Between one in 500 and a 1 000 men are born with an extra X chromosome. The symptoms of this condition vary widely, and a few boys born with it develop Klinefelter's syndrome.
Malherbe, who was born with an "extra X", writes about his experiences with Klinefelter's syndrome.
His body developed at a rather slow pace. He had to wear huge glasses as his vision was poor too. He describes how, at the age of 16, he had the body of a 10-year-old. He was in and out of the hospital constantly.
Though he had his condition diagnosed and treated, his body finally given the opportunity to develop, he later learned that he would not be able to father children. This was a major blow to a man who grew up shy and feeling out of place. It seemed as if whenever he was able to overcome one problem, a bigger one replaced it.
Malherbe writes openly.
He documents a disturbing incident: while being diagnosed at the age of 16, an endocrinologist invades his body sexually, a couple of days a week, for six months. It leaves a mark on him, his eloquence leaving a mark on the reader as well.
His relationships with women are interesting, in the sense that the "not being able to father children" issue would at some point or another rear its resolute head and turn his life upside-down.
To get to grips with the book one has to give oneself over to it - emotionally and mentally. The reader has to fill Malherbe's shoes and allow the text to gain a hold of the mind. After doing this, the prose gains a certain skillfulness.
One is lost, or should I say found, in the world of Malherbe. Only then can the reader, suffering from the genetic condition or not, understand the feeling of relevance, support and relation flowing from the book.
Sensitive readers, who favour biographies, will get a good feel for the book. Those who are more into suspense and epic storylines will probably not.
It is an important read for teenagers and adults who have always felt like there's something wrong with them, or that they're different from other people in some way or another. It is a meaningful book. - Tshepo Tshabalala
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