Ways of Dying
Zakes Mda · b. 1948 · South Africa
Why it matters
A professional mourner navigates funerals and shantytowns in a violent, transitional South Africa. Grief turned into both vocation and dark comedy, blending magical realism with township life.
At a glance
magical realismsatirecolonial & postcolonial
Difficulty 5/10medium pace212 pagesAn unusual collective 'we' narrator and episodic structure are the main hurdles.
Where to go next
Zakes Mda · 2000The Heart of RednessLvl 6Medium pace
Ben Okri · 1991The Famished RoadLvl 8Slow burn
Abdulrazak Gurnah · 1994ParadiseLvl 5Medium pace
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o · 1967A Grain of WheatLvl 6Slow burn
Assia Djebar · 1985Fantasia: An Algerian CavalcadeLvl 8Slow burn
Ayi Kwei Armah · 1968The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet BornLvl 6Slow burn