Reviews

Agaat by Marlene van Niekerk

patchworkculture's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

sam8834's review against another edition

4.0

There's really a lot to digest in this book, much of which I can't articulate because I'm still thinking about all the pieces of it - the psychology of power dynamics between races and sexes illustrated through relationships between husband and wife, master and slave, caretaker and patient, children and maternal figures, and many more. Not to mention, these roles aren't cut and dried, and some characters fill opposing sides of the power spectrum at various points in their lives.

Also, poetic writing. Also, a chapter structure that takes a minute to get used to, but that unifies the whole epic story pretty well. This isn't the easiest read, but it's thought-provoking and worth the effort.

n0rma's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

kaisu's review against another edition

4.0

Ein langer Weg, aber ich habe es geschafft! Die Geschichte ist wirklich interessant und auch wie das Leben der beiden Frauen und ihres Umfeldes an den Leser gebracht wird. Ein dickes Manko ist jedoch die Länge. Besonders das letzte Drittel zog sich. Was nicht am Inhalt lag, sondern, dass man einfach fertig werden wollt.

clairewords's review against another edition

4.0

Milla is the only child of a farming family and set to inherit and work her own farm, she is poised to marry Jak as the book opens. The novel explores the growing tension in their relationship through Milla's diaries and the effect of Milla bringing a four year old girl from a troubled family, who has suffered prolonged abuse, into their childless marriage.

The books chapters alternate between the beginning of their life on the farm and the present, when the the girl Agaat, now a mature woman is caring for Milla as her body shuts down, paralysed, infirm, communicating only through her eyes with that character she supposedly "tamed" who she is now completely dependent on for everything.

Narrated through diary excerpts, an omniscient narrator and with a prologue and epilogue that gives voice to the estranged son; it is a haunting, disturbing read and insight into a way of living, cultural attitudes and the longevity of revenge.

Full review here at Word by Word.

anne_hillebrand's review against another edition

3.0

Erg mooi, maar schrijfstijl soms te langdradig en de stukken met weinig/geen interpunctie zijn ontzettend irritant om te lezen. Een gecompliceerde kwestie is op een geweldige manier in kaart gebracht, maar soms dacht ik, daar had een editor beter nog een keer overheen kunnen gaan.

collismeanshill's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

brogan7's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

This book is a very challenging read.  It talks about all of the cruelties one can imagine: white against black, male against female, parent against child, human against land.  But it is also very intense and nuanced, a deep study of one human mind, essentially, a woman in a struggle with herself and her entire world, a woman who didn't have the chances she wanted but then who also did inexplicably cruel things.  There are cracks of hope in this book, but perhaps more of them were within my thoughts than in the actual text.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Racism, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Rape

There were some less-than-believable parts in this book, for instance when the husband dies, which seemed almost farcical.

mserin's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

sarah_d's review against another edition

2.0

The premise of this book sounded quite good, but ugh, the writing just did not do it for me. The book spent about half its time in the present and half in the past, and the past came from one of the main characters' diaries, which is written without much in the way of punctuation or paragraphs. The present is written from the perspective of the same character, who is now bedridden and unable to do anything except blink her eyes. The story of the past was quite interesting, despite the distracting writing style, but the present, which was written with a huge amount of stream of consciousness, seemed to drag on and on.

I got through half of this book in the nine or so weeks I had it from the library and by the end I was pretty much ignoring it and just waiting to take it back.