Toorbos – Dalene Matthee
Toorbos – Dalene Matthee
Toorbos (Near Fine First Edition Copy in Archival Dust Jacket)
The Haunting Final Masterpiece of the Iconic Knysna Forest Literary Series
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: Toorbos
- Author: Dalene Matthee
- Publisher: Tafelberg Uitgewers, Cape Town
- Publication Date: 2003 (First Edition)
- ISBN-10: 162404162X / ISBN-13: 9781624041624
- Edition Details: First Edition, First Impression. Standard Hardcover Release.
- Binding: Original publisher's premium full cloth boards, issued with a high-gloss pictorial dust jacket.
- Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), clean typography layout.
- Language: Afrikaans
Official Condition Report
- The Book: Near Fine (NF)
- Exterior / Boards: The cloth boards are sharp, completely straight, and immaculate. Spine crown and foot are stiff and unbushed.
- Interior: The inner text block is tight, crisp, white, and completely unblemished. Free of annotations, gift names, or foxing.
- The Dust Jacket: Near Fine (NF)
- Condition Details: The original high-gloss pictorial jacket is in magnificent condition, now fully enclosed in a premium, new archival plastic cover. Colors are perfectly vibrant, and edges are crisp and free of wrinkling or tears.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in 2003, Toorbos is the fourth and final installment in Dalene Matthee's world-renowned Knysna Forest Series (following Kringe in 'n Bos, Fiela se Kind, and Moerbeiboom). The novel focuses on the complex character of Karoliena Kapp, a free-spirited "forest child" torn between her deep spiritual connection to the ancient trees and the pressures of modern, urban progress outside the canopy. Matthee expertly uses this story to explore the historical displacement of the traditional Knysna woodcutters during the 1930s, leaving a powerful environmental and cultural legacy.
Author Profile: Dalene Matthee
Dalene Matthee (1938–2005) was an internationally acclaimed South African author whose books have been translated into more than fourteen languages. Her deep historical research into the social struggles and natural environments of the Southern Cape forest transformed her into one of the country's most cherished literary voices.
