A Morbid Fascination: White Prose and Politics in Apartheid South Africa Peck, Richard

Using a broad range of literature to examine the political culture of white South Africa, Peck finds both a preoccupation with political issues and a dislike for politics. The literature examined ranges from South African propaganda, through a variety of bestsellers--adventure stories and mystery novels written by authors such as Wilbur Smith and James McClure--to self-conscious literary works of the canonical white South African authors such as Alan Paton, Andre Brink, and Nadine Gordimer. The study gives attention to anti-political features of the liberal tradition that dominated South African writing, and to the failure of writers who undermined that tradition to generate a more positive view of politics. The morbid fascination with politics that is found across the full spectrum of creative writing is a reflection of the circumstances in which writers found themselves, but it is still a worrisome feature of the white South African political culture.

DOI: 10.1336/0313300917 Mouse over the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to learn more about this book or related books published by Greenwood Publishing Group. Visit the Greenwood Publishing Group page for this title: http://www.greenwood.com/catalog/GM0091.aspx

A Morbid Fascination: White Prose and Politics in Apartheid South Africa Series: Contributions to the Study of World Literature Hardback, 216 pages, $119.95 Copyright ©1997, Greenwood Press ISBN: 0-313-30091-7 DOI: 10.1336/0313300917

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