"Seamless balance of sensitivity and humour" (Business Day) More...
“De Nooy is an unashamed rule breaker. There are stereotypes, multiple viewpoints, a mix of interviews, narratives and personal reminiscences, but every broken rule enhances and entertains.” (Sunday Independent) More...
“In terms of style, De Nooy speaks softly but carries the titular. His trademark is the juxtaposition of vulgarity and lyricism, the entertaining fusion of African and European sensibilities. This idiosyncrasy – the literary flasher in the raincoat – is what makes him such an exciting writer.” (The Daily Maverick) More...“
"It was good to read a work of fiction that was as funny as it was poignant. [...] Highly recommended.” (Exit Magazine) More...
The story brims over with laughter. Two homoerotic donkeys star in a Herman Charles Bosman-esque short story, and Alma and son’s grammar (“I beg yours?”) is rendered with exquisite tenderness.” (The Cape Times) More...
“Like a bon-bon layered from dark, bitter chocolate and sweetly nutty bits, the interwoven tales of Staal — the moffie with “the big stick” who was exiled from Zeerust to the gay heaven of the Netherlands in the eighties — will have you devouring the pages like so many Ferrero Rochers.” (The Witness) More...
"The Big Stick is as irreverent, cheeky and compulsively readable as a novel about estrangement, exile, isolation and loss can be. De Nooy’s study of queer power relations, embodied experiences and male intimacy is sensitive, filled to the brim with an exuberance of voice, and boasts a mesmerising confidence in the feel for dialogue and relationships.” (LitNet) More...