Eben Venter’s Wolf, Wolf is a fresh and lyrical work of fiction. The writing is rich and compelling. It conjures a modern-day South Africa that pulses with the tensions wrought by changes in the country’s social structure and its legacy of racial and economic inequality. The book delves into the inner lives of its three main characters with a lightness of touch and a complex understanding of the lies, evasions, and misunderstandings that relationships often bring. While Bennie is at odds with his son about his sexuality, the book reveals their essential similarity and the deep bond they share. There is nothing simplistic or monotone in Venter’s appreciation of their flawed relationship.

The book was written and published in Afrikaans in 2013, and its English translation is by Michiel Heyns. With its dark and sometimes menacing narrative that chronicles the inevitable incursions from a swiftly changing outside world and a seismic shift in generational attitudes, Wolf, Wolf firmly sets Eben Venter on the list of authors to watch.