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emilyb_chicago's review against another edition
5.0
Going into this book, I only knew that Trevor Noah was the Daily Show replacement for Jon Stewart. I only watched a couple of his shows, but I was just curious enough to listen to this book. I expected his book to be just another comedian’s memoir. I was surprised at how well written the book is, how varied his background is and how much I like him after spending the time reading this book.
Even if it’s not your normal medium, I highly recommend you listen to this book. Noah reads it himself and speaks fluently the variety of African languages he quotes - in a physical book I’d have skimmed over those sentences. He drops into the correct accent with ease that allows the listener to associate even more with his life and live the stories beside him.
This book relates some events of his youth and upbringing with humor and perspective that allows you to laugh along with him - I believe he easily could have had me crying for most of his story if he’d that is what he’d wanted. I am looking forward to reading anything else he writes.
Even if it’s not your normal medium, I highly recommend you listen to this book. Noah reads it himself and speaks fluently the variety of African languages he quotes - in a physical book I’d have skimmed over those sentences. He drops into the correct accent with ease that allows the listener to associate even more with his life and live the stories beside him.
This book relates some events of his youth and upbringing with humor and perspective that allows you to laugh along with him - I believe he easily could have had me crying for most of his story if he’d that is what he’d wanted. I am looking forward to reading anything else he writes.
moeinio's review against another edition
5.0
It's incredible to think that you can be born on two different continents and yet have experienced something so similar.
Much of what he talks about in this book, from racism and societal pressures to struggling with family dynamics, being the outsider and having to adapt to hardships, is very relatable and close to home.
One funny thing that struck me was when he talked about how his brain started to store things that happened around him in English, even when people, including himself, were speaking another language at the time. I always thought that was a strange thing to do just to make it easier for me to remember and recall certain events. I am glad to know that I am not the only one.
Much of what he talks about in this book, from racism and societal pressures to struggling with family dynamics, being the outsider and having to adapt to hardships, is very relatable and close to home.
One funny thing that struck me was when he talked about how his brain started to store things that happened around him in English, even when people, including himself, were speaking another language at the time. I always thought that was a strange thing to do just to make it easier for me to remember and recall certain events. I am glad to know that I am not the only one.
lindong524's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
It is a heartbreaking book disguised as comedy.
Noah gives us historical backgrounds, certainly, but he doesn't attempt to give a grand history of South Africa. But he told his history and, in turn, gave us glimpses into a country that I honestly know very little about. I don't think any readers are likely to forget how segregating apartheid was with the image of little Trevor chasing his fleeing white father down in a public park, screaming "daddy!" His father running away because, obviously, mingling and, especially, having children with another race was strictly forbidden. I know that, because of Trevor's matric dance date that, I will at least remember that black people in South Africa did not belong under a single ethnic group simply because of the color of their skin. They had each their own rich cultures and, most importantly, language, a construct which Trevor cleverly notes as a unifier but also divider.
The "Hitler" story, possibly the funniest laugh-out-loud tale of this biography, is a reminder how everyone sees the world from a very biased lens. Most of the times, we never realize because our world also shares the same lens. We should not criticize or leap to judgement, but first ask questions. So often in conversation, two people, even of similar background, can be operating on very different premises, definitions, and underlying assumptions.
Trevor Noah does a wonderful job putting a funny twist on his sometimes tragic upbringing. His writing really pulls you in and this was wonderful on audiobook because he knows how to use his voice to keep his audience's attention. The haunting scene when Abel first attacks his mother physically, to hear Trevor's voice say Patricia's name again and again, as Abel, my heart just sank deeper and deeper. I held my breath, waiting for the act to finally occur.
I enjoyed every moment of hearing him tell his story and learning much more about another country.
Noah gives us historical backgrounds, certainly, but he doesn't attempt to give a grand history of South Africa. But he told his history and, in turn, gave us glimpses into a country that I honestly know very little about. I don't think any readers are likely to forget how segregating apartheid was with the image of little Trevor chasing his fleeing white father down in a public park, screaming "daddy!" His father running away because, obviously, mingling and, especially, having children with another race was strictly forbidden. I know that, because of Trevor's matric dance date that, I will at least remember that black people in South Africa did not belong under a single ethnic group simply because of the color of their skin. They had each their own rich cultures and, most importantly, language, a construct which Trevor cleverly notes as a unifier but also divider.
The "Hitler" story, possibly the funniest laugh-out-loud tale of this biography, is a reminder how everyone sees the world from a very biased lens. Most of the times, we never realize because our world also shares the same lens. We should not criticize or leap to judgement, but first ask questions. So often in conversation, two people, even of similar background, can be operating on very different premises, definitions, and underlying assumptions.
Trevor Noah does a wonderful job putting a funny twist on his sometimes tragic upbringing. His writing really pulls you in and this was wonderful on audiobook because he knows how to use his voice to keep his audience's attention. The haunting scene when Abel first attacks his mother physically, to hear Trevor's voice say Patricia's name again and again, as Abel, my heart just sank deeper and deeper. I held my breath, waiting for the act to finally occur.
I enjoyed every moment of hearing him tell his story and learning much more about another country.
magazinegumwrap39's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
dltreads17's review against another edition
5.0
I am glad I chose the audiobook version of this because Trevor Noah's presentation was simply phenomenal. I feel like I learned a lot more about him as a person. I thank him for telling his story.
I highly recommend this to anybody and especially the audio version.
I highly recommend this to anybody and especially the audio version.
fallon81's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Absolutely amazing, heart breaking, tense, and hilarious....the audiobook is the best!!!
snowiceblackfruit77's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Police brutality, Hate crime, Bullying, Colonisation, Cursing, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
littlewitchreading's review against another edition
4.0
That ending 😭 so good! Overall it was a little long winded but parts of it were so wonderful that it made up for it.