Klassiek reeks: Kroniek van Perdepoort | General Fiction

Anna M. Louw

Hertzog Prize for Prose (1976)
WA Hofmeyr Prize (1977)
CNA Prize (1977)

Anna M Louw's most impressive work is the sweeping family novel Kroniek van Perdepoort (1975), which follows the fortunes of the Lotriets through various decades. At the start of the twentieth century Koos Lotriet from the Boland establishes himself at the foot of the Swartberge and in time builds up a prize farm, although he and his wife are never fully accepted by society as a result of his pride, which also earns him the nickname Koos Nek.

Four of his sons continue farming after his death, but none of them comes close to their father as far as diligence, idealism and perseverance are concerned and the entire family, including the grandchildren, is showing signs of deterioration.

With typical situations and figures Kroniek van Perdepoort is in keeping with the older Afrikaans art of story-telling, even though the weaknesses of the sons are deepened in a symbolic-allegorical manner so that the family in its entirety illustrates the lasting activities of various deadly sins. However, the novel's achronological structure deviates from traditional Afrikaans prose.

Kroniek van Perdepoort is one of the most remarkable novels of the seventies.