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180th out of 311 books
—
290 voters
Sport Of Nature
After being abandoned by her mother, Hillela was pushed onto relatives where she was taught social graces. But when she betrayed her position as surrogate daughter, she was cast adrift. Later she fell into a heroic role in the overthrow of apartheid.
Published
(first published 1987)
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A Sport of Nature is a fictional history of the end of Apartheid . It is the story of a white Jewish privileged girl who is abandoned by her parents and brought up by her aunts. She doesn't fit in with her her up tight Aunt Olga or her liberal do gooder ,Aunt, Pauline.
At about age 16 or 17 Hillela is discovered in her cousin's bed. From this point, she uproots herself totally from her family and becomes "The Sport of Nature," a spontaneous mutation.
It is the 60's,70's even the 80's Hillella is...more
At about age 16 or 17 Hillela is discovered in her cousin's bed. From this point, she uproots herself totally from her family and becomes "The Sport of Nature," a spontaneous mutation.
It is the 60's,70's even the 80's Hillella is...more
3 likes · like · see review
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This book was great. The main character, Hillela is strong without being forceful. At times, she appears to just be naive, young, innocent. Really, she is an observer, a learner, and highly adaptable. She seems to take life in stride, as the narration is of her life, not by her. This gives a feeling of a biography, and at times, as different character's perspectives are given, one is not sure the idea of Hillela one has is the true one.
The book is set in the second half of the 20th century in Af...more
The book is set in the second half of the 20th century in Af...more
May 18, 2011
Marisa Martins
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
leituras-2011
Nasce Kim Capran, mas é como Hillela que fica conhecida. Abandonada pela mãe, Hilella cresce na companhia das tias, Pauline e Glória, mas passa a adolescência envolta em problemas devido ao ser temperamento, rebeldia e comportamentos considerados impróprios para a altura.
Pauline é uma fervorosa defensora dos negros e, apesar da jovem ter convivido com os actos activistas da tia, nunca se mostrou interessada com a situação do país ou preocupada com a descriminação a que os negros sul-africanos er...more
Pauline é uma fervorosa defensora dos negros e, apesar da jovem ter convivido com os actos activistas da tia, nunca se mostrou interessada com a situação do país ou preocupada com a descriminação a que os negros sul-africanos er...more
Good gawd. Her writing is like nothing else--intense, intuitive, and challenging, both in style and content. It was such a rush for me to read Gordimer again; her passion for her country (South Africa) and it's liberation is infectious--she is not preachy but an incredibly intelligent and fluent observer and guide to the political pulse in not just S.A. but all of Africa. Written in the 80's, but covering the late 50's to early 80's. She's a genius and doesn't make the reader feel dumb. I can't...more
This book was pretty excellent, even though I didn't really like the main character all that much. I had a really hard time really sympathizing with a woman who was, essentially, defined by the men she slept with or, in the case of Leonie, with the stronger women she associated with. Her final role as the wife of a revolutionary president was exemplary of this - she was defined by her role as wife to someone impressive, not as someone impressive in and of herself. I also got a bit annoyed with t...more
I read "A Sport of Nature" as a meditation on dissidence; an exploration of whether and how a person can survive under a repressive regime and retain some level of integrity. Almost all of the main characters are portrayed in some form of reaction or relationship to the apartheid regime -- protest, escape, exile, determined ignorance, collusion -- and the reader is invited to exercise his/her judgement as to whether they have achieved anything praiseworthy, notable or even just acceptable as a r...more
1 like · like · see review
I wanted to like this more than I did. It tells the story of a white South African woman, Hillela, coming of age in the 60's in S.A., and follows her life journey through other African nations and Europe. The first third of the book was great, the middle third was all narrative and by the end I didn't care anymore about Hillela or what happened to her.
The beauty of the book was the way Gordimer presented South Africa and made more clear the context- a time of tremendous social change throughout...more
The beauty of the book was the way Gordimer presented South Africa and made more clear the context- a time of tremendous social change throughout...more
Gordimer is one of my favorite writers, but I don't think this book is one of her best. I never really understood what motivated the protagonist and I was not convinced that her "revolutionary" ideas were anything more than a desire for personal revenge and undisciplined response to physical attraction to various men in the book. I think Gordimer was trying to demonstrate how Hillela's personal investment in ending apartheid after her husband's murder demonstrates that the sincere political come...more
Read this book in preparation for Africa; was able to get alot of relevant political history from it; I need to think more about it before writing a review worth anything - the protagonist still baffles me weeks later...
May 22, 2008
Christina
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2008,
nobel-prize-winners
I loved Nadine Gordimer's use of words. Many quotes in this book, and ideas that I just loved. Really made me think about the way I perceive life and the things that happen in life. I would definitely read another Nadine Gordimer book.
The only reason I couldn't give it 5 stars was because I just didn't get into the story. I felt no connection to the characters. I feel if I can't connect with the characters on any level then the events that take place have less meaning.
Similar to the way I felt...more
The only reason I couldn't give it 5 stars was because I just didn't get into the story. I felt no connection to the characters. I feel if I can't connect with the characters on any level then the events that take place have less meaning.
Similar to the way I felt...more
Não conhecia, mas o facto de ser um prémio Nobel dá-me alguma expectativa... É um livro que me atrai!
a different perspective of south africa's politics. i enjoyed the protagonist's journey.
An excellent description of life in South Africa under apartheid--I highly recommend it
A Sport of Nature by Nadine Gordimer (1988)
Apr 25, 2011
Angie Albright
added it
This is my favorite of Gordimer's books.
It's on my shelves to be read.
Apr 22, 2013
pjreads ♫
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
prize-winner-listed,
novels
5.3 Author initials sequential in SPRING
Excellent writing and a compelling story. The heroine lives on the edge, continually breaking the apartheid barriers as well as other manifestations of cultural tradition. Her story ends up as the story of a white woman who finds her way to the very center of the national liberation movement in southern Africa. I recommend it for your reading pleasure and for your historical and spiritual illumination.
I learned a lot about African history, and more importantly, I learned that I have a lot to learn. I wonder if Gordimer would write it differently in light of the politics of the past 20 years.
And Gordimer's treatment of Hillela is intesting. I like the way we know what people think of her, but we rarely know what she thinks of anyone or anything.
And Gordimer's treatment of Hillela is intesting. I like the way we know what people think of her, but we rarely know what she thinks of anyone or anything.
Currently reading. Nadine is always thoughtful, and insightful. Tough stuff sometimes, but I take my time and think it through. Yes, the book is 1987 South Africa, but still reflects values, opinions, culture, that SA is dealing with (or not). Finished it. Fascinating twist about 2/3's the way through it. A good feminist book.
Very interesting story of what happened in south Africa during the apartheid era. the story is presented from the perspective of several members of a white Jewish family, some of whom were rich and others who were activists.
A remarkable story of a South African white woman who has no use for apartheid. It concludes with what turns out to have been a prophetic insight regarding the final stages of the struggle against apartheid.
I wanted to be the protag. So badly. She's a Jewish, white South African woman with no reservations about living life exactally how she pleases and must.
May 31, 2007
Amelie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everyone but especially white people wanting to be African nationalists
As Whitney perceptively stated, we all have a bit of Hillela in us. I'm dropping out of school because of this book.
Not one of her better novels
Love this book.
May 24, 2013
Mark Schoonover
marked it as to-read
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Awarded the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature, commended for being an author "who through her magnificent epic writing has - in the words of Alfred Nobel - been of very great benefit to humanity."
See http://www.contemporarywriters.com/au...
More about Nadine Gordimer...
See http://www.contemporarywriters.com/au...
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