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deea_bks's review
5.0
Coetzee, Naipaul, Lessing and even Maugham wrote in their books about apartheid. They don't focus though only on that (maybe only Naipaul does, but I have only read one book by him), but they also insist on other themes. Gordimer writes about this theme in this book and she does it really well. Composed of short stories, it has as main theme the apartheid: the policy of segregation of non-white population in Africa. This is actually the main reason why I kept putting it off every time I would start a new book: I was thoroughly convinced that these stories will be so charged with politics that I will not enjoy the read. I was so wrong!
Although all the stories are mainly about that, they are written in such a creative and original way that they conquer your attention from the first lines even if politics doesn't interest you much. This is my first contact with Gordimer's manner of writing and I must confess that I am impressed: she writes in such a way that it's a total delight to read the stories not only for the subjects she chose, but also for the way she constructed phrases, for the way she created very plastic images and ideas. As any collection of stories, this one contains very good stories and also stories that are less good/likable. I however am so amazed with the way she manages to express her ideas and with the way she chooses her words and structures to construct all her stories that I will not only rate this book with five stars, but I will also make sure to read pretty soon other works written by her.
A few words about the stories I liked most: "Once Upon a Time", "The Ultimate Safari", "Some Are Born to Sweet Delight", "The Moment Before the Gun Went Off", "A Journey", "Safe Houses" - all these are amazing. The way she constructs these stories is really nice and the way she makes a point lets you dumbfounded. There's a lot of expressiveness in her style, a strength of sketching in a very imaginative way how the systems and practices separate people according to race and caste in Africa. I was only slightly conscious about what is happening out there from the books I have read before (all works of literature) and from the movies I've seen, but never was I as conscious as I am now, after reading this book, of all the brutality and lack of civilized practices going on there. I won't narrate the stories, I feel that by making short summaries for these above I wouldn't ever be able to do justice to the power that they emanate in the readers' minds and imagination.
A big bravooo for Gordimer, this is an amazing book!
Although all the stories are mainly about that, they are written in such a creative and original way that they conquer your attention from the first lines even if politics doesn't interest you much. This is my first contact with Gordimer's manner of writing and I must confess that I am impressed: she writes in such a way that it's a total delight to read the stories not only for the subjects she chose, but also for the way she constructed phrases, for the way she created very plastic images and ideas. As any collection of stories, this one contains very good stories and also stories that are less good/likable. I however am so amazed with the way she manages to express her ideas and with the way she chooses her words and structures to construct all her stories that I will not only rate this book with five stars, but I will also make sure to read pretty soon other works written by her.
A few words about the stories I liked most: "Once Upon a Time", "The Ultimate Safari", "Some Are Born to Sweet Delight", "The Moment Before the Gun Went Off", "A Journey", "Safe Houses" - all these are amazing. The way she constructs these stories is really nice and the way she makes a point lets you dumbfounded. There's a lot of expressiveness in her style, a strength of sketching in a very imaginative way how the systems and practices separate people according to race and caste in Africa. I was only slightly conscious about what is happening out there from the books I have read before (all works of literature) and from the movies I've seen, but never was I as conscious as I am now, after reading this book, of all the brutality and lack of civilized practices going on there. I won't narrate the stories, I feel that by making short summaries for these above I wouldn't ever be able to do justice to the power that they emanate in the readers' minds and imagination.
A big bravooo for Gordimer, this is an amazing book!
kelexi's review
5.0
reading this was painful but I can’t believe it’s not mandatory literature everywhere
wickedwitchflungoutofspace's review
4.0
This book needs a trigger warning for mentions of rape , violence , and other heavy topics. After getting over the initial shock I liked the stories very much. I like the way how brutally honest they are.
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