Items related to Living in Hope and History. Notes from Our Century
Few writers have so consistently taken stock of the society in which they have lived. In a letter to fellow Nobel Laureate Kenzaburo Oe, Nadine Gordimer describes this impressive volume as 'a modest book of some of the non-fiction pieces I've written, a reflection of how I've looked at this century I've lived in.' It is, in fact, an extraordinary collection of essays, articles, appreciations of fellow writers and addresses delivered over four decades, including her Nobel Prize Lecture of 1991. We may examine here Nadine Gordimer's evidence of the inequities of Apartheid as she saw them in 1959, her shocking account of the bans on literature still in effect in the mid-1970s, through to South Africa's emergence in 1994 as a country free at last, a view from the queue on that first day blacks and whites voted together plus updates on subsequent events. Gordimer's canvas is global and her themes wide-ranging. She examines the impact of technology on our expanding world-view, the convergence of the moral and the political in fiction and she reassesses the role of the writer in the world today.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Review:
"Nothing I write in such factual pieces will be as true as my fiction," Nadine Gordimer asserts in the opening essay of Living in Hope and History. It's hard to think of any line that would inspire less confidence in a book of nonfiction. But the author, after all, is a Nobel laureate, an antiapartheid activist, an African National Congress member, and a public figure of unimpeachable moral seriousness--and her warning is no piece of postmodern playfulness. Instead she means to draw an important distinction between genres. Nonfiction, in Gordimer's view, issues from her own political agenda, while her transcendent aim in fiction is to represent the way things are. The two impulses may overlap, of course, but they are seldom congruent. She's quick to acknowledge that writers can't truly escape politics, nor would it be desirable if they could. Still, writes Gordimer, "the transformation of the imagination must never 'belong' to any establishment, however just, fought-for, and longed-for."
About the Author:
What this collection offers, then, is not art itself but the record of one woman's fierce dedication to both her art and her politics--and her attempts to negotiate the relationship between them. Living in Hope and History includes graduation addresses, lectures, the author's Nobel acceptance speech, impressively learned essays on Joseph Roth and Günter Grass, and even her correspondence with Japanese writer Kenzaburo Oe. Dating from the dark old days of apartheid through the present, the assemblage also offers a moving document of the South African struggle and its eventual fruits. Some of the most exhilarating pieces chronicle the new, postapartheid nation--"The First Time" finds Gordimer standing in voting queues for her country's first democratic elections, and "Act Two: One Year Later" is a celebration of Johannesburg's newfound vibrancy. Living in Hope and History is first and foremost a record of Gordimer's life as a public figure. In these essays, however, the political and the imaginative seem to sound a common, joyful note: this is the way things are, this is the way things should be. --Mary Park
Nadine Gordimer's many novels include THE LYING DAYS (her first novel), THE CONSERVATIONIST, joint winner of the Booker Prize, BURGER'S DAUGTER, JULY'S PEOPLE, MY SON'S STORY, NONE TO ACCOMPANY ME, and most recently, THE HOUSE GUN. Her collections of short stories include SOMETHING OUT THERE and JUMP. In 1991 she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. She lives in South Africa.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherBloomsbury Publishing PLC
- Publication date1999
- ISBN 10 0747544719
- ISBN 13 9780747544715
- BindingHardcover
- Edition number1
- Number of pages256
- Rating
Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace
Stock Image
Living in Hope and History: Notes on Our Century
Published by
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
(1999)
ISBN 10: 0747544719
ISBN 13: 9780747544715
Used
Hardcover
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Hardback. Condition: Fair. A readable copy of the book which may include some defects such as highlighting and notes. Cover and pages may be creased and show discolouration. Seller Inventory # GOR010356123
Buy Used
US$ 2.20
Convert currency
Stock Image
Living in Hope and History: Notes on Our Century
Published by
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
(1999)
ISBN 10: 0747544719
ISBN 13: 9780747544715
Used
Hardcover
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Hardback. Condition: Very Good. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR004713487
Buy Used
US$ 2.20
Convert currency
Stock Image
Living in Hope and History: Notes on Our Century
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Living in Hope and History: Notes on Our Century This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 7719-9780747544715
Buy Used
US$ 4.48
Convert currency
Stock Image
Living in Hope and History: Notes on Our Century
Published by
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
(1999)
ISBN 10: 0747544719
ISBN 13: 9780747544715
Used
Hardcover
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description hardcover. Condition: Used; Good. Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Ripped/damaged jacket. The dust jacket of this book is slightly damaged/ripped, however, this does not affect the internal condition. Aged book. Tanned pages and age spots, however, this will not interfere with reading. Grubby book may have mild dirt or some staining, mostly on the edges of pages. Inscription on the first page, typically just a name but may include a dedication or a brief personal message. Seller Inventory # CHL9761228
Buy Used
US$ 2.76
Convert currency
Stock Image
Living in Hope and History: Notes on Our Century
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 6545-9780747544715
Buy Used
US$ 4.48
Convert currency
Stock Image
Living in Hope and History. Notes from Our Century
Published by
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
(1999)
ISBN 10: 0747544719
ISBN 13: 9780747544715
Used
Hardcover
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Condition: Very Good. Book is in Used-VeryGood condition. Pages and cover are clean and intact. Used items may not include supplementary materials such as CDs or access codes. May show signs of minor shelf wear and contain very limited notes and highlighting. 1.15. Seller Inventory # 0747544719-2-3
Buy Used
US$ 14.36
Convert currency
Stock Image
Living in Hope and History : Notes from Our Century
Published by
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
(1999)
ISBN 10: 0747544719
ISBN 13: 9780747544715
Used
Hardcover
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Condition: Good. Ships from the UK. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 40061000-20
Buy Used
US$ 4.22
Convert currency
Stock Image
Living in Hope and History: Notes on Our Century
Published by
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, London, United Kingdom
(1999)
ISBN 10: 0747544719
ISBN 13: 9780747544715
Used
Hardcover
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: As New. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. The otherwise as new dj has a one cm. nick at the bottom edge of the back flap. Seller Inventory # 017437
Buy Used
US$ 11.80
Convert currency
Seller Image
Living in Hope and History. Notes from Our Century
Published by
London: Bloomsbury
(1999)
ISBN 10: 0747544719
ISBN 13: 9780747544715
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description First Edition. Fine cloth copy in a near fine dw. A particularly well preserved copy; tight, bright, clean and notably sharp cornered. ; 224 pages; Description: viii, 244 p. ; 24 cm. Subjects: Gordimer, Nadine --Authorship. Politics and literature --South Africa --History --20th century. Literature and history --South Africa --History --20th century. Booker Prize winner. 1 Kg. Seller Inventory # 8546
Buy Used
US$ 24.82
Convert currency
Stock Image
Living in Hope and History : Notes from Our Century
Published by
Bloomsbury
(1999)
ISBN 10: 0747544719
ISBN 13: 9780747544715
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. Fine copy without inscription in not p/c dj which has one tiny tear. Guardian obituary loosely inserted. Seller Inventory # ABE-1259900892
Buy Used
US$ 15.73
Convert currency