At the heart of the
book is an obvious but tenuous parallel. Andrea Malgas is an attractive – even
stunning – coloured woman from South Africa. She has lived in Europe for
several years and has become involved with a film-maker who is researching the
plague in Europe, southern France in particular. She has had a number of
relationships, the first with a white Englishman beginning in South Africa and
thus breaking the law. Association took her to Paris. Paul is the current
incumbent and he is the film-maker. Andrea gets a job she does not want, to
accompany an ANC exile on a tour of southern France. The initial revulsion
turns to attraction and Andrea becomes rather homesick. The obvious parallel
that does not work arises out of the juxtaposition of being black or coloured
in South Africa and being an outcast in the era of the plague, an illness that
makes some victims turn black.
At the heart of the
story, always, is Andrea. She seems strangely unable to direct her own life,
despite coming over as a thoroughly focused person. It is almost as if by
taking control of situations she becomes a victim of them. Mandla (not
Mandela!) is revolting to her as far as first impressions go. A few chapters
later she is in bed with him, unable to resist a raw physicality that elsewhere
she often decries. She is a complex type with a complex past that has
consciously and unconsciously always sought to challenge. She similarly seems
to reject South Africa and its unacceptable social system and racist laws, but
equally can not get the place out of her system.
Eventually the attempt
to marry the parallels simply falls apart, and we are left with a psychological
analysis of Andrea’s approach to life. It’s an interesting read, but never
really captivates. TimeOut on the front cover reviews it as “a very good book”. Let’s
leave it at that.
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