6/21/2023 0 Comments Galgut the promise![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Set from the 1980s to the early 21st century, The Promise features an upper-middle-class white family living near Pretoria in South Africa. His presence enhances the story but also takes away from its verisimilitude, as when Rachel dies he says, “In the hearse, I mean the house, a certain unspoken fear has ebbed….” Sounding like the stage manager in Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town,” he intervenes frequently. The novel’s most unusual feature is the unnamed narrator, who speaks directly to the reader. The Promise focuses on racial tension in South Africa and the way greed promulgates that tension. Beginning each section of the story in medias res, he pushes the plot forward and adds suspense. He even suggests the thoughts of jackals that eat a dove (perhaps a symbol) who flew into a window and died. Here’s how the story works: Using present tense, omniscient point of view and a William Faulkner-like stream-of-consciousness, Galgut takes readers into the heads of every character. Maya Jasanoff, chair of the Booker judges, said the narrative pays “remarkable attention to structure and literary style” and has “a lot to chew on.” I agree. The judges called Galgut’s story a testament to the flourishing of the novel and noted its unique narrative design. ![]()
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