This is the longest novel I've ever read.

Michener's vivid descriptions of historical countries and events are truly beyond compare. However, it is also impossible to resist thinking about Michener's literary and dramatic strategies for making hundreds of years of history accessible.

Almost every chapter is told from the perspective of a white man, despite the significant roles that others play in the narrative and in the contradictions of South African society that the book aims to dramatize. After all, the story is not just about the eastward trek of the Afrikaner van Doorn family. It is worthy of Michener to have included the perspectives of black Africans; yet it is immediately obvious that the Nxumalo family gets much less page space, and the Nxumalo men who are followed in the story have few distinct characteristics over a thousand years of history. (Although the Zulu chapter is quite interesting.)

The men of the Saltwood and van Doorn families can sometimes be difficult to distinguish as well. As a Michener viewpoint character, they always tend to be moral, inherently capable of heroism, and more politically moderate than the peripheral characters in any chapter. Lodevicus, who murders hundreds of blacks off-page, behaves redeemably in the story right up to his death at a peace summit. It is the deeply flawed supporting characters like Paul de Pre and Theunis Nel who are the most memorable because they have powerful desires and have to work harder than Michener's viewpoint characters to get what they want.

Interestingly, Michener does give the fictional van Doorn family a significant role in the bureaucratic establishment of Apartheid in the two chapters about Detleef van Doorn, presenting this as a result of his childhood experiences in the Boer War and the ideological conditioning he received afterward. Therefore, the book is an exploration of South African history, meeting the different groups who lived and settled there, seeing the beginnings of racial hierarchy, Afrikaner religious beliefs, and the formation of Afrikaans. With the Boer War as the action climax, followed by four chapters that criticize Apartheid as Michener knew it in the 1980s. By the final chapter, Diamonds, the book takes the blatantly centrist American perspective of the author instead of Michener trying to immerse you in the harsh lives and revolutionary impulses of the black African characters. This is a shortcoming, especially in a book where the longing for freedom of European men in the distant past is written about so passionately.

If you read this book and believe it, you will come away with some hopeful lessons. No colonial man would have succeeded without his wife. And apartheid was not the way things were meant to be, but something that 20th-century scientific racism imposed on a country that would never have existed without centuries of prosperous multicultural interaction.

I just wish Michener could have created some more dramatic scenarios from the perspectives of both white and black wives for this chronicle. A few of them are wonderful characters, but their perspectives remain silent. I hope that some of the future Michener novels I read will break free from this constraint.

A great summary of the history of South Africa has been presented. It indeed offers a valuable learning experience, and I truly wish I had come across James A. Michener's books during my high school history class. One aspect that really caught my attention was that the truly violent and horrific events described in the book did not originate from the sources I initially expected. Sometimes, we tend to forget certain parts of history.

However, despite all that, I have to admit that I did not like the fact that it was impossible to establish a connection with any of the characters in the book. By the end of each chapter, the character being focused on would die, not due to anything related to the plot but simply because of natural causes. Given that the time span covered in this book is over 500 years, it felt more like a lecture and less like a captivating story. There were numerous small and interesting mini-stories, and there were some characters about whom I would have loved to read an entire dedicated story. Regrettably, that was not the case. This lack of connection with the characters distances the reader and makes the overall story somewhat dull.

My favorite is to explore historical fiction in South Africa. It offers a fascinating window into the country's rich and complex past. There are several fictional characters who vividly reflect the factual stories that span from pre-Colonial times to the late apartheid era.

These characters bring to life the struggles, hopes, and dreams of the people who lived through those tumultuous periods. They allow us to understand the social, political, and cultural forces that shaped South Africa.

By delving into historical fiction, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the country's history and the impact it has had on its people. It also encourages us to think about the present and the future, and how we can learn from the past to create a more just and equitable society.

A massive book, but it is truly brilliant.

I zipped through the first 600 pages in no time. However, I thought the last few pages dragged on a bit.

Simply put, it is about the history of South Africa. It predominantly talks about how the Dutch, French, and English invaded the country, their intra-rivalries, as well as the rivalries they had in the past with the Zulu, Xhosa, and other African tribes.

If you think you've read "The Long Walk to Freedom" and "My Traitor's Heart" and believe you know South Africa, think again. This book has deepened my understanding of this complex country.

Essentially, the book pivots around the belief that the Calvinist Dutch had, that they were acting as God commanded and that it was their God-given right to proselytize the coloured, blacks, and others to their way of thinking and being. Every race has its place in society, and some are higher than others.

I'm also reading "The Nigger Question" and "The Negro Question" by Carlyle and Mill, and that seems to say the same thing. Overall, it is an amazing book. It is well-researched. I will never forget some of the images the book conveys at the start, such as the hunter-gatherers leaving their elderly with some beef jerky and eggshells filled with water by a tree (to die), or some of the war imagery of the Boer Wars, or some of the shocking imagery of what the Zulu and other tribes did to kill and eradicate each other and their common white enemy. It is stunningly well-researched.

3,5 stars.

This extensive and sprawling story that delves into the history of South Africa covers an incredibly mind-boggling stretch of time. It commences thousands of years BC and progresses right up until the present day (ca. 1980).

It is a work of historical fiction, where the characters are predominantly fictional, yet the historical events are real. I truly have the sense that I have come to know the people who inhabit the vast land in the far south of Africa.

In each chapter, we follow different individuals, mostly descendants of those in earlier chapters, representing all the diverse groups that reside in South Africa, including Blacks, Coloureds, English, and Afrikaners. There is also a discussion about Apartheid and the future of the country. This is especially interesting when one has the knowledge of what actually transpired. It provides a unique perspective and allows the reader to gain a deeper understanding of the complex and tumultuous history of South Africa.

Average rating: 4.64

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Overall, a 4.64 average rating is a significant achievement and a sign of excellence.

A beautiful sad saga.


A tenderly exposed saga of centuries of a beautiful land unfolds before our eyes. There is a great deal of care and concern in presenting this long and complex story. The tale is rich and varied, filled with a plethora of emotions and events. It is poignant, tugging at our heartstrings with its portrayal of both joys and inevitable tragedies. Just like the land it speaks of, which has witnessed countless triumphs and sorrows over the years, the story is a reflection of the ebb and flow of life. We are drawn into this saga, experiencing the highs and lows along with the characters, and coming away with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the beauty and sadness that exists in the world.

Really very good in places, but a bit uneven.

As is usual with a large Michener work, the earlier chapters were better than the last few.

The short chapter on prehistoric South Africa was truly fascinating, painting a vivid picture of that ancient era.

The chapters on the Trekboers, Mfecane, Shaka Zulu, and the arrival of the English were also really well written.

They brought to life the complex and tumultuous history of South Africa during those times, making it worth plowing through such a long saga.

However, the last three chapters on Apartheid were just plain tedious.

They seemed to drag on and on, lacking the same level of excitement and engagement as the earlier parts of the book.

Overall, while there were some outstanding sections, the unevenness of the work detracted from the overall reading experience.

It is a pity that the author couldn't maintain the same high standard throughout the entire book.

Nevertheless, it still contains valuable insights into the history of South Africa and is worth reading for those interested in the subject.

Woo-hoo! I managed to read all 1235 pages of this remarkable book. Alongside it, I also dipped into a couple of shorter reads for a bit of diversion. It's a truly fabulous book, in the classic Michener style.

It offers a comprehensive study of the complex history of South Africa. Starting from its earliest inhabitants, it delves into the settlement of the Dutch, English, and Indian people and their intricate relationships with the Black tribes and Coloured people who together formed the nation.

Then, it explores the era of Apartheid and the beginning of the end of that social and political structure. The history is simply amazing, and the vivid descriptions of the beautiful country and its astonishing animal population made me eager to visit.

Of course, it's a complex book. There are many families representing the different inhabitants, and we follow their offspring throughout the centuries, witnessing all the intermingling of families and races. It's not a story for the faint of heart!

The injustices of apartheid and how it came about were both heartbreakingly fascinating. Now, I have a strong desire to learn more about how the country functioned as apartheid was ended and Blacks gained more power in their own land. It's truly a fascinating and thought-provoking read.

The Covenant by James Michener is an extraordinary epic novel that spans an extensive period of hundreds of years.

It commences with a prologue set thousands of years ago, introducing the San people. This novel offers an incredibly comprehensive account of South Africa's story, stretching from the era of Great Zimbabwe until the end of the 1970s, delving deep into the complex and controversial period of Apartheid.

The book, which is a little over 1100 pages excluding the introduction and additional content at the end, presents each chapter at a distinct point in history. The time gaps between chapters can range from decades or centuries to just a few months.

The story is told from the perspectives of three main families: the Afrikaner Van Doorms, the English Saltwood family, and the Zulu Nxumalo family. The Van Doorms are by far the most prominent family, followed by the Saltwoods, and then the Nxumalos. Each family has its own unique characteristics and identities, although at times they may seem a bit stereotypical. However, for the most part, their behaviors are shaped by their individual experiences.

The plot takes readers on a journey across most of South Africa and even includes a chapter on Great Zimbabwe. After that, a chapter is set in Cape Town, and then the Van Doorms move outside the city. Over the following centuries, they traverse the coast and eventually, during the Great Trek, they move into the interior and establish their Afrikaner republics. The book features numerous unique locations and includes many significant events, such as the Second Boer War and the implementation of Apartheid.

The story is written in a combination of first and third person, which gives readers an intimate look into the characters' thoughts and feelings as they experience the events unfolding in the country. The thoughts and perspectives of the different families vary depending on their historical context and their relationships with the local population.

The writing in The Covenant is of a high quality, although there are moments when the story could have benefited from a greater sense of suspense. Nevertheless, the plot is filled with emotional moments that bring the struggles and triumphs of the three groups of people to life. The author's clear writing style makes this book a valuable resource for anyone seeking to gain a better understanding of South Africa's complex and tumultuous history.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in South African history or epic novels. It took me approximately three weeks to read, but it was well worth the effort. It has left me with a deeper appreciation for South Africa and a desire to explore more of Michener's work. The only minor drawback for me was when the author made some scenes overly religious and quoted the Bible, which at times felt a bit forced. Overall, however, The Covenant is a remarkable and engaging book that I would encourage others to read.

This was the final Michener novel that remained on my bookshelf.

I believe I have reached my saturation point with his works. This particular novel was just okay, lacking the captivating allure that some of his other offerings possessed.

The characters within it were not developed in great depth, and the attitude towards the natives, especially the earlier ones, often came across as rather condescending, despite Michener's evident attempts to show sympathy.

The entire narrative was a build-up to apartheid, which was still in existence at the time the book was penned. I suppose it did a decent job of描绘 how such a phenomenon came into being, as well as the daily reality of living under such a regime.

However, the absence of engaging characters transformed the story into a tiresome slog rather than a pleasurable read.

Overall, while it had its merits in terms of historical description, it fell short in terms of character development and readability.

Perhaps this is not my favorite Michener work, yet there were still several truly fascinating stories within it. Just like in most of his books, the first half of this one was significantly more engaging than the second half. In the case of this particular book, the real challenge for me was reading about all the racism, apartheid, and general bigotry that pervaded throughout. I had never before been aware that South Africa had such a tumultuous and racist past. This book has indeed taught me a great deal, but it was by no means an easy or enjoyable read.