Why Haven't You Written?

by Nadine Gordimer

A collection of short stories by the Nobel Prize-winning author of My Son's Story and July's People features tales of human separation and entanglement and of love and freedom. These stories were selected from The Soft Voice of the Serpent and Livingstone's Companions, published originally in 1953 and 1972 respectively.

Genres: Short Stories, Africa, Fiction, South Africa, Anthologies, Nobel Prize

231 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Nadine Gordimer was a South African writer, political activist, and recipient of the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature. She was recognized as a woman "who through her magnificent epic writing has – in the words of Alfred Nobel – been of very great benefit to humanity".

Gordimer's writing dealt with moral and racial issues, particularly apartheid in South Africa. Under that regime, works such as Burger's Daughter and July's People were banned. She was active in the anti-apartheid movement, joining the African National Congress during the days when the organization was banned. She was also active in HIV/AIDS causes.

Reviews

[Shankar · Rating 3 out of 5]

She: Hey..I noticed the book "Why Haven't You Written" on your shelf. How did you like it ?
Me: Huh...yes?!
She: Is that a yes or a no?
Me: Its a good book...
She : Which stories did you like ?
Me: Nadine Gordimer is a good writer
She: You did not answer my question
Me: Its well written... excellent setting...
She: Where is it set ?
Me: I noticed that on the back it cover says South Africa
She: So ....did you like the stories ? Which ones
Me: What?
She : (irritated and annoyed) Do you have a problem hearing?
Me: Its a good book
She : You said that already
Me: Oh ....I did?
She : Oh God
Me : I think the stories were good...I don't remember what they were about...am I doing the author an injustice... Nadine Gordimer is an acclaimed author...
She: Are you even real ?

[Meem Arafat Manab · Rating 2 out of 5]

বেশিরভাগ গল্পই এইখানে একঘেয়ে, প্রচণ্ড - কী বলে, কী বলে, মান্ডেইন বলে বোধহয়, খুবই মান্ডেইন রকম। প্রথমটা থেকে শুরু করে এরপর অনেক দূর, ভালো কোনো গল্প চোখে পড়েছিলো বলে মনে পড়ে না। একটা দুইটা গল্প, শেষের দিকের, বেশ ভালো, এই যেমন নাম গল্পটা, বা থার্ড প্রেজেন্স। এছাড়াও এই বইয়ের ইঙ্কালামুর গল্প, মৃত মানুষ পাহারা দেয়ার গল্পটা, এরাও মোটের উপর চলনসইয়ের চেয়ে বেশ খানিকটা বেশিই। কিন্তু শুধু চূড়া দিয়ে ত আর স্ট্যাটিস্টিকাল আচরণ ব্যাখ্যা করা যাবে না, গড়পড়তায় ভালো না, অধিকাংশও ভালো না, ফলে এই সিদ্ধান্তে আসাই যায় যে আমি আর নাদিন গোর্দিমার পড়বো না।

শ্রীমতি গোর্দিমার কেনো গুরূত্বপূর্ণ সেটা এই বই পড়ে বোঝা যায়, আপারথাইডে ইহুদী হয়ে বসে থাকা সত্যই এক প্রকার দুই নৌকায় পা দেয়া, সেই অবস্থানে দাঁড়ায়ে লেখা গল্প, তার মাঝে আবার নারী হিসেবে তাঁর অবস্থান, আরো সব মানুষের অবস্থান, এই গল্পগুলিতে বারবার এসেছে, বারবার। কিন্তু এত কিছুর পরও গল্পগুলি প্রচণ্ড নিষ্প্রভ। সামান্যতম উদ্বেলিত হওয়ার সুযোগ নাই গল্পগুলায়, এই যে উদ্বেলিত হচ্ছি না, নীরবতা পোহাবো যে, সেই পোহানোরও সুযোগ নাই।

তবে তাঁর উপন্যাস পড়া যাইতে পারে, সহৃদয় কেউ ধার দিলে। অপেক্ষায় থাকি।

[Deea · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Kindest Thing to Do *****
Treasures of the SEA *****
The Talisman *****
Why Haven't You Written *****

[Bijo Philip · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Nadine Gordimer won the Nobel prize in 1991, the general impression in my circle was that it has more in appreciation of her political activism than on actual literary merit. I never had a chance to read any of her works but the feeling remained. Recently when a friend had lent me her collection of short stories, rather than starting to read, I kind of made some smug remarks that she's a bit snobbish to spend money on a book that'll soon be forgotten. Now I started to read it.

Being a collection of short stories, I found it hard to resist comparing her work to Anton Checkov. I reckon I should not do it

What would I say? better than expected? No... Gordimer's writing is profound, capturing the nuances and complex emotions of apartheid South Africa. I look forward to read more of her works.

[Ram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished reading "Why Have'nt You Written" Selected Stories from 1950 to 1972 by Nadine Gordimer. The stories belong to that era when South Africa was under aparthied rule. Most of the stories deal with subtle tensions arising out of racial strife.

[Shalimar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why haven’t you written by Nadine Gordimer is about the South African apartheid and the effects it had on the black Africans living there at the time. This book covers themes of separation from friends and family and society, entanglement in a system built against blacks, love in a sense of romance and family and freedom from oppression and the struggle for equality and civil rights.

[Deanio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Admittedly, I didn’t read all the stories in this book. Just wasn’t my cup of tea.

[Azu Rikka · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5☆
I am not a short story lover, but some of the stories stay in my mind like a book, which I guess, is positive. Her writing is exact and in depth, which I enjoyed.

[Madhuri · Rating 5 out of 5]

The collection is a gem. I have read only about 4-5 stories yet, but they have been very impressive. Unlike the typical short story there is no build-up to the 'element of surprise' here but a simplistic narration of an individual's adjustments with personal and social demands.

The book is a compilation of stories from her earlier works - Soft voice of the serpent and Livingstone's Companion. All the stories are set in South Africa, and convey its various moods; of neglect, decay, liberalism, materialism and alienation.
I particularly loved the title story Why haven't you written, where an engineer who regularly travels on work falls in love with another woman on these travels, and in a drunken reverie writes a letter to his wife telling her about the affair.

Because so long as I accept that you are a good wife, how can I find the guts to do it? I can go on being the same thing - your opposite number, the good husband, hoping for a better position and more money for us all, coming on these bloody dreary trips every winter. But it's through subjecting myself to all this, putting up with what we think of as these partings for the sake of my work, that I have come to understand that they are not partings at all. They are nothing like partings. Do you undertand?

There is so much tentativeness in these words - a longing to have something more passionate than the decorative marriage, and yet a guilt of infidelity to a good wife. Through his return, he regrets the letter, and since there is a snow blizard and a postal strike, he is not sure if the letter has reached his wife. Back at home, he obviously wants to leave things as they are without stirring a storm in his life, and is constantly worried about the arrival of this letter. His dilemma has been well captured in words, with a startling intensity.

From the soft voice of the serpent, I quite liked the two stories: Talisman and The Defeated so far. The former is another variation on the theme of infidelity, where a bored wife starts an affair with an ex boyfriend, walking on the 'tightrope' between the security of the marital and the excitement of the extra-marital, without lending a thought to possible consequences. The latter is a story about an immigrant family, who struggle to give a better life to their daughter. The story describes their colorful and difficult life and gradually a distancing from the daughter who finds comfort in more material pursuits.

[Jonathan Forisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of some of Gordimer's earlier stories. Most deal with girl protagonists and most of the girls grew up and/or still live in South Africa. Since that's what Gordimer does and is best known for, I was able to excuse the lack of variety.

Some stories are long and lack action, others are short and cut to the point. All in all, most of the stories are very entertaining and they sometimes went deeper than I expected. Gordimer's a good writer; the kind of writer that effortlessly spews forth complicated ideas in a simple sentence or two and then moves on without acting like she's imparted all that much knowledge.

[Gemma Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent and acerbic collection of short stories from Nadine Gordimer. Dark and bitter sweet, I especially loved a story about a non-religious Jewish family baffled and distressed by their grandmother's orthodox vigil, and one about a mother struggling to save for a present for her daughter, a fantastic story with a sting in the tail. Just two among a collection of fine pieces.

[Farman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has short stories from 1950 to 1972 when South Africa was under apartheid rule. The scenery and situations were unique for me and Nadine Gordimer did her best to capture the nuances and complex emotions. Some stories are short and some are long and most of them are entertaining and simple.

[Natty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully written. The stories are short but pack a punch

[Mollie the Cat]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12950126