Not for Sensitive Viewers

​Author: Elana Bregin
Publisher: Wobbling earth
Reviewer: Hazel Makuzeni
I said it before and I’ll say it again; don’t judge a book by its cover. A mistake, I’m afraid to say, I’ve made maybe twice since reviewing books. Honestly, the first time I laid my eyes on the cover and read the title - thoughts of crime riddled stories overwhelmed my mind.  I put it aside numerous times afraid to read what awaits me inside. Sanity, and bravery, prevail at the end and I gave it a go. Elana 

Bregin, an award-winning author, put her time, love, blood and sweat to write this book. I had no merit to be stalling. And what a gem it is. In the end it was hard to tell what is fiction and what is not. The stories come from the heart and are written with truth and compassion. “My allegiance is to the Great Unseen that motivates me, rather than the human judge that finds me or my writing wanting,” Elana Bregin.
This is a collection of twelve stories that span a time period from 2003 to almost 2023. The stories are the author’s view of the world and her belief systems. The thread that runs through them is on ethical living, the endless devastation humans beset on animals and the planet, and atrocities committed against the most vulnerable in society under the guise of the Greater Good.
Some of my highlights:
Missing Mama Afrika. Brilliantly written, the story is about colonisation and the ruin to the land, its people and animals. It’s also about the renewal that is possible on the African continent.
They. Tables are turned in this tale as humans are reduced to nothing but the status of lab apes. The hunter becomes the hunted.
Not for Sensitive Viewers. A story about an impending death. Thoughts on death and the afterlife. Relates the void that death leaves to the living ones.
The Shining Path. If you also struggle with the big questions about the meaning of life; why are you here? What’s your real purpose? Why you exist at all? This story is profoundly insightful in dealing with these uncertainties.
Exit to music. Chronicles the journey that is life. Absolutely beautifully written. It’s a gut-wrenching read at times but, a necessary. If there’s one story, I’ll urge anyone to read in this collection, especially women, this is the one.
I salute the author for shinning a spotlight on the suffering of animals, and the unabated destruction of the world. We are truly our own worst enemies.  Greed and unrelenting consumerism will surely be our down fall.
Finally, thank you for taking me on a great tour of Durban. Your vivid description of your city in the book, mentally transported me there.  ​