James Michener built his reputation as a writer with his histories of contested lands: Israel ( The Source), Korea ( The Bridges at Toko-Ri), Hawaii, Mexico, Poland, Afghanistan ( Caravans), and so on. By examining the land from the first—often before men had even come into the country—he was able to bring a perspective to these conflicts. By writing history as fiction, he communicates these perspectives in a very accessible way. The Covenant is Michener’s novel of South Africa, from the time when only the nomadic San peoples (later called “Bushmen”) lived there; to the coming of the Zulu tribes from the north at the same time as Dutch Huegenots settled at the southern tip of the continent; the arrival of the British colonial settlers; the passive rebellion of the Boers (Voertrekkers who left their rich colonial coast farms for the stony inner provinces) and their active rebellion (the Boer War, which the British nominally won); the slim (clever) way in which the former Boer general Oom Paul Kruger and his staff managed to wrest victory from that defeat, imposing apartheid on the nation; and the multicultural society that developed in the 80s when the fence between blanks (whites) and nie-blanks (non-whites) was finally broken. ”What we’re looking for is beetles,” old Kharu said as they searched the arid land, “but only the ones with two white dots.” In fact they were not looking for adult beetles, but their larvae, and always of that special breed with the white specks and, Kharu claimed, an extra pair of legs. It was impossible to explain how, over a period of ten thousand years, these women and their ancestors had isolated this little creature which alone among beetles was capable of producing a poison of remorseless virulence. How had such a discovery been made? No one remembered, it occurred so long ago. But when men can neither read nor write, when they had nothing external to distract their minds, they can spend their lives in minute observation… San people had had time to study the larvae of a thousand different insects, finding at last the only one that produced a deadly poison… —The Covenant by James MichenerSo in this novel, we meet the San and learn their depth of understanding of this land and its animals; this is their land by virtue of their command of its powers. We understand the Boer with his forthright assumption of the covenant of Adam and Moses; this is his land by virtue of his willingness to invest the sweat of his brow in it. We comprehend the Zulu tribes and their drive south to acquire grazing for their cattle; it is their land by virtue of their blood and the blood of their children shed for it. We even learn some of the motivations for British colonialism and the savage investment English-speaking settlers made in the Boer War; for these people, “British” is what their grandfather was—what they are is South African, and this is their land, too.We know this story too well to assume that Michener’s happy people, multi-culturally mixing, will be the end of this tale. But novels must have an ending, a climax and resolution, to their conflicts, and Michener’s teams of writers managed to achieve it in book after book. By investing in this research, James Michener brought their biases, perspectives, local knowledge and flavor to each novel. Where Michener excelled was in weaving together these disparate views and stories to create a solid, balanced and in-depth experience of the land in dispute.Where South Africa will go now, post-apartheid in the 21st century is unknown. Michener has given us a richly nuanced look at where this troubled country and its conflicted cultures have been.
I promised myself when I considered writing a review of this gigantic tome ...Woah there buddy, isn't it a little redundant to be calling a tome gigantic? If it's a tome it is gigantic by its very definition, or are you saying that it's especially large, even for a tome?Alright, so when I was considering writing a review of this tome, I made a promise to myself not to use the word epic.Newsflash, genius, you are writing a review and you just used the word epic. Mission failed, promise to self broken (you suck). ... Anyway, I did not want to use the word epic to describe this novel, but I realized that there isn't another word that would describe it adequately. Oh look, I have a thesaurus. Check it out: Inflated, grandiose, gargantuan, monumental, towering, gigantic, Brobdingnagian ... Sooo, this is a big book and if you're not interested in South African history, it might not be something you want to read. Durrr, hey I'm not interested in reading about South African history, I think I'll read this monstrous (thank you, thesaurus) Michener book that focuses entirely on South Africa. IS ANYONE THAT STUPID? Yes, as a matter of fact ...But do you think that anyone reading your review is that stupid?Of course not, they're obviously individuals of highly evolved taste and intelligence. I just thought that maybe they don't know what the book is about.Do you honestly believe that someone interested in this book went to YOUR review first? Like, oh hey, I'm just going to read this random review by a dude I don't know rather than reading the BLURB THAT IS RIGHT BESIDE THE BLOODY BOOK.You may have a point.You're dern right I have a point, you soft-headed cheese eater.Cheese eater?You don't eat cheese?I do, but it's a rather weak insult.WhateverAnyway, this book is a long read, but it's well worth the time invested. In my opinion, this is Michener's best.Have you read every Michener book?No.Then how can you say that? What if his best book is "Mexico"? It isn't.Listen, you lumpy-headed simpleton, can you guarantee beyond all doubt that one of the many Michener books that you haven't read isn't his best?No, but ...Then your opinion isn't worth much, is it?Fine. I just thought this was a really good book and, having read a sizable selection of Michener's works, I have a hard time imagining a better one.Oh, so we're to be held hostage, as review readers, by the limits of your poverty-stricken imagination? Fine. This is an excellent book, that's all I'm saying.I think what the reviewer is trying to say, for any readers who have made it this far, is that you should probably read another review if you want any actual meaningful analysis of this bookShut up.
What do You think about The Covenant (1992)?
Even though this book took me several months to read, it wasn't because it was boring or difficult to get into. This book was compelling the whole way through and only started dragging toward the end. This was mostly because I really wanted to finish reading it before taking a trip and I didn't want to have to bring this book and a fresh one so I could conserve packing space. The Covenant is about South Africa and is broken down into segments of time starting with the early peoples of South Africa, moving through to the early Dutch settlers and on through the late 1970's. Now you can see why it's more than 1200 pages long. Throughout the story, I found myself conflicted between being really proud of my Dutch heritage and almost shamed that my family came from the same country. My relatives were not settlers in South Africa (that I know of anyway), so I'm not ultra close to the actions of the characters in this book, but it still makes me wonder what my family would have done in the same situation. Or for that matter, what would I have done.While The Covenant is historical fiction, it is easy to feel that these characters actually existed. Michener is an amazing storyteller so the scenes, in addition to the characters unfold easily in the reader's mind.I highly recommend The Covenant -- just prepare to get wrapped up in the struggles of a developing nation and conflicted peoples; and a hefty time commitment to a single book.
—Natasha
Michener's take on South AfricaMichener's true epics are always worth the time to read. The Covenant is no exception. Michener's take on South Africa and its history is an honest attempt to give some perspective on one of the more complex histories that this history teacher has encountered.The book starts out strong (my edition was the two-volume hardback). The first volume was vintage Michener, but the second one dragged. Perhaps it was because the subject matter became more and more depressing. With the final 200 pages or so being about Apartheid, it's hard to find something to cheer about.In a way, Michener's book seems incomplete - he hints that Apartheid could no longer stand - he gives a prediction that it would end by about the year 2000. Turns out, he was just about right, but the book feels like it does not have a proper ending.If you are pondering a Michener book and have not read them all (personally, I only have one more of his major books to go) than I recommend skipping this one and coming back to it later.http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/...
—Dale
A bible of a book - both in terms of size and contents - that retells the history of South Africa through the stories of both fictitous and historic characters. A truly ambitious endeavour in true Michener style, which had a profound effect on me when I read it at the age of 16 - and still does! The book ends in the 1980s, and I am still amazed at Michener´s insight into the shaping of post-apartheid South Africa.
—Lys
