The PromiseThe Promise
What it's about
Damon Galgut's novel follows a white South African family over several decades, and a promise the family made and never kept, as the country moves through the end of apartheid and beyond.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Booker Prize. It's a sharp, darkly funny and powerful portrait of a family and a country.
You'll love it if you liked
Disgrace
In a Strange Room
The Remains of the DayGood to know
Its narrator shifts freely between characters, which takes a little getting used to.
By the numbers
- Readers34 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics67 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller16 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz19 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #76 of the 116 historical novels we rank
- #157 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #237 of the 481 new books we rank
- #1352 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Moving
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Quick answers
Is The Promise worth reading?
Yes. It won the Booker Prize. It ranks #1,352 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 69.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Promise about?
Damon Galgut's novel follows a white South African family over several decades, and a promise the family made and never kept, as the country moves through the end of apartheid and beyond.
How long does it take to read The Promise?
About 7 hours (269 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Promise won?
Booker Prize winner (2021).
What should I read after The Promise?
If you liked it, try Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee, In a Strange Room by Damon Galgut or The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro.