The Farm

Long on violence and short on character development, this brutal, cinematic novel from Annas (The Wall) opens with white South African farmer Franz Muller examining a hole in his fence with seed sales rep Kobus Prins and declaring, “I’m not racist.” A moment later, unknown gunmen open up, nicking Franz’s ear and killing Kobus. For the next eight hours, Franz; his family members; several Black farmhands; a corrupt Black cop from the nearby municipal station; and Jayne McKenzie, Franz’s wife’s pious white friend, shelter inside the farmhouse, from which they return fire. The whites remain distrustful of the Black workers, refusing to give them guns from the farm’s arsenal even as the bullets shatter the farmhouse windows. As bodies pile up, there’s little insight into the reason for the assault, and the muddle of names and the almost complete absence of backstories leave the reader confused. The only real evolution happens with Jayne, whose courage and discipline give the besieged group their best chance at survival. The brief reveal at the end of the carnage is neither surprising nor illuminating. This would make a fine action film, but it’s a mess as a novel. (Sept.)