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My Sons Story Nadine Gordimer Books

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My Sons Story Nadine Gordimer Books

Gordimer is the Nobel prize-winning author of many books about the politics of South Africa. This story takes place just as Apartheid is coming to an end. There is no mention of important figures, such as Nelson Mandela, although the "struggle" (as it is euphemistically called) forms a backdrop to the drama of the novel. Without giving too much away, and focusing on the writing style as primary, I can see why Gordimer won the prize. The prose is tight, elegant and deftly moving. This is a story of betrayal and what happens when an affair invades the family space. Everyone is affected and "the struggle" begins to invade the whole of the family, a family that has been able to compartmentalize its politics up until the affair occurs. What was a safe and welcoming atmosphere becomes charged with tension and unexpected occurrences change the nature of the family's relationships. Gordimer weaves her tale with skill and the language is straightforward and prosaic. I highly recommend this story. Unlike other reviewers, I will not give the tale away. It is for the reader to discover its depths. I understand that Gordimer, who is white, is from a rather prominent family in South Africa but identifies with the black Africans in their struggle for freedom. She is quite adamant, in this story, that equality is not sufficient. The only acceptable existence for all South Africans is freedom. But what of those who are white and born in South Africa? Are they not native Africans as well? In her other books, she addresses this question head on. However, in "My Son's Story" the "struggle" structures the story but is an aside to the main theme of betrayal. I can't wait to read her other work. Significantly, Gordimer is only the seventh woman to win the Nobel in its 90 year history.


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My Sons Story Nadine Gordimer Books Reviews

This was an extremely well-written story of the effect of apartheid on one black family in SA. The writing is not fast-reading but well-done. It adds to he impressive oevre dealing with conditions in SA but personalizes the problems there.
While I was very interested in the story's premise initially, I found the experience of reading the book a tedious one. Every now and then, I would read a thought that was uniquely expressed and thought provoking but it was largely a disappointment.
The book describes well the complexities of relationships- between the son, Will, and his father, Sonny; between Sonny and his wife Aila; between Sonny and his lover Hannah, between everyone and the political situation at hand. However, the frequency of pronouns can be confusing and the long, impassioned dialogues never directly state anything at all. One must already be familiar with the apartheid and liberation movement to fully comprehend the book.
Gordimer's intricate tale of an educated black family struggling with the evils of apartheid is most noteworthy for its rich characterization. The story is told primarily by Will, the teenage son of anti-apartheid activist Sonny. Will acknowledges the horrors of the political situation around him but is painfully affected by the domestic consequences of social change (first his father's affair with white activist Hannah, and later his mother's imprisonment).
The complexity of the writing is necessary for conveying the emotional weight of the story. The chapters alternate (roughly) between the first person narration of Will and a third person account of the unfolding situation. This allows the reader to experience the pain and ambivalence Will feels, while also making the reader aware of the secrets that the family members keep from each other.
I disagree with the other reviewers that Gordimer's work is overly cerebral (if you want to see pretentious, dry, and overintellectualized, check out fellow African author J. M. Coetzee... yawn). My Son's Story is brilliantly realized in terms of both form and content. Without its complexity, the book would not be as believable, heartfelt, or utterly tragic... although I probably wouldn't have appreciated it in the ninth grade either.
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The story revolves around a 'coloured' family living under apartheid. To begin with, an ideal nuclear family father a teacher, a beautiful mother and two children. When the father accedes to his students' wishes that he accompany them on a protest march, he is sacked, and devotes himself full time to the cause. And on the way falls in love with a white woman with the same aims...
I found it hard to keep on with this one whether it's Ms Gordimer's writing style, or the subject matter - as the son's father rises in the ranks of Freedom Fighters, with all the politics that entails.
Gordimer is the Nobel prize-winning author of many books about the politics of South Africa. This story takes place just as Apartheid is coming to an end. There is no mention of important figures, such as Nelson Mandela, although the "struggle" (as it is euphemistically called) forms a backdrop to the drama of the novel. Without giving too much away, and focusing on the writing style as primary, I can see why Gordimer won the prize. The prose is tight, elegant and deftly moving. This is a story of betrayal and what happens when an affair invades the family space. Everyone is affected and "the struggle" begins to invade the whole of the family, a family that has been able to compartmentalize its politics up until the affair occurs. What was a safe and welcoming atmosphere becomes charged with tension and unexpected occurrences change the nature of the family's relationships. Gordimer weaves her tale with skill and the language is straightforward and prosaic. I highly recommend this story. Unlike other reviewers, I will not give the tale away. It is for the reader to discover its depths. I understand that Gordimer, who is white, is from a rather prominent family in South Africa but identifies with the black Africans in their struggle for freedom. She is quite adamant, in this story, that equality is not sufficient. The only acceptable existence for all South Africans is freedom. But what of those who are white and born in South Africa? Are they not native Africans as well? In her other books, she addresses this question head on. However, in "My Son's Story" the "struggle" structures the story but is an aside to the main theme of betrayal. I can't wait to read her other work. Significantly, Gordimer is only the seventh woman to win the Nobel in its 90 year history.