Jurie Steyn's Post Office by Herman Charles Bosman

Jurie Steyn's Post Office (Human & Rousseau 1991 Bosman Marico Stories)

Herman Charles Bosman's Marico post-office tales, in the 1991 Human & Rousseau uniform edition

Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: Jurie Steyn's Post Office
• Author: Herman Charles Bosman
• Publisher: Human & Rousseau, Cape Town ; Johannesburg
• Publication Date: 1991
• ISBN-13: 9780798129039
• ISBN-10: 0798129034
• Edition Details: Second, completely reset edition. First impression, 1991. One of eight Herman Charles Bosman titles reissued by Human & Rousseau in a uniform edition.
• Binding: Publisher's illustrated glossy card wrappers, perfect bound (trade-format paperback).
• Physical Format: Trade paperback format, slim volume. Cover illustration is a Dan Swart watercolour, 'Dwarsberge'.
• Language: English

Official Condition Report

• The Book: Very Good (VG)
• Exterior / Wraps: Glossy illustrated wrappers with a blue-green watercolour design. The front cover is clean and the spine is intact and free of creasing. The back cover shows minor spotting or mottling, and the wrappers are slightly curled at the edges.
• Interior: The text block is sound and tightly bound, with clean cream-toned pages that are evenly toned at the edges. No markings, foxing or tears to the pages examined.
• The Dust Jacket: Not Applicable (As Issued)

Synopsis & Historical Value

Jurie Steyn's Post Office is one of Herman Charles Bosman's Marico stories. It is set in a farmhouse front room that doubles as the local post office, where the men of the district gather each week to swap news and talk.

The tales unfold largely as conversation among the regulars at Drogevlei post office. Woven through the talk is the story of Pauline Gerber, a striking young woman recently returned from finishing school in the Cape.

This 1991 Human & Rousseau paperback belongs to the publisher's uniform reissue of eight Bosman titles. It is a pleasing, affordable way into the Marico world that made Bosman one of South Africa's best-loved storytellers, and a useful companion for collectors building a set of the uniform edition.

Author Profile: Herman Charles Bosman

Herman Charles Bosman (1905-1951) was born at Kuils River, near Cape Town. After university he taught in the Groot Marico district, an experience that gave him the setting for his best-known stories. In 1926 he was imprisoned following a fatal shooting, and he later worked as a journalist.

His other notable works include Mafeking Road (1947), Cold Stone Jug (1949), Bosman at His Best (1965), Unto Dust (1963) and A Bekkersdal Marathon (1971). Only three books appeared in his lifetime, and much of his reputation rests on posthumous collections.

Herman Charles Bosman Marico stories · Jurie Steyn's Post Office Bosman · Bosman Human & Rousseau 1991 · Drogevlei post office stories · South African short stories paperback · Bosman uniform edition