Loot

by Nadine Gordimer

A startling new work from a Nobel prize-winning ten short stories, each a revelation of our interior lives, each entering unforeseen contexts of our contemporary world. In the title story an earthquake exposes both an ocean bed strewn with treasure among the dead, and the avarice of the town's survivors. In 'The Diamond Mine' a woman remembers her first, passionately erotic experience, hidden, in the company of her parents, with a soldier who may not be alive to remember her. The anopheles mosquito brings death to the saunas and other playgrounds of the developed with in 'The Emissary'. In 'Karma', Gordimer's inventiveness knows no in five returns to the earthly life, taking on different ages and genders, a disembodied narrator testifies to unfinished business - critically, wittily - and questions the nature of existence.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Africa, South Africa, Nobel Prize, 21st Century

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Nadine Gordimer was a South African writer, political activist, and recipient of the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature. She was recognized as a woman "who through her magnificent epic writing has – in the words of Alfred Nobel – been of very great benefit to humanity".

Gordimer's writing dealt with moral and racial issues, particularly apartheid in South Africa. Under that regime, works such as Burger's Daughter and July's People were banned. She was active in the anti-apartheid movement, joining the African National Congress during the days when the organization was banned. She was also active in HIV/AIDS causes.

Reviews

[Mateo R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creo que primero tendría que haberme agarrado de mi estantería La hija de Burger en vez de este. Parece que aquel lo escribió durante el apartheid, mientras que este refiere al período post apartheid.

Gordimer es sutil y algo ambigua, y eso sumado a mi falta de contexto llevó a que no captara del todo lo que (me parece) son alegorías o referencias a distintas situaciones políticas o culturales de Sudáfrica.

Con todo, disfruté bastante de algunos cuentos, aunque por alguna razón siento que los platos principales ("Informe de misión" y "Karma", los más extensos por lejos) fueron los que menos me terminaron de convencer. Igual, algunas de las secuencias de "Karma" están muy buenas.

"Dobles" fue probablemente el más fascinante para mí, aunque lo leí como un cuento de vacilación fantástica y es probable que de fondo haya alguna alegoría a algún aspecto del entramado político y cultural de Sudáfrica.

Si bien la sensualidad y el adulterio impregnan algunas de sus historias, su estilo se me hizo un tanto... ¿cerebral? ¿casi frío? No es una valoración negativa, ni positiva, solo una curiosidad. Quizás fue el contraste con el libro de Almudena Grandes, porque los leí como un sándwich (empecé con este, pausé, leí el otro completo, luego terminé este).

[Deea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these stories were brilliant. Others... well, I could not really get. I therefore have no idea how to rate this book: I would rate the stories I considered brilliant with a 5, but the others have no rating in my mind.

[Utti · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my mother best friends decided I was supposed to read this book since, when I was younger, I lived for a couple of months in South Africa.
If I have to be honest I am really not into short stories. I find them difficult, somehow obscure, and I don't enjoy myself reading them.
Nothing different here, some good hints but nothing more than that.
I liked some stories more than the others but there is still a long way to go.

[Sashankh Kale · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant book of great stories; the language was exquisite

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant series of gems from one of my favorite authors (and Nobel Prize winners). Her writing challenges the reader to look themselves in the eye when facing hard truths. She manages to get her points across (on morality, racism, honesty, loyalty) without being preachy; her firm stance on equality in all areas of life comes through in the lives of such real-seeming characters. Her flowing, gentle style is a pleasing contrast to the hard topics she brings to the reader. I'm so grateful her writing is in the world.

[Lefteris Filippou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Εξαιρετικά διηγήματα από μια απίστευτη νομπελίστα συγγραφέα !!!

[Margaret Carmel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like all short story collections, Nadine Gordimer's Loot and Other Stories has hits and misses. In this short collection of 10 stories, Gordimer shows an impressive range in these deeply thoughtful, although sometimes flawed stories.

Maybe i'm just not smart enough, but I struggled to follow some of her more contemplative stories here. I got that she was trying to say *something* but because of the obtuse nature of the writing I didn't always connect with it.

However, in her stories with the strongest narratives I came away with some intense emotions that I was not expecting. Especially in her stories Misson Statement, Generation Gap and Karma I found Gordimer's writing style and discussion of internal thought processes to be very interesting. I have never read any literature by a South African author before (that I can recall) so her portrayal of apartheid and references to post-colonial issues on the continent were refreshing to read about in a fiction context as opposed to the academic/non-fiction way i'm used to.

Diamond Mine especially made my heart hurt in a way I was not expecting and cannot really put a finger on why.

[Πέτρος Ματσούκας · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2,5⭐️) Δέκα ιστορίες, άλλες μικρότερες, άλλες μεγαλύτερες, τέσσερις μόνο μου άρεσαν επαρκώς, οι υπόλοιπες αποδείχτηκαν αδιάφορες και κουραστικά φλύαρες. Η γραφή ήταν ξύλινη και αδύναμη να μου εκμαιεύσει κάποιο ισχυρό συναίσθημα. Πανέξυπνη η μικρή ιστορία για τη μετάδοση της ελονοσίας (ένας αποσταλμένος).

[Abby Frucht · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took this book out of the library the other day only to discover that I had read it a decade ago when it first came out, albeit at a difficult time in my life. Still, I can't believe the extent to which I had forgotten even the existence of these stories, which I love for their personal reserve, their political drama, their conveyance of the intricacies of racism and sexism, their utter respect for the inexorability of mind and body. The story Mission Statement is astonishing; if you want just one, read that one.

[Old Man JP · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent collection of short stories. All of the stories were good, some better than others, but one was absolutely amazing. The title story "Loot", a short 4 page gem, stood out as a masterpiece. Most of Gordimers writing is done in a very poetic prose and sometimes borders on free-verse poetry. Her writing is incredible and "Loot" is an excellent example of her talent.

[Christelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always a difficult author for me to read. Demanding in her style of writing. That being said, I quite enjoyed some short stories like The Genaration Gap and The Diamond Mine.

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gordimer masterfully weaves contemporary South Africa into each of her stories here, though it’s the novella Karma at the end that shines as the real standout.

Unlike The Conservationist which played out over a languid summertime shot through with the repressed tensions of a country decades into its attempt at self-stunting (wasn’t it Coetzee who said that South African literature under apartheid was “a literature in bondage”?), these stories in Loot rummage around in the fallout of the first decade of post-apartheid, their grievances and concerns above-board now, no longer threatening to violently break the surface. (More of a thermal hot pool bubbling now than the buildup of a single geyser, if I had to make a metaphor of it.) The forms are all different, with Gordimer able to really show her skill across pieces, though the writing can be really quite difficult at times and the framing a little obtuse.

Karma, though, at the end is one of the breezier reads in the book, and Gordimer writes in a way that allows us to inhabit the shapeshifting personae of a transmigrating soul. Worth reading this book for that novella alone.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection is innovative and inventive, as well as emotionally affecting. They vary widely in length, tone, structure, and subject matter. The title story imagines what would happen if the ocean suddenly receded, leaving the sea bed bare. It's a fantasy about the evils of human greed, and it's only five pages long. The next story is about a middle aged woman in an interracial relationship struggling with the personal politics of sex and race and it is 80 pages long. The variety is stunning. Nothing ends where you expect it to. The language is beautiful, sometimes difficult, but always unique.

[Kandace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Is more Nadine Gordimer work in my future? This collection of stories is delicious with a eerie tinge. Perhaps the reader feels like a voyeur peeking into the lives of others with whom you do not want to be like but know you are. Perhaps the intricate renderings of the human condition feel too gross to look at head on but feel so true in their realness. The opening story was my favorite that has stuck with me. It’s a shame I found this in the giveaway pile from my community college library purge. It had never been checked out. Despite Georgia O’Keefe’s Wave Night on my hardback copy’s cover. She now lives with me to inspire my short story writing dreams.

[Dani Dányi · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a mixed bag. From quite straightforward to weird and wonderful, thought-provoking, mind-dulling, there's a lot going on here, and Gordimer has plenty to tell us. Some of it seems to me somewhat over-explicated, not in terms of language as much as evaluative, delving explanations of plot pertaining to politics, class, racial and social issues, interesting as these are. Toward the end there's a generous helping of mystic magical-realist weirdness, not that I'm against but I found the disembodied spirit piece too disjointed for a proper ragcarpet piece. Despite my misgivings, there were high points as well, and Loot is a volume well worth exploring.

[Laura Walin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of ten stories, some very short, some longer, some beyond my understanding, some very familiar situations. The theme covering them all the fact that us humans pass each other by during this strange period which we call life. Gordimer's language is beuatiful and makes the reader stop and linger there, in the moment where the protagonists of the stories realise something, or if not, just let the most meaningful moments of their lives just pass by.

[Mina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I forgot I read Gordimer. I quote her all the time, and I forget to credit her. i say all that "no carnations or rose floats. Full fathom five" stuff all the time. I memorised it when I read it at 17 and forgot about it. I read Shakespeare in November 2019, the Tempest of course-- right after I got introduced to Plath. In the midst of the storm, I meet Gordimer again, unexpectedly with that full fathom five and all. now I never forget to quote her. gotta read it.

[Linda Tomase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Potent stuff. These ten stories are like ten silver bullets, coming right at you. No concern for your peace of mind and comfort of your soul. Very strong historical context and a whole tapestry of very personal stories. I was touched, surprised and amazed over and over again. Highly recommended.

[Aditya Mallya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first thing I've read by Nobel winner Nadine Gordimer, and I am definitely coming back for more. 'Loot' is a collection of quite original stories, often with strikingly unique narrative techniques. 'Mission Statement' and 'Karma' are especially memorable.

[Suzanne Auckerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I have read most of what she has written. She is insightful and certainly addressed the apartheid issues. One story in this book is interesting in that it is written from the perspective of a baby that was still born/

[Moushine Zahr · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the second title that I've read from South African late author Nadine Gordimer and Literature Nobel prize winner. The book is composed of 10 short stories. The themes are different. I can't remember any of them and was real interested in any really.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nadine Gordimer's "Loot and other stories" allows readers to enjoy ten stories. Some did not appeal to me as much as others. I did appreciate learning more of the culture of South Africa. When life is busy, I like to read short writings. I hope to read more of Ms. Gordimer's stories.

[Judith Tutin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended as a balm for stress, I enjoyed it, but the questions it raises and issues it takes on do not seem calming to me. I found it a little uneven, some pieces excellent and others good but not great. The writing is superb and challenging. It’s definitely worth a look.

[Julia CS · Rating 2 out of 5]

"But the writer knows something no-one else knows; the sea-change of the imagination."

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too depressing reading about how apartheid poisoned the citizens of all colors and a quirky writing style. It is amazing what people choose to be obsessed with.

[Tiziana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non amo particolarmente le raccolte di racconti, ma in questo libro ne ho trovato alcuni assai interessanti, profondi ben scritti, intriganti.

[Jacob biscuits · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a brilliant writer of sentences. A bit more “story” though, please.

[Kate Schott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love her writing style, her depth of characters and also bringing to life a part of the world I have never experienced!

[Diana Skelton · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The reflection of the moon seeped through the endless insubstantial surface, silence inundated this place he had brought me to; the village existed out there no more that it had ever done for me when I had never sat in its square, never eaten under the glass eyes of timid beasts killed in its chestnut forests and mountains, or sat in the shade of its surviving mulberry tree."

"It was scarcely worth noticing at first; an out-of-work lying under one of the rare indigenous shrubs cultivated by the Botany Department on campus. Some of us remembered, afterwards, having passed him. And he--or another like him--was seen rummaging in the refuse bins behind the Student Union; one of us (a girl, of course) thrust out awkwardly to him a pitta she'd just bought for herself at the canteen, and she flushed with humiliation as he turned away mumbling. When there were more of them, the woman in charge of catering came out with a kitchen-hand in a blood-soaked apron to chase them off like a band of marauding monkeys."

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book probably deserves 5 stars, and it's my fault for attempting to read it while really tired and parenting 4 children. Gordimer's writing reminds me a bit of Atwood's in that it makes me feel kind of unintelligent. I was very drawn to many of the stories, but ended more than a few feeling as though I'd missed something essential. Totally my own fault, not the fault of the author.