Loutervure by D. F. Malherbe

Loutervure (Collectible 1931 Afrikaans Novel by D. F. Malherbe)

A 1931 Afrikaans novel of faith, integrity and the Afrikaner calling by the pioneering D. F. Malherbe

Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: Loutervure
• Author: D. F. Malherbe
• Publisher: Nasionale Pers, Beperk, Bloemfontein, Kaapstad en Stellenbosch
• Publication Date: 1931
• ISBN: None Issued (Pre-ISBN Era)
• Binding: Publisher's red cloth boards with black-printed title, author name and tree illustration to the front board, black lettering to the spine.
• Physical Format: Small octavo hardcover, approximately 18 x 13 cm. No plates or maps.
• Language: Afrikaans

Official Condition Report

• The Book: Good (G)
• Exterior / Boards: Red cloth boards with black printed title, author name and tree illustration to the front. The spine is lettered in black; the spine head is frayed and chipped and the spine foot is worn. The corners are bumped and rubbed, with fraying at the lower back corner. The back board shows a few small pale flecks and spots, and the front board has a small pale mark on the right edge. Some minor rubbing throughout, consistent with age and handling.
• Interior: The title page is clean but toned, with slight toning to the edges. A small corner crease is visible at the top right of page 17. The text pages are toned with some light spotting, but the text remains clear and legible. The binding holds. No inscriptions, bookplates or stamps.
• The Dust Jacket: Not Present

Synopsis & Historical Value

Published in 1931 by Nasionale Pers, Loutervure is a novel by D. F. Malherbe, one of the foundational figures of Afrikaans letters. Set on a farm, Vaalplaas, it follows a young Afrikaans advocate, Hendrik, as he struggles to live with integrity, and it turns on the unity of people and faith and on the Afrikaner's God-given calling.

The novel speaks directly to the Afrikaner nation's struggles of the 1930s. Its pages move between intimate scenes, such as a couple's exchanges about faith and tenderness, and the moral weight carried by a farmer burdened by guilt. It is a revealing period document of Afrikaner self-understanding in the years between the wars.

This is a collectible used copy of a work by an author central to the development of the Afrikaans novel and stage, suited to readers and collectors of vintage Afrikaans literature.

Author Profile: D. F. Malherbe

Daniël François Malherbe (1881–1969) was an Afrikaans novelist, poet, dramatist and scholar, credited with Vergeet niet, regarded as the first artistic Afrikaans novel. He was the first professor of Afrikaans and co-authored the Afrikaanse Woordelys en Spelreëls.

He served as professor of literature at the University of Bloemfontein from 1922 to 1942 and published 19 plays between 1921 and 1959. His other works include Die meulenaar (1926), Hans-die-skipper (1928), Op die trekpad (1931) and Saul (1933–37).

Loutervure D. F. Malherbe · D. F. Malherbe 1931 · vintage Afrikaans novel · Nasionale Pers 1931 · Afrikaans literature first professor of Afrikaans · Malherbe Afrikaans novelist