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brg101010's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
book_concierge's review against another edition
4.0
Audiobook narrated by Frederick Davidson.
And old man, a Zulu pastor in a small impoverished South African town, has lost three dear relatives to the big city. His brother, John, has gone to Johannesburg and opened a business. He no longer writes. His much younger sister, Gertrude, took her son to Johannesburg to look for her husband who had gone previously to find work; the husband never wrote, and Gertrude has not written. And finally his son, Absalom, went to Johannesburg to look for his aunt, and he too has been swallowed up by the big city and no longer writes. So when he receives a letter from a priest in J-burg giving news of Gertrude, Stephen Kumalo travels to the city to find his family members and bring them home.
First published in 1948, Cry the Beloved Country has remained an international bestseller. It tells of a personal tragedy, but also of a national tragedy – apartheid. The writing is lyrical and evocative of time and place. Stephen is a gentle hero, who derives his strength from faith, hope and charity. His capacity for love and forgiveness is admirable. I was surprised, and touched, by the compassion and forgiveness shown by Jarvis (the white farmer in the village).
Their personal tragedy is the focus on the novel, but it is framed by the larger issues facing South Africa – the loss of tribal culture, poverty, flight to the already overcrowded city slums – and issues facing all humankind – justice, good governance, retribution, compassion, and forgiveness.
Frederick Davidson does a good job narrating, but I did find his narration very slow. His very slow delivery made it hard for me to get engaged in the story, but grew on me, as the character of Stephen Kumalo is revealed – he is a man who takes his time pondering and deliberating over issues, a man who never acts in haste.
And old man, a Zulu pastor in a small impoverished South African town, has lost three dear relatives to the big city. His brother, John, has gone to Johannesburg and opened a business. He no longer writes. His much younger sister, Gertrude, took her son to Johannesburg to look for her husband who had gone previously to find work; the husband never wrote, and Gertrude has not written. And finally his son, Absalom, went to Johannesburg to look for his aunt, and he too has been swallowed up by the big city and no longer writes. So when he receives a letter from a priest in J-burg giving news of Gertrude, Stephen Kumalo travels to the city to find his family members and bring them home.
First published in 1948, Cry the Beloved Country has remained an international bestseller. It tells of a personal tragedy, but also of a national tragedy – apartheid. The writing is lyrical and evocative of time and place. Stephen is a gentle hero, who derives his strength from faith, hope and charity. His capacity for love and forgiveness is admirable. I was surprised, and touched, by the compassion and forgiveness shown by Jarvis (the white farmer in the village).
Their personal tragedy is the focus on the novel, but it is framed by the larger issues facing South Africa – the loss of tribal culture, poverty, flight to the already overcrowded city slums – and issues facing all humankind – justice, good governance, retribution, compassion, and forgiveness.
Frederick Davidson does a good job narrating, but I did find his narration very slow. His very slow delivery made it hard for me to get engaged in the story, but grew on me, as the character of Stephen Kumalo is revealed – he is a man who takes his time pondering and deliberating over issues, a man who never acts in haste.
witherskeleton's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
upward_not_northward's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
miriamthurber's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A poignant commentary on South Africa, on politics, on racism, on economics and on the human experience with sacred vs profane.
allysonwbrunette's review against another edition
5.0
This book was one I stumbled upon by going through older years of Oprah’s book club picks. I’ve read a number of her book club features in the last year and they’re typically very compelling, so this one made my list. I didn’t realize until I received it that it was actually published more than 80 years ago! The story ages well and was a good read. To describe it as a sad story is the understatement of the year. It follows the tribulations of Stephen Kumalo, a poor minister in a rural village in South Africa, as he seeks to resolve the troubles of his wayward family members. A pious and good man, Stephen travels to Johannesburg to come to the aid of his sister, her son, and his own son – all who have ventured far from their home and have gotten into trouble with the law or otherwise. While his travels do not result in his being able to help his immediate family members, he is able to help those in their circle and to build valuable relationships (through hardship) to help his impoverished community. Written in the 1940s just before the adoption of aparthaid, the book highlights the clear inequities between white and black, particularly in the heyday of mineral extraction where black workers worked in dangerous conditions for very little pay. I didn’t know this prior to reading it, but the author, Alan Paton, is a particularly famous author and anti-aparthaid activist. An area of global history that I know little about, it was very interesting to examine through the lens of how aparthaid so divided South Africa for decades following the publication of this book.
steakumm_jakeumm's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
An absolutely incredible read. Heartbreaking, intense, and gripping from the beginning to the end.
emzapk's review against another edition
4.0
What a lovely book. Too often, in attempting realism, authors lean into bleakness and disappointments. But Alan Paton does such a beautiful job of blending those difficulties with a sense of hope and belief in humanity. Highly recommend.
tsemoana's review against another edition
2.0
I knew I was reading a high school edition, but I didn't realise until after I finished that it was also much abridged and simplified. Which explains why it felt so rushed and weird. I'll see about finding the proper version to read as I am interested.
i_island's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Overall: ⭐⭐
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐
Plot: ⭐
Ending: ⭐⭐⭐
————
There are some occasional amazing quotes. The formatting kills me. And the work.
——————
“Cry, the beloved country, for the unborn child that is the inheritor of our fear. Let him not love the earth too deeply. Let him not laugh too gladly when the water runs through his fingers, nor stand too silent when the setting sun makes red the veld with fire. Let him not be too moved when the birds of his land are singing, nor give too much of his heart to a mountain or valley. For fear will rob him of all if he gives too much.”
“For it is the dawn that has come, and it has come for a thousand centuries, never failing. But when that dawn will come of our emancipation, from the fear of bondage and the bondage of fear, why, that is a secret.”