I read this for the library book club. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to make the meeting due to work but, after reading the book, I did listen to the author talking about it for the BBC World Book Club, which gave me some much needed context.

This is a very unsettling book. I wouldn’t say I enjoyed it but it’s very successful at creating a tense atmosphere. I didn’t know much about apartheid in South Africa so I couldn’t imagine the novel being anchored in a time and place. Perhaps that’s why I didn’t feel sympathetic to any of the characters, although I’m more certain that it’s because they aren’t developed enough. The book is only 200 pages long. While plenty happens, I didn’t understand the motivations of the characters until I heard the talk. I’m not sure if Id recommend this as a good read but there is plenty to think about and it’s well written.