Forest of the pygmies by Isabel Allende

Allende, Isabel & Peden, Margaret Sayers (trans.). Forest of the pygmies, London : Fourth Estate, 2005.

Forest of the pygmies is a fast-paced, coming of age adventure story about Alexander Cold, an eighteen year old on an elephant-led safari trip in Africa with his grandmother. Alex soon discovers for himself that everything is not as tranquil and relaxing as expected, when he comes across an festering underbelly of corruption, poaching and slavery. Allende characterises Cold as courageous, and uses a lyrical writing style to evoke a thought provoking narrative.     

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

Haruki Murikami, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. Trans. Jay Rubin, South Africa : Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 1997.

In a tale that begins with young man Toru Okada searching for his wife's cat, he finds himself swept into Tokyo's underbelly searching for her as well. He encounters a bizarre cast of allies and adversaries, including a psychic sex worker, a distressed war veteran, a cheerfully pessimistic teen, and a conniving politician. This is a fast-paced, character driven, dark and surreal comedy.