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Fathers and Fugitives
An inventive and emotionally charged novel about fatherhood and family, loyalty and betrayal, inheritance and belonging.
Daniel is a worldly and urbane journalist living in London. His relationships appear to be sexually fulfilling but sentimentally meager. He has no relationships outside of sexual ones, and can seem at once callow and, at times, cold to the point of cruel with his lovers. Emotionally distant from his elderly, senile father, Daniel nonetheless returns to South Africa to care for him during his final months. Following his father’s death, Daniel learns of an unusual clause in the old man’s will: he will only inherit his half of his father’s considerable estate once he has spent time with Theon, a cousin whom he hasn’t seen since they were boys, who lives on the old family farm in the Free State. Once there, Daniel discovers that the young son of the woman Theon lives with is seriously ill. With the conditions bearing on Daniel’s inheritance shifting in real time, Theon and Daniel travel with the boy to Japan for an experimental cure and a voyage that will change their lives forever.
S.J. Naudé’s masterful novel is many things at once: a literary page-turner full of vivid, unexpected characters and surprising twists; a loving and at times shockingly raw portrayal of its protagonist’s complex psyche; and a devastatingly subtle look into South Africa’s fraught recent history.
Daniel is a worldly and urbane journalist living in London. His relationships appear to be sexually fulfilling but sentimentally meager. He has no relationships outside of sexual ones, and can seem at once callow and, at times, cold to the point of cruel with his lovers. Emotionally distant from his elderly, senile father, Daniel nonetheless returns to South Africa to care for him during his final months. Following his father’s death, Daniel learns of an unusual clause in the old man’s will: he will only inherit his half of his father’s considerable estate once he has spent time with Theon, a cousin whom he hasn’t seen since they were boys, who lives on the old family farm in the Free State. Once there, Daniel discovers that the young son of the woman Theon lives with is seriously ill. With the conditions bearing on Daniel’s inheritance shifting in real time, Theon and Daniel travel with the boy to Japan for an experimental cure and a voyage that will change their lives forever.
S.J. Naudé’s masterful novel is many things at once: a literary page-turner full of vivid, unexpected characters and surprising twists; a loving and at times shockingly raw portrayal of its protagonist’s complex psyche; and a devastatingly subtle look into South Africa’s fraught recent history.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published September 10, 2024
30 people are currently reading
517 people want to read
About the author
S.J. Naudé
4 books20 followersS.J. Naudé is the author of The Alphabet of Birds, a prize-winning collection of short stories published in Afrikaans, English and Dutch. He studied law at the University of Pretoria as well as at Cambridge and Columbia. He also holds a master’s degree in creative writing. He is a past winner of the University of Johannesburg Debut Prize and the Jan Rabie Rapport Prize, and was awarded the Jan Rabie and Marjorie Wallace Writing Scholarship for 2014. His work has appeared in Granta and journals in the United States, the Netherlands, and Italy. Having worked in New York and London for many years, he currently lives in Johannesburg.
S.J. Naudé is die skrywer van Alfabet van die voëls, wenner van die Universiteit van Johannesburg-debuut en die Jan Rabie Rapport-prys. Hy het in die regte aan die Universiteit van Pretoria en aan Cambridge en Columbia studeer en verwerf ’n meestersgraad in kreatiewe skryfkuns aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch. Alfabet van die voëls verskyn ook in Nederlands en Engels. Die Jan Rabie & Marjorie Wallace-skrywersbeurs vir 2014 is aan hom toegeken en sy werk is gepubliseer in Granta en tydskrifte in die vsa, Nederland en Italië. Na jare in New York en Londen, woon hy tans in Johannesburg.
S.J. Naudé is die skrywer van Alfabet van die voëls, wenner van die Universiteit van Johannesburg-debuut en die Jan Rabie Rapport-prys. Hy het in die regte aan die Universiteit van Pretoria en aan Cambridge en Columbia studeer en verwerf ’n meestersgraad in kreatiewe skryfkuns aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch. Alfabet van die voëls verskyn ook in Nederlands en Engels. Die Jan Rabie & Marjorie Wallace-skrywersbeurs vir 2014 is aan hom toegeken en sy werk is gepubliseer in Granta en tydskrifte in die vsa, Nederland en Italië. Na jare in New York en Londen, woon hy tans in Johannesburg.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
May 28, 2024
At first I thought that the detached narrator would ruin everything. The aloofness can get you only so far. But oh boy was I wrong. But oh boy, was I wrong. If anything, the coldness and lack of affect contributed to the almost surreal atmosphere of the events. A case in point is the first chapter - with gay Serbs, which made me laugh - where I was looking for something to hold on to and orient myself in all the strangeness (of everyday life). The end of the chapter sold the novel to me. In the end, the novel becomes a little softer, but no less powerful. I must read more Naudé.
October 30, 2024
I absolutely flew through this. Daniel, the man at the heart of this story, is a South African who splits his time between Cape Town and London. He’s a rather passive person—he reminded me of Stoner in that way— and he’s easily taken advantage of, just letting life and events happen to him without enacting any real agency or forethought. The story opens with Daniel befriending and eventually forming a ménage à trois of sorts with two gay Serbian men. Daniel follows these two men on increasingly worrisome journeys until their time together culminates in a shocking and decisive event.
From here, Daniel’s life continues to veer in unexpected directions throughout the book’s five distinct sections. There was no point where I had the slightest idea what was to come next, surprises abounded around every corner.
Throughout the book, there’s a resounding theme of wasted life or of life left unfulfilled. Naudé shows that although death is the most obvious way in which a person’s potential is extinguished, there are many ways in which the living may experience such a fate as well. It can look like a life trapped in the wrong place in the wrong occupation, a lifetime spent repressing one’s sexuality, or a life spent wandering, searching, and never quite grasping direction or meaning. Though different for every character, this thread runs through them all.
A true page-turner rendered in fluid and compulsively readable prose by Heyns.
From here, Daniel’s life continues to veer in unexpected directions throughout the book’s five distinct sections. There was no point where I had the slightest idea what was to come next, surprises abounded around every corner.
Throughout the book, there’s a resounding theme of wasted life or of life left unfulfilled. Naudé shows that although death is the most obvious way in which a person’s potential is extinguished, there are many ways in which the living may experience such a fate as well. It can look like a life trapped in the wrong place in the wrong occupation, a lifetime spent repressing one’s sexuality, or a life spent wandering, searching, and never quite grasping direction or meaning. Though different for every character, this thread runs through them all.
A true page-turner rendered in fluid and compulsively readable prose by Heyns.
November 9, 2023
An interesting read; not the type of content, or theme, that I’ve read before. It’s usually the case you compare a novel to a movie, or TV, adaptation, in this case I attended an interview with the author being questioned by Booker Prize winner, Damon Galgut. I’m not sure if it was Damon being too generous or Naude being too respectful but, the end result would not have had you lining up to buy a signed copy. That aside, it’s a good read, quite unique and interesting. That is what a novel should be so, see what you think!
September 20, 2023
Interessant hoe kortverhale saamgeweef word in die vorm van ’n roman. Die hoofkarakter, Daniël, word ‘n tipe plekhouer maar hy is na my mening effens vaal (dinge gebeur mét hom omdat hy homself in posisies plaas, eerder as wat hy self optree). Goeie boek, maar ek beveel Naudé (steeds ’n uitstekende skrywer) se voriges sterker aan.
January 11, 2025
A strange novel that almost feels like connected shorter stories of one man's life. The thread throughout is Daniel, a gay white South African man living in London. In the first section, Daniel meets two Serbian men who take Daniel under their wing to form a strange sort of throuple. The behaviour of the Serbs becomes more and more odd, leading towards a chapter conclusion that genuinely took my breath away. Fathers and Fugitives continues in its own odd way, introducing Daniel's dying father and his secrets, his cousin and his hazy sexuality, a drifter who ruptures Daniel's life in an unexpected way.
What categorises this whole novel for me is a sense of slowly shifting sands, details held out of reach before a cataclysmic plot shift rocks Daniel's world and the reading experience. Somehow S.J. Naudé manages to balance the calm and the seismic really well. And the ending is really beautiful and softly sad.
What categorises this whole novel for me is a sense of slowly shifting sands, details held out of reach before a cataclysmic plot shift rocks Daniel's world and the reading experience. Somehow S.J. Naudé manages to balance the calm and the seismic really well. And the ending is really beautiful and softly sad.
September 15, 2023
#VanVadersEnVlugtelinge – SJ Naudé
#HumanEnRousseau
Daniël se lewe as nomadiese skrywer word onderbreek deur sy pa se fisiese agteruitgang en afsterwe. Want sy pa ‘…wie se teenwoordigheid uit(ge)dy (het) na selfs die aardigste uithoeke van die wêreld’ (39) bly post mortem ‘n faktor deur middel van ‘n testamentêre vereiste dat Daniël minstens ‘n maand by sy vervreemde neef, Theon, op die Vrystaatse familieplaas moet deurbring indien hy sy erfporsie wil bekom.
Die roman verskuif telkens wat ruimte en tyd betref en die verskuiwings word geïllustreer deur die wisselende seisoene en die verouderingsproses. Wanneer Daniël as karakter bekendgestel word, vertoon hy die impulsiwiteit en waaghalsigheid wat merendeels met die jonger geslag geassosieer word. Sy uitkyk is die van ‘n wêreldreisiger. In ‘n kafee let hy op ‘Hul weerkaatsings is helderder as hulleself – hul glansende tweelingbroers sit daar in die koue. Onbibberend, asof niks fout is nie.’ (10) Sy sensitiwiteit aangaande atmosfeer blyk egter van meet af aan ‘Iets…is uit balans. Die lug hier binne is suurstofarm. En dis of hulle al drie hulle sinne agteruit sê.’ (35)
Sy pa se aftakeling as gevolg van ‘…atrofie in dele van die brein wat geheue en ruimtelike oriëntasie beheers’ (53) word met ‘n kombinasie van deernis en frustrasie beskryf wanneer hy waarneem hoe sy pa ‘Met eindelose lysies, waarop items sistematies deurgehaal word…die uitgestrooide katalogus van gedagtes probeer orden…’ (54). In teenstelling met die eerste deel van die roman wat deur koue en reën gekenmerk word, speel die laaste dae van sy pa se lewe tydens ‘n hittegolf af. In die tweede deel word die rol as skrywer-protagonis onder die soeklig geplaas wanneer Daniël verklap dat ‘n onvoltooide skryfstuk se werkstitel ‘Waar die wolwe paar’ is – dieselfde titel as die eerste deel van hierdie roman.
In die derde deel van die roman bevind Daniël hom aanvanklik op die familieplaas, Eenzaamheid, waar hy homself as buitestaander sien en sy gedagtes hom verplaas na die verlede, na die laaste tye saam met sy ma ‘Hy het gewens hy kon alleen by sy ma waak, kans kry om die roete van lig saam met haar te bewandel, in stilte, tot waar dit te verblindend word en hy self sou moes terugdraai.’ (94) totdat hy homself, tesame met Theon, wie hy ag ‘…op hierdie oomblik die enigste vaste punt te midde van sy bewegende wêreld’ (108) te wees, in Tokio bevind in ‘n desperate poging om die lewe van ‘n jong seun te red. Dis ook in Japan wat Daniël besef dat die aantal seisoene in die lewe baie meer is as wat hy ooit besef het, en dat party so kort soos enkele dae kan duur.
In die laaste deel van die roman, met Daniël as ‘n bejaarde man, word die leser gekonfronteer met die konsepte van vaderskap teenoor seunskap, vlieg en vlug teenoor wortels en ankers; die vlietende aard van lewe teenoor die sikliese aard van seisoene, en die onvermydelikheid van afskeid en verlies.
Roerend. Onvergeetlik.
NB-Uitgewers/Publishers
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #Uitdieperdsebek
#HumanEnRousseau
Daniël se lewe as nomadiese skrywer word onderbreek deur sy pa se fisiese agteruitgang en afsterwe. Want sy pa ‘…wie se teenwoordigheid uit(ge)dy (het) na selfs die aardigste uithoeke van die wêreld’ (39) bly post mortem ‘n faktor deur middel van ‘n testamentêre vereiste dat Daniël minstens ‘n maand by sy vervreemde neef, Theon, op die Vrystaatse familieplaas moet deurbring indien hy sy erfporsie wil bekom.
Die roman verskuif telkens wat ruimte en tyd betref en die verskuiwings word geïllustreer deur die wisselende seisoene en die verouderingsproses. Wanneer Daniël as karakter bekendgestel word, vertoon hy die impulsiwiteit en waaghalsigheid wat merendeels met die jonger geslag geassosieer word. Sy uitkyk is die van ‘n wêreldreisiger. In ‘n kafee let hy op ‘Hul weerkaatsings is helderder as hulleself – hul glansende tweelingbroers sit daar in die koue. Onbibberend, asof niks fout is nie.’ (10) Sy sensitiwiteit aangaande atmosfeer blyk egter van meet af aan ‘Iets…is uit balans. Die lug hier binne is suurstofarm. En dis of hulle al drie hulle sinne agteruit sê.’ (35)
Sy pa se aftakeling as gevolg van ‘…atrofie in dele van die brein wat geheue en ruimtelike oriëntasie beheers’ (53) word met ‘n kombinasie van deernis en frustrasie beskryf wanneer hy waarneem hoe sy pa ‘Met eindelose lysies, waarop items sistematies deurgehaal word…die uitgestrooide katalogus van gedagtes probeer orden…’ (54). In teenstelling met die eerste deel van die roman wat deur koue en reën gekenmerk word, speel die laaste dae van sy pa se lewe tydens ‘n hittegolf af. In die tweede deel word die rol as skrywer-protagonis onder die soeklig geplaas wanneer Daniël verklap dat ‘n onvoltooide skryfstuk se werkstitel ‘Waar die wolwe paar’ is – dieselfde titel as die eerste deel van hierdie roman.
In die derde deel van die roman bevind Daniël hom aanvanklik op die familieplaas, Eenzaamheid, waar hy homself as buitestaander sien en sy gedagtes hom verplaas na die verlede, na die laaste tye saam met sy ma ‘Hy het gewens hy kon alleen by sy ma waak, kans kry om die roete van lig saam met haar te bewandel, in stilte, tot waar dit te verblindend word en hy self sou moes terugdraai.’ (94) totdat hy homself, tesame met Theon, wie hy ag ‘…op hierdie oomblik die enigste vaste punt te midde van sy bewegende wêreld’ (108) te wees, in Tokio bevind in ‘n desperate poging om die lewe van ‘n jong seun te red. Dis ook in Japan wat Daniël besef dat die aantal seisoene in die lewe baie meer is as wat hy ooit besef het, en dat party so kort soos enkele dae kan duur.
In die laaste deel van die roman, met Daniël as ‘n bejaarde man, word die leser gekonfronteer met die konsepte van vaderskap teenoor seunskap, vlieg en vlug teenoor wortels en ankers; die vlietende aard van lewe teenoor die sikliese aard van seisoene, en die onvermydelikheid van afskeid en verlies.
Roerend. Onvergeetlik.
NB-Uitgewers/Publishers
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #Uitdieperdsebek
March 31, 2025
• La narrazione è frammentata, fatta di episodi scollegati e di personaggi che sembrano sempre sul punto di rivelare qualcosa di profondo, ma poi svaniscono.
• Il tema dell’esilio, geografico e esistenziale, è centrale e il libro esplora il senso di dislocazione, il rapporto tra passato e presente, tra appartenenza e fuga con una prosa spesso fredda e distante che nel migliore dei casi non mi ha coinvolta, nel peggiore mi ha annoiata.
• La storia fatica a prendere corpo, ci sono spunti interessanti, il rapporto con il padre, il senso di identità e di perdita, ma il tutto è trattato in modo frustrante.
• Non lascia il segno, 2 stelle e mezzo.
• Il tema dell’esilio, geografico e esistenziale, è centrale e il libro esplora il senso di dislocazione, il rapporto tra passato e presente, tra appartenenza e fuga con una prosa spesso fredda e distante che nel migliore dei casi non mi ha coinvolta, nel peggiore mi ha annoiata.
• La storia fatica a prendere corpo, ci sono spunti interessanti, il rapporto con il padre, il senso di identità e di perdita, ma il tutto è trattato in modo frustrante.
• Non lascia il segno, 2 stelle e mezzo.
December 4, 2023
Ek is ‘n groot aanhanger van SJ Naudé, maar hierdie boek het my koud gelaat. Daar is oomblikke van briljansie- sy beskrywings van kuns en argitektuur, die onverwagte storie ontwikkelings, diep doeltreffende beeldspraak. Maar daar is ‘n onderliggende swartgalligheid en ‘n gepaardgaande storie en karakter ontwikkeling wat jou laat sonder empatie, katarsis of closure. Wat vir my ‘n jammerte was want tot diep in die boek het ek my verlustig in die gedagte van ‘n rolprent verwerking hiervan. Desondanks bly hy nogsteeds ‘n gunsteling skrywer van my.
February 17, 2025
I liked this book but I liked the first part and the rest of the book for two different reasons. And honestly, I enjoyed the first section more than the rest. The detached narration connected the chapters and I did enjoy the way the narrator spoke about Daniel and those around him, it was probably the most interesting part for me because even though the narrator was trying to be distant, their narration didn't let Daniel or his emotions, fears, or flaws hide from the reader.
When I started to read the novel, I was shocked at it because the first section was not at all what I expected the book to be about, and part of me wondered if there was a mistake, yet it was surprisingly the section I remember liked the most. I liked seeing the way Daniel navigated his life in Europe and what his life was like and then drastically and abruptly switching to his family life in South Africa in the next section to show how different the two parts of his life are.
I did wish we got more of him and his father because I felt like it was used more as a transition rather than a building block. I would have loved to see him and his sister more too as they interaced with their father, I think that is the one thing that would have made the book even better for me because I was a little disapointed that we didn't get to see more of that.
Overall I think this is a good book, it covers a lot of topics of family, love, acceptance, mortality and so much more.
September 13, 2024
2.5 ⭐️
Read For
✓ Grief
✓ Quick Read
✓ Gay Main Character
✓ Fiction but has Nonfiction vibes
˗ˏˋ ★ REVIEW ★ ˎˊ˗
This was definitely an interesting read, the narrator bringing an almost unserious aloof tone to the story telling that I really enjoyed. Overall the book was dark, powerful, and had an almost haunted vibe to it.
I was really unsure how to rate this book. It felt a lot like nonfiction so it felt a bit strange rating too low but overall it was a bit meh. I did like how it felt like someone was telling their life story. However, at times it was a bit confusing keeping up with some parts of it. I might try a re-read later on to see if I like it any better but for now it was a neutral rating.
Thank you so much to PrideBookTours, the author and publisher for this copy
Spice Level: 🌶️ (1/5)
Angst Level: 💧💧💧💧💧 (5/5)
POV: First Person
Release Date: 10, September 2024
⚠️ Content Warnings:
Graphic: Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Homophobia
Minor: Sexual content
April 26, 2025
"Tutti pensano che nel corso dell'evoluzione le mani si sono modificate per afferrare gli oggetti o accendere un fuoco. Per combattere con una lancia o uccidere gli animali [...] ma in realtà sono fatte per combaciare con quelle di un'altra persona. Nocca su nocca, articolazione su articolazione. E le braccia? Il loro compito è piegarsi nei punti giusti per abbracciare qualcuno. Sono progettate per stringere un altro corpo al tuo..."
February 20, 2025
He howls to rewrite the sky but the forest swallows his cries leaving only thorns where his dreams lie. This book about longing of lavish men and the suffering of spartans renders how a generation (loosely) of men seeking to redefine love are met with suffering and only suffering.
From where I belong and from where you are reading this review – Will and inheritance and estate plans are dominant in changing familial tunes, here in FATHERS AND FUGITIVES a clause in Daniel's father's will completely shifts the axis of his stars and with him of many people. Translated from the Afrikaans by Michiel Heyns, the novel is full of funerals and unfulfilled wishes. Daniel is a journalist living in London, he is Queer, he frequently writes fiction, he longs for love. He returns to his hometown in South Africa to take care of his ailing father who suffers from dementia. The unusual clause in his father's will is that he has to reconnect with his cousin Theon to claim his inheritance.
It is a very gloomy novel. Decades go by and a lot happens when these men attempt to break the categorization around love. Daniel's mother's unfulfilled wishes, his father's unfulfilled wishes, what his Serbian friends longed for before dying, the childsnatcher who never saw his father, Motlale's childhood that got stolen, all of them wanted to love deeply, wanted to choose their family or create one. The novel, maybe, is too gloomy for my taste and not cohesive in focusing to be empathetic towards the characters. Everyone is suffering because of someone else's mess up, their lives are shaped by the whispers of others and they're all trying their best to close their ears to these whispers. From London to Belgrade to Cape Town to Kent to Joburg, these whispers follow them like one's faithful shadow.
Those underestimating S.J. Naudé's literary flair will be stunned, like I am.
No love. No hate.
Neutral.
From where I belong and from where you are reading this review – Will and inheritance and estate plans are dominant in changing familial tunes, here in FATHERS AND FUGITIVES a clause in Daniel's father's will completely shifts the axis of his stars and with him of many people. Translated from the Afrikaans by Michiel Heyns, the novel is full of funerals and unfulfilled wishes. Daniel is a journalist living in London, he is Queer, he frequently writes fiction, he longs for love. He returns to his hometown in South Africa to take care of his ailing father who suffers from dementia. The unusual clause in his father's will is that he has to reconnect with his cousin Theon to claim his inheritance.
It is a very gloomy novel. Decades go by and a lot happens when these men attempt to break the categorization around love. Daniel's mother's unfulfilled wishes, his father's unfulfilled wishes, what his Serbian friends longed for before dying, the childsnatcher who never saw his father, Motlale's childhood that got stolen, all of them wanted to love deeply, wanted to choose their family or create one. The novel, maybe, is too gloomy for my taste and not cohesive in focusing to be empathetic towards the characters. Everyone is suffering because of someone else's mess up, their lives are shaped by the whispers of others and they're all trying their best to close their ears to these whispers. From London to Belgrade to Cape Town to Kent to Joburg, these whispers follow them like one's faithful shadow.
Those underestimating S.J. Naudé's literary flair will be stunned, like I am.
No love. No hate.
Neutral.
June 25, 2025
A rich and captivating novel from a bold new voice in South African fiction.
In Fathers and Fugitives, S. J. Naudé masterfully explores the tensions between familial estrangement and cultural belonging. At the heart of the novel is Daniel, a man caught in the emotional undertow of his fractured relationship with his father—haunted not only by what was, but by what was never said. Yet even as he navigates this personal disquiet, Daniel finds himself anchored by his Afrikaans identity, a connection that deepens upon reconnecting with his enigmatic cousin, Theon.
What stood out to me most was the novel’s evocative sense of place. Moving between Germany, Japan, and South Africa, the narrative has a quality that borders on literary travel writing—each setting rendered with nuance, yet unified by a haunting, almost dreamlike tone.
Fathers and Fugitives is tender and searing, unsettling in the best way, and quietly masterful. It deserves serious literary attention.
Many thanks to Europa Editions for the advance copy.
In Fathers and Fugitives, S. J. Naudé masterfully explores the tensions between familial estrangement and cultural belonging. At the heart of the novel is Daniel, a man caught in the emotional undertow of his fractured relationship with his father—haunted not only by what was, but by what was never said. Yet even as he navigates this personal disquiet, Daniel finds himself anchored by his Afrikaans identity, a connection that deepens upon reconnecting with his enigmatic cousin, Theon.
What stood out to me most was the novel’s evocative sense of place. Moving between Germany, Japan, and South Africa, the narrative has a quality that borders on literary travel writing—each setting rendered with nuance, yet unified by a haunting, almost dreamlike tone.
Fathers and Fugitives is tender and searing, unsettling in the best way, and quietly masterful. It deserves serious literary attention.
Many thanks to Europa Editions for the advance copy.
Read
November 10, 2024Strange read. Engaging at times, but incomplete.
Some parts of the story seem to be missing, like the motivation behind certain acts. Why did Daniel get involved with the serbs to such an extent? Was Part One, the story about the serbs, somehow the set up for the rest of the book? Is it meant to explain/stand in for the unexplained motivations behind the actions of characters for the rest of the story? Daniel, Theon, Hein all seem to float through their lives, going where the wind takes them.
Fathers and Fugitives is made up of five parts, covering several decades of Daniel's life. Daniel is the protagonist for four of the five parts of the story. Hein doesn't show up as a character until page 155 in a 215 page book. He's the protagonist of Part Four. By then, it was challenging to get interested in his story. He was clearly there to serve a purpose, but again his motivations for his actions are not clear. Hopelessness and random acts of cruelty possible themes.
Some parts of the story seem to be missing, like the motivation behind certain acts. Why did Daniel get involved with the serbs to such an extent? Was Part One, the story about the serbs, somehow the set up for the rest of the book? Is it meant to explain/stand in for the unexplained motivations behind the actions of characters for the rest of the story? Daniel, Theon, Hein all seem to float through their lives, going where the wind takes them.
Fathers and Fugitives is made up of five parts, covering several decades of Daniel's life. Daniel is the protagonist for four of the five parts of the story. Hein doesn't show up as a character until page 155 in a 215 page book. He's the protagonist of Part Four. By then, it was challenging to get interested in his story. He was clearly there to serve a purpose, but again his motivations for his actions are not clear. Hopelessness and random acts of cruelty possible themes.
October 20, 2023
I don't quite know what to make of this. A novel in five parts that I try recognise from the title who are fathers and who are fugitives. Quite powerful, but didn't really resonate with me.
August 28, 2024
athers and Fugitives, a novel translated from the Afrikaans by Michiel Heyns, is split into five distinct parts, each with their own significant impact on the life of Daniel, a journalist from South Africa living in London. The first section is about a Serbian man whom he meets at an exhibition for an American minimalist painter. He quickly gets entangled with the man and his friend’s financial and legal problems. The second section of the novel is about taking care of his father in the final throes of dementia. The third is about going to South Africa to meet a cousin whom he had only seen once or twice when they were kids. One of his cousin’s staff members has a child that is very sick, and Daniel agrees to help him get medical treatment. The fourth section is Daniel trying to adopt an infant who has lost his mother. The final section has Daniel as an old man, visiting the life and memories that he had lived.
In each section, Daniel encounters people that need his help and generosity, and he generally does not tell them no. The care that he gives to his friends, his father, his cousin, and acquaintances is a burden to him that he shoulders with grace, and in the end, Daniel comes out as a good person, wanting to do the right thing in every encounter.
Fathers and Fugitives is a rich and captivating story that does such an incredible job introducing characters and making them such an impactful part of Daniel’s journey. With each new section and each new set of problems, Daniel navigates these situations with grace. He never gets frustrated, and he does what he needs to do to make sure that he does not let down his family. In the end, Daniel can go through his life and the people that he impacted, and he can be confident that he made the best decisions that he could make with the knowledge that he had at the time. This is a novel that really has makes me think a great deal about life and how atypical it is for someone to do his best in every situation to help people, even when there is little to no motivation besides goodness.
I received this ARC from Europa Editions in exchange for an honest review.
In each section, Daniel encounters people that need his help and generosity, and he generally does not tell them no. The care that he gives to his friends, his father, his cousin, and acquaintances is a burden to him that he shoulders with grace, and in the end, Daniel comes out as a good person, wanting to do the right thing in every encounter.
Fathers and Fugitives is a rich and captivating story that does such an incredible job introducing characters and making them such an impactful part of Daniel’s journey. With each new section and each new set of problems, Daniel navigates these situations with grace. He never gets frustrated, and he does what he needs to do to make sure that he does not let down his family. In the end, Daniel can go through his life and the people that he impacted, and he can be confident that he made the best decisions that he could make with the knowledge that he had at the time. This is a novel that really has makes me think a great deal about life and how atypical it is for someone to do his best in every situation to help people, even when there is little to no motivation besides goodness.
I received this ARC from Europa Editions in exchange for an honest review.
August 31, 2025
This summer has been full of angry, broad-brush commentary about asylum and immigration in the UK media, and it feels like this will only ramp up as autumn comes round. It felt refreshing to read a novel that set those debates aside and instead turned its gaze to the lived experiences of individuals whose lives take them between different countries.
Naudé’s book follows Jaco, a middle-aged gay man, as he oscillates between Europe and South Africa, reckoning with his father’s approaching death and his own unsettled existence. Around him, he encounters a range of other ‘fugitives’: migrants, artists, lovers, all navigating the dislocation of living between cultures. Of course, Naudé presents these people as textured, complicated individuals rather than as the faceless homogenous ‘migrant masses’ so often conjured by political rhetoric.
I sometimes warmed to Jaco and sometimes felt distanced from him. At moments he felt like a character to root for, while at others he’s more of a lens than a companion. Perhaps that’s intentional: Naudé isn’t writing a simple psychological portrait, but a book about movement and fracture, including within families. I hadn’t previously given much thought to how ties can splinter when relatives live under different societal cultures and expectations; this book made me think harder about that.
The strand that will linger with me is the subplot of a sick child taken from South Africa to New York for experimental treatment. The hope, the weight of expectations, and the inevitability of disappointment echoed other parts of the book, and left me reflecting on how we load our own dreams onto others, sometimes unfairly. It was a moving and troubling seam in a novel already rich with them.
The prose style didn’t particularly draw attention to itself. In many ways that felt right: it’s the characters and their displacement, rather than the language itself, that stay with me.
Overall, I found Fathers and Fugitives absorbing, timely, and quietly thought-provoking. In a season when immigration is a political football, it was refreshing to spend time with a book that insists on the messiness and individuality of people’s lives.
Naudé’s book follows Jaco, a middle-aged gay man, as he oscillates between Europe and South Africa, reckoning with his father’s approaching death and his own unsettled existence. Around him, he encounters a range of other ‘fugitives’: migrants, artists, lovers, all navigating the dislocation of living between cultures. Of course, Naudé presents these people as textured, complicated individuals rather than as the faceless homogenous ‘migrant masses’ so often conjured by political rhetoric.
I sometimes warmed to Jaco and sometimes felt distanced from him. At moments he felt like a character to root for, while at others he’s more of a lens than a companion. Perhaps that’s intentional: Naudé isn’t writing a simple psychological portrait, but a book about movement and fracture, including within families. I hadn’t previously given much thought to how ties can splinter when relatives live under different societal cultures and expectations; this book made me think harder about that.
The strand that will linger with me is the subplot of a sick child taken from South Africa to New York for experimental treatment. The hope, the weight of expectations, and the inevitability of disappointment echoed other parts of the book, and left me reflecting on how we load our own dreams onto others, sometimes unfairly. It was a moving and troubling seam in a novel already rich with them.
The prose style didn’t particularly draw attention to itself. In many ways that felt right: it’s the characters and their displacement, rather than the language itself, that stay with me.
Overall, I found Fathers and Fugitives absorbing, timely, and quietly thought-provoking. In a season when immigration is a political football, it was refreshing to spend time with a book that insists on the messiness and individuality of people’s lives.
April 18, 2025
what the flip was even that. I liked the first story for the sheer eerie shock value of it, and Naudé is undoubtedly a talented author, but I didn't really understand the intention behind a vast majority of the choices made in this book. Something about wasted potential, of lives lived in stasis, of missed opportunity and an absence of passion and where that leads a soul - but where does that take us? What is the author trying to say? I know somehow even less about Daniel than I did before. The death toll of this relatively short book is so high it got a little funny - The absolutely paralysing tone set by the first chapter with the Serbs was what motivated me to stick with this book, but Daniel rarely shows total detachment to such a catastrophic extent again, and I did debate DNFing about halfway through. Was not quite suited to my mental state right now. A lot of pointless, unproductive death and misery. Still: quite fascinating, and worth a go. Glad I read it either way. call it 3.5
August 23, 2023
I read the English translation, OF FATHERS AND FUGITIVES.
About this book:
"Daniel is a journalist, moving between London and Cape Town, until his elderly father passes away. There is an unusual clause in the old man’s will: Daniel will only inherit his half of the estate once he has paid his estranged cousin a visit on the family farm in the Free State. It is a visit that will result in Daniel, his cousin and a sick young boy making a hopeful trip to Tokyo – a journey that will change all of their lives."
It's not every month that I read a prize-worthy story, and this OF FATHERS AND FUGITIVES ticked all the blocks. It is moving, searing, tender, fantastically written story with prose so beautiful you will want to weep.
About this book:
"Daniel is a journalist, moving between London and Cape Town, until his elderly father passes away. There is an unusual clause in the old man’s will: Daniel will only inherit his half of the estate once he has paid his estranged cousin a visit on the family farm in the Free State. It is a visit that will result in Daniel, his cousin and a sick young boy making a hopeful trip to Tokyo – a journey that will change all of their lives."
It's not every month that I read a prize-worthy story, and this OF FATHERS AND FUGITIVES ticked all the blocks. It is moving, searing, tender, fantastically written story with prose so beautiful you will want to weep.
September 23, 2024
I hesitate to say I enjoyed my time with this book even though I found it a great piece of writing. It made me terribly uncomfortable at certain points, but not necessarily in a bad way. Naude's writing really has a wonderful flow to it that lends itself to the difficult themes within the pages. I found myself sucked in while reading until I would reach the end of a section and come up for air. After each section I'd take some time to sit with what I'd read and why certain parts gave me that unsettled feeling.
At times I found the writing to be reminiscent of books like Mieko Kawakami's. I definitely recommend this novel to anyone who likes masterful writing and books that don't shy from the raw and uncomfortable realities of being human.
At times I found the writing to be reminiscent of books like Mieko Kawakami's. I definitely recommend this novel to anyone who likes masterful writing and books that don't shy from the raw and uncomfortable realities of being human.
November 15, 2024
My review is geared more toward writers who might want to study this book for its craft.
In Fathers and Fugitives, SJ Naudé refuses the comfort of resolution. Instead, he invites us into a world where identity, belonging, and relationships remain forever in flux—haunted by what could have been but never was. For writers, the lesson lies in the power of leaving things unsaid, of allowing fragments to stay fragmented, and of letting discomfort linger. The novel becomes a testament to the haunting nature of incomplete arcs, fractured identities, and relationships that never fully resolve.
To read my full analysis, please visit: https://www.armanchowdhury.com/craft-...
In Fathers and Fugitives, SJ Naudé refuses the comfort of resolution. Instead, he invites us into a world where identity, belonging, and relationships remain forever in flux—haunted by what could have been but never was. For writers, the lesson lies in the power of leaving things unsaid, of allowing fragments to stay fragmented, and of letting discomfort linger. The novel becomes a testament to the haunting nature of incomplete arcs, fractured identities, and relationships that never fully resolve.
To read my full analysis, please visit: https://www.armanchowdhury.com/craft-...
August 22, 2025
Naudé's prose is cold and distant. This feature of the novel is clearly intentional, and indeed becomes a part of a character study of Daniel, the protagonist. But It's icy distance puts pressure on other features of the novel -- the relationship between Daniel and his family, the mechanics of the plot, the underlying thematics. These have to be strong enough to support (warrant, even) such a cool prose style. And, I'm afraid, it doesn't come together. There's not enough that keeps the novel together, or keeps the reader engaged, this rather numbing read. I imagine Naudé read Garth Greenwell (and the opening chapter in Serbia seems like an homage to Greenwell's Bulgaria), but Naudé is no Greenwell -- merely a hollow imitator.
August 18, 2025
Bleak and unremitting
—
If it were possible to write a character who doesn’t want for anything, then this is it. The book follows Daniel, an ex-pat South African, as he progresses through life: working but not seeming to enjoy it, connecting with others through sex, forced by a bequest to develop a friendship with a distant cousin, finally finding a love of a kind but being thwarted by happenstance. At no time in his narrative did I get a sense that he was a wanting, desiring human being, and the blank of his family life—his vituperative relationship with his sister and her acquiescence to the social contract; his strange interactions with his father, lost in dementia—offered no clues.
Told in five acts, like progressions within a symphony, this is a bleak and unremitting reminder of all that can fail in a human being. Disconnected, even from the appearance of death before him, yet able to maintain the fiction of a loving relationship until it inevitably falls apart, I felt that Daniel was a plausible human being, but not one that I had an interest in spending any time with.
—
If it were possible to write a character who doesn’t want for anything, then this is it. The book follows Daniel, an ex-pat South African, as he progresses through life: working but not seeming to enjoy it, connecting with others through sex, forced by a bequest to develop a friendship with a distant cousin, finally finding a love of a kind but being thwarted by happenstance. At no time in his narrative did I get a sense that he was a wanting, desiring human being, and the blank of his family life—his vituperative relationship with his sister and her acquiescence to the social contract; his strange interactions with his father, lost in dementia—offered no clues.
Told in five acts, like progressions within a symphony, this is a bleak and unremitting reminder of all that can fail in a human being. Disconnected, even from the appearance of death before him, yet able to maintain the fiction of a loving relationship until it inevitably falls apart, I felt that Daniel was a plausible human being, but not one that I had an interest in spending any time with.
January 10, 2025
This is a very interesting read. Daniel never worries and goes with the flow or rather is carried along by whoever passes his way and makes certain demands on him. He tries to please without considering the consequences. Born in South Africa, where his father and sister still live, he has moved to London and has more or less broken off all contact. He’s a writer and likes travelling. When his father dies his will divides his wealth equally between the sister and Daniel, on condition that Daniel spends time with is cousin Theon in South Africa.
June 21, 2025
“Credi che la mia esistenza fosse -sia- l’ideale? Che vivere in una città del mondo a casaccio sia affascinante, prestigioso? Fare la spola tra città e continenti? Condurre una vita raminga, alla deriva? Tutto inizia a sembrarti distante, astratto, come se guardassi il mondo attraverso un cannocchiale ma dal lato sbagliato.”
Vorrei ma non posso (non ce la faccio). Questa è la sentenza che potrei attribuire a questo libro di S.J. Naudè. ‘Vorrei’ scrivere la storia di un ragazzo, Daniel, dal presente e dal futuro incerto, un figlio di papà che vuole fare lo scrittore ma non sa buttare giù tre righe perché è vuoto, di un tizio che si fa abbindolare dal primo che passa e che si fa immischiare nei problemi altrui. ‘Ma non posso’ perché non so come far andare avanti la storia, che ha diversi inizi a diverse età del protagonista, in cui tutto il resto viene dimenticato. Una vita a compartimenti stagni, praticamente. Una raccolta di racconti il cui unico trait d’union è rappresentato dai personaggi, abbozzati, piatti e senza storia.
‘Ma non posso’ perché la scrittura è acerba, riempita di luoghi comuni, di contesti da macchietta e imprecisati nella loro concretezza, di termini ed espressioni già visti e già letti, di scene e momenti strappalacrime che però a me fanno solo venire il latte alle ginocchia.
Un romanzo, in sostanza, da tener buono solo per il primo capitolo: “tutto il resto è noia”.
Vorrei ma non posso (non ce la faccio). Questa è la sentenza che potrei attribuire a questo libro di S.J. Naudè. ‘Vorrei’ scrivere la storia di un ragazzo, Daniel, dal presente e dal futuro incerto, un figlio di papà che vuole fare lo scrittore ma non sa buttare giù tre righe perché è vuoto, di un tizio che si fa abbindolare dal primo che passa e che si fa immischiare nei problemi altrui. ‘Ma non posso’ perché non so come far andare avanti la storia, che ha diversi inizi a diverse età del protagonista, in cui tutto il resto viene dimenticato. Una vita a compartimenti stagni, praticamente. Una raccolta di racconti il cui unico trait d’union è rappresentato dai personaggi, abbozzati, piatti e senza storia.
‘Ma non posso’ perché la scrittura è acerba, riempita di luoghi comuni, di contesti da macchietta e imprecisati nella loro concretezza, di termini ed espressioni già visti e già letti, di scene e momenti strappalacrime che però a me fanno solo venire il latte alle ginocchia.
Un romanzo, in sostanza, da tener buono solo per il primo capitolo: “tutto il resto è noia”.
December 31, 2025
I'd give this 4.5 if it was an option.
When I found out the author is known for short stories, it all made a lot more sense as the novel lacked a cohesive band to tie it all together.
However I did love it for the most part. The first chapter in particular had me completely transfixed and was just so beautifully written. Each chapter felt distinct. Highly recommend, the prose was really beautiful.
I love reading stories about LGBT experience that are atypical and reflect deep complex realities rather than a superficial experiences.
When I found out the author is known for short stories, it all made a lot more sense as the novel lacked a cohesive band to tie it all together.
However I did love it for the most part. The first chapter in particular had me completely transfixed and was just so beautifully written. Each chapter felt distinct. Highly recommend, the prose was really beautiful.
I love reading stories about LGBT experience that are atypical and reflect deep complex realities rather than a superficial experiences.
January 13, 2025
Super interesting narrative structure. There is an overall theme of being lost and how that manifests (detachment from community, physical distance, illness, lack of control, etc.) I was engaged but felt like the connection between structure (disjointment) and content (thematic) was forced and at times made it hard to connect. I appreciate the experimental effort.
April 17, 2025
Fathers and Fugitives is a strange and unsettling tale and all the better for it. The protagonist, seemingly devoid of emotional heft and prone to reckless spontaneity, treks haphazardly across 3 continents before finding unlikely connection and attendant pain in contemporary fractured South Africa. Sparse, episodic, underexplained but bloody good.
December 1, 2025
Read in one sitting, a gripping yet bewildering look at alienation, rootedness, the primitive urge to belong - whether to another, to the land, to a sense of meaning where often there is none. Though thematically coherent, it seems like shorter vignettes of different people wedged into a single book.
January 12, 2025
Part 1 of this book was amazing, I was so thrilled and sure this would be a five star read. However, the rest of the book did not impress me, it felt unconnected, all over the place (literally) and just... Weird.
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