Ronald Harwood is a South African and his new novel [Articles of Faith] is concerned with the tragic clash of races in his homeland. I almost wrote 'inevitably concerned' for it's difficult to imagine any serious South African author who wouldn't feel moved to comment in more or less depth on his country's racial tragedy. There is a danger here, however, as in any literary tradition—the québécois writers of French Canada offer another example—where authors feel duty-bound to reflect their society's overwhelming interest in a particular political or cultural concern. Conscious that he is in the service of crucially significant ideals, it's only too easy for a writer to slacken in his attention to such mundane matters as strong and individual characterisation, intelligent plotting, credible dialogue, and all the other nuts and bolts that help distinguish a novel from a political polemic.

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