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wietse111's review against another edition
4.0
Mooi boek dat de volstrekt disfunctionele Swart familie in Zuid-Afrika door de decennia volgt. Het begint met het overlijden van de moeder, waarna de familie uit elkaar valt en eigenlijk alleen bij volgende sterfgevallen weer bij elkaar komt. Op de achtergrond blijft de belofte van de moeder aan de (zwarte) bediende door-etteren.
Prachtig geschreven, het boek voelde bijna poëtisch af en toe. Zat gewoon een soort ritme in. De karakters waren heel mooi geschreven, maar op Anton na misschien wel een beetje plat. Wel met veel plezier gelezen!
Prachtig geschreven, het boek voelde bijna poëtisch af en toe. Zat gewoon een soort ritme in. De karakters waren heel mooi geschreven, maar op Anton na misschien wel een beetje plat. Wel met veel plezier gelezen!
dianna_reads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
notphuonctional's review against another edition
3.75
Literarisch stark & besonders mit dem Shiften durch die Köpfe und Geschichten der Menschen sehr einzigartig und guten Überblick über die allgemeine Situation, Charaktere gut vermittelt und obwohl ihre Rollen innerhalb der Geschichte und Entwicklungen klar herausgearbeitet wurden fand ich sie zum Teil doch etwas zu eindimensional. Mochte aber vor allem wie es mit dem Verlauf einen übergeordnete Sinn über die Geschichte des Landes erzählt hat
sempiece's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nikireadsstuff's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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? Yes
3.0
sarahhead's review against another edition
4.5
Beautifully and uniquely written. Found myself having to stop and appreciate the structure of some lines. Really beautiful.
I cannot believe that a novel that is literally about four deaths could make me laugh out loud. Galgut is masterful. The way the narrative is woven together to create something so simple yet profound is admirable to say the least. A Booker Prize Winner for a reason.
I cannot believe that a novel that is literally about four deaths could make me laugh out loud. Galgut is masterful. The way the narrative is woven together to create something so simple yet profound is admirable to say the least. A Booker Prize Winner for a reason.
anad41's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
daja57's review against another edition
5.0
Winner of the 2021 Booker Prize. For other winners of the Booker see here.
The Swarts are a white South African farming family, clinging on to their way of life through the political changes marking the end of apartheid and the birth of the new majority-rule country. At the start of the book the mother of the family dies; on her deathbed she makes her husband promise to gift to the maidservant the house in which she (the servant) lives with her son. The refusal to honour this promise seems to act as a curse.
The parallels with the decline of the nation are obvious. Swarts?
This beautifully written book is told through multiple streams of consciousness (though the thoughts are usually fairly well-formed and there seemed to be more tell than show; the author-in-character sometimes speaks directly to the reader), head-hopping in a 'PoV tag' sort of way that reminded me of Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf.
The Swarts are a white South African farming family, clinging on to their way of life through the political changes marking the end of apartheid and the birth of the new majority-rule country. At the start of the book the mother of the family dies; on her deathbed she makes her husband promise to gift to the maidservant the house in which she (the servant) lives with her son. The refusal to honour this promise seems to act as a curse.
The parallels with the decline of the nation are obvious. Swarts?
This beautifully written book is told through multiple streams of consciousness (though the thoughts are usually fairly well-formed and there seemed to be more tell than show; the author-in-character sometimes speaks directly to the reader), head-hopping in a 'PoV tag' sort of way that reminded me of Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf.