[1] Spanning four generations in the lives of the fictional McGregor/Blackwell family, the critically acclaimed novel spent four weeks at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list,[2] and was later adapted into a 1984 television miniseries.

Kate's father, Jamie McGregor, leaves Scotland for Klipdrift, South Africa to find his fortune in the growing diamond trade of the 1860s.

An unrecognizable Jamie returns to Klipdrift under a new name and impregnates Margaret, van der Merwe's daughter, for revenge, revealing his true identity to everyone after announcing Margaret's impregnation to the supposedly moral and religious town, shaming the very religious van der Merwe.

Jamie secretly takes control of the local bank and ruins van der Merwe financially, driving the latter to kill himself.

Kate grows up stubborn and obsessively in love with David, who is about 20 years older, but after her mother's death becomes serious about running the company and goes to business school.

David is killed in an explosion in one of the company's mines, causing Kate to prematurely give birth to Anthony "Tony" Blackwell.

Kate makes Kruger-Brent a global success, though her demanding nature causes Tony to stutter in her presence.

Despite warnings from Marianne's doctor about her health, Kate persuades her to have children, and she dies giving birth to twins.

A talented surgeon, Keith Webster, fixes her face, and Kate reconciles with Eve and plans to put her back in her will.

Keith threatens to show the photo to the police if Eve doesn't marry him, and although she complies she cheats on him openly with a younger man.

The business of sexual union is depicted with curious, witless brevity"[20] The New York Times disagreed, stating that "If your reading taste runs to rape, sodomy, homosexuality, and numerous other fleshy diversions, be assured; Mr. Sheldon has something for you.

"[18] In Massachusetts, the Worcester Sunday Telegram reviews that "the title of this book is an apt description of the author.

", referring to terms used in South Africa,[20] while the London Review of Books ended with "This particular story is so schematically written that it could be used as a script for a film which has not yet been made but will undoubtedly proceed, as of right, to the wide screen.

"[21] A television miniseries adaptation aired in the US in three installments beginning on February 19, 1984, starring Dyan Cannon as Kate Blackwell, Harry Hamlin as Tony Blackwell, Ian Charleson as Jamie McGregor, Cliff DeYoung as Brad Rogers, Fernando Allende as George Mellis, Liane Langland as Eve and Alexandra Blackwell, Donald Pleasence as Salomon van der Merwe, Cherie Lunghi as Margaret McGregor, Jean Marsh as Mrs. Talley, Barry Morse as Dr. John Harley, Johnny Sekka as Banda, Angharad Rees as Marianne Hoffman, Maryam d'Abo as Dominique Masson, David Suchet as André d'Usseau, with guest stars Leslie Caron as Solange Dunas, and David Birney as David Blackwell.

Several notable actors appeared in smaller roles, including Alan Dobie as MacMillan, Jimmy Nail as Schmidt and Stratford Johns as Zimmerman.

[23] The novel was also adapted into a radio drama series by Nuran Devres, titled Oyunun Kuralı (the Rule of the Game), starring Tomris Oğuzalp as Kate and Cahit Şaher as Tony.