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The Conservationist Audiobook
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(3.00) - 774 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Mehring, a rich, powerful and vital industrialist, has all the privileges and possessions that South Africa has to offer. But his possessions refuse to remain objects: his wife, son, and mistress leave him; his foreman and workers become increasingly indifferent to his stewardship; and even the land rises up, as drought, then flood, destroy his farm.
Nadine Gordimer, winner of the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature, paints a fascinating portrait of a man both reckless and calculating, a "conservationist" left only with the possibility of self-preservation, in this subtle and detailed study of the forces and relationships that seethed in South Africa.
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"Not an easy read, but lyrically written and ultimately very rewarding. A beautiful, sad picture of South Africa under apartheid through the eyes of a privileged, white industrialist whose world is falling to pieces around him. "
— rachelm (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“This is a novel of enormous power.”
— New Statesman -
“Gordimer has written what must be considered her masterpiece. The beauty and largeness of this land she loves is drawn with a breadth and scope that is breathtaking.”
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch -
“[Wanda McCaddon] assumes different accents with complete authority. The listener is literally transported to the South African veldt.”
— Library Journal -
“[Wanda McCaddon] skillfully adapt[s] her mild British accent to the dialects of the various social classes…This presentation certainly seems true to Gordimer’s vision.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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Winner of the 1974 Man Booker Prize
The Conservationist Listener Reviews
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" too literary, but a fantastic attack on our fantasy lives in africa "
— Paul, 10/27/2013 -
" Had a hard time getting into this book. Finished it but... "
— Melva, 9/20/2012 -
" vile manipulative racist protagonist. make me wonder whether the author holds some of the same prejudices. "
— Malini, 1/10/2012 -
" This was a difficult book to get into. The beautiful lyrical prose wasn't enough to make it interesting. "
— Louise, 1/9/2012 -
" This book is a challenge to get through. I am not sure why. The story is compelling but basically not much happens except at the very beginning and end. This requires a re-read down the road to "get it". "
— Donna, 10/4/2011 -
" Just started, but excellent language and pacing "
— Alex, 9/18/2011 -
" I found this turgid and unexciting but had to read it because I was studying it! Very dull stuff. A Booker Prize winner as well! "
— Geoff, 3/6/2011 -
" This book is rather uneven. There are some good and some bad parts as well. The begining is quite interesting, but then... I've got bored. Too little action, too many long monologues. "
— Magdalena, 1/4/2011 -
" This book is a challenge to get through. I am not sure why. The story is compelling but basically not much happens except at the very beginning and end. This requires a re-read down the road to "get it". "
— Donna, 11/3/2010 -
" Read this on the long plane ride to South Africa. Another great character and national study, set in the countryside outside Johannesburg, by a master writer. I wished for a little more plot, or plot resolution, though. I might have given up on the book if I hadn't read it in one very long sitting. "
— Dan, 11/1/2010 -
" some of her most evocative, poetic writing, a depiction of South Africa pre-apartheid that I can only imagine is dead accurate ... but the protagonist is so cold, so detached, so resistent to life that it's hard to "love" this book. "
— Rebecca, 2/27/2010
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.