reading it. Comments like 'really lovely' 'entertaining' and 'so witty' flew about the room as we settled into a more detailed discussion. There was consensus that the terrifically dry style and the humour in the story, the pace at which it moved, and the subtle interweaving of stories made this a book was liked. The way it managed to entwine the entertaining and witty vignettes of family life with the more serious issues around the political changes taking place was cleverly done, although one of us would have liked to have had more emphasis on the political. Some of us though weren't keen on the way it meandered about without more structure and plot, and sometimes found that there were too many names and characters being introduced making it hard to keep track of what was happening to whom.

We thought that the title, the picture and descriptions on the cover were misleading, suggesting that the book was about Dinah and Lisa, whereas although Lisa figured strongly at the beginning, it was clearly Dinah's story. The way in which some characters fizzled out as the story progressed we found irritating too, as we wanted to know what happened to their lives too. But realised that this was in some ways realistic as seen from Dinah's point of view, and as we grow up the importance of different people in our lives - both family and friends -changes. The ending too was disappointing. We felt it would have ended better at the moment Dinah left South Africa, and that the 'Afterword' didn't sit comfortably with the rest of the book.

Even though few of us knew much detail of the history of events in South Africa, the story easily carried you along informing and explaining on the way. We felt the child's view of changes in South Africa created a wonderful understatement of big events, which was very effective in putting across the context of the story. It was an interesting account of living as a child and teenager in South Africa during the 50's and 60s, and some of us identified with the childhood experiences Barbara Trapido describes, which seemed to resonate with growing up in 50's England

One of my favourite books, 03 Dec 2007
Gorgeous - funny, engaging and also genuinely moving. I've read this dozens of times, and can't start it without finishing it. There are two places in the book where I am guaranteed to cry, and the paper has started to go a bit soggy.

Life-affirming.

Worth reading if you enjoy Jane Austen and/or Clare Chambers, 09 Nov 2007
A great book, one I return to every few years. Katherine is an endearingly off-centre narrator. The novel is about her shaky coming of age. Her honesty and self-awareness make you pull for her and the bright, engaging characters she meets during this time keep the reader entertained and amused. If you enjoy this I would also recommend Clare Chamber's Learning To Swim,In a Good Light and The Editor's Wife.

As to the suggestion that the novel is a sell out with a happy ending...., 16 Dec 2006
What I enjoy about Barbara Trapido, and this applies to all the subsequent novels, is that they largely tell the tale of the characters at different points in their lives. The travelling hornplayer goes on to describe the life of Katie and Johnathan past the end of Brother of a more famous Jack. In this way it is very satisfying, I found BOTMFJ leaving me wanting to know more and in its sequel the marriage is found to be flawed and plagued by infidelity. Likewise, I found it entertaining that the mouthy Chris of 'Juggling' makes an unlikely pairing with Roland (her mothers former lover) and the marriage is referred to in Hornplayer. I love this about her writing as not only do you get extra information about my favourite characters but get to see it as a sideline in the narration of others lives. I found myself constantly interchanging between the novels to remind myself of the relationship between the characters and how over the course of things, they all become involved with each other, in one way or another. If you buy BOTMFJ, you must buy all the rest as I feel that this demonstrates, that despite a book ending, the characters lives do not finish also.

Sharp, funny, moving, 05 Sep 2006
I love both this book and its sequel, The Travelling Horn Player. Katherine is an endearingly off-centre narrator. This novel is really about her shaky coming of age. Her honesty and self-awareness make you pull for her and the bright, engaging characters she meets during this time (especially the glittering Goldman family) keep the reader entertained and amused. Her experiences are often painful but they, and her responses to them, ring true. The Jonathan, as he is towards the end of this novel, is one of the sexiest men in fiction - although he loses it somewhat by the time he appears in TTHP.

One of my favourites, 10 Aug 2006
I first read this book about 15 years ago- I loved it then and loved it over the years when ever I have reread it. It feels to me to be about second chances and real relationships- knowing the faults of others but being able to love them anyway. I have gone on to read all of Trapido's books and this is still my favourite. They are all a challenge and demand a certain cultural knowledge but I have found all her writing very warm and not at all pretentious.

If u wanna know something about South Africa, read this...!, 13 Jul 2006
This was exctly the right book for me! It's about Dinah, a girl growing up in South Africa in the 50s. A perfect mixture of Dinah's personal history and the history of South Africa of the time (with apartheid and everything).

As for the titel Frankie & Stankie: It really is pretty random. It refers to a Italien song that Dinah missunderstood in her childhood. Can it get more random? Or maybe there is a point. Dinah thought that the song was about two clowns named Frankie and Stankie. Life is funny, life is random. That might be something. At least it suits the atmosphere of the book.

I really liked this book! And I dare say I learned something too. If u wanna read about South Africa, choose this book, and not People Like Ourselves by Pamela Jooste.

Doris Lessing with jokes!, 21 May 2006
Like the first couple of books in the 'Martha Quest' 'Children of Violence' series, this book covers the childhood, adolescence and early womanhood of a white girl growing up in the era of apartheid (Trapido's South Africa for Lessing's as it then was 'Rhodesia')

Both books explore the awful waste of humanity and human potential which apartheid brought - and how it crushed and stultified its proponents, even those who championed and upheld its tenets - as well as its devastating effect on the non-white population.

Both books also explore what it means to be a girl child, and to grow into womanhood in that community, and at that time, before feminist ideas had become more mainstream.

Lessing is much darker, mythic and visceral, whereas Trapido's wit, inventiveness and almost Dorothy Parker like acidity turns the same mixture into something much funnier - though equally as heartfelt, serious and truthful. She captures brilliantly the power and pleasure of schoolgirl friendships.

And i admired her ability to instruct in some of the complications of South African politics of the era without falling into the trap of 'delivering lectures' or using clumsy devices to give her readers a historical perspective - you know the sort of devices where one character will instruct or lecture to another character some crucial pieces of infomation, and you know this is only there because you, the reader, may not know the information and the writer needs YOU, not the other character, to know this!

In fact, Trapido did this all so well that I really can't remember exactly how she managed it - which means it worked splendidly and seamlessly!

Best yet, 08 Sep 2005
Over the years, I have read most of Barbara Trapido's books and for me, Frankie and Stankie is the best yet. (Though I didn't like the title.)

Only one niggle: Trapido writes that Dinah will meet Sam's father sooner than expected...but she doesn't seem to do so.

That aside, I thought the book was brilliant and I learnt a lot about South Africa while reading it. I would even compare it with reading some of the Children of Violence sequence of novels by Doris Lessing.

Factual but heavy going, 08 Aug 2005
Usually a fan of easy going books I did find this book quite hard to keep up with. The style is very factual with little emotional description hence I did not get to know the characters as I would normally. The politics were quite difficult to understand and I suspect I probably missed certain aspects. Not a book that is hard to put down but an interesting read all the same.

Keyne Readers enjoyed this very much, 05 Jul 2005
Our reading group were generally enthusiastic about Frankie and Stankie, and most of us had enjoyed reading it. Comments like 'really lovely' 'entertaining' and 'so witty' flew about the room as we settled into a more detailed discussion. There was consensus that the terrifically dry style and the humour in the story, the pace at which it moved, and the subtle interweaving of stories made this a book was liked. The way it managed to entwine the entertaining and witty vignettes of family life with the more serious issues around the political changes taking place was cleverly done, although one of us would have liked to have had more emphasis on the political. Some of us though weren't keen on the way it meandered about without more structure and plot, and sometimes found that there were too many names and characters being introduced making it hard to keep track of what was happening to whom.

We thought that the title, the picture and descriptions on the cover were misleading, suggesting that the book was about Dinah and Lisa, whereas although Lisa figured strongly at the beginning, it was clearly Dinah's story. The way in which some characters fizzled out as the story progressed we found irritating too, as we wanted to know what happened to their lives too. But realised that this was in some ways realistic as seen from Dinah's point of view, and as we grow up the importance of different people in our lives - both family and friends -changes. The ending too was disappointing. We felt it would have ended better at the moment Dinah left South Africa, and that the 'Afterword' didn't sit comfortably with the rest of the book.

Even though few of us knew much detail of the history of events in South Africa, the story easily carried you along informing and explaining on the way. We felt the child's view of changes in South Africa created a wonderful understatement of big events, which was very effective in putting across the context of the story. It was an interesting account of living as a child and teenager in South Africa during the 50's and 60s, and some of us identified with the childhood experiences Barbara Trapido describes, which seemed to resonate with growing up in 50's England

If u wanna know something about South Africa, read this...!, 13 Jul 2006
This was exctly the right book for me! It's about Dinah, a girl growing up in South Africa in the 50s. A perfect mixture of Dinah's personal history and the history of South Africa of the time (with apartheid and everything).

As for the titel Frankie & Stankie: It really is pretty random. It refers to a Italien song that Dinah missunderstood in her childhood. Can it get more random? Or maybe there is a point. Dinah thought that the song was about two clowns named Frankie and Stankie. Life is funny, life is random. That might be something. At least it suits the atmosphere of the book.

I really liked this book! And I dare say I learned something too. If u wanna read about South Africa, choose this book, and not People Like Ourselves by Pamela Jooste.

Doris Lessing with jokes!, 21 May 2006
Like the first couple of books in the 'Martha Quest' 'Children of Violence' series, this book covers the childhood, adolescence and early womanhood of a white girl growing up in the era of apartheid (Trapido's South Africa for Lessing's as it then was 'Rhodesia')

Both books explore the awful waste of humanity and human potential which apartheid brought - and how it crushed and stultified its proponents, even those who championed and upheld its tenets - as well as its devastating effect on the non-white population.

Both books also explore what it means to be a girl child, and to grow into womanhood in that community, and at that time, before feminist ideas had become more mainstream.

Lessing is much darker, mythic and visceral, whereas Trapido's wit, inventiveness and almost Dorothy Parker like acidity turns the same mixture into something much funnier - though equally as heartfelt, serious and truthful. She captures brilliantly the power and pleasure of schoolgirl friendships.

And i admired her ability to instruct in some of the complications of South African politics of the era without falling into the trap of 'delivering lectures' or using clumsy devices to give her readers a historical perspective - you know the sort of devices where one character will instruct or lecture to another character some crucial pieces of infomation, and you know this is only there because you, the reader, may not know the information and the writer needs YOU, not the other character, to know this!

In fact, Trapido did this all so well that I really can't remember exactly how she managed it - which means it worked splendidly and seamlessly!

Best yet, 08 Sep 2005
Over the years, I have read most of Barbara Trapido's books and for me, Frankie and Stankie is the best yet. (Though I didn't like the title.)

Only one niggle: Trapido writes that Dinah will meet Sam's father sooner than expected...but she doesn't seem to do so.

That aside, I thought the book was brilliant and I learnt a lot about South Africa while reading it. I would even compare it with reading some of the Children of Violence sequence of novels by Doris Lessing.

Factual but heavy going, 08 Aug 2005
Usually a fan of easy going books I did find this book quite hard to keep up with. The style is very factual with little emotional description hence I did not get to know the characters as I would normally. The politics were quite difficult to understand and I suspect I probably missed certain aspects. Not a book that is hard to put down but an interesting read all the same.

Keyne Readers enjoyed this very much, 05 Jul 2005
Our reading group were generally enthusiastic about Frankie and Stankie, and most of us had enjoyed reading it. Comments like 'really lovely' 'entertaining' and 'so witty' flew about the room as we settled into a more detailed discussion. There was consensus that the terrifically dry style and the humour in the story, the pace at which it moved, and the subtle interweaving of stories made this a book was liked. The way it managed to entwine the entertaining and witty vignettes of family life with the more serious issues around the political changes taking place was cleverly done, although one of us would have liked to have had more emphasis on the political. Some of us though weren't keen on the way it meandered about without more structure and plot, and sometimes found that there were too many names and characters being introduced making it hard to keep track of what was happening to whom.

We thought that the title, the picture and descriptions on the cover were misleading, suggesting that the book was about Dinah and Lisa, whereas although Lisa figured strongly at the beginning, it was clearly Dinah's story. The way in which some characters fizzled out as the story progressed we found irritating too, as we wanted to know what happened to their lives too. But realised that this was in some ways realistic as seen from Dinah's point of view, and as we grow up the importance of different people in our lives - both family and friends -changes. The ending too was disappointing. We felt it would have ended better at the moment Dinah left South Africa, and that the 'Afterword' didn't sit comfortably with the rest of the book.

Even though few of us knew much detail of the history of events in South Africa, the story easily carried you along informing and explaining on the way. We felt the child's view of changes in South Africa created a wonderful understatement of big events, which was very effective in putting across the context of the story. It was an interesting account of living as a child and teenager in South Africa during the 50's and 60s, and some of us identified with the childhood experiences Barbara Trapido describes, which seemed to resonate with growing up in 50's England

Subtly flawed but ultimately very satisfying, 16 Aug 2003
This story is sexy, funny and in the end, quite touching. The characters stay with you long after you have finished, even the minor ones (especially Camilla and Arnie), and at the finale you are left with a sensation of lingering sadness that you cannot precisely define. This was my second read; I first read it five years ago and do not remember this sensation, so I suspect that the older you are, the more Trapido's evocative descriptions of aging and the passage of time (innocence to experience, children to adults, naivete to jadedness) resonate.

The book employs a strangely old-fashioned form of third-person point-of-view swapping in which the reader is given access to alternative perspectives in the same section, sometimes even having to deal with a switch in the same paragraph. For some reason, though, these shifts are handled well and it gives a pleasing sensation of omniscience without sacrificing any intimacy.

This book would have received the full five stars were it not for the dialogue. I have no idea what the editors were doing when they allowed Trapido to get away with such amateurish punctuation, most especially comma omission in direct address: e.g. "Mrs Bobrow what services do you neighbours render you...?" And at times characters, especially Ali, spout forth long, intricate and humourous speeches that no human being would ever be able to utter spontaneously. Nevertheless, if you overlook these minor flaws, the book is well worth a read.

Great characterizations; out of the ordinary situations, 24 Oct 2000
As in her other books, Barbara Trapido does not take the usual route, and her characters find themselves in situations with resolutions that are far from the expected. Furthermore, her characters are human, humane, and flawed, and their predicaments unfold unpredictably. There are presently only 2 of Trapido's books available in the US, so I was glad to make the discovery that I could order her other titles through AmazonUK.

If u wanna know something about South Africa, read this...!, 13 Jul 2006
This was exctly the right book for me! It's about Dinah, a girl growing up in South Africa in the 50s. A perfect mixture of Dinah's personal history and the history of South Africa of the time (with apartheid and everything).

As for the titel Frankie & Stankie: It really is pretty random. It refers to a Italien song that Dinah missunderstood in her childhood. Can it get more random? Or maybe there is a point. Dinah thought that the song was about two clowns named Frankie and Stankie. Life is funny, life is random. That might be something. At least it suits the atmosphere of the book.

I really liked this book! And I dare say I learned something too. If u wanna read about South Africa, choose this book, and not People Like Ourselves by Pamela Jooste.

Doris Lessing with jokes!, 21 May 2006
Like the first couple of books in the 'Martha Quest' 'Children of Violence' series, this book covers the childhood, adolescence and early womanhood of a white girl growing up in the era of apartheid (Trapido's South Africa for Lessing's as it then was 'Rhodesia')

Both books explore the awful waste of humanity and human potential which apartheid brought - and how it crushed and stultified its proponents, even those who championed and upheld its tenets - as well as its devastating effect on the non-white population.

Both books also explore what it means to be a girl child, and to grow into womanhood in that community, and at that time, before feminist ideas had become more mainstream.

Lessing is much darker, mythic and visceral, whereas Trapido's wit, inventiveness and almost Dorothy Parker like acidity turns the same mixture into something much funnier - though equally as heartfelt, serious and truthful. She captures brilliantly the power and pleasure of schoolgirl friendships.

And i admired her ability to instruct in some of the complications of South African politics of the era without falling into the trap of 'delivering lectures' or using clumsy devices to give her readers a historical perspective - you know the sort of devices where one character will instruct or lecture to another character some crucial pieces of infomation, and you know this is only there because you, the reader, may not know the information and the writer needs YOU, not the other character, to know this!

In fact, Trapido did this all so well that I really can't remember exactly how she managed it - which means it worked splendidly and seamlessly!

Best yet, 08 Sep 2005
Over the years, I have read most of Barbara Trapido's books and for me, Frankie and Stankie is the best yet. (Though I didn't like the title.)

Only one niggle: Trapido writes that Dinah will meet Sam's father sooner than expected...but she doesn't seem to do so.

That aside, I thought the book was brilliant and I learnt a lot about South Africa while reading it. I would even compare it with reading some of the Children of Violence sequence of novels by Doris Lessing.

Factual but heavy going, 08 Aug 2005
Usually a fan of easy going books I did find this book quite hard to keep up with. The style is very factual with little emotional description hence I did not get to know the characters as I would normally. The politics were quite difficult to understand and I suspect I probably missed certain aspects. Not a book that is hard to put down but an interesting read all the same.

Keyne Readers enjoyed this very much, 05 Jul 2005
Our reading group were generally enthusiastic about Frankie and Stankie, and most of us had enjoyed reading it. Comments like 'really lovely' 'entertaining' and 'so witty' flew about the room as we settled into a more detailed discussion. There was consensus that the terrifically dry style and the humour in the story, the pace at which it moved, and the subtle interweaving of stories made this a book was liked. The way it managed to entwine the entertaining and witty vignettes of family life with the more serious issues around the political changes taking place was cleverly done, although one of us would have liked to have had more emphasis on the political. Some of us though weren't keen on the way it meandered about without more structure and plot, and sometimes found that there were too many names and characters being introduced making it hard to keep track of what was happening to whom.

We thought that the title, the picture and descriptions on the cover were misleading, suggesting that the book was about Dinah and Lisa, whereas although Lisa figured strongly at the beginning, it was clearly Dinah's story. The way in which some characters fizzled out as the story progressed we found irritating too, as we wanted to know what happened to their lives too. But realised that this was in some ways realistic as seen from Dinah's point of view, and as we grow up the importance of different people in our lives - both family and friends -changes. The ending too was disappointing. We felt it would have ended better at the moment Dinah left South Africa, and that the 'Afterword' didn't sit comfortably with the rest of the book.

Even though few of us knew much detail of the history of events in South Africa, the story easily carried you along informing and explaining on the way. We felt the child's view of changes in South Africa created a wonderful understatement of big events, which was very effective in putting across the context of the story. It was an interesting account of living as a child and teenager in South Africa during the 50's and 60s, and some of us identified with the childhood experiences Barbara Trapido describes, which seemed to resonate with growing up in 50's England

One of my favourite books, 03 Dec 2007
Gorgeous - funny, engaging and also genuinely moving. I've read this dozens of times, and can't start it without finishing it. There are two places in the book where I am guaranteed to cry, and the paper has started to go a bit soggy.

Life-affirming.

Worth reading if you enjoy Jane Austen and/or Clare Chambers, 09 Nov 2007
A great book, one I return to every few years. Katherine is an endearingly off-centre narrator. The novel is about her shaky coming of age. Her honesty and self-awareness make you pull for her and the bright, engaging characters she meets during this time keep the reader entertained and amused. If you enjoy this I would also recommend Clare Chamber's Learning To Swim,In a Good Light and The Editor's Wife.

As to the suggestion that the novel is a sell out with a happy ending...., 16 Dec 2006
What I enjoy about Barbara Trapido, and this applies to all the subsequent novels, is that they largely tell the tale of the characters at different points in their lives. The travelling hornplayer goes on to describe the life of Katie and Johnathan past the end of Brother of a more famous Jack. In this way it is very satisfying, I found BOTMFJ leaving me wanting to know more and in its sequel the marriage is found to be flawed and plagued by infidelity. Likewise, I found it entertaining that the mouthy Chris of 'Juggling' makes an unlikely pairing with Roland (her mothers former lover) and the marriage is referred to in Hornplayer. I love this about her writing as not only do you get extra information about my favourite characters but get to see it as a sideline in the narration of others lives. I found myself constantly interchanging between the novels to remind myself of the relationship between the characters and how over the course of things, they all become involved with each other, in one way or another. If you buy BOTMFJ, you must buy all the rest as I feel that this demonstrates, that despite a book ending, the characters lives do not finish also.

Sharp, funny, moving, 05 Sep 2006
I love both this book and its sequel, The Travelling Horn Player. Katherine is an endearingly off-centre narrator. This novel is really about her shaky coming of age. Her honesty and self-awareness make you pull for her and the bright, engaging characters she meets during this time (especially the glittering Goldman family) keep the reader entertained and amused. Her experiences are often painful but they, and her responses to them, ring true. The Jonathan, as he is towards the end of this novel, is one of the sexiest men in fiction - although he loses it somewhat by the time he appears in TTHP.

One of my favourites, 10 Aug 2006
I first read this book about 15 years ago- I loved it then and loved it over the years when ever I have reread it. It feels to me to be about second chances and real relationships- knowing the faults of others but being able to love them anyway. I have gone on to read all of Trapido's books and this is still my favourite. They are all a challenge and demand a certain cultural knowledge but I have found all her writing very warm and not at all pretentious.

If u wanna know something about South Africa, read this...!, 13 Jul 2006
This was exctly the right book for me! It's about Dinah, a girl growing up in South Africa in the 50s. A perfect mixture of Dinah's personal history and the history of South Africa of the time (with apartheid and everything).

As for the titel Frankie & Stankie: It really is pretty random. It refers to a Italien song that Dinah missunderstood in her childhood. Can it get more random? Or maybe there is a point. Dinah thought that the song was about two clowns named Frankie and Stankie. Life is funny, life is random. That might be something. At least it suits the atmosphere of the book.

I really liked this book! And I dare say I learned something too. If u wanna read about South Africa, choose this book, and not People Like Ourselves by Pamela Jooste.

Doris Lessing with jokes!, 21 May 2006
Like the first couple of books in the 'Martha Quest' 'Children of Violence' series, this book covers the childhood, adolescence and early womanhood of a white girl growing up in the era of apartheid (Trapido's South Africa for Lessing's as it then was 'Rhodesia')

Both books explore the awful waste of humanity and human potential which apartheid brought - and how it crushed and stultified its proponents, even those who championed and upheld its tenets - as well as its devastating effect on the non-white population.

Both books also explore what it means to be a girl child, and to grow into womanhood in that community, and at that time, before feminist ideas had become more mainstream.

Lessing is much darker, mythic and visceral, whereas Trapido's wit, inventiveness and almost Dorothy Parker like acidity turns the same mixture into something much funnier - though equally as heartfelt, serious and truthful. She captures brilliantly the power and pleasure of schoolgirl friendships.

And i admired her ability to instruct in some of the complications of South African politics of the era without falling into the trap of 'delivering lectures' or using clumsy devices to give her readers a historical perspective - you know the sort of devices where one character will instruct or lecture to another character some crucial pieces of infomation, and you know this is only there because you, the reader, may not know the information and the writer needs YOU, not the other character, to know this!

In fact, Trapido did this all so well that I really can't remember exactly how she managed it - which means it worked splendidly and seamlessly!

Best yet, 08 Sep 2005
Over the years, I have read most of Barbara Trapido's books and for me, Frankie and Stankie is the best yet. (Though I didn't like the title.)

Only one niggle: Trapido writes that Dinah will meet Sam's father sooner than expected...but she doesn't seem to do so.

That aside, I thought the book was brilliant and I learnt a lot about South Africa while reading it. I would even compare it with reading some of the Children of Violence sequence of novels by Doris Lessing.

Factual but heavy going, 08 Aug 2005
Usually a fan of easy going books I did find this book quite hard to keep up with. The style is very factual with little emotional description hence I did not get to know the characters as I would normally. The politics were quite difficult to understand and I suspect I probably missed certain aspects. Not a book that is hard to put down but an interesting read all the same.

Keyne Readers enjoyed this very much, 05 Jul 2005
Our reading group were generally enthusiastic about Frankie and Stankie, and most of us had enjoyed reading it. Comments like 'really lovely' 'entertaining' and 'so witty' flew about the room as we settled into a more detailed discussion. There was consensus that the terrifically dry style and the humour in the story, the pace at which it moved, and the subtle interweaving of stories made this a book was liked. The way it managed to entwine the entertaining and witty vignettes of family life with the more serious issues around the political changes taking place was cleverly done, although one of us would have liked to have had more emphasis on the political. Some of us though weren't keen on the way it meandered about without more structure and plot, and sometimes found that there were too many names and characters being introduced making it hard to keep track of what was happening to whom.

We thought that the title, the picture and descriptions on the cover were misleading, suggesting that the book was about Dinah and Lisa, whereas although Lisa figured strongly at the beginning, it was clearly Dinah's story. The way in which some characters fizzled out as the story progressed we found irritating too, as we wanted to know what happened to their lives too. But realised that this was in some ways realistic as seen from Dinah's point of view, and as we grow up the importance of different people in our lives - both family and friends -changes. The ending too was disappointing. We felt it would have ended better at the moment Dinah left South Africa, and that the 'Afterword' didn't sit comfortably with the rest of the book.

Even though few of us knew much detail of the history of events in South Africa, the story easily carried you along informing and explaining on the way. We felt the child's view of changes in South Africa created a wonderful understatement of big events, which was very effective in putting across the context of the story. It was an interesting account of living as a child and teenager in South Africa during the 50's and 60s, and some of us identified with the childhood experiences Barbara Trapido describes, which seemed to resonate with growing up in 50's England

If u wanna know something about South Africa, read this...!, 13 Jul 2006
This was exctly the right book for me! It's about Dinah, a girl growing up in South Africa in the 50s. A perfect mixture of Dinah's personal history and the history of South Africa of the time (with apartheid and everything).

As for the titel Frankie & Stankie: It really is pretty random. It refers to a Italien song that Dinah missunderstood in her childhood. Can it get more random? Or maybe there is a point. Dinah thought that the song was about two clowns named Frankie and Stankie. Life is funny, life is random. That might be something. At least it suits the atmosphere of the book.

I really liked this book! And I dare say I learned something too. If u wanna read about South Africa, choose this book, and not People Like Ourselves by Pamela Jooste.

Doris Lessing with jokes!, 21 May 2006
Like the first couple of books in the 'Martha Quest' 'Children of Violence' series, this book covers the childhood, adolescence and early womanhood of a white girl growing up in the era of apartheid (Trapido's South Africa for Lessing's as it then was 'Rhodesia')

Both books explore the awful waste of humanity and human potential which apartheid brought - and how it crushed and stultified its proponents, even those who championed and upheld its tenets - as well as its devastating effect on the non-white population.

Both books also explore what it means to be a girl child, and to grow into womanhood in that community, and at that time, before feminist ideas had become more mainstream.

Lessing is much darker, mythic and visceral, whereas Trapido's wit, inventiveness and almost Dorothy Parker like acidity turns the same mixture into something much funnier - though equally as heartfelt, serious and truthful. She captures brilliantly the power and pleasure of schoolgirl friendships.

And i admired her ability to instruct in some of the complications of South African politics of the era without falling into the trap of 'delivering lectures' or using clumsy devices to give her readers a historical perspective - you know the sort of devices where one character will instruct or lecture to another character some crucial pieces of infomation, and you know this is only there because you, the reader, may not know the information and the writer needs YOU, not the other character, to know this!

In fact, Trapido did this all so well that I really can't remember exactly how she managed it - which means it worked splendidly and seamlessly!

Best yet, 08 Sep 2005
Over the years, I have read most of Barbara Trapido's books and for me, Frankie and Stankie is the best yet. (Though I didn't like the title.)

Only one niggle: Trapido writes that Dinah will meet Sam's father sooner than expected...but she doesn't seem to do so.

That aside, I thought the book was brilliant and I learnt a lot about South Africa while reading it. I would even compare it with reading some of the Children of Violence sequence of novels by Doris Lessing.

Factual but heavy going, 08 Aug 2005
Usually a fan of easy going books I did find this book quite hard to keep up with. The style is very factual with little emotional description hence I did not get to know the characters as I would normally. The politics were quite difficult to understand and I suspect I probably missed certain aspects. Not a book that is hard to put down but an interesting read all the same.

Keyne Readers enjoyed this very much, 05 Jul 2005
Our reading group were generally enthusiastic about Frankie and Stankie, and most of us had enjoyed reading it. Comments like 'really lovely' 'entertaining' and 'so witty' flew about the room as we settled into a more detailed discussion. There was consensus that the terrifically dry style and the humour in the story, the pace at which it moved, and the subtle interweaving of stories made this a book was liked. The way it managed to entwine the entertaining and witty vignettes of family life with the more serious issues around the political changes taking place was cleverly done, although one of us would have liked to have had more emphasis on the political. Some of us though weren't keen on the way it meandered about without more structure and plot, and sometimes found that there were too many names and characters being introduced making it hard to keep track of what was happening to whom.

We thought that the title, the picture and descriptions on the cover were misleading, suggesting that the book was about Dinah and Lisa, whereas although Lisa figured strongly at the beginning, it was clearly Dinah's story. The way in which some characters fizzled out as the story progressed we found irritating too, as we wanted to know what happened to their lives too. But realised that this was in some ways realistic as seen from Dinah's point of view, and as we grow up the importance of different people in our lives - both family and friends -changes. The ending too was disappointing. We felt it would have ended better at the moment Dinah left South Africa, and that the 'Afterword' didn't sit comfortably with the rest of the book.

Even though few of us knew much detail of the history of events in South Africa, the story easily carried you along informing and explaining on the way. We felt the child's view of changes in South Africa created a wonderful understatement of big events, which was very effective in putting across the context of the story. It was an interesting account of living as a child and teenager in South Africa during the 50's and 60s, and some of us identified with the childhood experiences Barbara Trapido describes, which seemed to resonate with growing up in 50's England

One of my favourite books, 03 Dec 2007
Gorgeous - funny, engaging and also genuinely moving. I've read this dozens of times, and can't start it without finishing it. There are two places in the book where I am guaranteed to cry, and the paper has started to go a bit soggy.

Life-affirming.

Worth reading if you enjoy Jane Austen and/or Clare Chambers, 09 Nov 2007
A great book, one I return to every few years. Katherine is an endearingly off-centre narrator. The novel is about her shaky coming of age. Her honesty and self-awareness make you pull for her and the bright, engaging characters she meets during this time keep the reader entertained and amused. If you enjoy this I would also recommend Clare Chamber's Learning To Swim,In a Good Light and The Editor's Wife.

As to the suggestion that the novel is a sell out with a happy ending...., 16 Dec 2006
What I enjoy about Barbara Trapido, and this applies to all the subsequent novels, is that they largely tell the tale of the characters at different points in their lives. The travelling hornplayer goes on to describe the life of Katie and Johnathan past the end of Brother of a more famous Jack. In this way it is very satisfying, I found BOTMFJ leaving me wanting to know more and in its sequel the marriage is found to be flawed and plagued by infidelity. Likewise, I found it entertaining that the mouthy Chris of 'Juggling' makes an unlikely pairing with Roland (her mothers former lover) and the marriage is referred to in Hornplayer. I love this about her writing as not only do you get extra information about my favourite characters but get to see it as a sideline in the narration of others lives. I found myself constantly interchanging between the novels to remind myself of the relationship between the characters and how over the course of things, they all become involved with each other, in one way or another. If you buy BOTMFJ, you must buy all the rest as I feel that this demonstrates, that despite a book ending, the characters lives do not finish also.

Sharp, funny, moving, 05 Sep 2006
I love both this book and its sequel, The Travelling Horn Player. Katherine is an endearingly off-centre narrator. This novel is really about her shaky coming of age. Her honesty and self-awareness make you pull for her and the bright, engaging characters she meets during this time (especially the glittering Goldman family) keep the reader entertained and amused. Her experiences are often painful but they, and her responses to them, ring true. The Jonathan, as he is towards the end of this novel, is one of the sexiest men in fiction - although he loses it somewhat by the time he appears in TTHP.

One of my favourites, 10 Aug 2006
I first read this book about 15 years ago- I loved it then and loved it over the years when ever I have reread it. It feels to me to be about second chances and real relationships- knowing the faults of others but being able to love them anyway. I have gone on to read all of Trapido's books and this is still my favourite. They are all a challenge and demand a certain cultural knowledge but I have found all her writing very warm and not at all pretentious.

Twined around Schubert's Die schöne Müllerin (which her mathematician father often sang), award-winning novelist Barbara Trapido's fifth book unravels the interconnected histories of Ellen, Jonathan and Stella and their friends, lovers and relations. Part Bildungsroman, part La Ronde, the novel's focal point is the moment when Ellen's younger sister Lydia is run over and killed outside novelist Jonathan Goldman's London flat.

Ellen and Lydia--or, to their headmaster father, "Gigglers One and Two"--were as close as sisters could be. They read romantic novels and giggled, talked about sex in front of their tiny stepmother and giggled, and helped Lydia's godmother make carrot cake for Jonathan, aka "The Novelist" and giggled. Then Lydia is killed. And Ellen stops giggling. She returns to Edinburgh University to discover her flatmates gone, leaving only a copy of Heart of Darkness and a drawing in lieu of money for the gas bill.

Rich and kindly Pen, older than his 23 years, and the madly talented artist Izzy have graduated. But what's happened to Stella, the obsessive and naive red-headed cellist?

Starring an array of attractive eccentrics, riven with elegant coincidence, and culminating in an utterly theatrical denouement, Trapido's fable of love and loss, families and loneliness, sex and religion, is romantic as Schubert, clever as an Oxford mathematician and heartbreaking as anything. --Lisa Gee

Subtly flawed but ultimately very satisfying, 16 Aug 2003
This story is sexy, funny and in the end, quite touching. The characters stay with you long after you have finished, even the minor ones (especially Camilla and Arnie), and at the finale you are left with a sensation of lingering sadness that you cannot precisely define. This was my second read; I first read it five years ago and do not remember this sensation, so I suspect that the older you are, the more Trapido's evocative descriptions of aging and the passage of time (innocence to experience, children to adults, naivete to jadedness) resonate.

The book employs a strangely old-fashioned form of third-person point-of-view swapping in which the reader is given access to alternative perspectives in the same section, sometimes even having to deal with a switch in the same paragraph. For some reason, though, these shifts are handled well and it gives a pleasing sensation of omniscience without sacrificing any intimacy.

This book would have received the full five stars were it not for the dialogue. I have no idea what the editors were doing when they allowed Trapido to get away with such amateurish punctuation, most especially comma omission in direct address: e.g. "Mrs Bobrow what services do you neighbours render you...?" And at times characters, especially Ali, spout forth long, intricate and humourous speeches that no human being would ever be able to utter spontaneously. Nevertheless, if you overlook these minor flaws, the book is well worth a read.

Great characterizations; out of the ordinary situations, 24 Oct 2000
As in her other books, Barbara Trapido does not take the usual route, and her characters find themselves in situations with resolutions that are far from the expected. Furthermore, her characters are human, humane, and flawed, and their predicaments unfold unpredictably. There are presently only 2 of Trapido's books available in the US, so I was glad to make the discovery that I could order her other titles through AmazonUK.

If u wanna know something about South Africa, read this...!, 13 Jul 2006
This was exctly the right book for me! It's about Dinah, a girl growing up in South Africa in the 50s. A perfect mixture of Dinah's personal history and the history of South Africa of the time (with apartheid and everything).

As for the titel Frankie & Stankie: It really is pretty random. It refers to a Italien song that Dinah missunderstood in her childhood. Can it get more random? Or maybe there is a point. Dinah thought that the song was about two clowns named Frankie and Stankie. Life is funny, life is random. That might be something. At least it suits the atmosphere of the book.

I really liked this book! And I dare say I learned something too. If u wanna read about South Africa, choose this book, and not People Like Ourselves by Pamela Jooste.

Doris Lessing with jokes!, 21 May 2006
Like the first couple of books in the 'Martha Quest' 'Children of Violence' series, this book covers the childhood, adolescence and early womanhood of a white girl growing up in the era of apartheid (Trapido's South Africa for Lessing's as it then was 'Rhodesia')

Both books explore the awful waste of humanity and human potential which apartheid brought - and how it crushed and stultified its proponents, even those who championed and upheld its tenets - as well as its devastating effect on the non-white population.

Both books also explore what it means to be a girl child, and to grow into womanhood in that community, and at that time, before feminist ideas had become more mainstream.

Lessing is much darker, mythic and visceral, whereas Trapido's wit, inventiveness and almost Dorothy Parker like acidity turns the same mixture into something much funnier - though equally as heartfelt, serious and truthful. She captures brilliantly the power and pleasure of schoolgirl friendships.

And i admired her ability to instruct in some of the complications of South African politics of the era without falling into the trap of 'delivering lectures' or using clumsy devices to give her readers a historical perspective - you know the sort of devices where one character will instruct or lecture to another character some crucial pieces of infomation, and you know this is only there because you, the reader, may not know the information and the writer needs YOU, not the other character, to know this!

In fact, Trapido did this all so well that I really can't remember exactly how she managed it - which means it worked splendidly and seamlessly!

Best yet, 08 Sep 2005
Over the years, I have read most of Barbara Trapido's books and for me, Frankie and Stankie is the best yet. (Though I didn't like the title.)

Only one niggle: Trapido writes that Dinah will meet Sam's father sooner than expected...but she doesn't seem to do so.

That aside, I thought the book was brilliant and I learnt a lot about South Africa while reading it. I would even compare it with reading some of the Children of Violence sequence of novels by Doris Lessing.

Factual but heavy going, 08 Aug 2005
Usually a fan of easy going books I did find this book quite hard to keep up with. The style is very factual with little emotional description hence I did not get to know the characters as I would normally. The politics were quite difficult to understand and I suspect I probably missed certain aspects. Not a book that is hard to put down but an interesting read all the same.

Keyne Readers enjoyed this very much, 05 Jul 2005
Our reading group were generally enthusiastic about Frankie and Stankie, and most of us had enjoyed reading it. Comments like 'really lovely' 'entertaining' and 'so witty' flew about the room as we settled into a more detailed discussion. There was consensus that the terrifically dry style and the humour in the story, the pace at which it moved, and the subtle interweaving of stories made this a book was liked. The way it managed to entwine the entertaining and witty vignettes of family life with the more serious issues around the political changes taking place was cleverly done, although one of us would have liked to have had more emphasis on the political. Some of us though weren't keen on the way it meandered about without more structure and plot, and sometimes found that there were too many names and characters being introduced making it hard to keep track of what was happening to whom.

We thought that the title, the picture and descriptions on the cover were misleading, suggesting that the book was about Dinah and Lisa, whereas although Lisa figured strongly at the beginning, it was clearly Dinah's story. The way in which some characters fizzled out as the story progressed we found irritating too, as we wanted to know what happened to their lives too. But realised that this was in some ways realistic as seen from Dinah's point of view, and as we grow up the importance of different people in our lives - both family and friends -changes. The ending too was disappointing. We felt it would have ended better at the moment Dinah left South Africa, and that the 'Afterword' didn't sit comfortably with the rest of the book.

Even though few of us knew much detail of the history of events in South Africa, the story easily carried you along informing and explaining on the way. We felt the child's view of changes i