The Promise
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- Create Date：2021-06-26 06:51:55
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Damon Galgut
- ISBN：1784744077
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Summary
A modern saga that could only have come from South Africa， written in gorgeous prose that could only come from the pen of literary giant and Booker Prize-shortlisted author， Damon Galgut。
The Promise is the story of the Swart family—theirs is a story of failed possibilities， much like the history of their country。 Haunted by an unmet promise made to the family servant， the well-to-do Swarts lose touch after the death of their mother。
Reunited by three funerals over three decades， the dwindling family reflects the charged atmosphere of post-apartheid South Africa in a family drama that unfurls against the unrelenting march of national history。
The Promise is the story of the Swart family—theirs is a story of failed possibilities， much like the history of their country。 Haunted by an unmet promise made to the family servant， the well-to-do Swarts lose touch after the death of their mother。
Reunited by three funerals over three decades， the dwindling family reflects the charged atmosphere of post-apartheid South Africa in a family drama that unfurls against the unrelenting march of national history。
Reviews
Erin Rouleau
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These South African tales are heavy。 I kinda want to shake this one off despite being so absorbed in the writing which was unique and phenomenal。
Claudia
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Remarkable
Daniel Shindler
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“The Promise” is an unusual and provocative book。The novel focuses on a farming family living outside Pretoria。 The Swart family are descendants of the Voortrekkers。They are blinded by the privilege their birth has granted them。Their story chronicles their struggles and responses to the social and political upheaval surrounding post apartheid South Africa，causing one to ponder the direction of the society。The plot is structured around four funerals spanning thirty plus years。The central concern “The Promise” is an unusual and provocative book。The novel focuses on a farming family living outside Pretoria。 The Swart family are descendants of the Voortrekkers。They are blinded by the privilege their birth has granted them。Their story chronicles their struggles and responses to the social and political upheaval surrounding post apartheid South Africa，causing one to ponder the direction of the society。The plot is structured around four funerals spanning thirty plus years。The central concern of the novel occurs when the youngest daughter，Amor， overhears her dying mother，Rachel， make her husband promise to give Rachel’s black nurse， Salome， ownership of her home。The failure of the family to honor this promise propels the storyline forward and reveals the personal and social fissures that beset South Africa。There is an overriding sense of decay and dysfunction permeating the Swart family from the outset。The narrative is linear but is laced with shifting interior monologues for each character， often switching points of view within the same paragraph。This style is reminiscent of James Joyce and serves to emphasize the disjointedness of both the family and the society as a whole。Interestingly， there is no recurring black point of view expressed throughout the book。I think this omission is intentional， serving to emphasize the lack of cohesion in the post apartheid society。The broken promise and the decrepit home at the heart of the promise are symbols of a nation struggling for its soul。This struggle is not limited to South Africa but is playing out worldwide。Through the incisive portrayal of the Swart family， Damon Galgat highlights political and societal concerns that are reverberating everywhere。4。5 stars。 。。。more
Sarah
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So subtle and cleverly written， I’m not even sure how to begin to explain how this book is put together， but it works， and I found I couldn’t stop myself wanting to read on and learn more about these characters。Spanning from the 1980’s to present day the story is about a white South African family called the Swarts。 The book opens with the death of the mother （Ma） and on her death dead， as the farther sits with his wife， the youngest child， Amor， overhears the mother make her husband promise to So subtle and cleverly written， I’m not even sure how to begin to explain how this book is put together， but it works， and I found I couldn’t stop myself wanting to read on and learn more about these characters。Spanning from the 1980’s to present day the story is about a white South African family called the Swarts。 The book opens with the death of the mother （Ma） and on her death dead， as the farther sits with his wife， the youngest child， Amor， overhears the mother make her husband promise to give the little house their maid Salome lives in with her son， to her， in recognition of the time and care she has given to Ma during her illness。 This promise stays with Amor and over the coming years we quickly learn it is of little importance to the remaining members of this decidingly fractured family。We are introduced to each member of the family at Ma’s funeral and as the book continues we learn from the characters themselves more about each of them and how the family disintegrates as a unit。 The plot is slow moving and often sad but the amazing way this book is written and the overall feel of the book kept me enthralled。The narration is done in a way I have never come across before。 Moving around constantly from third， second and first person， at points they seem to be talking to the reader， at others the narrator when talking of a character in the third person seems to enter their thoughts， giving us the dialogue within their head， and with no speech marks it takes a little getting used to but I did。 At times it felt like I was watching a play with a narrator and characters all on stage with my head turning back and forth to each as they speak。Key figures within South Africa’s past are mentioned and so to are the water shortages， power cuts and even sporting events like the Rugby and along with the dynamics within the family， their religions， mental heath， alcohol consumption， and affairs， it all adds up to a wonderfully rounded but subtle look at one family over the years。The story is divided up into chapters about each of the family members， learning a little of their past from when the book begins， but mainly watching their lives unfurl as the decades move along and each time we see Amor returning home with that Promise。A really engaging， atmospheric and wonderfully written novel。Many thanks to Mollie Stewart at Vintage Books for bringing this book to my attention and my advance readers copy via Netgalley。 。。。more
Ann
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The Promise promised a lot but it just wasn’t for me。You can’t like them all try as I did I conceded defeat at 38% in
andrew
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A profoundly dysfunctional white South African family and a lingering promise to reward a life long Black domestic employee in the shadow of apartheid is the foundation of this tragic story。 How much each reader will enjoy this novel will depend on his or her appreciation of the author's particular narrative style。 The novel is divided into four long sections。 Within each there are frequent changes from one person and perspective to another sometimes signaled by just altering a pronoun and often A profoundly dysfunctional white South African family and a lingering promise to reward a life long Black domestic employee in the shadow of apartheid is the foundation of this tragic story。 How much each reader will enjoy this novel will depend on his or her appreciation of the author's particular narrative style。 The novel is divided into four long sections。 Within each there are frequent changes from one person and perspective to another sometimes signaled by just altering a pronoun and often from one paragraph to the next and sometimes within a paragraph。。 At times the author even refers to the reader directly。 Early on I found this effective in providing a portrait of the family but together with the absence of quotation marks in delineating dialogue it all soon became pretty annoying and confusing。 。。。more
Eric Anderson
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Damon Galgut's brilliant 2014 novel “Arctic Summer” was a fictional reimagining of the life of EM Forster which describes his experiences after the publication of his novel “Howard's End”。 Forster's classic book about who will inherit a house serves as the structure for Galgut's new novel “The Promise”， but it's set in South Africa in the years immediately before and after Apartheid。 It follows the experiences of a relatively-privileged white family who own a small farm and their fates over time Damon Galgut's brilliant 2014 novel “Arctic Summer” was a fictional reimagining of the life of EM Forster which describes his experiences after the publication of his novel “Howard's End”。 Forster's classic book about who will inherit a house serves as the structure for Galgut's new novel “The Promise”， but it's set in South Africa in the years immediately before and after Apartheid。 It follows the experiences of a relatively-privileged white family who own a small farm and their fates over time。 An annexe to their property is inhabited by Salome， a black maid who has worked for the family for many years and the novel begins with matriarch Rachel on her deathbed requesting that the deed to this property be given this woman who has served her so faithfully。 Although her husband Manie promises to fulfil her wish， the transfer of ownership to Salome is delayed year after year after year。 The self-consumed and selfish family members are so concerned with their own dramas that fulfilling this bequest always seems tediously inconvenient or perhaps it's a power they are unwilling to relinquish。 But youngest daughter Amor witnessed the promise being made and persistently reminds her family it should be honoured （much to their exasperation。） Just as Forster's novel symbolically asked who will inherit England， Galgut's story asks who will inherit South Africa but I think his query is much more complicated than that simple concept sounds。 The striking thing about how this novel is written is its impressively fluid style which artfully weaves in and out of certain perspectives， briskly navigates through different scenes and frequently switches point of view。 At first this felt almost disorientating to me as transitions in focus are made so rapidly it sometimes requires careful attention to follow the narrative， but it soon became mesmerising as I felt caught in the flow of time and Galgut's gorgeously poetic language。 However， the apparent freedom of this narrative to roam wherever it wishes （even into the perspective of the dead） is deceptive。 As the story progresses， it becomes apparent that in following the fates of different members of the Swart family we're also tragically locked into the white gaze from which they cannot escape。 Their prejudiced views saturate the sensibility of this novel。 Their assumed superiority and odious casual racism appears with wincing regularity。 For example， a typical paranoid statement made about black servants is that “You have to get rid of them before they start to scheme。” If these racist attitudes come to feel exasperating and if the reader longs to instead get Salome's perspective I think that's fully intentional。 It's something the Swart family with their myopic view of the world never considers and so the reader is similarly denied access except for brief glimpses such as the family's black driver Lexington who observes with exasperation: “It is not always possible to please two white people simultaneously。” As such， we come to understand the real crisis in a country where legalized segregation may have ended but the tragic divide between two groups of people remains。Read my full review of The Promise by Damon Galgut on LonesomeReaderI've also made a video discussing my thoughts on this novel here: https://www。youtube。com/watch？v=x3MRnH2g5Y4 。。。more
Verity Halliday
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The Promise is the story of a white South African family living on a farm near Pretoria。 The book is split into four， dealing with four separate family funerals， from the time of apartheid through to Jacob Zuma’s resignation in 2018。 The family members are mainly pretty unlikeable characters， but I found their lives compelling and well drawn。The title refers to a promise made to the matriarch of the family on her deathbed， that the black maid Salome should be given the deeds to the house she occ The Promise is the story of a white South African family living on a farm near Pretoria。 The book is split into four， dealing with four separate family funerals， from the time of apartheid through to Jacob Zuma’s resignation in 2018。 The family members are mainly pretty unlikeable characters， but I found their lives compelling and well drawn。The title refers to a promise made to the matriarch of the family on her deathbed， that the black maid Salome should be given the deeds to the house she occupied on a different part of the farm。 The grieving widower does not keep his promise and everyone suffers from the ensuing guilt， shame， resentment and denial。 How do you go on living with people who you’ve mistreated in the past？A recommended and thought provoking read。Thanks to the author， publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback。 。。。more
Moose
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Thoroughly enjoyed the voice in which this book was written， shifting from the author narrating to the author directly addressing the reader with comical observations， and moving seamlessly from one character’s POV to another's， all in the same sentence。 Thoroughly enjoyed the voice in which this book was written， shifting from the author narrating to the author directly addressing the reader with comical observations， and moving seamlessly from one character’s POV to another's， all in the same sentence。 。。。more
Catalina
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The Promise chronicles the demise of a white South African family on the backdrop of a country in turmoil， between turning tides。 Sadly it did not work for me due to stylistic reasons and a sparse narrative。 I couldn't get used to change in perspective/person between the omniscient narrator and the character at time even in the same sentence。 The sudden chance has been at time rather confusing， then annoying， to say the least。 This stylistic choices continued with leaps from character to charact The Promise chronicles the demise of a white South African family on the backdrop of a country in turmoil， between turning tides。 Sadly it did not work for me due to stylistic reasons and a sparse narrative。 I couldn't get used to change in perspective/person between the omniscient narrator and the character at time even in the same sentence。 The sudden chance has been at time rather confusing， then annoying， to say the least。 This stylistic choices continued with leaps from character to character with no indications someone else is speaking and with time lapses with no way for the reader to figure out how much time has passed。 All that made for a somewhat disjointed and cold read， not being truly able to care about anything or anyone。 The narrative itself has a lot of potential， beautiful turn of phrases scattered throughout， and an intriguing family eating itself up from the inside out。 Yet there's a tendency for minimalism that goes against the novel。 I would have like way more details about the Swarts to make up for the writing style。 Yet it almost feels like the whole novel is formed of two funerals and then a sort of epilogue to present us with the faith of the last members of the family。 Much， too much is left to the imagination for me to be satisfied。 I do not mind coming up with scenarios for a book， but in this case I've already put in too much effort with the style to be willing to do the same for the story。 *Book from NetGalley with many thanks to the publisher。 。。。more
Lori Eshleman
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This South African novel covers three decades in the life of the Swart family and their farm， from the time of apartheid to the resignation of President Jacob Zuma。 The novel is organized around the sequential deaths of four family members， and – rather like Howard’s End – around a promise made to give a house to the black family housekeeper， Salome。 A promise long-delayed。 Among the family， only the youngest daughter， Amor， seems troubled by this broken vow。 Among the tensions in the family， re This South African novel covers three decades in the life of the Swart family and their farm， from the time of apartheid to the resignation of President Jacob Zuma。 The novel is organized around the sequential deaths of four family members， and – rather like Howard’s End – around a promise made to give a house to the black family housekeeper， Salome。 A promise long-delayed。 Among the family， only the youngest daughter， Amor， seems troubled by this broken vow。 Among the tensions in the family， religion is prominent。 The mother， Rachel， wants to be buried in the Jewish traditions of her upbringing， which greatly offends her husband。 Manie is a follower of an evangelical preacher who has wheedled him out of some of his land to build a church adjacent to the farm。 Among Manie’s other ventures is a Reptile Park， which draws tourists。 The unhappy eldest son， Anton， despises religion and middle-class society and dreams of writing a novel。 In conflict with his father， he deserts the army and leads a vagabond life a while。 Amor herself runs off to London， then to Durban， where she becomes a nurse in an AIDS ward。 The middle daughter， Astrid， makes two unhappy marriages。 This is a troubled family， the center cannot hold。 Meanwhile， the sprawling farmhouse becomes neglected， surrounded by multiple security fences and gates， as black South Africans contest the property after the end of apartheid。 Galgut evokes the desolate terrain and sudden storms with rich prose: “There’s a hot wind gusting now， and black clouds rolling in from the east。 Thunder gargling away in the back throat of the sky” （265）。 He uses a shifting narrative perspective that moves suddenly from an individual to a group and back， all in the same paragraph。 Collective experience invades the intimate perspective of individuals， letting us know more than one person would know， even down to the authorial voice: “Be on your way， Amor， that lightening is coming back for you。 Unfinished business， best left that way” （266）。 I found this multi-valent narrative to be strangely freeing and true。 Our life experiences are not felt in isolation or on a linear path， but abruptly interrupted by people， animals， environment， inner thoughts and sensations， and outer words。 Powerful and moving， this novel captures a rich weft of experience， trauma， and change。 。。。more
Flashflood
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This superb novel charts the decline of a white South African family over several decades from the mid-eighties。 The mother， Rachel， who converted to Judaism late on in her life – to the discomfort of the rest of the family - dies。 Before she dies， her husband Manie promises her that the maid， Salome， will be given the house in which she’s lived for decades。 There are two problems however: under South African law at that time， Salome can’t legally own property and， even more intractably， only Am This superb novel charts the decline of a white South African family over several decades from the mid-eighties。 The mother， Rachel， who converted to Judaism late on in her life – to the discomfort of the rest of the family - dies。 Before she dies， her husband Manie promises her that the maid， Salome， will be given the house in which she’s lived for decades。 There are two problems however: under South African law at that time， Salome can’t legally own property and， even more intractably， only Amor， the youngest child， who overhears the promise， has the slightest interest in fulfilling it。The novel changes points of view at a dizzying rate: filtering not only the thoughts of all the family members but other characters as well: priests， lawyers， etc， some of whom only take centre stage for a page or two。 You have to work hard to keep up with this book， and that is no bad thing。Galgut deals out deaths in a baroque manner: the deeply religious Manie， who owns a herpetarium， endeavours to show that you literally can survive sleeping in a nest of vipers if your faith is sufficient。 （Spoiler: you can’t）。 Of all of them， Amor may garner the reader’s sympathy， but her response to the situation is to distance herself， socially， geographically and financially， from the rest of her family， which isn’t much help to the hapless Salome。I loved this book。 It’s little like The Leopard but with more racism and certainly more deaths。Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Yasmina Walker
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Galgut， a South African writer， crafts a drama that looks into the lives of the Swart family beginning in 1986。 The drama unfolds on a farm owned by the Swart family in Pretoria。 South Africa is on the cusp of change， and these changes are played out in this novel。 Rachel Swart， the family matriarch is dying。 One of Rachel's dying requests is that the family maid Salome， is to be given the cabin in which she has lived in all her life。 Rachel's husband， Manie， promises he will， but after Rachel's Galgut， a South African writer， crafts a drama that looks into the lives of the Swart family beginning in 1986。 The drama unfolds on a farm owned by the Swart family in Pretoria。 South Africa is on the cusp of change， and these changes are played out in this novel。 Rachel Swart， the family matriarch is dying。 One of Rachel's dying requests is that the family maid Salome， is to be given the cabin in which she has lived in all her life。 Rachel's husband， Manie， promises he will， but after Rachel's death he reneges on his promise。 Amor Swart， the youngest of the three Swart children， overhears her dad's promise， but realizes he will never carry out the promise。 This becomes a point of contention， and Amor leaves for London only to return to South Africa later。 The two other siblings Astrid and Anton stay in Pretoria， but their bitterness and disappointment with their lives leads to dreadful consequences。 Galgut is a writer who with few words conveys the bitterness， loneliness， and anger of each character。 He also manages to describe not only the upheaval that South Africa undergoes， but also its beauty and vastness。 Although I did not like the characters， the book is worth a read just for Galgut's writing。 。。。more
Ciaran McLarnon
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In The Promise - Damon Galgut charts the tragic demise of a slightly dysfunctional Swart family in South Africa over a number of years from just before the end of apartheid to 30/40 years later。 The story opens with the passing of Rachel - her dying wish to gift her loyal servant Salome ownership of her home。 While Rachel"s daughter Amor， only 7 year old at the time， witnessed this request her husband Manie is angered by other events and in complete denial。The acrimony that develops between fath In The Promise - Damon Galgut charts the tragic demise of a slightly dysfunctional Swart family in South Africa over a number of years from just before the end of apartheid to 30/40 years later。 The story opens with the passing of Rachel - her dying wish to gift her loyal servant Salome ownership of her home。 While Rachel"s daughter Amor， only 7 year old at the time， witnessed this request her husband Manie is angered by other events and in complete denial。The acrimony that develops between father and son Anton becomes a major influence on the terms of the former's will which paves the way for further dispute。 The struggles experienced by successive national leaders following the end of apartheid seem to align with the family trauma and their inability to accept the new reality。The Promise is beautifully written and brilliantly captivating。 I expect it will go on to be widely enjoyed by readers far and wide。 。。。more
Jennyh
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Not the most uplifting of books and not one to be skipped through。This tale of family in Pretoria， South Africa delves into the deep divisions of a family and country in crisis through the death and funerals of the diminishing family/Promises are kept， some broken and dreams are shattered。。This story is to be savoured 。
Annarella
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I think it's one of those "it's me not the book" as the style of writing and the character development are excellent。Unfortunately I found it too depressing for my current mood and it didn't keep my attention。Not my cup of tea。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine I think it's one of those "it's me not the book" as the style of writing and the character development are excellent。Unfortunately I found it too depressing for my current mood and it didn't keep my attention。Not my cup of tea。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Joseph Schreiber
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The latest novel by South African writer Damon Galgut is an ambitious tale spanning three decades。 Across the years， the members of the Swart family drift apart， each following their own path， to be pulled together by funerals。 As life and death takes its toll on the family， South Africa changes， for better and worse。 Guiding the entire drama is an omniscient （mostly） third person narrator who is， by turns， sarcastic， critical， and inclined to metafictional asides。 He slips in and out of the tho The latest novel by South African writer Damon Galgut is an ambitious tale spanning three decades。 Across the years， the members of the Swart family drift apart， each following their own path， to be pulled together by funerals。 As life and death takes its toll on the family， South Africa changes， for better and worse。 Guiding the entire drama is an omniscient （mostly） third person narrator who is， by turns， sarcastic， critical， and inclined to metafictional asides。 He slips in and out of the thoughts of a wide cast of eccentric characters creating a surprisingly complex and fast moving tale。 As someone who has read almost all of Galgut's novels to date， this is the work of a confident， mature writer—one who never seems to garner the widespread attention he deserves。https://roughghosts。com/2021/06/16/th。。。 。。。more
Beth
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Beginning wonderful。 Gets uglier and uglier。 Don’t。
Keith Bain
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Exquisite。 Essential。
Waldimar Pelser
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My book of the year， by far。
Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer
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Published today 11 June 2021 For there is nothing unusual or remarkable about the Swart family， oh no， they resemble the family from the next farm and the one beyond that， just an ordinary bunch of white South Africans， and if you don’t believe it then listen to us speak。 We sound no different from other voices， we sounds the same and we tell the same stories， in an accent squashed underfoot， all the consonants decapitated and the vowels stove in。 Less “Four Wedding and A Funeral” than “Four F Published today 11 June 2021 For there is nothing unusual or remarkable about the Swart family， oh no， they resemble the family from the next farm and the one beyond that， just an ordinary bunch of white South Africans， and if you don’t believe it then listen to us speak。 We sound no different from other voices， we sounds the same and we tell the same stories， in an accent squashed underfoot， all the consonants decapitated and the vowels stove in。 Less “Four Wedding and A Funeral” than “Four Funerals and A Partheid” This book is the latest written by an author twice shortlisted for the Booker Prize （in 2003 and 2010）。It is effectively a family tale – the Swarts， a white and relatively privileged South African nuclear family of five who live on a farm near Pretoria。 Their story and the story of those around them。 The family is Amor - owner of the farm and later the main family business – a reptile park， over time he grows close to an ex Reformed Church Afrikaans ministerHis wife Rachel - who re-converts back to Judaism while she is dying of cancerAnd their three children: Anton - whose unplanned birth out of wedlock lead to a marriage Amor’s family considered a mistake – Anton kills a woman when conscripted to the South African Army and deserts before later marrying his childhood sweetheart Desiree who becomes increasingly involved with New Age and Yoga Practices and the leader of a nearby AshramAstrid - who converts to Catholicism， has twins and two unhappy marriagesAmor – something of the irreligious conscience of the family， spending her time nursing AIDS patients， refusing to take the family money or to stay in contact， and the only one who holds to the eponymous promise the dying Rachel extracted from Amor – to give the family’s black maid Salome the deeds to her home in the farmlandsThere are two very distinctive parts of the book’s execution:The first is its cyclical structure。 The story （which ranges over several decades） is told at discrete intervals in four sections all based around the funeral of a family member （the sections named after the family member that dies in turn as the nuclear group diminishes - less “Ten Green Bottles” than “Four White Racists”）。 Each section starts with the circumstances of the death （cancer， snake bite， murder and suicide）。 Each funeral coincides with an important point of South African history （the rugby world cup victory， Mbeki’s inauguration， Zuma’s resignation）。 Each has details on the dead body and the viewpoint of the person preparing it for burial。 Each features in detail the thoughts of the person carrying out the funeral （and the way their views clash largely with the beliefs of the remaining family members） and each has Amor’s latest attempt to realise the promise。The second is the narrative voice – a very deliberate and intrusive omniscient narrator which swoops from character to character （including some side characters such as a down and out and a criminal and even at one stage some jackals）， switches out of its default third person into first person even second person for the point of view character， sometimes addressing the reader directly and sometimes into a brief first person plural chorus。 I think the book will appeal to a lot of people and I would definitely recommend others to read it But I have to say it did not quite work for me – and simply felt too gimmicky。 The family is clearly meant as to represent South Africa and the book to serve as an analogy for the nation’s history but this felt overdone to me。 One clear example of this being the coincidental linking of the funerals to important events - at one stage a character comments that Manie has “died at a very inconvenient time” and as a reader we can only think that the opposite – that the fictional timing of the fictional death is very convenient for the move。 And when combined with the symbolic deaths （and their symbolic natures）， the need for understanding and reckoning （and dare I say truth and reconciliation） which arises from them， the examination of the decaying states of the bodies （standing for the nation） and so on – it all seems rather forced。 And no experienced novelist， even in possible irony， should have characters remarking on how things are like （or not like） a novel or have a character member trying but failing to write an autobiographically inspired novel。And while I can see people admiring the sheer bravura and dexterity of the narrative voice – I was struggling really to see what admirable it really achieved。 One of the effects for example was to have the voice call De Verwoerd “a great man” and the Pienarr/Mandela encounter that of a “beefy Boer and the old terrorist” and I have to say this got my back up a little。 And my negative reaction was further exacerbated by the lack of voice really given to Salome， the way her son Lukas is portrayed as angry and ungrateful and the way in which the first non-white character given a significant voice is a murderous car-jacker。 Those comments may not be fear but while I went to University in a different era to today’s world of trigger warnings and no-platforming and was not very politically active or aware – but the one area that did affect me politically was the boycott of firms connected to the reprehensible South African Apartheid regime and I am still （to use the phrase） triggered by white South Africans complaining about how their country is now racked with crime and in my personal reading consider no-platforming books written about white South Africans who prospered pre-Apartheid。 I say that to put my views into context。I also did not respond well to the “plague on all your houses” views of different religious belief。Overall as I said I can see people liking this book but my suggestion would instead be to move a little North and instead read Tsitsi Dangarembga’s trilogy “Nervous Conditions”， “The Book of Not” and “This Mournable Body”。My thanks to Vintage Chatto and Windus， Random House UK， for an ARC via NetGalley 。。。more
John
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"The Promise" also might be entitled "Four Funerals and No Wedding。"Each of the funerals pertain to one of the five members of a dysfunctional South African family， with the first taking place before apartheid ended and the other three at various points during the post-apartheid era。 The promise of the title is made by Pa to Ma， the first to die and the only of the four to die whose death is preceded by illness。 He promises her that the ramshackle house where the family's maid and her children l "The Promise" also might be entitled "Four Funerals and No Wedding。"Each of the funerals pertain to one of the five members of a dysfunctional South African family， with the first taking place before apartheid ended and the other three at various points during the post-apartheid era。 The promise of the title is made by Pa to Ma， the first to die and the only of the four to die whose death is preceded by illness。 He promises her that the ramshackle house where the family's maid and her children live will be given to her。The promise is quickly forgotten once Ma dies except by Amor， the youngest of the children， who was a quiet presence in the room when the promise was made。 Amor continues to insist that the promise should be kept， but with no support from any family members。The promise is a link in the story， but it's far from the whole story。 What "The Promise" really is about is how a family， shaky to begins with， continues to spiral further out of control in the wake of their matriarch's death。 Damon Galgut employs an unorthodox writing style that may not appeal to all readers。 Bursting past Strunk & White's "Elements of Style，" he uses frequent commas when periods would be appropriate。 He does so effectively， although I wouldn't recommend that aspiring writers try this at home。I love the way Galgut puts words together。He had me， or was starting to get me， with the first paragraph:The moment the metal box speaks her name， Amor knows it's happened。 She's been in a tense， headachy mood all day， almost like she had a warning in a dream but can't remember what it is。 Some sign or image， just under the surface。 Trouble down below。 Fire underground。"Headachy mood。" I totally get that。 And this， much later in the book， when Amor has been back home， going through her old room。She really did intend to go downstairs and cook a meal， but by the time she's finished cleaning up， the night is moving along and she has no appetite left。 Eaten too much childhood， thanks， I'm full。It's a dark， gloomy sort of a book and doesn't end in a particularly happy way。 Somehow， it feels triumphant， nonetheless。 。。。more
Adrian Dooley
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This one wasn’t for me unfortunately。 I found the writing style and form of the book very jarring。 The book is in four sections with no chapters。 At times it’s hard to know who is supposed to be speaking， the narrative hops and jumps from person to person without any obvious queue to the reader， it became very confusing at times。 It’s the story of a South African white family set during apartheid and following them over a few decades。 I’m sure there were many metaphors and social commentary here This one wasn’t for me unfortunately。 I found the writing style and form of the book very jarring。 The book is in four sections with no chapters。 At times it’s hard to know who is supposed to be speaking， the narrative hops and jumps from person to person without any obvious queue to the reader， it became very confusing at times。 It’s the story of a South African white family set during apartheid and following them over a few decades。 I’m sure there were many metaphors and social commentary here but， the rambling narrative did nothing to keep my attention。 The story， a random and rambling tale that I couldn’t take to at all。 None of the characters were likeable or even memorable。 The whole spiel about “The Promise” made to the black housekeeper and being a central theme to the story is just in the background。 In fact the housekeeper barely features here at all。 As I said not for me。 Felt a hell of a lot longer than it’s 300 odd pages it was。 Thanks to the publisher for the ARC。 。。。more
Paromjit
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Damon Galgut's examines the disintegration of the dysfunctional privileged white Swart family in South Africa， living on a farm outside Pretoria， over a period of over 3 decades。 The moral heart of the story， Amor Swart， overhears her dying mother， Rachel， cared for and nursed by her black maid， Salome， extract a promise from her father that Salome will be given her home。 In a narrative that revolves around 4 funerals， beginning with that of Rachel， who had reverted back to Judaism， that is taki Damon Galgut's examines the disintegration of the dysfunctional privileged white Swart family in South Africa， living on a farm outside Pretoria， over a period of over 3 decades。 The moral heart of the story， Amor Swart， overhears her dying mother， Rachel， cared for and nursed by her black maid， Salome， extract a promise from her father that Salome will be given her home。 In a narrative that revolves around 4 funerals， beginning with that of Rachel， who had reverted back to Judaism， that is taking place amidst the turbulence of the racist apartheid regime's state of emergency， the family， Manie， the father， the troubled son， Anton， and Astrid， the older sister of Amor， fail to fulfil the promise。 This promise is additionally an echo of the promise of the birth of the 'rainbow' nation， the truth and reconciliation commission， that has come to lie in tatters amidst the greed， corruption， warped ambitions and violence。The story jumps from character to character， inhabiting their thoughts and actions， at times like a stream of consciousness， Manie's bitterness at not being able to be buried next to Rachel， his estrangement from an Anton plagued by his killing of a black mother。 Anton goes on to desert from the army， an act that comes to be seen as heroic under President Nelson Mandela， undergoing difficult years of being destitute and in debt。 Astrid marries Dean， becoming a mother to twins， feeling herself suffocated。 Amor lives in London before returning for the funeral of a father that had come under unscrupulous and ambitious religious influences。 As Salome is once again left out in the cold， Amor decides to move to Durban and train as a nurse， something neither Astrid or Anton understand。 By the time the promise can be fulfilled， more than thirty years later， there are other threats to it being realised， and Lukas， Salome's son is less than grateful， viewing it as an empty gesture。Galgut depicts a family that has no close links with each other， Amor cannot stomach her morally bankrupt and lost family， squandering their opportunities and dreams， the marital infidelities， the humiliations， the drinking， and the self deceptions。 She refuses to benefit financially and makes no attempt to keep in touch。 Religion， including the New Age aspects， is portrayed as ambitious， hypocritical， overly judgemental， power hungry and sinning。 The fragile and tenuous connections between the family is reflected in the threads holding South Africa together， from the hope displayed at the Rugby World Cup， to the deep fractures， the rising crime， and the compromised integrity in the years that follow。 A powerful and engaging read that I think many readers will appreciate。 Many thanks to Random House Vintage for an ARC。 。。。more
Katherine Govier
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I'm saving the last few pages because I don't want it to end。 I just marvel at the way Galgut slides between characters and in and out of personnae。 Almost no-one to like in his country， I have to say， but it is very convincing the way he tells us。 I'm saving the last few pages because I don't want it to end。 I just marvel at the way Galgut slides between characters and in and out of personnae。 Almost no-one to like in his country， I have to say， but it is very convincing the way he tells us。 。。。more
Sarah
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The Promise’ stretches from the 1980s to the present day and so covers some incredibly important decades in the history of South Africa。 And yet， whilst there is mention of Mandela， of truth and reconciliation， of government corruption， of power cuts and water shortages， at the heart of this novel is the Swart family。 Through his focus on them， Damon Galgut shows us just how the changing country affects or doesn’t affect their essential beliefs and concerns。 Despite becoming a ‘rainbow’ nation w The Promise’ stretches from the 1980s to the present day and so covers some incredibly important decades in the history of South Africa。 And yet， whilst there is mention of Mandela， of truth and reconciliation， of government corruption， of power cuts and water shortages， at the heart of this novel is the Swart family。 Through his focus on them， Damon Galgut shows us just how the changing country affects or doesn’t affect their essential beliefs and concerns。 Despite becoming a ‘rainbow’ nation where all are equal in theory， the Swarts are still looked after decade after decade by the ‘girl’ Salome who lives with her son， Lukas， in a very modest dwelling near the family’s farmhouse， and their old prejudiced ways are still very much alive。At the beginning of the novel， we learn that Salome is to be given her little house， in recognition of the fact that she has nursed Rachel Swart during her final days。 No one is keen to honour this promise other than youngest daughter， Amor， and decade after decade this weighs heavy on her。 Whilst Lukas suggests that she is only keen to follow through on this wish because， ‘It’s what you don’t need any more， what you don’t mind throwing away。 Your leftovers。’ the reader appreciates that unlike her father and siblings Anton and Astrid， Amor’s desire to honour the deathbed wish is authentic。One of the reasons why ‘The Promise’ is such a memorable read is the presence of an omniscient narrator who， from time to time， makes their existence felt through ironic asides， imperatives or rhetorical questions。 The effect is to draw us into the characters’ lives and ask us to imagine being part of this fractured society。 Implicitly Galgut asks， what would we do to survive？ Become ‘religious’; turn to alcohol; have affairs; wield power; run away？This is not an uplifting read。 Nonetheless， a promise is made and not everyone reneges on it。 Whilst the narrator mocks the rainstorm in the closing pages of the novels as ‘like some cheap redemptive symbol in a story， falling from a turbulent sky …onto tin shacks as impartially as it falls onto opulence’， ultimately there is a little hope。 A brilliantly written story that lives on long after the last page has been read。My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK， Vintage for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review。 。。。more
Alistair Mackay
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I’ve loved everything Galgut has written， and was anticipating this book with great excitement。 When I started it， I was a little disappointed。 It’s very different to his other work， especially in terms of narrative style。 This is not his classic first or close third narrative; it’s a kind of swooping， organic， almost drunken narrative that switches POV constantly， many times per page， from character to character and even up to an omniscient， sometimes ironic， sometimes quite funny narrator， and I’ve loved everything Galgut has written， and was anticipating this book with great excitement。 When I started it， I was a little disappointed。 It’s very different to his other work， especially in terms of narrative style。 This is not his classic first or close third narrative; it’s a kind of swooping， organic， almost drunken narrative that switches POV constantly， many times per page， from character to character and even up to an omniscient， sometimes ironic， sometimes quite funny narrator， and even addresses the reader sometimes。 It’s disorientating at first， but stick it out， it becomes a kind of South African chorus。 The voices of a fragmented and instantly familiar society。 Told in four parts over four decades from the 1980s state of emergency until today， each section of the book centres on the death of one of the members of the Swart family， who own a farm on the outskirts of Pretoria。 When Ma dies， early on， she makes her husband promise he’ll give the land that that the maid Salome lives on to Salome - and this is the promise that carries through the book。 It’s sweeping in timescale and scope， covering South Africa’s transition and early decades of democracy， race relations， faith and mortality， the land question， and what happens to a family when its members are unable to speak to each other。 It’s unlike Galgut’s other novels but it’s just as good。 。。。more
Steven Volk
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Remarkably interesting novel of one family told through their gatherings over some decades for funerals。 Excellent insight into pre- and post-apartheid South Africa; rich characterization。
Kat
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A beautifully written book about a promise made， a family and much more it captured me from the start。 I do have to admit I did struggle at times as the story became a bit wordy for me and it was a lot slower pace than I would normally read thrillers being my usual genre but this book was a real change for me。 It was a very character driven read and I think this was made the book do good it was so well crafted and I loved the character Amor especially。 So as a I say a very different read and one A beautifully written book about a promise made， a family and much more it captured me from the start。 I do have to admit I did struggle at times as the story became a bit wordy for me and it was a lot slower pace than I would normally read thrillers being my usual genre but this book was a real change for me。 It was a very character driven read and I think this was made the book do good it was so well crafted and I loved the character Amor especially。 So as a I say a very different read and one I liked a lot， the descriptive passages were so well crafted and interesting it was a book I probably would not have normally read but as I was sent a widget I gave it a go and I’m so glad I did。My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK， Vintage， Chatto and Windus for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Kate Southey
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I dream of being able to write like this！ The beauty of The Promise isn’t so much as in the plot as it is in its narrative。 Weaving and winding through time and space， from character to character with constant changes of narrative voice。 One minute first person， the next our omniscient narrator is offering us casual asides and rhetorical questions。 It is as unsettling as it is a natural and organic a literary dichotomy。 The characterisation is fascinating to me， on one hand the author is sparing I dream of being able to write like this！ The beauty of The Promise isn’t so much as in the plot as it is in its narrative。 Weaving and winding through time and space， from character to character with constant changes of narrative voice。 One minute first person， the next our omniscient narrator is offering us casual asides and rhetorical questions。 It is as unsettling as it is a natural and organic a literary dichotomy。 The characterisation is fascinating to me， on one hand the author is sparing with the information allowing us the to meet the characters as we would meet anyone we come across in our everyday lives。 You don’t have a persons back story or a monologue of their internal thought processes outside of books and you have to choose to like or dislike， or have empathy for someone on limited information and so it is for us as we first meet Amor， Astrid and Anton。 On the other hand， the characters are so real and richly imagined in Galgut’s mind that they feel utterly real and fully three dimensional。I began this review by saying that the beauty of the novel isn’t so much in the plot as it is in the writing and for me， that is true but it doesn’t mean the plot is weak or the subject matter poorly handled。 There was no way to anticipate what would happen next and more than once I exclaimed out loud in surprise at something that happened。 I was a teenager when Mandela was freed。 I remember the benefit concert for him and those photos of him smiling， fist triumphantly punching the air as he approached the worlds media。 But for me apartheid was a brief stop in a school history book and not something that I’ve since thought about since the birth of ‘new’ South Africa。 Imagine then how the Ruby World Cup scenes punched me between the eyes。 Amor and her family hadn’t been able to cheer their country on in any sporting contests because of the sanctions imposed by the rest of the International Olympic Committee， and Football and Rugby federations。 For me， this simple thing resonated so powerfully， more so than learning about trade embargoes had ever done。 My own white privilege being what it is， Salome being unable to own her own property hit me in the brain only。 That a country be excluded from international sporting competitions hit me hard， squarely in the ‘feels’， and gave me a chance to check in my privilege at the door and start to get real about what was taken from black South Africans by the white invaders。 I laughed， I cried and I cursed at life’s cruelties。 This is a belter of a novel。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Promise
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Promise&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Promise&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0