This was a book that i was required to read for my english lit class. Although i didn't personally like the book, many people that i know did. I found the subject matter very boring, partly because of my inability to relate to it. I would only recommend this book to someone with a strong interest in South African politics.

I have never read Nadine Gordimer before, but when I saw 2 collections of her works at 2 of my friends' houses (and rave reviews) I got curious. This book is a thickly textured look at 3 sisters and their divurgent lives and the daughter of 1 who is exposed to all 3 and then further divurges into the racial movements of 70's South Africa. Gordimer's use of setting is really good. I found particularly interesting the family of the most politically oriented sister, Pauline and her husband Joe and children where the domestic lives interleave with the sometimes violent politial terrain. The main character, Hillela, however, I found to be less than heroic -- she simply seemed to be a sensual being who floated in and out of various beds and even the tragedy which befalls her later in the story doesn't REALLY seem to have changed her - she seems like the same person on page 1 as on page 300, although the narrative implies otherwise. For a book released in the 70's I'm sure that this was a revelation, although here in the new millenium it seems dated.Despite all this, I think the author is terrifically talented in her ability to convey sensuality, to provoke thought, and to establish setting and mood. There were some passages of the book that are among the best I've read anywhere.

I do not agree with the substandard reviews of this book. If you are interested in South Africa don't be afraid of a more difficult read and pick up this book. It is a little difficult to get into but once you get used to Gordimer's writing style, anyone will enjoy it. Hillela is a very interesting character who one can not underestimate. I like her spirit, and I truely think she has a complete change of character by the end of the story.

I have read several of Gordimer's novels so I was prepped to like this book and I did. I learned a lot about South African politics and also appreciated her novels more, after having received some context for them. My only real caveat is that essays of these type can seem dated rather quickly, especially when they concern an area of such great political flux, and may seem difficult or irrelevant to some.

This is a good short read and well worth the few hours it takes to get through it, but it is an earlier novel and not one of her best. If you haven't yet read any Nadine Gordimer, I recommend that first you try "None to Accompany Me," which is excellent.

The characters of the short stories in Loot seem to be held an arm's length from their readers; even in the lofty "Karma", a story told from the viewpoint of a soul, the meat of life is there but the juice is missing. I didn't feel any moments of clarity or great inspiration, no need to copy down any passages for future reference. Luckily, this book is a quick read, so not much investment needed time-wise.
If you enjoy politics and are an unsentimental, analytical thinker, you'll like this. If you're an artist, emotional, or creative in any way, I'd move on.