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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
Lectura del capítulo 3 al 11 para Narrativa Universal II
This is a mix of different genres... Fiction, direct transcripts of testimonies made in the process of the TRC, philosophical and psychological thoughts and information of trauma, memory and reconciliation.
A very interesting read, sometimes rather heavy, but interesting nonetheless.
A very interesting read, sometimes rather heavy, but interesting nonetheless.
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Powerful account of the TRC process and this Afrikaner poet, feminist and journalist coming to terms with everything the process uncovers.
I struggled a bit with this book. Pockets of extremely lovely writing in a devastating context, and an admirable commitment to digging to the very bottom of every violent, traumatic, emotional trench, no matter how difficult. But I found much of the content a bit impenetrable as someone who doesn’t know much about South African history or the key players during the apartheid era. There is an index and a character list at the back (which I didn’t even realise until halfway through the book!) but it would have made for FAR easier reading if some of this info was put at the front and/or footnoted throughout the text, so that the detail was right there. I find it really annoying to constantly flip to the back of the book and/or research things on my phone while I’m reading.
Overall - worth reading, and Krog does a good job grappling with some of the more challenging and interesting elements of the truth commission. She doesn’t shy away from anything, including her own personal failings and the lasting emotional turmoil of reporting on the TRC, which makes the book surprisingly.. emotionally accessible, I want to say, given the toughness of the subject matter. Her respect for Tutu also shines through and is quite lovely.
However, expect to spend a lot of time trying to keep places and names straight in your head. Krog says it best herself, I think, in the acknowledgements: she wrote this book because she had to, because the words were forcing their way out. This makes for a beautiful, personal, heartfelt text, but doesn’t really feel geared towards any sort of imagined reader so much as Krog herself.
Overall - worth reading, and Krog does a good job grappling with some of the more challenging and interesting elements of the truth commission. She doesn’t shy away from anything, including her own personal failings and the lasting emotional turmoil of reporting on the TRC, which makes the book surprisingly.. emotionally accessible, I want to say, given the toughness of the subject matter. Her respect for Tutu also shines through and is quite lovely.
However, expect to spend a lot of time trying to keep places and names straight in your head. Krog says it best herself, I think, in the acknowledgements: she wrote this book because she had to, because the words were forcing their way out. This makes for a beautiful, personal, heartfelt text, but doesn’t really feel geared towards any sort of imagined reader so much as Krog herself.
This is a quite skillful book. It combines personal narrative, poetry, political theory, and a retelling of the truth commission. Despite how long it took me to finish this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It ended up dragging because of my lack of background knowledge on apartheid. There was a lot mentioned that I really didn't grasp because I don't know the atrocities or context.
while i did enjoy some of the more objective parts, the testimonies that were written down, this book also reeks of guilt. the guilt is so obvious that it is prioritised when it is supposed to give a voice to the victims.
in class-discussions i found that there are different opinions on whether the personal took space away from the trc. i say yes, a lot of people said no. i don't care, i didn't like this book.
book 3 for my bearing witness: literature, memory, trauma module
in class-discussions i found that there are different opinions on whether the personal took space away from the trc. i say yes, a lot of people said no. i don't care, i didn't like this book.
book 3 for my bearing witness: literature, memory, trauma module
Man, I don't know what to rate this book. It kinda feels wrong to rate it in a way, but also, I feel like I need to? I have so many thoughts and feelings, and it's frustrating. I will say that this is by far the most horrifying, disgusting and horrible book I've ever read—which, when thinking about what it's about, should come as no surprise. I am still glad I read it, though—it educated me on something I largely knew nothing about and offered interesting perspectives and insights that I didn't think about before (Perspectives that I don't necessarily agree with but are important to consider regardless).
Would I recommend this book? Depends. It was intensely difficult to read, and I'm surprised we were allowed to read it for school. But a part of it is like... you *should* know. Yes, it's horrible, but the least you can do is read it, right? Be there for it in some way.
I don't know. Antjie Krog, you wrote a difficult one.
Would I recommend this book? Depends. It was intensely difficult to read, and I'm surprised we were allowed to read it for school. But a part of it is like... you *should* know. Yes, it's horrible, but the least you can do is read it, right? Be there for it in some way.
I don't know. Antjie Krog, you wrote a difficult one.
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced