The Novels of Nadine Gordimer: History from the inside

Abstract

novels and short stories of Nadine Gordimer are acclaimed throughout the world. In 1991, she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Yet until Stephen Clingman's study of her work, few will have been aware of how deeply it has responded to the history of South Africa over the past forty years. This study traces that history. Drawing out the central themes of her work, the book follows a developing consciousness of history through Gordimer's novels, to contribute towards a history of consciousness in South Africa. Major periods and events are covered, from the political triumph of the National Party in 1948 to the vibrant social and political world of the fifties; from the Sharpeville massacre of 1960 to the Soweto Revolt of 1976, and beyond. For Gordimer's many readers this book will provide an illuminating guide to an author whose work mirrors and reflects the turbulence of South African history as well as of our own times. Nadine Gordimer's novels include The Conservationist, joint winner of the 1974 Booker Prize, Burger's Daughter, July's People, A Sport of Nature and My Son's Story. Among her collections of short stories are A Soldier's Embrace, Something Out There, Selected Stories, and Jump. She lives in Johannesburg.

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