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Burger’s Daughter Audiobook
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(3.01) - 711 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In Burger's Daughter, Nobel Prize winner Nadine Gordimer uses a coming-of-age story to explore the complicated political circumstances of modern South Africa.
Rosa Burger is a white South African woman in her early twenties trying to uphold the political heritage handed on by her martyred parents while carving out a sense of self. Cast in the revolutionary mold, the only survivor of a family known for their anti-apartheid beliefs and practices, Rosa is under the watch of the government and the rebels alike, all of whom seem to have great expectations of her. A quiet, private person, Rosa herself is more concerned with introspection and with trying to understand her identity and her political climate in her own way. Through her journey, the journey of a nation comes to light.
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"I read this a long time ago, and should probably read it again. Gordimer writes like she's inside her character's heads. She writes about the intersection of politics and place (South Africa) with deeply personal experience. She's one of my favorite authors."
— Eve (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“This is a novel of social and political import which is also an intensely subjective prose poem, mesmerizing in the subtle cadences of its language.”
— Joyce Carol Oates -
“Gordimer’s most political and most moving novel, going to the heart of the racial conflict in South Africa. But it does not deal publicly with riots, tortures, or crusades: Its politics come out of its characters, as part of the wholeness of lives that cannot evade them.”
— New York Times -
“A riveting history of South Africa and a penetrating portrait of a courageous woman.”
— New Yorker -
“Nadine Gordimer is a great writer…Turgenev she most brings to mind.”
— New York Review of Books -
“Faultless novelistic art…only equaled in our time by such masters as Graham Greene and V. S. Naipaul.”
— Francine du Plessix Gray, Pulitzer Prize–nominated writer and literary critic -
“Take time to read this novel…Nobel Prize–winner Nadine Gordimer takes a situation most read about in newspapers and makes it real, creating a memorable story of coming to terms with circumstances over which we have little control, yet which directly affect our lives.”
— Holly Smith, 500 Great Books by Women
Burger’s Daughter Listener Reviews
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" This is one of those books that I really appreciate now that I'm done but didn't really enjoy reading. It starts out very slow and if you like a lot of action, then it doesn't improve, but it gets more compelling, and it became more enjoyable to read once I got used to the narrative switching from first person to third person without much warning and the hard-to-follow tangents. And in discussing the book with my boo club, I was able to see it as a fascinating and beautifully written account of what it is like to be the daughter of a white anti-Apartheid activist who dies in prison--trying to find her own way but ultimately coming back to the world she was raised in. Burger's Daughter was published in 1979, so the discussions may seem dated now but offer interesting insights into politics of the time that prompted me to do more research on South African history. Nadine Gordimer won the Nobel Prize for Literature, and I will someday read more of her work. If you're willing to fight through this, this is a worthwhile piece of literature. "
— Dana, 1/29/2014 -
" i find her insufferably boring. "
— dead, 12/21/2013 -
" Not a fun, easy read...I actually would not recommend it to many people. "
— Tracy, 12/11/2013 -
" This book was difficult for me to get into, but I really enjoyed the story and the author's beautiful images. "
— Amanda, 9/25/2013 -
" Gordimer writes well. Her dialog techniques are interesting, but once acclimating to them the story reads well. Gordimer's stories are eye-opening, uncomfortable, and important. "
— Leslie, 9/11/2013 -
" During the first half of the book I found it difficult to maintain interest. The narrative seemed dated and hasn't held up well. But I'm glad I kept reading. The second half was much more engaging and main character matures in a way that negates my criticism of the first half of the book. "
— Sean, 8/8/2013 -
" So sad. This has been on my list for a long time. Finally got around to reading it and could not get through the book! It's so rare that I have to put a book down without finishing. Could not get into the characters and what there was of a story line was not holding my interest. "
— Margaret, 8/6/2013 -
" Just couldn't get into this at all and abandoned the struggle. Almost as if the author wanted to appear really clever by switching narrator at will without any clarity about who was talking. I just got confused. Really disappointing. "
— Ian, 5/5/2013 -
" Classic Gordimer. Terrific in cutting to the heart of S. African dilemmas as they touch daily life--all the tough issues, psychologically very interesting, if I'm remembering right. "
— Ruth, 10/6/2012 -
" One of the most exceptional books I've ever read - I first read it before the end of Apartheid, and was struck by how deft Gordimer is at conveying the ways in which politics impact individuals' lives, without preaching. "
— Linda, 6/6/2012 -
" Stuck at page 100 and still did not succeed. "
— Agata, 3/29/2012 -
" Don't question why she won the Nobel. "
— Brian, 3/6/2012 -
" I have heard so many good things about Nadine Gordimer as an author, but I found this one kind of tedious reading. "
— Corrine, 1/30/2011 -
" I read this book years ago and remember very little about it, except that I was not satisfied with the ending. "
— Needleroozer, 8/11/2010 -
" realizing again why i love reading. ill meander with you nadine. "
— Sara-Maria, 5/15/2010 -
" South African...1970s...Daughter of white activist who died in prison, explores confines of who she is. <br/> <br/>Serious book, difficult style to read. "
— Kim, 2/28/2010 -
" Stuck at page 100 and still did not succeed. "
— Agat, 11/3/2009 -
" Classic Gordimer. Terrific in cutting to the heart of S. African dilemmas as they touch daily life--all the tough issues, psychologically very interesting, if I'm remembering right. "
— Ruth, 5/29/2009 -
" I love her honesty, human weakness, horniness and questioning of authority. "
— Brian, 9/14/2008 -
" I read this many, many, years ago, when it first came out and I haven't re-read it, but I remember being struck by the intelligence of the writer and I have continued to read her work... "
— Lisa, 6/9/2008 -
" i find her insufferably boring. "
— dead, 5/27/2008
About Nadine Gordimer
Nadine Gordimer (1923–2014) was born in South Africa. She received numerous international prizes for her writing, including the Modern Language Association Award, the Bennett Award, and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991. She was given honorary degrees by Yale, Harvard, and other universities and was honored by the French government with the decoration Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
About Wanda McCaddon
Wanda McCaddon (d. 2023) narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, sometimes with the pseudonym Nadia May or Donada Peters. She earned the prestigious Audio Award for best narration and numerous Earphones Awards. She was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.