The Covenant: A Novel

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1. mrliteral

   4 January 2016 at 12:32 am

   154 of 161 people found the following review helpful

   
   An epic historical novel, October 29, 2003

   By 

   mrliteral –
   
     

   This review is from: The covenant (Paperback)

   Sometimes it’s nice to read a small book, a quick 150-300 page diversion from the real world. At other times, however, it’s nice to read a book with some real “meat” to it. Few big name writers were more adept at producing these meaty books than James Michener, and in the Covenant, he presents one of his biggest, a 1200+ page epic about South Africa.
   As usual, Michener is not as interested in adventure or characters as he is with relating the history of a particular region. This is his formula: to cover a region from prehistoric times to the present, watching it slowly get settled and eventually civilized, though this civilization is often with a great price. This is not to say that he doesn’t write a compelling story: he does, but he does not use heroes or villains to populate his world.
   This is a good book, but a reader new to Michener should learn to try and not get too attached to specific characters, as Michener treats them rather unsentimentally, and they often die in undramatic fashion. Also, although there are some unpleasant people, Michener does not make them truly evil; he usually can show that these characters believe they have justifiable reasons for their actions. Writing as objectively as possible in a novel, he judges no one but rather allows the reader to make the judgements.
   Many will be put off by the size of this book, but this is actually a reasonably fast read. In the end, the reader will feel both entertained and educated, and that is perhaps the best that can be asked of from a novel.

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2. Stuart Kelly

   4 January 2016 at 12:41 am

   84 of 87 people found the following review helpful

   
   Michener – the consummate “citizen of the world”, October 17, 1999

   By 

   Stuart Kelly (Sydney, NSW Australia) –

   This review is from: The Covenant (Mass Market Paperback)

   It isn’t easy to sum up the South African story in a few pages. As a South African I’ve had to suffer an endless litany of populist garbage published on the back of my country’s “flashpoint” status since the 1990s.
   It’s even harder for an outsider to fully fathom the bitter legacy which drove the two great tribes of southern Africa on a path towards war and reconciliation. But Michener, the consummate “citizen of the World”, has again hit the nail on the head.
   Michener has an unerring feel for the birth of nations. He proved it first in “Hawaii” but, for me, “The Covenenant” is his greatest accomplishment.
   The story of the pioneering Afrikaners and their clash with the proud Zulu empire ranks as one of the all-time great “historical bookmarks” – and there’s no one better to tell the tale.
   I’m glad you came along, Mr Michener.

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3. Moi

   4 January 2016 at 12:49 am

   28 of 30 people found the following review helpful

   
   …Where one could commit crimes for the love of the land, October 17, 2001

   By 

   Moi (Kirkland, Quebec Canada) –

   This review is from: The Covenant (Mass Market Paperback)

   This is a masterpiece. A masterpiece of history bur also a masterpiece of human nature. Often, in a 1200 pages book, the author loses himself (and us) with useless details. Not in this one. Each page conveys the essence of that book: The Love of The Land.
   One would think that Michener came from South Africa since he depicts that love with such purity and such passion. He also sucessfully avoided falling into the trap of taking side which, when you write on such a contreversial country, is very tempting.
   You will discover South Africa and learn to love it, even if you never have set foot in Africa or never particularly cared about that region. This is how powerful this book is.
   Learn to love that land through the eyes of the Nxumalos, a family of Zulus who emigrated south thousands of years ago to find food and adored the land in all of nature’s expressions.
   See it also through the destiny of the Van Doorns, a dutch family who, exploited through many generations by a country ran by the sense of business, returned to the fondamental values of god and the soil and made this land theirs, convinces that god granted them this new Eden.
   Finally, follow the Saltwoods, A family of English noblemans who after wondering what Britain presence should be in South Africa became part of that intricate cultural web.
   No race or culture is evil, history dictates what we are and will be. Passing on that book is passing on a great opportunity to understand the complex history of a country rich in emotions but also in understanding the events that led to the Appartheid and racial tensions in South Africa.
   Mr. Michener, while you are there, write us an history of the paradise !!!

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