Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.33 AVERAGE
4.33 AVERAGE
The powerful, heartwreching tale of South Africa under apartheid. A sharply written memoir that painfully recounts the deviant and morally bankrupt system of repression that steered this country for generations. Stark, brutal and and utterly clear in its contempt for the white ruling class, it also gives a picture of a country endemically corrupt, that was so utterly and completely divided not only racially but tribally as well. An enlightening look back and relevant today when looking at the problems they currently face. Solid 4 stars!!
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
An absolute must-read for anyone interested in Africa, particularly South Africa, and in the fate of man, I think. There is much of universal application to be gained from Malan's dark, troubling person history of apartheid--and it's grippingly written as well.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Hate crime, Racism, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, Colonisation
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
challenging
dark
slow-paced
“I have never understood why Justice should be blind; she should be clear-eyed.”
“‘I think you will know what I mean if I tell you love is worth nothing until it has been tested by its own defeat.’”
“‘I think you will know what I mean if I tell you love is worth nothing until it has been tested by its own defeat.’”
We read this book in my book club and it was by far the most free-flowing, heated and emotionally charged session.
How could it not be, seeing as it tackles the issues and history so close to home. We could all imagine our parents and grandparents experiences the atrocities that occurred during Apartheid. This book is very relevant for South Africa today and reveals all the things that have lead us to the precarious place we are in.
Some of the content is difficult to stomach, but it is written very well. It is a brave book.
How could it not be, seeing as it tackles the issues and history so close to home. We could all imagine our parents and grandparents experiences the atrocities that occurred during Apartheid. This book is very relevant for South Africa today and reveals all the things that have lead us to the precarious place we are in.
Some of the content is difficult to stomach, but it is written very well. It is a brave book.
Ouch. Malan doesn't take the easy way to explaining SA history. He is clear about how race in SA is not equivalent to the US. He doesn't shy away from telling of his own racism or his family's. It's a complex, compelling book and another window into South Africa.