Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Prohibido nacer: Memorias de racismo, rabia y risa by Trevor Noah

395 reviews

peachythi_books's review against another edition

dark emotional funny inspiring fast-paced

4.0

The book itself is not linear in its story telling. As the quote on the book says “ It is a series of personal essays.” Trevor Noah’s life is so much more complicated and fascinating then I could have ever imagined. His ideas on race, gender, and hierarchical systems are incredible. He has such nuanced thoughts and ideas and he manages to write about his mother in such a beautiful way I actually cried. I would so I was shocked that such a hilarious person had such a difficult and traumatic childhood but that is probably the reason why he is so funny. His life has given him such a complex outlook on the world and loved reading more on his personal thoughts in this novel. It is exciting, and moving, and addresses so many cultural and social issues that he has personally come across. It is also extremely gritty, and honest. I love the fact that his comedy career and eventual rise to fame was not at all a subject of this book. Barely even a passing comment. They truly are stories of a South African Childhood.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Animal death and Sexism

stephintoadventure's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence

dianakamau's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail

filipa_maia's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.5

I'm such a huge fan of Trevor Noah and this book was on my TBR list for so long... I was really excited about this read. I'm usually not a fan of autobiographies (biographies in general) but I could not pass this one.

I really enjoyed this book. Is so effortlessly written, almost like a conversation.  The story goes back and forth with such grace and detail that the reader feels like its actually a one-on-one talk with Trevor.

Trevor as a very unique way of describing whats around him. Its a very funny, but serious way of telling us what was like to born and live being someone who does not belong. But this book is so much more that just a story about Trevor's life. Is all about a time period that changed an entire country and its people forever. Its very interesting the way this book describes such dark times through the eyes of a child and, later, with the proper interpretation of an adult. More than 30 years after the end of apartheid people still live surrounded by its "ghost"... its not there anymore but its presence is still felt.

Everyone, no matter what your race is, your age, where you are from, should read this book. We all should learn what happened during (and after) apartheid, because when we forget the past we are bound to repeat the same mistakes.

P.S.: I believe there is a quote very similar to this by a philosopher, but this is a saying that I really like.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Blood, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Medical content, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

audreyxine's review against another edition

emotional funny informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Racism

Moderate: Gun violence

_0_'s review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and War

madisonfrank's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, and Classism

lily_eames's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.75

Part love story between mother and son, part comedy special, and part history lesson, this collection of memoir snapshots is a true delight. My only critique would be a request for some more cohesiveness—the timeline skips back and forth so much that it sometimes cuts off disappointingly when you want to know more. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Racism

allapaz's review against another edition

3.5

I realize I'm in the minority on this, but this one didn't blow me away as far as memoirs go. It is an EXCELLENT discussion and depiction of real life in South Africa post-apartheid, and the parts that got real were really really good. What lost me in parts was Trevor Noah's humor in some places, and the jumping around in the timeline. I found it hard to keep track of what happened when when we'd get entirely new information/context like 3 chapters later. That last chapter about his mom though was 5000/5 stars

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Racism, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death

itsliterarycait's review against another edition

4.0

This was a really good read. Its pretty educational and relatable (for a black-coloured-looking South African). I love how he explains some colloquial terms and how he (seemingly) effortlessly describes life as a South African. I relate so much to how he describes himself as a chameleon, being black but not black enough, looking coloured but not being coloured, speaking multiple SA languages. This book really is like a mirror being held up to my face. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Police brutality

Moderate: Excrement

Minor: Rape and Suicide attempt