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3.32 AVERAGE
3.32 AVERAGE
While short, this one didn't capture my attention at all. It began and ended in ambiguous places and while I can appreciate the beauty of the writing, that wasn't enough for me.
I did not like the way in which this book was written. Everytime I think that I've finally gotten what is happening, a sentence comes in that just confuses me again. The idea and plot of the novel is good but the style was just not to my liking. Maybe if I were to have read it for my own enjoyment rather than school, I might have liked it more.
One of the undersung themes of the book is the power of structural racism to override the liberal/progressive motives of people within those systems. The Smales decry the Apartheid system and attempt to treat their servant with dignity, but they function within an inherently oppressive system, and this system infects the way in which they define their relationship to July, the methods through which they can offer him respect. Consider the fact that July comes from a village in which people subsist on maize meal and scavenged vegetables, live without electricity, plumbing, roads-- any amenities-- yet pay taxes to the South African government who fail to provide any services in return. July's family cannot migrate to the city with him because of the passbook system that keeps people in their original regions. He is allowed to return to his family for a span of time every two years. In Johannesburg, the Smales attempted to address the oppression July faced through individual acts-- encouraging him to forgo language and actions that highlight his deferential status, like calling them "sir", allowing him some freedom to have friends and a mistress over to his servants quarters. But against the backdrop of a system that is inherently unfree, these gestures are paltry-- if anything, they seem to blind the Smales to the broader system that gives them freedom and power and gives July and his family none.
A frantic, painful book that reminds you of just how cushy the 1st world is.
Worth reading just for the turns of phrase; worth remembering for the dense imagery layered atop emotion.
Worth reading just for the turns of phrase; worth remembering for the dense imagery layered atop emotion.
A haunting book that I expect I will love more and more as time passes and its affect can be felt more acutely.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
An electrifying read, Nadine Gordimer encapsulates so perfectly a specific brand and time of whiteness and race relations in South Africa. Beyond the often uncomfortable reality of the time she’s writing in and for, the prose is magical, mystical and gripping in a way that I have only encountered in the words of South Africans.
July has served (with pay) Bam and Maureen's family for 15 years, and when the blacks start to attack the whites and overturn the systematic control imposed on them, July takes the family to his village for safety. Maureen and Bam are supportive of equal rights for blacks and have always been uncomfortable with July calling them "master", but this is a new world for them. Suddenly, the dynamics are unpredictable and being in the minority is very challenging.
Reading this was very interesting. Gordimer captures the experience of this white family on multiple levels in a way that feels genuine, and July comes more and more to life as the book unfolds. This is a window into a unique time and place and I haven't experienced anything like this before.
Food: pepperoncinis. These little pickled hot peppers have a bite, both sour and spicy. They are sharp but compulsively eatable.
Reading this was very interesting. Gordimer captures the experience of this white family on multiple levels in a way that feels genuine, and July comes more and more to life as the book unfolds. This is a window into a unique time and place and I haven't experienced anything like this before.
Food: pepperoncinis. These little pickled hot peppers have a bite, both sour and spicy. They are sharp but compulsively eatable.
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes