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

Using a range of literature to examine the political culture of white South Africa, the author finds both a preoccupation with political issues and a dislike for politics. The literature examined ranges from South African propaganda, through a variety of best-sellers - 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.