Page 42 - Intra Muros Issue 2 February 2025

BOOK REVIEWS

Spud: The Reunion casts him into deep gloom. For the former
By John van de Ruit scholarship kid, the prospect of once again
having to measure up to his blue-blooded
It is 2003 – ten years since Spud Milton’s school friends – and be found wanting – has
class of 93 matriculated and the boys went him riddled with anxiety. Not only that.
their separate ways. Despite their seemingly
unbreakable bond, the Crazy 8 – Rambo, Mad Spud still doesn’t have a serious girlfriend,
Dog, Vern, Fatty, Garth Garlic, Boggo, Simon which has seen him resort to a questionable
and Spud – have not kept in touch. Or at least, international bath-sexting relationship
not as far as Spud knows. When he receives an with an old flame. Not to mention that
invitation from the school to attend the Ten- circumstances have forced him to move
Year Reunion weekend, Spud is determined back in with his parents and his senile
to avoid the event at all costs, but he hasn’t grandmother, Wombat, whose walks never
reckoned with the bombardment of intrusive end where they began. After a wildly
messages and threatening phone calls from his unsuccessful fishing trip with his father, as
former dorm mates. well as a return to his old way of figuring
things out – writing in his diary – to his
No one is going to bend his arm, not this surprise, Spud finds his reunion resistance
time; he is immune to peer pressure and crisis. Reflecting on a decade of crumbling. Curiosity and courage win the
wise to Rambo’s devious manipulation spectacular non-achievement, at a day. It’s just a weekend, after all... what
techniques. Spud has moved on. And, anyway, point where he’s coming to realise could possibly go wrong?
he has enough to worry about on the home that his glittering stage career might
front. At 28 Spud is stuck in a one-third life have stalled before it’s even begun, Price: R360.00

Into the Uncut Grass World Champions - The Story of South African Rugby
By Trevor Noah By Jonty Winch
World Champions (2nd edition)
From Trevor Noah, the author of the #1 bestselling continues the story of South African
memoir Born a Crime, comes a gorgeously illustrated rugby in a new chapter that includes
fable in the tradition of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and coverage of the momentous 2023
the Horse about a young child’s journey into the world Rugby World Cup win by South Africa’s
beyond the shadow of home, a magical landscape where Springboks.
he discovers the secrets of solidarity, connection, and
finding peace with the people we love.
South Africa won the 2023 Rugby
World Cup by defeating New Zealand
Infused with Trevor’s signature wit and imagination, in 12-11 in front of more than 80 000
collaboration with visionary artist Sabina Hahn, it’s a tale spectators at the Stade de France. As
for readers of all ages – to be read aloud or read alone.
this 2nd edition shows, in winning the
Webb Ellis Cup for the fourth time, the
Price: R409.00
Springboks became the competition’s
most successful team. Back-to-back
victories in Yokohama in 2019 and
Paris in 2023 inspired a renewed late nineteenth century, as well as
appreciation of the skills that have additional content about, inter alia
always existed across South Africa’s institutions such as the national
racial spectrum. In its telling of this governing bodies, and the winning
story, World Champions 2nd Edition teams in 1995, 2007, 2019 and 2023.
again offers readers insights that go
beyond the media-led rendition of In this way, the 2nd edition
South African rugby. continues to provide both the most-
relevant and most-current history of
Further additions to this 2nd edition South African rugby and the many
include a revised introduction, organisations and individuals that
expanded index, updates to the history have contributed to its evolution.
of South Africa’s first steps toward
playing international rugby in the Price: R405.00

40 | INTRAMUROS FEBRUARY 2025