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A review by sidharthvardhan
The Promise by Damon Galgut
5.0
It is divided in four parts - each concerning last rites of one of members of a white family in South Africa. Each time the question of a promise is raised - the promise to give the family house to the black maid. The promise stands symbolic of hypocrisy of white people in land as well as their decline. In last part, where Amor makes a final effort to fulfill the promise, a very symbolic scene occurs.
However it's not all just a family Saga with some historic symbolism. The South African History takes place in background and directly affect lives of characters. South Africa comes out of apartheid and the successors of colonizers are forced to look at their conscience.
The best thing about this novel though is narration. I'm not a fan of 'show, don't tell' adage and instead prefer more active, even chatty narrators. The omnipotent narrator of Promise is one such narrator - he is often commenting or joking about characters, talking to readers as well as characters, passing gossip like info before adding 'no need to go there' or 'no offense intended'. It adds a colorful element to the story. Another good thing about narration is its speediness. It jumps easily from one scene to another without wasting time on meaningless setup. It is not the first time I have seen these things in novels but I certainly wish it was done more often.
However it's not all just a family Saga with some historic symbolism. The South African History takes place in background and directly affect lives of characters. South Africa comes out of apartheid and the successors of colonizers are forced to look at their conscience.
The best thing about this novel though is narration. I'm not a fan of 'show, don't tell' adage and instead prefer more active, even chatty narrators. The omnipotent narrator of Promise is one such narrator - he is often commenting or joking about characters, talking to readers as well as characters, passing gossip like info before adding 'no need to go there' or 'no offense intended'. It adds a colorful element to the story. Another good thing about narration is its speediness. It jumps easily from one scene to another without wasting time on meaningless setup. It is not the first time I have seen these things in novels but I certainly wish it was done more often.