The Smell of Apples
Encyclopedia
The Smell of Apples is a 1995 debut novel
by South African Mark Behr
, also published in the same year in Afrikaans
as Die Reuk van Appels.
Mark Behr describes the Afrikaner
mentality and in apartheid
South Africa as seen through the eyes of a 10-year-old boy called Marnus, the son of an Army
General.
A movie based on the book is planned for a release in 2011, starring Julian McMahon
and Gillian Anderson
.
, South Africa
. The Erasmus' live as a white family in a country which is mostly
inhabited by coloured people. The white people rule South Africa and Marnus' father is an important general in the army. The white population in South Africa descended from the
British
immigrants, who came while the country was a colony
of Great Britain, and the Boers, who are descendants of the Dutch
settlers.
Marnus grows up believing that black people are second class people due to having been indoctrinated by the apartheid system and his parents' views. On the other hand we, the readers, see that all Marnus's encounters with black people have actually been good. Marnus´ father does not like black people because his father, Marnus´ grandfather, and his family were driven away and their land expropriated by the black masses from Tanganyika, today's Tanzania
. They fled to South Africa and, with the white population, turned it into a modern state. Now Marnus´ father thinks that the black people are going to destroy all that they have built and that the white people have to prevent this by controlling the native Africans.
Marnus´ best friend is Frikkie, who is also white. They attend the same school and every minute in their free time they meet up with each other. In the summer holidays Frikkie stays with Marnus in the Erasmus´ house, where Marnus' father often meets generals from other countries. He tells Marnus that he is not allowed to tell anybody else that there is a soldier from another country there, and that he shall call the visitors Mr. Smith. During the summer, a Mr. Smith from Chile
visits the family. At dinner Marnus´ father and the general speak about the political situation in the world. Mr. Smith says that he is relieved that his army has overthrown the government of Allende
due to cooperating with the Communists. Marnus´ father tells the general South Africa is also in a very bad position because the world is "against his country". He explains that the other states are against them and claim that the white people in South Africa are discriminative against the black population.
Marnus makes an agreement with Frikkie that they will tell each other all their secrets, which is why Marnus ignores his father's warning not to tell anybody that he speaks with Mr. Smith. Marnus tells Frikkie that the whole world is against South Africa and that the coloured people are to blame for that.
One night Marnus wakes up and he notices that Frikkie is not in his bed. He can see the spare room through the floor-boards in his room and witnesses Frikkie being raped. He assumes the rapist is Mr. Smith who is supposed to have left that night, and goes downstairs to wake his parents, but finds his father is not in bed. He goes back upstairs and observes that the man who is raping Frikkie does not have a scar on his back like the General (Mr. Smith) and realises that it is his father. The next day he asks Frikkie if something happened during the night but Frikkie does not tell Marnus anything. Frikkie says that he has decided to go home and he does not want to stay longer. Marnus reassures himself that Frikkie will never tell anyone what happened..
Nominations :
Debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel an author publishes. Debut novels are the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to publish in the future...
by South African Mark Behr
Mark Behr
Mark Behr is a Tanzanian writer in South Africa. He is currently professor of Creative Writing at Rhodes College, Memphis, TN. He has been professor of World Literature and Fiction Writing at the College of Santa Fe in Santa Fe, New Mexico...
, also published in the same year in Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
as Die Reuk van Appels.
Mark Behr describes the Afrikaner
Afrikaner
Afrikaners are an ethnic group in Southern Africa descended from almost equal numbers of Dutch, French and German settlers whose native tongue is Afrikaans: a Germanic language which derives primarily from 17th century Dutch, and a variety of other languages.-Related ethno-linguistic groups:The...
mentality and in apartheid
History of South Africa in the apartheid era
Apartheid was a system of racial segregation enforced by the National Party governments of South Africa between 1948 and 1994, under which the rights of the majority 'non-white' inhabitants of South Africa were curtailed and white supremacy and Afrikaner minority rule was maintained...
South Africa as seen through the eyes of a 10-year-old boy called Marnus, the son of an Army
South African National Defence Force
The South African National Defence Force is the armed forces of South Africa. The military as it exists today was created in 1994, following South Africa's first post-apartheid national elections and the adoption of a new constitution...
General.
A movie based on the book is planned for a release in 2011, starring Julian McMahon
Julian McMahon
Julian Dana William McMahon is an Australian actor and former fashion model. He is best known for his portrayals of Cole Turner in The WB hit series Charmed, womanizing plastic surgeon Christian Troy on the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning TV show Nip/Tuck, and Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four and...
and Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
.
Plot summary
Marnus Erasmus is an eleven-year-old boy who lives in the late sixties with his family in Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. The Erasmus' live as a white family in a country which is mostly
inhabited by coloured people. The white people rule South Africa and Marnus' father is an important general in the army. The white population in South Africa descended from the
British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
immigrants, who came while the country was a colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
of Great Britain, and the Boers, who are descendants of the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
settlers.
Marnus grows up believing that black people are second class people due to having been indoctrinated by the apartheid system and his parents' views. On the other hand we, the readers, see that all Marnus's encounters with black people have actually been good. Marnus´ father does not like black people because his father, Marnus´ grandfather, and his family were driven away and their land expropriated by the black masses from Tanganyika, today's Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
. They fled to South Africa and, with the white population, turned it into a modern state. Now Marnus´ father thinks that the black people are going to destroy all that they have built and that the white people have to prevent this by controlling the native Africans.
Marnus´ best friend is Frikkie, who is also white. They attend the same school and every minute in their free time they meet up with each other. In the summer holidays Frikkie stays with Marnus in the Erasmus´ house, where Marnus' father often meets generals from other countries. He tells Marnus that he is not allowed to tell anybody else that there is a soldier from another country there, and that he shall call the visitors Mr. Smith. During the summer, a Mr. Smith from Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
visits the family. At dinner Marnus´ father and the general speak about the political situation in the world. Mr. Smith says that he is relieved that his army has overthrown the government of Allende
Allende
Allende is a Spanish word of Latin origin meaning "beyond" or "besides". It is also a Basque surname.Allende may refer to:People*Salvador Allende, former President of Chile...
due to cooperating with the Communists. Marnus´ father tells the general South Africa is also in a very bad position because the world is "against his country". He explains that the other states are against them and claim that the white people in South Africa are discriminative against the black population.
Marnus makes an agreement with Frikkie that they will tell each other all their secrets, which is why Marnus ignores his father's warning not to tell anybody that he speaks with Mr. Smith. Marnus tells Frikkie that the whole world is against South Africa and that the coloured people are to blame for that.
One night Marnus wakes up and he notices that Frikkie is not in his bed. He can see the spare room through the floor-boards in his room and witnesses Frikkie being raped. He assumes the rapist is Mr. Smith who is supposed to have left that night, and goes downstairs to wake his parents, but finds his father is not in bed. He goes back upstairs and observes that the man who is raping Frikkie does not have a scar on his back like the General (Mr. Smith) and realises that it is his father. The next day he asks Frikkie if something happened during the night but Frikkie does not tell Marnus anything. Frikkie says that he has decided to go home and he does not want to stay longer. Marnus reassures himself that Frikkie will never tell anyone what happened..
Awards and nominations
- Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction from the Los Angeles Times 1996
- M-Net Award
- Eugene Marais Award
- CNA Literary Award
- Betty Trask AwardBetty Trask AwardThe Betty Trask Prize and Awards are for first novels written by authors under the age of 35, who reside in a current or former Commonwealth nation. The awards were established in 1984 by the Society of Authors, at the bequest of the late Betty Trask, a reclusive author of over thirty romance novels...
Nominations :
- Nominated for the Booker Prize