Book Review: “Breasts, Etc.” by Nthikeng Mohlele

Reviewer: Bhekisisa Mncube

I recently finished a captivating book titled Breasts, etc. by TK, an enigmatic figure in our literary scene—perhaps not as elusive as my idol, J.M. Coetzee, but still a compelling presence.

At first glance, the book seems to be an essay centered on breasts—specifically, women’s breasts—though it is marketed as a novel.

As I delved deeper, the tempo increased, and a variety of characters emerged, each briefly but significantly contributing to the narrative.

TK breaks away from conventional British English and avoids delivering a straightforwardly structured tale with a neat conclusion.

Rather than a traditional prose master, he positions himself more as a poet, a lyricist whose carefully crafted words resonate like music for the soul.

His fascination with apocalyptic themes—a recurring motif in his dreams—paints a world where femininity, including breasts, is utterly eradicated.

He imagines men clinging to the remnants of women’s scriptures, adrift and aimless without them, ultimately becoming the last survivors on earth, facing hunger and turning to rodents for nourishment.

Amidst this paradoxical obsession with breasts and the apocalypse, a poignant love story unfolds, revolving around a triangular relationship that includes his “first love,” Winnie.

Winnie was the first woman to reveal her breasts to him (in a non-sexual context), an event that later inspired his successful career in nude photography.

Though unspoken, this affection for Winnie echoes André Brink’s notion in Before I Forget, where he muses that sometimes, “love is greater for being unfulfilled,” a sentiment I strongly resonate with.

The narrator, James, is enchanted by the female form, especially breasts, which he immortalizes as a nude photographer.

His artistry strives to capture “a fleeting moment before the ravages of decay and old age” (emphasis mine). Despite his ethical qualms, James finds himself drawn to one of his subjects, Esmeralda Abedienne, a woman whose allure transcends mere physicality.

This love story rises above simple admiration for breasts, exploring themes of aging, mortality, and decay, all while the anticipated apocalypse looms without ever arriving.

The narrative is not merely a celebration of breasts; it delves into love, mortality, and art.

It intertwines themes of beauty, life’s meaning, aging, and decay into a narrative of transcendence, even as the author reminds us, “Life is a voyage to the grave.”

In Breasts, etc., TK offers a feminist perspective infused with poetry, music, and subtle eroticism that elevates the book beyond a mere curiosity about the sexual connotations of breasts.

This approach enables the work to transcend scrutiny from the woke community, sex purists, and literary labels. It may have dystopian elements due to the recurring apocalyptic dreams.

However, I can’t ignore the tragic end of Winnie’s husband (who dies from alcohol poisoning), a figure the narrator never cared for, referring to him dismissively as an “intellectual toad” and a failed athlete.

In revealing his “jealous lover” tendencies, the narrator takes creative liberties to remove a character from the story whose existence he deems worthless. Still, despite this, the novel shines as a remarkable piece of work.

*Bhekisisa Mncube is the author of three esteemed books: The Love Diary of a Zulu Boy, The Ramaphosa Chronicles, and Kumnandi Emakhaya (a children’s book), along with contributions to five additional works. If he doesn’t win awards for his columns (regularly published in Daily Maverick, a contributor to The Witness, and appearing on platforms like News2, LiNet, and City Press), he finds companionship in his two cats.