Thursday, September 22, 2011

REVIEW: The Dubious Salvation of Jack V., by Jacques Strauss

The Dubious Salvation of Jack V., by Jacques Strauss. Published 2011 by FSG. Literary Fiction.

When I stumbled across The Dubious Salvation of Jack V., by South African writer Jacques Strauss, it just sort of looked like the kind of thing I'd like. I have had some great luck with South African writers in the recent past, and I liked the book's description: a kid coming of age, a tragic mistake, and a rich, fascinating cultural landscape.  And so it seems my instincts have served me well yet again.

It's 1989 and Jack Viljee is 11 when the story opens, a bright child lacking understanding. He lives with his parents and sisters in South Africa in the twilight years of apartheid. Change, as it were, is in the air but it's not here, not yet. His is a mixed Afrikaans/English family, putting him in the dead center of South African white cultural conflict and giving him an unclear sense of his own identity.

He torments Rachel, the younger of the two, and is mostly ignored by the older.  Susie, the family maid, is like a second mother to him. His best friend, Petrus, is a "moffie" (slang for gay) who's growing up with rigid, tough parents. Conflict takes place when Susie's son Percy sees Jack doing something very personal one day. Jack, distraught that he might say something to someone, says something first, and what he says and what happens to Percy in the aftermath make up that from which Jack seeks salvation.

Jack V. is author Jacques Strauss's debut novel and the story is a compelling character study of a time and a place. He immerses the reader in South African life, albeit a privileged version of that life. He senses the power he has in his society but he's unsure about how, or if, to exercise it; he may think of Susie as a surrogate mother but he needs to understand that her point of view, and that of her son, is very different, and he needs to understand how his own position within South African society has shaped how he understands these things. That's a tall order for an 11 year old.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The writing is crisp and entertaining, humorous and dark at the same time. Strauss has written a very good first novel. I'm definitely going to keep my eye out for whatever comes next from this promising new talent.

Rating: BACKLIST

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for review from FSG.

7 comments:

bermudaonion said...

I'm excited about this title so I'm glad to see it's so good!

Anonymous said...

Oh I'm glad this is so good! I really do want to read it. It looks incredibly interesting.

ImageNations said...

Another book to look out for. I love South African authors. They bring in something new.

Anonymous said...

Love the title, and the contents sound just as interesting.

I have read very little by South African authors. I need to remedy this.

I will be definitely keeping an eye out for this one.

~L

Zibilee said...

I also have not read a lot written by South African authors, and sort of feel like there is a whole lot of great stuff to choose in this specific area. It sounds like this is a book that I should check out, as there seem to be a lot of things in this one that are intriguing and inventive. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it with us. I need to add this to my list!

Kathleen said...

I'm a sucker for a good coming of age story and the fact that this is one that is set in South Africa is even more appealing to me.

Kinna said...

This sounds quite interesting. I'm a bit wary of coming of age stories but this one I will read. Thanks.